The National Park Service and International Dark Sky Association announced Zion National Park’s official certification as a Dark Sky Park on June 3. This certification means that all five Utah national park are now recognized for their incredible night skies.

Unseasonably warm weather and low snowpack allowed for the unusually early reopening of the North Entrance and West Rim Drive in Crater Lake National Park. The West Rim Drive and its viewpoints are accessible to vehicles since Friday morning, May 28.

When a 39-year-old hiker set off on a morning hike on one of the most popular loop trails in the Mammoth Hot Springs area on Friday, May 28, he had no idea he’d be in the hospital just a few hours later. His encounter with a couple of bears resulted in the first bear mauling in Yellowstone National Park in 2021.

Starting on June 1, 2021, visitors will be able to reserve a campsite at Hosmer Grove in Haleakalā National Park in advance. The campground used to be first come, first served, but reservations are now required—to be made online in advance.

Almost everywhere in Jackson Hole, you can enjoy spectacular views of the towering Teton Range. However, there are a number of locations that are especially great for sunrise viewing, many also offering excellent wildlife watching opportunities. If you’d like to see the sunrise at Grand Teton, I recommend going to one of these places.

While wildlife encounters when hiking are absolutely unforgettable, sometimes it’s better—or best—to see animals from the safety of your car. Although I’m a huge advocate for leaving your vehicle and exploring a park on foot, more often than not, you simply have to drive to see a park properly. Luckily, there are several epic wildlife drives in the national parks.

Looking for ways to support diversifying public lands and outdoor spaces? In May, we’re sharing the work of Get Out Stay Out/Vamos Afuera, an amazing organization that focuses on Indigenous Migrant Youth populations and their relationship with the outdoors.

If you’d like to put on your paleontology hat, learn about prehistoric fossils and dinosaurs, and maybe even look for them yourself, the national parks and monuments in this post can’t be beat. From Badlands and Petrified Forest to several Fossil Beds National Monuments, they’re the absolute best National Park Service sites for fossil hunting.

There’s more to the national parks than just their epic wildlife, spectacular landscapes, rich history and cultural value. Visiting a national park can be a very personal experience, too, one that may change your life forever—quite literally—in the best way possible. They may help you become a better version of yourself! Here’s how.

The brand-new World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C. was officially unveiled on April 16, 2021. This addition to the National Park Service system honors the 4.7 million Americans who served during the First World War, especially the 116,516 soldiers who lost their lives in the “War to End All Wars.”

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.

One of the largest animals in North America, the massive moose is an imposing sight, especially when you see one while hiking. Many of America’s northern national parks are home to moose; these parks offer the best chances to spot them in the wild.

The Pacific Northwest is home to roaring waterfalls, verdant wildflower-filled valleys and moss-covered rain forests, but also shimmering alpine lakes, enormous glaciers and massive volcanoes. Mount Rainier National Park combines all of that, making it a hiker’s dream destination.

Grand Canyon National Park officials, who’ve been working with state and tribal officials and community leaders, announced the reopening of the East Entrance. The entrance will be open from Thursday, April 8, 2021. For the time being, though, there were be no services available at Desert View.