National Parks

Discover the best US national parks by state, from Alaska to Wyoming. Find out what to see and do in these natural wonders.

By Freelance Contributor

This huge hunk of metal has been perched on a hilltop in the Mojave Desert for decades. No one knows who put it there nor why. Was it the U.S. Air Force, pranksters — or aliens?

By Nathan Chandler

There are 20 different types of "national parks" that fall under the protection of the National Park Service, including national monuments and actual parks. But what makes them different?

By Sharise Cunningham

This stunning national park is a scuba diver's dream. But it's not for the inexperienced.

By Stephanie Vermillion

Death Valley hit 130 degrees Fahrenheit again Sunday July 11, 2021. That is only the fifth time in recorded history temperatures have reached 130 degrees on Earth. Why is it so hot here and how can anything survive in such brutal conditions?

By Stephanie Vermillion

Sand Dunes and Half a Million Caribou Situated entirely north of the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley National Park preserves a natural landscape rich with ancient history and caribou. A true wilderness, there are no roads, no trails, no campgrounds, and no wilderness center — backcountry is the only country in this park.

By Freelance Contributor

A Glimpse of Past Ice Ages Located south of Anchorage near the town of Seward lies Alaska’s smallest national park. Carved by glaciers flowing from the Harding Icefield to the sea, Kenai Fjords National Park is a rugged arctic landscape and rich habitat for marine animals and other wildlife.

By Freelance Contributor

Descend into the Longest Known Caving System in the World Mammoth Cave National Park houses the longest known cave system in the world, with more than 390 miles of explored caverns and passageways.

By Freelance Contributor

Hot Springs National Park is adjacent to the city of Hot Springs, Arkansas. It gets its name from the hot spring water that flows down the western side of an eponymous mountain. At just more than 5,500 acres, it is the smallest national park by area, but it receives 1.3 million visitors a year.

By Freelance Contributor

A South Pacific Paradise of Volcanic Islands The only U.S. national park south of the equator is the National Park of American Samoa. Located in the Pacific Ocean, the park is made up of three volcanic, mountainous islands. The islands are rich with tropical rainforests, beaches, cliffs, coral reefs, and Samoan culture.

By Freelance Contributor

Experience Active the Active Volcanic Landscape of Mauna Loa and Kilauea Five volcanoes make up the Big Island of Hawaii, and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park protects two of them — Mauna Loa and Kilauea.

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A Destination for Natural Beauty and Adventure Grand Teton National Park was founded twice– first in 1929, with an area of 96,000 acres, and then again in 1950. The 1950 grant, which consolidated lands that had been issued by the presidential proclamation almost a decade earlier, expanded Grand Teton to a size of 310,000 acres.

By Freelance Contributor

Stunning Marble Caves under the Starriest Night Skies In east-central Nevada lies Great Basin National Park, with forests of bristlecone pines, beautiful caves, and one of the clearest night skies you’ll ever experience. Activities in Great Basin National Park Tour the Lehman Caves.

By Freelance Contributor

Tour Cliff Dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloans Nestled into the sheltered alcoves of the canyon walls stand the remains of elaborate stone communities constructed by the Ancestral Puebloans of Mesa Verde more than 900 years ago.

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Cinder Cones, Tropical Paradise and Starry Skies Located on the island of Maui, Haleakala National Park was once part of a larger park that also included Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The combined park, called simply Hawaii National Park, was split in 1961.

By Freelance Contributor

Journey into the Fragile Wetlands Everglades National Park protects 25 percent of the original Everglades wetlands in southern Florida. The third-largest national park in the contiguous United States, the Everglades are the only subtropical wilderness in the country. The park is an intricate network of rivers and wetlands that houses a beautiful yet fragile ecosystem.

By Freelance Contributor

The Island in the Desert Often overlooked by travelers who unknowingly pass by, the Guadalupe Mountains National Park’s seemingly vast emptiness is anything but empty. The park is home to ancient marine fossils, three major ecosystems, and the highest peak in all of Texas.

By Freelance Contributor

Ascend the Tallest Sand Dunes in North America From a distance, the wind-sculpted landscape of Great Sand Dunes National Park and preserve can seem unassuming against the backdrop of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains in south-central Colorado.

By Freelance Contributor

Venture into the Picturesque Mojave Desert You’d never expect a desert to be so teeming with life.

By Freelance Contributor

America’s Most Visited National Park Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited park in the system, hosting more than 9 million visitors a year. Unlike most national parks, entry to the park is free. Its surrounding communities depend heavily on the park, which is the lynchpin of the region’s tourism economy.

By Freelance Contributor

Fish the Brooks River with over 2,000 Brown Bears Located on the Alaska Peninsula almost directly across from Kodiak Island, Katmai National Park and Preserve is famous for its large population of brown bears and its stunning Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

By Freelance Contributor

America’s First Sunrise If Maine is known by the moniker “Vacationland,” then Acadia National Park is one big reason why. More than 2.5 million people visited the 47,000-acre park in 2010 — the most notable among them being the First Family, whose day-one itinerary illustrated much of what Acadia has to offer.

By Freelance Contributor

Land of the Midnight Sun Located entirely north of the Arctic Circle, Gates of the Arctic National Park is the northernmost park administered by the National Park Service. At more than 7.5 million acres, it is a vast, mountainous region roughly the size of Switzerland, and almost 95 percent of the park is wilderness.

By Freelance Contributor

The Guardian of the Gulf of Mexico Travelers to Dry Tortugas National Park have to fly or sail about 70 miles in order to visit this island’s beauty. Located closer to Cuba than to the U.S. mainland, many people are unaware that this isolated national park exists.

By Freelance Contributor

Discover Waterfalls and Caves Along the Crooked River Cuyahoga Valley National Park is among the smallest and the newest parks in the system, but don’t let its diminutive size or recently elevated status fool you.

By Freelance Contributor