More than 40 National Park Service sites allow mountain biking, an increasingly popular outdoor adventure sport. Along with many NPS units like national monuments and national recreation areas, those include these nine amazing national parks for mountain biking.
Although often underrated and overlooked, birds are actually the most visible animals around. In national parks, too, they’re the easiest animals to spot. This is why I recommend making bird watching in national parks a priority. It’s not only about bears, moose and whales. Birds are fascinating to watch as well.
More than 80% of Americans currently live in an urban area. Whether it’s a small town or huge metropolis, people gravitate more and more toward population clusters. This, combined with the increasing popularity of nature getaways and outdoor activities, makes the creation and upkeep of urban national parks even more important.
Although it’s the national parks that get all the spotlight, it’s often the state parks where families, friends and couples go for weekend outings. Whether it’s for a Saturday hike, a Sunday picnic or an overnight camping trip, the state parks in America might just be more closely interwoven with people’s everyday life than their national cousins.
When thinking about America’s national parks, the same five or six names always come to mind first. There are, however, numerous other parks that are basically just as spectacular, but receive only a fraction of the visitors.
One of the largest cities in the United States, Houston is chock-full of attractions, from excellent eateries to historic parks to entertainment venues to the Houston Space Center. If you’re a fan of outdoor adventures, you can also use Houston as a base for some epic national park exploration.