America’s national parks system spans the entire country, from Alaska and Hawaii to Florida and Utah. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have one or more National Park Service (NPS) sites. This vast system also includes places in overseas territories like Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and American Samoa. Together, all these…
In late-September, when nights slowly get chillier and mornings crisper, when apples and pumpkins fill roadside farm stands, and when the leaves of deciduous trees start turning yellow, orange and red, people all across the United States get ready for leaf-peeping road trips. Here at The National Parks Experience, fall is by far my favorite…
National parks and other sites managed by the National Park Service are among the most popular holiday destinations in the United States, both among Americans and foreign visitors alike. In fact, America’s National Park System, which consists of 431 different units, receives well over 300 million visitors every year. The reasons why so many people…
NOTE: This overview shows the national parks that required reservations in 2024. It will be updated with information for 2025 in early-January 2025. If you’re planning your next national park road trip or hiking vacation, you might want to take note of the required reservations in some national parks in 2024. After another busy year…
Preserving many of America’s most iconic, spectacular and vulnerable landscapes and ecosystems, the national parks are an integral part of the nation’s identity. They attract visitors from across the country and from abroad, provide outdoor recreation opportunities to tourists and locals alike, protect cultural, archaeological, natural and historical resources, and offer a refuge to wildlife….
As America’s national parks become more and more popular each year, many of them have to deal with huge crowds, traffic congestions, and other issues, such as incidents involving wildlife. Therefore, planning a trip to a national park can be somewhat more difficult nowadays than it used to be. This is especially true when also…
There’s no denying that the U.S. national parks are one of the country’s greatest assets. Nature, landscapes, wildlife, and historical sites attract millions upon millions of people to the national parks each year, both Americans and foreign visitors alike. Nowadays, the entire National Park System encompasses more than 420 individual units or “parks,” divided into…
The centerpiece and namesake of Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park, the Teton Range is one of America’s most awe-inspiring mountain ranges. Few national parks have such amazing mountain vistas as Grand Teton National Park, which is thanks mainly to the absence of any foothills. Instead, due to their location at the so-called Teton Fault and…
America’s national parks encompass all kinds of landscapes and ecosystems, from deserts and lava flows to canyons and mountains to forests, coasts, wetlands and tundra. Depending on what they’re protecting and their location, the national parks vary greatly in size. If you’re looking for a list of all American national parks ranked by size, from…
Among American nature lovers, outdoor enthusiasts and wildlife watchers, few symbols are as well-known as the National Park Service Arrowhead logo. This iconic logo is the visual identity of the National Park Service (NPS). A federal government agency under the Department of the Interior, the NPS manages all U.S. national parks, along with hundreds of…
The National Park Service (NPS) recently released its visitation statistics for 2021, including the most visited national parks in 2021. In the report, the NPS said that “while visitation has not completely recovered to pre-pandemic levels, it has regained much of the visitation lost due to pandemic restrictions in 2020 and is now at a…
Each year, there are a handful of days when all National Park Service units are completely free to visit. In 2022, there will be five entrance fee-free days. These free admission days allow visitors old and new to discover and explore America’s diverse national parks. There’s at least one NPS unit in each state, making…
Getting charged by a bear is every hiker’s worst nightmare, an experience that can range from “just” terrifying to life-changing to actually deadly. So, whenever you’re heading into bear country, you should carry and know how to use bear spray correctly. This post tells you all about bear spray, proper use and other useful information.
From volunteering to donating to organizations and becoming a citizen scientist, all contributions matter and make a difference. If you’re looking for opportunities to help preserve the national parks, natural resources, cultural and historical sites, and wildlife, here are three ways you can do that.