Known for its majestic peaks and rugged beauty, Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most iconic national parks in the U.S. It also happens to be a quick 1.5-hour drive from Denver—but that’s just the beginning of what the area around Colorado’s capital has to offer. The Centennial State is packed with breathtaking [...]
Don’t ever say National Park Service employees aren’t multitalented. As it turns out, some rangers have been secretly honing a talent for crochet — and they’re now ready to share those skills with the world. An art journal called Colossal recently shared crochet patterns for halibut and walleye, both created by Park Ranger Hailey Burley. The [...]
On March 21, the Biden Administration officially designated two brand-new national monuments: Avi Kwa Ame in Nevada and Castner Range in Texas. The monuments will protect a combined 514,000 acres of public land, which will be open to hiking, camping, and outdoor recreation of all kinds. Avi Kwa Ame National Monument is a swath of [...]
In July 1900, Benton Mackaye climbed a tree at the top of Vermont’s Stratton Mountain. That moment, he would later claim, was the origin of what we now call the Appalachian Trail (A.T.). Decades of planning, trail building, and love for the outdoors have since given us the A.T. in its current form. This singular [...]
National Parks may be one of the greatest public resources our country has to offer, but that doesn’t mean they’re cheap. With many parks charging $30 per vehicle just to enter, those fees can stack up, especially if you aren’t a frequent visitor. Fortunately, there’s a way to get into national parks for free. Every [...]
From alpine deserts to lush mountain sides, these nine national park trails meander and climb through some of the best and most diverse wildflower displays in the country. 1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Townsend, TN Middle Prong Trail How to get there: The nearest major city to the park is Knoxville, Tennessee, about [...]
It’s that time of year again: Earlier this week, Yellowstone National Park rangers spotted their first grizzly bear of 2023. That means bears are beginning to wake up from their long winter’s nap. And you can bet they’re going to be cranky. Grizzly bears generally begin hibernating late in the fall. Over the next three [...]
The second largest state in the country, Texas isn’t short on wide open spaces to explore. Whether you want to summit the highest peak in the Guadalupe Mountains, hunt for dinosaur footprints in an ancient seabed, or kayak down the Rio Grande, there’s always a new adventure around the corner. Here are the best national [...]
You may have heard that timeless piece of advice: To escape a bear, you don’t have to be fast—you just have to be faster than your hiking partner. Well, the esteemed National Park Service has finally come forward to speak on that old adage and would like you to know that pushing your slow friend [...]
Yosemite National Park just can’t catch a break. Just days after thousands of pounds of rockfall closed the park’s main road, record-breaking storms swept across Northern California, completely burying Yosemite Valley in snow. Originally due to reopen today, the park has just announced that it’s going to remain closed to visitors indefinitely. Most of the [...]
