The 2.2-million-acre Yellowstone National Park, renowned for its geysers, is located nearly all in ... [+]
For nature enthusiasts, adventure lovers and history seekers, the new 560-page hardcover National Geographic Complete National Parks of the United States — fully revised 3rd edition; published this month by Disney/National Geographic Books — delivers enriching details about more than 400 parks, monuments, battlefields, historic grounds, scenic trails, recreation areas and seashores. Written by veteran travel and natural history author Mel White, this comprehensive, well-organized, hefty guide encourages on-the-go and armchair travelers alike to contemplate the vast beauty and bounty of America’s wild-blue yonder. Get happily lost in the inviting and illuminating descriptions. Now is an especially ideal time to appreciate the marvels of America’s magnificent forests, lands and waters under care of our National Park Service — more than 85-million acres across 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories. After all, when the COVID-19 pandemic prompted border closings of countries worldwide, many Americans were deeply grateful for these wondrous, closer-to-home outdoor escapes.
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White explains the relevance of each site, provides tips for planning visits and suggests favorite activities intrinsic to the locales, such as biking, birding, camping, cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, kayaking, picnicking, river-rafting, rock-climbing, snowshoeing, swimming and touring singular buildings. Helpful maps, fast-fact sidebars and colorful photographs abound. In the introduction, Allyson Johnson, senior editor of National Geographic Books, says that this edition is a celebration of the unique heritage of our park system — one which set in motion a global movement embraced by scores of nations to protect and preserve natural landscapes. She also notes that “luminaries from novelist Wallace Stegner to documentary filmmaker Ken Burns have called the national parks America’s best idea.” Here is a selection of images from the book to further entice your interest.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park in Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountain National Park, approximately 95 percent forested, contains more than 100 ... [+]
Indiana Dunes National Park
This 15,000-acre park ranks fourth in biodiversity among all our national parks — with more than ... [+]
Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota
As our 26th president, Roosevelt established the U.S. Forest Service and championed legislation for ... [+]
Glacier National Park in Montana
With more than 1,000,000 acres of some of the most stunning terrain in North America, this park ... [+]
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona
One of the most famous and photographed spots on Earth, this park is also a UNESCO World Heritage ... [+]
White Sands National Park in New Mexico
Surrounded by White Sands Missile Range, this park's huge wave-like dunes of glistening gypsum ... [+]
Zion National Park in Utah
This park's massive, distinctive buttes and cliffs of cream, pink and red sandstone dazzle. Its ... [+]
Death Valley National Park in California
As the lowest, hottest and driest place in the U.S., this park may seem foreboding, but offers ... [+]
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska
Glorious Aurora Borealis dances in the night sky over high peaks of the Brooks Range in this far ... [+]
For more information about the National Geographic Society, go here.
