National Parks
Archive
Over 300 million people visited national parks in 2019, the third-highest total in over a century
And it will make you one, too. The park is our 62 Parks Traveler's first stop on her journey to visit every U.S. national park in a year.
The popular Maine national park will begin testing a reservation system for driving on certain roads in fall 2020 to help alleviate congestion
Don't have time to thru-hike? That's OK! These trails can be done in a few days or weeks so you can test your endurance without using up all your vacation days.
Reservations at California's national and state parks are more competitive than ever. Here's how to increase your chances of scoring a spot this summer.
Nothing says "I love you" like getting someone a gift they'll use again and again
First Bears Ears, now Slickrock. Why should we trade high-value recreation for low-value extraction in Utah's mountain-bike mecca?
From visiting Alaska's fat bears to traveling solo across Scotland, here's how we're spending our PTO
As red-rock meccas like Moab, Zion, and Arches become overrun with visitors, our writer wonders if Utah's celebrated Mighty Five ad campaign worked too well—and who gets to decide when a destination is "at capacity."
With Americans surging onto public lands like never before, search and rescue operations are becoming overwhelmed—and help is not on the way
Some bucket-list destinations will be more budget-friendly than ever this year. Here's where to go to make your dollar stretch.
The country's largest dune field has been a national monument since 1933, but now it's our 62nd national park
An online environmental vigilante plans to publish a blacklist of influencers who trample flowers and deface nature for clicks. Some say it's bullying.
1,500 customers will receive annual America the Beautiful passes at the brand’s retail locations
‘Parks’ chronicles the evolution of the visual identity of the national park system through its maps, pamphlets, and other informational ephemera
Thanks to a couple inventors, a handful of national parks might be the best places to take your propane canisters to keep them out of landfills. But why hasn't the process taken off across the country?
A controversial Interior Department advisory committee has made a series of recommendations aimed at privatizing campgrounds on public lands
A scandal over radiation exposure at the national park is the latest weapon employees have used against each other in a perpetually dysfunctional workplace
What is a good boy anyway? How do you become one? These are the questions that keep me up at night.
The NPS announced last week that it would begin allowing ATVs to drive on roads in Utah’s parks. The move is intended to bring NPS regulations in the state’s parks in line with state law.
Make the most out of this year's Public Lands Day on Saturday, September 28th by visiting the parks with the highest entrance fees
America's parks are confronting the past in an effort to create more inclusive wilderness spaces
Whether you want to chase early-season powder in the Rockies or lobster rolls in New England, we've got your perfect road trip to end the year on a high note
Forget about the booked-months-in-advance sites inside the parks. These nearby campgrounds guarantee availability, quiet, and solitude.
Together, Joy and her grandson Brad have driven more than 25,000 miles through 38 states—and they're not done yet
From the French Alps to the Scottish Highlands, the iconic street-trials rider still makes time for the trails
Tips from the pros about the importance of communication, being prepared for a breakdown, and taking it slow
The longtime ranger has spent decades sharing stories of Buffalo Soldiers and advocating for diversity in the national parks. But his journey started on the edge of a cliff in Germany.
Say goodbye to 'The Majestic Yosemite Hotel' and welcome back 'The Ahwahnee'
A new book by Christopher Ketcham is a rollicking and unsparing look at the threats to our public lands
Everything the national parks could afford to do with the money Trump's celebration took from them
For the trail's most venerable volunteer group, retirement means hauling heavy equipment and sleeping outside for days on end
The route to being a national park ranger is hardly ever a direct one, and for Jessie Snow, it definitely wasn't
What does it mean to be a well-read outdoorsperson in 2019? We have 54 new ideas. Yes, we still love Cheryl Strayed and John McPhee, but here's an updated class of noteworthy additions.
The low-budget jaunt has an encouraging message for anyone intimidated by getting outdoors
Celebrate the national trails holiday this Saturday by volunteering at one of these events
Will Gurley is using his work to spread the word about development in our national parks
How to take full advantage of your 640 million acres
Tips on how to get one of the most enviable jobs in the outdoor industry
And no place has ever been ruined by an Instagram post, either. It's time to stop blaming social media for the world's troubles.
The logic behind requiring permits on Yosemite's famed Half Dome was sound: smaller crowds equals fewer accidents. In this case, the opposite is true.
When it comes to spending time outside, the best app is usually no app. But there are a few notable exceptions.
The sweeping John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act could mean great things for our national trail system, but it may take a while
A grassroots movement of physicians are prescribing time outdoors as the best possible cure for a growing list of ailments. Can they really convince big health care that free medicine is the way of the future?
A national park conservation advocate shares his advice on how to avoid crowds, get off the beaten path, see wildlife, and find adventure
What began as a carpe diem trip has become one of the few representations of visible queerness in the outdoor world
Get outside for a night (or two) with this roundup of backpacking must-dos
An official investigation into ethics violations by Trump's new Secretary of the Interior was opened just four days after his confirmation
To kick off National Park Week, the park service is waiving all entrance fees on April 20
The Garden State doesn't usually bring to mind bucolic wilderness. But if you ask people in the know, that's only because you've been looking in the wrong place.
The Democratic candidate released her comprehensive plan for saving our national parks and public lands. It's impressive, even if it never comes to fruition.
He sold his first photograph at 14 and has been making pictures ever since
America's public lands can help solve the climate crisis instead of contributing to it
As outdoor-recreation tourism booms, these places have been forced to find innovative (and sometimes desperate) ways of adapting to and curbing the steady stream of tourists each season
Heather Hansman’s new book is a must-read for anyone who loves rivers or is concerned about the future of the West
The Acting Interior Secretary's confirmation hearing was already absurd. Then the Greenpeace protestors showed up.
You don't need to destroy something to experience it
Ancient European pilgrimages. Coastal treks along jungle isles. Surprising Rocky Mountain summits. Checking off any of these bucket-list hikes is sure to be the experience of a lifetime.
Grand Canyon National Park superintendent Christine Lehnertz notified park employees on March 14 that she was resigning, effective March 31. This comes weeks after a four-month investigation turned up no wrongdoing and found a series of 2018 allegations against her to be "unfounded."
Size has something to do with it, but it is more about why the land is being preserved
A close reading of the President’s 2020 Department of the Interior budget reveals massive funding cuts for everything public-lands related—except for oil and gas
The crucial public lands legislation was just signed by President Trump. Here's why you should care.
As the country's second most popular park turns 100, Grand Canyon faces an unprecedented number of existential threats. Eight experts weigh in on the major changes it will undergo during the next century.
A century-long effort to designate Indiana's first national park finally paid off last week
Todd Carmichael runs the billion-dollar La Colombe Coffee empire, but he still makes time for record-breaking jaunts across Antarctica
The former oil and gas lobbyist is the worst-case scenario for public lands
Moab has come into its own as one of America’s great multisport destinations. Here’s how to make the most out of a visit, from pedaling its world-class singletrack to hiking its famed national parks to rafting the Colorado River.
Park rangers, wildland firefighters, and an EPA lawyer have all told me that they're worried they'll lose their jobs if they talk publicly about the shutdown
A former National Park Service ranger on why now, more than ever, national parks need protection from Washington's budget fights
Researchers are calling the majestic forest the Shangri-la of conservation acquisitions
Hundreds of people from the Everglades to Yosemite have mobilized as part of a grassroots effort to rid national parks of refuse while federal employees remain furloughed
Plus, a new protocol will make it more difficult for other parks to close during the shutdown
From mountain bikers in California to snowmobilers in Montana, renegade adventurers see the shutdown as a chance to get away with anything. They need to stop.
Parks are being destroyed, people are dying, and no one's in charge
A man fell from Yosemite's Nevada Fall on Christmas Day
Embrace phone-free time and enjoy these activities instead
New emails reveal how the U.S. Forest Service caved to Dominion Energy in its quest to build a disruptive pipeline along the Appalachian Trail
Over 16,000 employees will go without pay and local communities will lose approximately $18 million per day
Even as Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke has said he wants to give states more decision-making power over federal lands, the Trump administration has taken numerous steps to limit public input