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Virtual Tours of the 63 Iconic U.S. National Parks [2024]

Chris Hassan

Social Media & Brand Manager

218 Published Articles

Countries Visited: 24 U.S. States Visited: 26

Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

35 Published Articles 3253 Edited Articles

Countries Visited: 47 U.S. States Visited: 28

Table of Contents

U.s. national parks with virtual tours, final thoughts.

We may be compensated when you click on product links, such as credit cards, from one or more of our advertising partners. Terms apply to the offers below. See our  Advertising Policy for more about our partners, how we make money, and our rating methodology. Opinions and recommendations are ours alone.

Travel is back in full swing, but if you’re just hitting the road again, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options out there.

There are 63 national parks in the United States– but just because you don’t have time to hike every destination right now doesn’t mean that you can’t still explore some natural beauty. There are some excellent (and free) virtual tours of our incredible national parks just a click away!

We have compiled an exhaustive list of the most famous and beautiful national parks that offer free virtual tours. So get comfy, pretend to lace up your hiking boots (or really put them on), and start exploring some of the most incredible natural resources on the planet!

The U.S. has 63 officially protected areas designated as national parks. Since they are spread across the country, it would be challenging to visit them all in person (especially since some of them don’t even have access roads).

So why not take advantage of some downtime and start exploring them from home? Check out these incredible virtual tours without leaving your couch!

1. Acadia National Park (Maine)

Acadia National Park , also known as the Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast, is a 47,000-acre recreation area in Maine. Attracting more than 3.5 million visitors a year, it’s one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the U.S. With more than 90% of the park located on coastal islands, exploring Acadia’s resources by water is a must-do.

Immerse yourself in the sights and sounds of this New England resource and go on a virtual cruise .

2. Arches National Park (Utah)

Arches National Park is a 73,000+ acre marvel of eroded sandstone located northwest of Moab, Utah with more than 2,000 natural stone arches.

3. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

With 244,000 acres of canyons, rock formations, bison, sheep, and prairie dogs, Badlands National Park is also home to one of the world’s richest fossil beds . The park was once home to many ancient mammals, including the saber-toothed cat.

Walk through this breathtaking park from home, featuring overlooks, fossil replicas, and wild prairie dogs, thanks to this Google Earth virtual tour .

4. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

Big Bend National Park is a sprawling wildlife sanctuary in southwestern Texas along the border of Mexico.

Home to more than 1,200 species of plants, 450 species of birds, 56 species of reptiles, and 75 species of mammals, this 800,000+ acre national park is as big as it is gorgeous.

Reach the park’s tallest peak, trek through the wilderness, and journey along a canyon river on a private virtual tour, thanks to Google Earth.

5. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

Just a blink away from downtown Miami, Biscayne National Park is home to the world’s third-longest coral reef tract and countless activities for outdoor enthusiasts.

There is something to keep every visitor busy, from exploring shipwrecks to boating, snorkeling, fishing, and more.

Experience a variety of water sports and witness spectacular coral reefs via this video tour .

6. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

Packed with steep cliffs and craggy spires, the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is a sight to see in Colorado.

Over 2 million years, the Gunnison River has sculpted its way through the rough terrain, leaving behind a breathtaking combination of water, rock, and sky.

You don’t have to wait that long to enjoy the beauty of various trails and overlooks — go on a Google Earth virtual tour !

7. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

Located in southwestern Utah, Bryce Canyon National Park is famous for its iconic red rocks, natural amphitheaters, and the largest concentration of hoodoos (irregular columns of rock) on Earth.

With an elevation of up to 9,000 feet, there is plenty to do, including multiple winter sports such as snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Take an in-depth virtual tour with videos and 360-degree photos thanks to Google Arts & Culture.

8. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

Canyonlands National Park is a dramatic desert in southeastern Utah with a landscape carved by the winds and the Colorado River.

Nature has created a stunning wilderness of countless canyons and fantastically formed buttes just waiting to be explored.

Drop in and explore red rock canyons, the Colorado River, and Mesa Arch via an enhanced Google Earth Street View .

9. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

Capitol Reef National Park is home to the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline (a wrinkle on the earth) extending almost 100 miles. If that doesn’t interest you, maybe the golden sandstone, canyons, and striking rock formations will.

Drop in via the Google Earth link here .

Hot Tip: Like what you see? You can go glamping at Capitol Reef Resort !

10. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

Located in the Guadalupe Mountains of southeastern New Mexico, Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a lush desert landscape above ground. Still, the  real show lies beneath the surface of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Thanks to Google Arts & Culture, you can explore these caves (even from a bat’s perspective) via video and 360-degree photos .

11. Channel Islands National Park (California)

Channel Islands National Park is made up of 5 of the 8 Channel Islands off the coast of California. The islands represent a wide variety of significant natural and cultural resources thanks to thousands of years of isolation. This relatively untouched area has created unique animals, plants, and archaeological resources found nowhere else on Earth .

Don’t worry if you can’t get to California any time soon. You can take a virtual tour of each island via Google Street View.

12. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

Congaree National Park is a wilderness paradise located in South Carolina. Massive trees in this park have created one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world. It is now designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve .

The Congaree River flows through the park, which has created ideal hiking, canoeing, kayaking, and birdwatching opportunities.

To really get a feel of this park from home, you can watch a canoe ride through this incredible wilderness.

13. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

Crater Lake is located in south-central Oregon and is quite simply awe-inspiring . Formed from a volcanic eruption 7,500 years ago, this lake is not fed by rivers or streams but only by rain and melted snow.

The lake is the deepest in the U.S. and one of the cleanest and clearest in the world. It is no surprise that the area is extremely popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts year-round.

Take a 360-degree virtual video tour of this gem with country music singer/songwriter Dierks Bentley.

14. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a relatively small 32,000-acre park just a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Ohio.

The park offers a refuge for city dwellers with outdoor options for everyone, including hiking, golfing, historic train rides, kayaking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.

Explore this unique national park via a Google Earth virtual tour highlighting a 19th-century bridge, marsh boardwalk, and impressive waterfalls.

15. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

Perhaps the most famous national park, at least by name, Death Valley National Park is the hottest, driest, and lowest national park . Despite its morbid name, this national park shows a great diversity of life when rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers and lush oases harbor tiny fish and other wildlife.

Death Valley straddles the California-Nevada border and is the largest U.S. national park outside of Alaska at 3.4 million acres.

Start exploring this massive park thanks to this Google Earth virtual tour . Highlights include the Rhyolite Ghost Town, Devil’s Golf Course, and spectacular dunes and canyons.

16. Denali National Park (Alaska)

Located in the center of Alaska on Mt. Denali, the highest mountain in North America , Denali National Park is a mix of forests at low elevations and snow and glaciers at higher elevations.

There is only 1 road that cuts through the 6 million-acre preserve where large wild animals roam free, and adventurists explore the many outdoor activities.

Can’t make it to Alaska any time soon? Try exploring the tundra, glaciers, and Denali vistas via a Google Earth virtual tour .

17. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

Dry Tortugas National Park is located in the Gulf of Mexico, about 68 miles off the coast of Key West. The park is comprised of Fort Jefferson, a historic 19th-century fort, and the 7 Dry Tortugas islands.

This national park is reachable only by seaplane or boat and has become a sanctuary for coral reefs and marine life.

Google Arts & Culture has put together an in-depth virtual tour full of 360-degree photos and videos.

18. Everglades National Park (Florida)

Everglades National Park is located in Florida and is the largest subtropical wilderness in the U.S. Besides being a national park, the Everglades are also listed as a World Heritage Site and Wetlands of International Importance — 1 of only 3 locations in the world to be named to all 3.

The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests that are home to multiple rare and endangered species, including the manatee, American crocodile, and elusive Florida panther.

Additionally, the wetlands are an essential habitat to more than 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles.

See what wildlife you can spot on this virtual tour of the Everglades via Google Earth.

19. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)

The Gates of the Arctic National Park is the northernmost national park in the U.S. , located entirely north of the Arctic Circle in Alaska.

With an average of just 10,000 visitors per year (the Grand Canyon gets 6 million+, for comparison), the Gates of the Arctic is the least-visited national park in the country.

The lack of visitors and the absence of any roads or trails make this park a virtually untouched ecosystem where rivers carve through glaciers and animals including caribou migrate along age-old paths.

To get a feel for how unique this park is without having to travel to the Arctic Circle, watch this video .

20. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

The Gateway Arch National Park (formerly known as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) is located in St. Louis, Missouri. The park is a memorial to Thomas Jefferson’s role in opening the West to the pioneers who helped shape its history and to the monumental Dred Scott slavery case.

The national park consists of the Gateway Arch (a St. Louis icon) and its 140,000-square foot-museum, a 91-acre park along the Mississippi River, the Old Courthouse, and a former state and federal courthouse where the Dred Scott case originated.

To “stand” underneath the Gateway Arch and get a feel for how big it really is, check out this 360-degree photo .

21. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

Glacier Bay National Park is 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, glaciers, temperate rainforest, wild coastlines, and deep sheltered fjords in southeast Alaska.

Most visitors arrive by cruise ship, but many others come for overnight camping, hiking, mountaineering, kayaking, rafting, fishing, and birdwatching.

No need to start packing — you can get lost in the incredible photographs available online or check in on one of the many live webcams set up across the park.

22. Glacier National Park (Montana)

Not to be confused with Glacier Bay National Park, Glacier National Park is located in Montana on the U.S.-Canada border and is much more easily accessible.

The 1 million-acre park offers more than 700 miles of trails along over 130 named lakes that are home to more than 1,000 different species of plants and hundreds of species of animals.

You can enjoy the pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, and spectacular lakes from the comfort of your own home.

The Google Earth virtual tour features scenic alpine lakes, trails with panoramic views, and waterfalls.

23. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

Perhaps the most well-known of them all, the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is a stunning 277-mile steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River.

Aside from the popular helicopter tours (and other tours from nearby Las Vegas), visitors can also enjoy rafting, hiking, running, and camping along the North and South Rim.

Ready to go on a hair-raising virtual hike? Check out this incredible virtual tour by Google Earth .

24. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

Grand Teton National Park is a 310,000-acre park in northwestern Wyoming that’s home to major mountain peaks including the Teton Peaks and valleys including Jackson Hole.

The pristine ecosystem and the same species of flora and fauna that have existed since prehistoric times can still be found there. Over 1,000 species of plants, dozens of species of mammals, 300 species of birds, and more than a dozen fish species call this park home.

Visitors can explore over 200 miles of trails, float the Snake River, and enjoy the serenity of this remarkable place.

To get a glimpse of that glory, you can take a Google Earth Street View virtual tour .

25. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

Located in northeast Nevada near the Utah border, Great Basin National Park has something to offer visitors during all 4 seasons.

With everything from the Lehman Caves to more than 800 different species of plants and a forest full of animals, there is plenty to explore in this 77,000-acre wilderness.

Get to know Great Basin National Park better with this video .

26. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve (Colorado)

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a conservation of vast sand dunes (up to 750 feet tall) in south-central Colorado.

The tallest sand dunes in North America cover about 30 square miles and provide 24-hour and year-round recreational entertainment. Camping, hiking, sandboarding, and walking the dunes underneath the moonlight are all popular activities at the park.

Want a better look? Check out the park’s YouTube channel !

27. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park stretches into parts of Tennessee and North Carolina and straddles the ridgeline of the Great Smoky Mountains, which is part of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain.

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most popular national park in the country and hosts more than 10 million visitors each year — that is more than the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone combined!

Camping, hiking to waterfalls, admiring the diverse plant and animal life, as well as the remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, all help make this national park so famous.

To learn more, you can take a private virtual tour via Google Earth Steet View  or check out these videos .

28. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

Just east of El Paso, Texas, Guadalupe Mountains National Park is home to the 4 highest peaks in Texas and so much more.

86,000 acres of forests, deserts, and dunes protect the world’s most extensive Permian fossil reef, which was on the floor of the Delaware Sea 260 to 265 million years ago.

Put on your virtual hiking boots and take a Google Earth Street View virtual tour of various trails, a 1930s cabin, and stalactites.

29. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)

Haleakalā National Park is a 33,000-acre park on a dormant volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui.

The park is home to incredible views, culture, tropical plants, and endangered species — some of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

Take a virtual drive and explore this beautiful park via this 4K video .

30. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located on the main island of Hawaii and rests on top of 2 active volcanoes : Kīlauea, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, and Mauna Loa, the world’s most massive shield volcano.

The park is home to some of the most unique geological, biological, and cultural landscapes in the world. Visitors come to learn about history, culture, volcanoes, and the island’s incredible biodiversity.

Thanks to Google Arts & Culture, you can immerse yourself in one of the most complete virtual tours of any park available.

31. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

The hot springs in Hot Springs National Park have drawn crowds to Arkansas for more than 20o years. Many believed that the springs held medicinal purposes, which helped turn this area into a “spa town” in the 1800s.

Today, visitors can explore on hikes or visit bathhouses for a traditional bath or soak in a common pool with water from the hot springs.

Take a virtual tour of Hot Springs National Park’s waterfalls, bubbly springs and fountains, and historic buildings with this video .

32. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

Located in northwestern Indiana, the Indiana Dunes National Park runs about 25 miles along the southern shore of Lake Michigan.

With more than 50,000 acres, visitors can enjoy the beach’s rugged dunes, mysterious wetlands, sunny prairies, meandering rivers, and peaceful forests.

Learn more about the park via videos directly from park rangers .

33. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

Isle Royale National Park consists of hundreds of neighboring islands, as well as the surrounding waters of Lake Superior, in the state of Michigan.

Although it is one of the least visited of all U.S. national parks, the park has the most repeat visitors . Isle Royale offers unparalleled solitude and adventures for hikers, boaters, kayakers, and even scuba divers.

Want to know what a 4-day backcountry hike is like in the park? Watch this video .

34. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

Located in southern California near Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park is named for the Joshua trees found in the Mojave Desert within the park.

The 790,000-acre park includes 2 deserts (Mojave and Colorado), and both have their own ecosystems due to differences in elevation.

Thanks to a unique variety of plants and animals, a rich cultural history, and surreal geologic features, it is no surprise this is a popular park.

Want to see for yourself? Take an in-depth Google Earth virtual tour , passing scenic landscape, Arch Rock, a cholla cactus garden, and oases.

35. Katmai National Park (Alaska)

Located in southern Alaska, the 4-million acre Katmai National Park is mainly designated as a wilderness area, meaning that hunting is banned.

The park is named after Mount Katmai, its famous stratovolcano. The national park is also known for its thousands of brown bears and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

Keep up with all of the wildlife with the park’s extensive network of webcams .

36. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)

Some of the most striking visuals you can imagine can be found at Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska. The park is named for the numerous fjords carved by the glaciers that have moved down the mountains from the ice field.

Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, where wildlife thrives in and on the water, and lush forest surrounds the sea.

Immerse yourself in an extremely interactive virtual tour by Google Arts & Culture to truly get a feel of this magnificent place.

37. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)

Located in the Arctic region of northwestern Alaska, the 1.7 million-acre Kobuk Valley National Park is home to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and the famous caribou migration routes.

With no trails or access roads to the park , visitors must arrive by air taxi and bring all of their own gear for any backcountry camping, hiking, backpacking, boating, or dog sledding.

If you don’t plan on chartering your own plane to explore this beautiful park, you can watch some videos about the park .

38. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve (Alaska)

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is a 4 million acre park about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska.

Turquoise lakes make way for volcano steam, while bears wait for the salmon run, all with a dramatic mountainous background.

Open year-round, but with no trails or roads , visitors must arrive by float or wheeled planes to start exploring.

Learn more about this unique park with this introductory video .

39. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

Home to the largest plug dome volcano in the world , Lassen Volcanic National Park in northeastern California is famous for its steaming sulfur vents, splattering mud pots, and boiling springs.

Visitors can swim and kayak in the spring-fed lakes, drive the Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway, and camp at one of the 8 on-site campgrounds.

Don’t wait to start exploring. Check out this incredible collection of 360-degree photos of hydrothermal areas, trails, and winter scenes.

40. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

Clocking in at over 400 miles, Mammoth Cave National Park in central Kentucky has the longest known cave system on the planet . Combined with 53,000+ acres of lush forest above ground, visitors can explore 2 very different worlds in 1 stop.

Mammoth Cave National Park has enough to keep most adventure seekers entertained, whether camping, hiking, or just exploring.

Go on an above or below-ground virtual video tour .

41. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

An American national park  and  UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mesa Verde National Park is home to some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites in the U.S.

Located in Montezuma County, Colorado and serviced by 40 miles of roads, visitors can enjoy 5,000 archeological sites including 600 cliff dwellings dating back from 600 to 1300 A.D.

Explore cliff and cave dwellings, sandstone ruins, the Sun Temple, rock petroglyphs, and more thanks to an  in-depth virtual tour via Google Earth .

42. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

An icon standing 14,410 feet above sea level , Mount Rainier , a stratovolcano, is the centerpiece of this Washington state park.

Surrounded by valleys, rivers, meadows, and waterfalls, there are 91,000 acres for visitors to explore year-round.

Explore the marshland and ancient cedar forests of this beautiful national park from the comfort of your home thanks to this Google Earth virtual tour .

43. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)

The National Park of American Samoa is spread across 3 islands in the South Pacific — Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta‘ū.

These “Islands of Sacred Earth” are home to stunning coral reefs, vast rain forests, the famous Samoan fruit bat, and of course, Samoan culture.

Grab your VR goggles and check out 360-degree photos of corals and sea life, including the adverse effects of rising water temperatures, from the virtual dive gallery of the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa.

44. New River Gorge National Park & Preserve (West Virginia)

The New River — one of the oldest on the entire continent — is located in southern West Virginia.

The park spans more than 70,000 acres of land along 53 miles with a whitewater river.

Check out the park’s webcam for a view of the gorge from Canyon Rim Visitor Center!

45. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

North Cascades National Park is a 500,000-acre park in Washington (less than 3 hours from Seattle) and is home to more than 300 glaciers and countless waterfalls.

Visitors can “hear the Cascades calling” through forested valleys and numerous waterways.

Are you ready to relax in the Cascades? Check out this stunning 4K video featuring gorgeous fall colors and nature sounds.

46. Olympic National Park (Washington)

With almost 1 million acres of wilderness and 70 miles of coastline, the Olympic National Park in Washington is an incredible example of diverse wildlife.

The park is home to several distinct ecosystems , temperate rain forests, and even glacier-capped mountains.

Start exploring beaches, rock faces, lakes, and forests from home, thanks to this excellent virtual tour from Google Earth .

47. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

This relatively small national park only covers about 230 square miles in Arizona. It’s named for its large deposits of petrified wood .

Whether you are driving through for a backcountry hike or want to learn more about the woods, Petrified Forest National Park has plenty of exhibits that can bring stories to life.

Be sure to check out the webcam at the Painted Desert Inn Historic Landmark at Petrified Forest National Park, looking out over the colorful Painted Desert.

48. Pinnacles National Park (California)

Pinnacles National Park is located in south-central California on the site of what was a volcano some 23 million years ago .

Today, visitors marvel at the unique landscape, which includes oak woodlands, canyon bottoms, towering rock spires, and unusual talus caves that house at least 13 species of bats.

Nature lovers will not want to miss this stunning 4K video timelapse of the park.

49. Redwood National Park (California)

Along the rugged coast of northern California, you’ll find 40 miles dedicated to the Redwood National Park .

Redwood trees, found within the park, are the tallest trees on earth. This 39,000-acre national park is also home to vast prairies, oak woodlands, and wild river-ways.

Start exploring this natural gem’s redwood groves, including a drive through the Klamath Tour Thru Tree, thanks to this Google Earth Street View virtual tour .

50. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

Just northwest of Denver, Colorado, you will find the spectacular mountain paradise of Rocky Mountain National Park .

With more than 415 square miles of mountain environments, including 300 miles of hiking trails , wildlife, and wildflowers, visitors have plenty to enjoy when the park is open.

No need to wait for the perfect day or time to visit — you can enjoy an in-depth Google Earth virtual tour of impressive peaks, alpine lakes, and expansive views.

51. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

Saguaro National Park is a 92,000-acre park in Arizona that consists of 2 separate areas: the Tucson Mountain District and the Rincon Mountain District. Both parks preserve a delicate desert landscape with plenty of wildlife as well as the famous giant saguaro cacti .

With 165 miles of trails, hiking, biking, and horseback riding are all popular activities.

Immerse yourself in the fascinating cacti and wildlife with this incredible video tour .

52. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (California)

Located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in the central valley of California, these 2 national parks host more than 2 million visitors per year.

Kings Canyon got its name due to a giant glacier that carved its way through the valley more than 1-mile deep.

Sequoia National Park is named after  the world’s largest stands of giant sequoia trees, which tower over the valley.

Check out this virtual tour by Google Earth . Highlights include the ~275-foot-tall General Sherman Tree, a tunnel log, Moro Rock, and Crystal Cave.

53. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

Located in Virginia, Shenandoah National Park is just a 75-mile drive from downtown Washington, D.C. The long and narrow park has its valley and rolling hills split down the middle by the scenic Skyline Drive.

With more than 200,000 acres of protected lands, visitors are likely to see waterfalls, deer, songbirds, black bears, and more.

Take a Google Earth virtual tour of hiking trails, waterfalls, and vistas, or visit Shenandoah’s own virtual tour of its historic buildings.

54. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

Named after the former president, Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s 70,000 acres of badlands are split across 3 sections in Noth Dakota.

Spectacular multicolored rock formations, dramatic canyons, and sweeping plains are home to elk, prairie dogs, and about 500 bison .

About 750,000 annual visitors come for wildlife spotting, birdwatching, hiking, horseback riding, stargazing, and scenic drives.

Take a peek at what is going on via the park’s webcam of Painted Canyon , a virtual tour of Maltese Cross Cabin , or the park’s multimedia content .

55. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

Known as “America’s Paradise,”  Virgin Islands National Park preserves about 60% of the island of St. John , about 5,000 acres of ocean, and almost all of Hassel Island.

Besides the beautiful beaches and pristine snorkeling, the park attracts visitors for its history of sugar plantations and ancient petroglyphs carved by the Taino Indians.

Explore this island’s tropical forests, petroglyphs, ruins of a 1700s Danish sugar plantation, and white sand beaches via a Google Earth virtual tour .

56. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

Located in northern Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park is 218,000 acres of outstanding water resources.

Known for its maze of interconnected water highways , it is no surprise that this is a popular spot for fishing, canoeing, kayaking, and boating.

Visitors can access this national park in the winter by snowmobile, ski, or snowshoe.

If you are interested in this park, you won’t want to miss this stunning timelapse video .

57. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

Inside this 145,000 acre park in New Mexico, visitors will find 275 square miles of white sand dunes composed of gypsum crystals. This gypsum dune field is the largest of its kind on Earth .

Famous among sledders and photographers, White Sands National Park receives about 600,000 visitors per year, which is the most of any national park in New Mexico.

If you would like to learn more about this incredible national park, check out these videos made by park rangers.

58. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

Wind Cave National Park in western South Dakota is home to one of the longest caves in the world , measuring in at over 149 miles explored so far. The Wind Cave is notable for its calcite formations known as boxwork, which make up about 95% of the world’s known boxwork formations .

Above ground is pretty interesting as well: with the forested hillside and rolling prairie grasslands making a lovely home for bison, elk, and other wildlife.

Go on a Google Earth virtual tour of scenic grasslands and ponderosa pine forest without leaving your couch.

59. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (Alaska)

Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is located in south-central Alaska and is, by far, America’s largest national park measuring in at over 13 million acres.

With everything from wildlife to volcanoes and glaciers, this national park has something for every outdoor enthusiast.

Take yourself on a “1-day visit” video tour of this unique piece of the American landscape.

60. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

Yellowstone National Park was the very first national park and stretches across 3 U.S. states, including Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. The park is centered over the Yellowstone Caldera lake, the largest supervolcano on the continent .

One of the lesser threatening attractions is the Old Faithful Geyser , known for its regularity of eruptions.

Visitors come to enjoy the thousands of other hot springs, geysers, and mud pots that dot the wild landscape each year.

Take a private Google Earth virtual tour of this famous national park — featuring geysers, waterfalls, springs, and more — from the comfort of your own home.

61. Yosemite National Park (California)

Located in the Sierra Nevada range of central California, Yosemite National Park covers an area of 748,000 acres and receives an average of 4 million visitors per year.

Yosemite is internationally recognized for many of its features, including its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and incredible biological diversity.

Thanks to Google Earth’s virtual tour , start exploring this park, including the iconic Half Dome and El Capitan.

62. Zion National Park (Utah)

Zion National Park was Utah’s first national park and is relatively small compared to other parks, measuring in at only 229 square miles.

But that small size doesn’t mean there is any less to explore. Massive red sandstone cliffs create canyons that traverse for miles and create a unique ecosystem for native plants and animals.

Explore this gem, including Court of the Patriarchs, Temple of Sinawava, and Kanarraville Falls, on a virtual tour by Google Earth ,

There are so many stunning and educational national parks that it could take a lifetime to see them all. With the help of technology, we can enjoy these natural wonders from the comfort of home.

Use these online resources to scratch that travel itch, gain some extra wanderlust, and start planning your next trip to one of these national parks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many national parks are there.

There are 63 sites that are considered national parks in the U.S. These parks are world-renowned for their history, natural beauty, and unique wildlife. These parks are generally open for recreation for free or for a small fee.

Which national parks offer virtual tours?

Many of the U.S. national parks offer virtual tours online for free. While some of the more popular parks have excellent production thanks to Google Earth, others can still show you the park via video or 360-degree photos. We have compiled the best way to see each park online — just click the name of the park you are interested in.

Are virtual tours free?

Yes! Every virtual tour that we have linked to in this article is completely free of charge. On top of that, every national park has its own website full of unique and specific information about that location. With everything from ranger videos to gorgeous photography, the amount of free content is incredible.

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About Chris Hassan

Chris holds a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management and managed social media for all Marriott properties in South America, making him a perfect fit for UP and its social media channels. He has a passion for making content catered toward family travelers.

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Exploring the Hidden Worlds of National Parks

The U.S. National Parks are full of wonder, but most people don’t get the chance to experience them in person. While nothing beats the real thing, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service, we used Google technology to bring the parks to everyone with a smartphone, laptop, or tablet in an immersive 360° VR experience.

Explore our National Parks

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Searching for gender equality

How to Visit a National Park Without Actually Visiting a National Park

Get your fill of the sights and sounds of u.s. national parks even when you’re stuck at home because of coronavirus..

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Take a virtual tour of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords with Google Arts & Culture.

Photo by Sekar B/Shutterstock

Now is the time to stay at home to help “ flatten the curve ” of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak spread, but that doesn’t mean you have to have to give up the great outdoors entirely. There are real cognitive benefits to interacting with the natural world , which is why most shelter-in-place orders make exceptions for safe, socially distant outdoor recreation . Of course, for many of us, a stroll around the neighborhood just won’t scratch that nature itch like an invigorating hike in the Great Smokies or Rocky Mountain National Park would.

But as more and more parks close temporarily because of the coronavirus pandemic, we’re going to have to put our national park camping trips and weekend getaways on hold.

Instead, lace up your virtual hiking boots and get your national park fix online. You can actually reap many of the mental health benefits of nature simply by looking at pictures of it . And with virtual tours, webcams, sound recordings, and multimedia experiences, you can fill your living room with the sights and sounds of the national parks , recreating some incredible park experiences without ever leaving home. Here’s how:

Google Earth offers virtual tours of 113 national park sites, including Wupatki National Monument in Arizona.

Photo by Nate Loper/Shutterstock

Take a 360-degree virtual tour

Google Arts & Culture teamed up with the National Park Service to create free, immersive, guided tours through five national parks. The series, The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks , was released in 2016 in honor of the National Park System’s (NPS) centennial celebration and focuses on lesser-known sites, including the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, Utah’s Bryce Canyon , and Dry Tortugas in Florida.

Each tour features 360-degree photos of different spots in each park with short, one- to two-minute narrations from park rangers. Virtual travelers can spin around to view the area as the rangers relate facts about the flora and fauna and the park history, then they can click on an icon to hop to a different section of the park. Certain spots in each park also include extra 360-degree video experiences, such as a helicopter flyover at Hawaii Volcanoes, a horseback ride through Bryce Canyon’s hoodoos, and snorkeling in the coral reefs of Dry Tortugas.

Click through Google Earth tours

Google has also created 360-degree Google Earth tours of 113 national parks sites , including 31 parks and a number of monuments, historic sites, and seashores. Some of these are popular sites you may have visited or dream of visiting, such as Mount Rushmore or Alcatraz ; others you may never have heard of, including Florissant Fossil Beds in Colorado or Wupatki National Monument in Arizona. These tours don’t include recorded narration, but like other Google Earth experiences, you could spend hours—days even!—clicking your way along pathways and spinning around to get full views of the park scenery at the Grand Canyon , Yellowstone National Park , Craters of the Moon National Monument , Canyon de Chelly , Point Reyes National Seashore , Ellis Island , and more.

Get a bird’s-eye view of an eagle nest like this one with a webcam in Channel Islands National Park.

Photo by Paul Reeves/Shutterstock

Watch a live webcam

You may not be able to visit Yellowstone, but you can watch Old Faithful erupt from the comfort of your couch. These days, many national parks have webcams set up so that far-flung park lovers can enjoy the views. Some even capture sights that you might never see otherwise, such as the Brooks Falls brown bear webcam in Alaska’s Katmai National Park—at times, we’ve seen around a dozen bears gathering to fish salmon out of the stream! Take in the New York skyline from the Statue of Liberty , admire the cherry blossoms at the National Mall , watch water cascade over Yosemite Falls , spot fish darting in and out of swaying kelp on the Channel Islands National Park ocean webcam , or peek at a bald eagle’s nest .

Listen to nature sounds

Level up your virtual national park experience with soundscapes recorded at some of the NPS sites. You can turn these tunes on while you’re clicking through a virtual tour, or keep them on in the background to create a “work from a park” experience. (Trust us, it makes an overloaded inbox seem so much more manageable.) The National Park Service’s Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division maintains a library of park sounds , which includes bird sounds, animal calls, and different natural and wildlife soundscapes. Unfortunately, they’re not curated into a playlist, so you’ll have to click individual tracks to external links to listen to them. But for a quick and easy sample, check out PARKTRACKS , a 12-minute mix that features chirping birds, elk calls, advancing rain, coyote howls, and cicadas singing.

It’s also worth checking out this NPS article about natural sounds recordist Jacob Job’s experience recording five parks for Colorado State University’s Listening Lab . It includes links to recordings he made at each spot, like the dawn chorus at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, screech owls clacking beaks at Sequoia National Park, and coyotes at the rising sun in Yellowstone.

Learn about the science of Upper Geyser Basin in Yellowstone with the park’s story map.

Photo by Cheryl Ramalho/Shutterstock

Explore interactive multimedia tours

If virtual tours don’t dive deep enough for you, you may be more satisfied with the topic-specific multimedia tours created by a number of national parks. Through new and historic photos, maps, and blurbs, these interactive tours explore a single place or topic in a national park, such as the Angels Landing hike in Zion or archaeology in the Grand Canyon . Take an “e-cruise” around Acadia National Park , “climb” the Grand Tetons , or wander through Upper Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park.

There is no index of all the NPS multimedia tours, which the organization generally refers to as either virtual tours or sometimes story maps. (Note that occasionally, a “virtual tour” may simply be an in-depth article about a place, like this one about Fort Yellowstone, rather than an interactive experience.) But much in the same way that a great hike or viewpoint is better when you find it yourself, part of the fun of these tours is stumbling on them while exploring individual park websites.

Photos in the National Parks Conservation Association’s new book offer fresh perspectives on favorite places.

Photo by Art Wolfe

Get lost in a photo book

One of the great advantages of visiting a national park is that it often allows you (or forces you, depending on cell reception) to unplug. Recapture that feeling by shutting down the virtual tours and cracking open in a nature-focused book. Last fall, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) released a gorgeous photo book in honor of its centennial anniversary (the NPCA was founded the year after the NPS).

National Parks Conservation Association: A Century of Impact is a mix of landscape photography and multi-page spreads that pair historical images with the untold histories of people, who, over the years and across the country, have stood up to help protect places like Glacier National Park and Stonewall National Monument. Learn about Mary Stoneman Douglas, the journalist and champion of the Everglades who, in the 1960s, actively fought encroachment of business into what she called a “river of grass.” Or Minerva Hoyt, the Southern belle who founded the International Deserts Conservation League and worked to establish Joshua Tree National Monument in 1936. (It is now a national park.)

Because many shipping services, including Amazon, are experiencing delays due to the coronavirus pandemic, don’t expect to opt for two-day shipping on this one, but for true park nerds and history buffs, this beauty is worth the wait.

Buy now: $32, amazon.com ; $50, barnesandnoble.com

Products we write about are independently vetted and recommended by our editors. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links.

>> Next: 10 Virtual Travel Ideas That Will Transport You to Another Place

Google now lets you explore U.S. National Parks via 360-degree virtual tours

Exploring the world is something that’s always been a bit of a luxury for those who can afford to travel, but technology is changing that. With VR and 360-degree videos, you can now immerse yourself in virtual environments that give you a real sense of what a place is like, without actually being there. Google has been taking advantage of things like VR field trips and virtual reality to transport students to distant lands, but today it’s releasing a way to explore scenic wonders closer to home: the U.S. National Parks.

The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks  is a new Google Arts & Culture exhibit and interactive documentary, timed to launch in celebration of this month’s NPS Centennial.

The exhibit allows you to take 360-degree tours of some of the most remote and beautiful U.S. National Parks. Instead of featuring much-documented vistas like Yosemite or the Grand Canyon, for example, the exhibit instead focuses on a selection of parks you may not have traveled to yet (or may never see), including the Kenai Fjords in Alaska, Hawaiian volcanoes, New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns, Utah’s Bryce Canyon, and Florida’s Dry Tortugas – the latter which was reviewed this month in a New York Times travel piece which called it an “under the radar” national park.

In the video experience, a local ranger will guide you through each park, allowing you to do things like fly over the active volcanoes in Hawaii, snorkel the coral reefs in the Dry Tortugas, or kayak through Alaska’s fjords, among other things.

The virtual tours are available both online, in the Google Arts & Culture App on iOS and Android , as well as in the Google Expeditions app for use in the classroom.

Expeditions, available here on Google Play,  is Google’s virtual reality teaching tool that lets students travel the world with their teacher acting as the guide. The app offers 360 degree and 3D imagery of over 200 places around the world, and allows for a VR experience when used with the Google Cardboard viewer.

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Google brings the National Parks to your living room with 360-virtual tours

In honor of the National Parks Centennial birthday celebration, Google has partnered with the National Parks Service to bring a unique and exciting virtual immersion experience to your fingertips. The Hidden Worlds of National Parks is a new exhibit that is part of Google's larger Arts and Cultures Exhibit and Documentary series. In this new series, users will be able to visit and interact with some of the more obscure National Parks in the United States, such as the Dry Tortugas in Florida and the Kenai Fjords in Alaska through VR and 360 degree video tours. 

In the video experience a National Parks service ranger will guide you through one of the five park options. Users will be taken on unique guided tours such as a hike through the lava flows in Hawai'i, a kayaking trip through the Fjords in Alaska or a snorkeling trip through the coral reefs in the Dry Tortugas of Florida.  

The virtual tours are available online and in the Google Arts & Culture App which is available for both iOS and Android device platforms. 

These are awesome. Only just in the last week I was wondering: Google Maps has photospheres, how about videospheres? Now we see them here. The quality will come, I'm sure.

Great idea Google! Our parks are a treasure and I'm fortune enough to live only minutes from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and I go there as often as I can. I have others on my visit list and Yellow Stone sits at the top.

This is a really cool idea. Google has always up to experiences of this sort, just see their Google Street View (better to be called "Google Park View") which lets you explorer scenic spots of many national parks world wide, albeit with mixed panorama quality. (But hey, its for free!)

Unfortunately the 360° videos, which are the core of this web experience, do not shwp up for me (using latest Firefox), although this browser is among the supported ones. I cannot find any help page on this website, so I guess I'll need to install Chrome to make it work.

I'm using the Google Arts app and I can't see anything either.

I installed Chome portable, and with this most 360° videos work, albeit a few only in 1080p, which is too slow for my connection (or my notebook).

It's a pity the whole experience (all 5 parks) takes 30 minutes to explorer at most, but it shows the potential of this technology. I can imagine to see longer and higher-resolution videos of this sort in the future, maybe as an alternative to "classic" documentaries.

For many reasons publishing video of national parks is a good thing, especially for those who may never get the opportunity to visit a particular park(s) in their lifetime. It's a great way to showcase the park system, the wonders of our world, with educational, social & environmental benefits. Negatives are two-fold: 1) If one plans to visit a particular park, I might refrain from watching the videos, as it may 'spoil' the rewards of personal discovery, being a new place, & the awe that one experiences of actually being there. The downside risk being "...wow, it looked a lot better in the videos!...." 2) Speculation: As more public lands are being closed to human travel and activity, in part due to zealots who believe humans should not visit wild & open areas, high-res videos serve as a precursor to limiting visitation in virtual reality only. This could be exploited as a step in that direction. Yes this sound like science fiction, but in limited instances is already taking place.

Having been to both Carlsbad Caverns and Bryce parks, and Alaska fjords (tho' not Kenai), I can assure all that videos, including these - stunning as they are - still do not compare to being there.

@SantaFeBill I completely agree- I've been to Bryce and I just returned from my honeymoon on the Big Island and we spent a number of days in Volcano. The videos are nice, but seeing the parks in person- well you just can't put that experience into words. They are just incredible!

Perhaps this is how our national parks should be promoted: https://www.yahoo.com/news/forgotten-history-those-iconic-national-140116362.html

Man, the res and DR is terrible! nice idea though.

I agree... the video quality is very disappointing. However, it sure is a great ad for going there in person or even just getting a taste of how spectacular these places are, which is probably the main point of these videos.

"the res and DR is terrible"

You neglected to mention distortion, corner sharpness, micro-contrast and bokeh. Sigh.

I am guessing that this project, like many things involving our govt, took a long time to come to fruition. It was probably shot on the equipment available a few years ago, which I am betting is when this project started. Look at the Ricoh Theta, they just released it, and the 4K is already coming soon. I have no idea what these are shot on. It comes up as 720p by default, you have to bump it to 1080 on the bottom right, at least I did. The intro's are better IQ than the content itself.

Innovative idea and great that it's free for us all to watch.

Wonder what it was shot on ? I'm guessing a GoPro rig of sorts ...

I still find 4k 360 video poor quality when viewed on computer, but 8k has problems with download speed and display. Seems there is still no perfect solution ...

Can't wait to check out all the videos. Especially those parks I haven't been to but also those I have been- beautiful memories. We should always be reminded at how amazing this planet is- in so many ways we are so fortunate, and that goes far beyond just the photographic opportunities- but those are great too!

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How to Explore National Parks With Virtual Tours

Virtual tours of national parks are providing a valuable service.

• University of Georgia

Google Arts & Culture)

• Conservation

"The mountains are calling and I must go," conservationist John Muir famously wrote in 1873. Many people can relate to feeling beckoned by nature, although for various reasons we can't always heed the call as quickly as we'd like. Fortunately, it's increasingly possible to tide ourselves over by calling the mountains to us.

Over the past year, it has been a bad time to congregate in crowds. It may be OK to get outside by walking around your neighborhood or visiting a nearby park, but only if lots of other people aren't doing the same thing at the same time. That has been the problem lately at some U.S. national parks, which have reportedly become even more crowded , despite widespread calls to stay home as much as possible.

Some national parks were closed in response, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Great Smoky Mountains; some have now reopened with limited services. This probably isn't the best time for most people to visit national parks anyway, especially popular ones.

At the same time, however, national parks offer valuable health benefits that could be particularly useful right now. Spending time in forests and other natural settings, for example, can improve mental and physical health in several ways, including reduced anxiety and depression, while the dramatic scenery in many parks can also help us experience awe, which may also boost our overall well-being.

And while virtual tours are obviously no substitute for actually being there, they do offer a compromise that lets us explore national parks from afar. That can help with planning future visits, but it's also turning out to be a nice resource to have when you're hunkering down at home.

Hidden Worlds

Virtual tours of national parks have been around for a while, but they've become deeper and more immersive over time. In one option, " The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks " by Google Arts & Culture, viewers are swept away to five different national parks, where they can explore the unique landscapes in multiple ways. The result is an "incredible lifelike journey," as Krista Karlson writes for the Sierra Club , and "an important reminder that the world is still beautiful and wonderful and weird, even in uncertain times."

Google Earth also has simpler virtual tours for 31 U.S. national parks , and while those are worth seeing, too, they aren't as immersive as the new Hidden Worlds project, which takes a deeper dive into five parks: Alaska's Kenai Fjords, Hawaii Volcanoes, New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns, Utah's Bryce Canyon and Florida's Dry Tortugas.

At each park, the Hidden Worlds tour opens with a video that introduces us to the park and to a ranger who will serve as our guide. That's followed by a series of interactive 360-degree videos, in which we can look around the landscape while our ranger provides context about what we're seeing. Again, this may not compare with physically being there, but these videos still create a compelling and surprisingly realistic experience, especially if you've spent the last couple weeks cooped up indoors with few glimpses of natural splendor.

You can drop underground in a Hawaiian lava tube, climb down a glacier crevasse in Kenai Fjords or swim through a coral reef in Dry Tortugas, learning details about these otherworldly places as you gaze around. Additional videos let you explore even further, and thanks to the ongoing commentary from your guide (which can be paused if you want), that makes these tours educational as well as meditative. This is an "information-heavy" experience, as Karlson puts it, and could be useful infotainment for kids while schools are closed. Yet it's also a potentially valuable resource for almost anyone, both teaching us about these priceless places and helping lift our spirits while we're stuck at home.

Other Options

As mentioned above, Google Earth already lets us explore 31 U.S. national parks with virtual tours, which are less flashy and more self-guided than the Hidden Worlds tours, but still teeming with interesting details and captivating views. They include many of the country's most iconic parks, zooming in from a satellite view to let users explore famous attractions like the Grand Canyon's Bright Angel Trail, Yellowstone's Grand Prismatic Spring, and Yosemite's El Capitan and Half Dome.

There are also a few other ways to virtually visit certain national parks. The relatively new Virtual Yosemite , for one, launched in 2019 with high-resolution, 360-degree panoramic views from more than 200 locations throughout the park.

You can also take online tours from the U.S. National Park Service (NPS) itself, typically on the official websites of certain parks. These tend to be much simpler than many virtual tours, often featuring a collection of photos, videos, maps and educational materials rather than slick interactive experiences, but some also cover lesser-known aspects of the parks, with unique images and information. On the Yellowstone National Park website, for example, you can find virtual tours of attractions like Fort Yellowstone, Fountain Paint Pot, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs, among others, as well as a scrolling "story map" about the park's Upper Geyser Basin.

The NPS offers webcams for many parks, too, letting people all over the world check in for views of current conditions at specific sites and vistas.

None of this may quench our thirst for freedom and wilderness, but as long as we're stuck at home, it's at least nice to briefly lose ourselves in these virtual replicas. They can help calm and entertain us during anxious times, but they also serve as valuable reminders that natural wonders are still out there waiting for us — and eventually, one day, we'll be able to answer their call.

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Virtual Travel

A Smithsonian magazine special report

Trending Today

Explore Some of America’s Greatest National Parks in Virtual Reality

The next best thing to celebrating the Centennial in person

Danny Lewis

The national parks have often been called “America’s Best Idea” and for good reason. All across the country, everything from mountains to monuments are being preserved and cared for in the public trust. But even though thousands of people from all over the world visit these parks every year, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to experience their beauty in person. So, to celebrate its Centennial today, the National Park Service has teamed up with Google to create a unique virtual reality experience that opens up some of the country’s most spectacular wonders to everyone.

“Growing up in Detroit, I thought great adventures happened to other people, in other places,” Shelton Johnson, a ranger at Yosemite National Park, writes in a statement. “It wasn’t until I got older that I realized I didn’t need to escape into fiction to find that sense of wonder. Rather, what I was seeking could be found in nature.”

In an effort to give anyone with internet access the opportunity to see sights like Alaska’s Kenai Fjords, New Mexico’s Carlsbad Cavern, and Florida’s Dry Tortugas, NPS worked with Google to create "The Hidden Worlds of the National Parks,"  a series of immersive 360-degree videos that place viewers directly inside the parks. Hosted by park rangers, the detailed videos traverse sites one might not otherwise get a chance to see, like getting a bird’s-eye-view of an active volcano or diving through a vibrant coral reef.

“We need bread and water to live, but it’s beauty that makes us truly alive,” Shelton writes. “We hunger for it. And our national parks are the banquet that feeds us.”

The 360-degree videos are hosted on YouTube and through Google’s Arts & Culture website, but smartphone users with a Google Cardboard headset can access the tours as a virtual reality experience to get an even more immersive national parks experience, whether it's virtually standing on a snowy mountaintop or taking a horseback ride through a rusty-red canyon.

Of course, the internet isn’t the only way to experience America’s national parks, monuments and memorials—NPS maintains and manages sites of all kinds around the country. Icons like Yellowstone and Olympic National Park may be spectacular, but chances are, there’s likely a wonderful sight right in your backyard. Luckily, NPS makes it easy  to look up a list of the parks  in each state. So, if these tours give you the nature bug, go find your own National or State Park, which might just be a few feet or hours away.

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Danny Lewis | | READ MORE

Danny Lewis is a multimedia journalist working in print, radio, and illustration. He focuses on stories with a health/science bent and has reported some of his favorite pieces from the prow of a canoe. Danny is based in Brooklyn, NY.

Google Earth

Visit the U.S. National Parks in Google Earth

Apr 19, 2019

[[read-time]] min read

Each spring, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation dedicate a week to celebrating the protected spaces in our communities. Today, we’re bringing the national parks to you in a Google Earth guided tour through 31 different parks around the country.

From the breathtaking vistas of the Shenandoah Valley to the awe-inspiring hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, the National Parks allow us to truly experience the natural wonders of our country. Start with the pink granite formations of Otter Cliff in Maine’s Acadia National Park , then head west to explore the ancient Pueblo dwellings of Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado. Finally, complete your journey with a peek through the North Window arch in Utah’s Arches National Park .

Acadia National Park

Mesa Verde National Park

Arches National Park

Once you’ve virtually explored the national parks in Google Earth, we encourage you to put down your phone, put on some sunscreen and get outside to explore the wonders that our parks system has to offer. Start by finding the park closest to you.

Related stories

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Let’s stay in touch. Get the latest news from Google in your inbox.

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23 Best Virtual Tours of NATIONAL PARKS Around the World

Looking for beautiful places to visit around the world … virtually? I searched for the BEST virtual tours of national parks around the world and narrowed them down to these top 23. These interactive tours take you to crazy-cool places that’ll leave you inspired!

Imagine dangling your feet in a gurgling brook, and then flying up to the razor-edge cliff above. Take a reindeer sleigh to see the aurora borealis. Skywalk between Avatar cliffs or among the treetops. Wanna dive to a shipwreck? AWESOME!

This post is part of a best-of series of virtual tours. Find more incredible  virtual tours , including famous historic sites, beautiful waterfalls, wildlife encounters, awesome cities, and crazy adventure travel. 

My goodness, even narrowing this list of virtual tours to 23 was SO HARD. So if you want to see more beautiful places to visit around the world , continue to the Summary and Resources section at the bottom.  

• 8 Best Virtual Tours of National Parks in USA
• 5 Best Virtual Tours of National Parks in Asia
• 4 Best Virtual Tours of National Parks in the UK and Europe
• 3 Best Virtual Tours of National Parks in Australia
• 2 Best Virtual Tours of National Parks in Africa

Top Virtual Tour of National Parks in South America

Summary and resources.

All of these national park virtual tours are interactive. Many can be experienced with 360-degree videos in your YouTube app and many are compatible with VR headsets. Enjoy!

Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links to excellent travel-related products. This means that if you use the links below to make a purchase, I’ll receive a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting Epic Travel Plans!

8 BEST Virtual Tours of National Park in the United States

With 62 national parks throughout the United States of America, you KNOW you’ll see some amazingly beautiful places to visit! Here are 8 AWESOME virtual tours of national parks in the US. Take a look.

1. Yosemite National Park: The #1 BEST Virtual Tour of National Parks in the United States (California)

WOW!! You’re in for a real treat with the Yosemite National Park virtual tour . Yosemite National Park virtual tour is my #1 FAVORITE virtual tour on this entire list. 

Here’s what I loved about the Yosemite National Park virtual tour. First, it includes the sounds of being there. Second, it’s super easy to navigate, with red circles to click on to fly over to the next spot. And third, there’s information along the way so you know what you’re looking at (and you can minimize it if it gets in the way). 

Now, I didn’t find any embedded videos. And you can’t move along the paths like you can with Google Maps Street View. But, there’s SO much to love here that I’m okay with this. 

As I explored, I actually felt butterflies . Descend to the pretty creek inside the valley, and then JUMP up to the edge of the sheer cliff above. And while I’d love to watch a video of the Nevada or Yosemite Falls, the images from the top … with the sound of the water plunging below … is SO wonderful. You can almost feel the mist in your face! It’s INCREDIBLE!

The Yosemite National Park virtual tour is also the perfect way to preview and plan your trip to Yosemite National Park in California.

Want  more  Yosemite National Park? Check out my post on crazy virtual tours to hang-glide over the park!

2. Yellowstone National Park Virtual Tour (Montana)

Here’s a well-loved national park in the USA: Yellowstone National Park. Did you know that Yellowstone National Park is the first national park created in the United States, and considered the first in the world, too? Its most popular features are its wildlife, many geysers including the Old Faithful geyser, lakes, canyons and waterfalls.

Now, I wasn’t a fan of the official Yellowstone National Park virtual tour page. It’s a series of videos and an interactive aerial map with photos, but you can’t get in there to explore by panning and zooming. (Unless you figured it out? If yes, please share in the comments below!) 

So, I kept looking. Here’s a much better interactive virtual tour from AirPano .

You may also like Hotels for Romantic Getaways in USA

3. Grand Canyon National Park Virtual Tour (Arizona)

The mighty Grand Canyon is likely the most famous of all the national parks in the United States and a marvelous natural wonder of the world. Given this, it makes sense that you can find a number of virtual tour options. 

For an immersive virtual hike, take the Google Street View Trek . It takes you along the Bright Angel Trail, following the Colorado River to the South Rim. 

Other Grand Canyon National Park virtual tour options include the Google Earth view and AirPano’s stunning aerial views .

Interested in a small group tour of Grand Canyon?  Check out Intrepid Travel’s Explorer tour .

4. Bryce Canyon National Park Virtual Tour (Utah) 

The next five virtual tours of national parks in the USA are provided by Google Arts and Culture. Each one features an introductory video and 360-degree images with embedded videos, audio and regular images to bring you incredible experiences. 

Let’s start with Bryce Canyon … possibly my #1 favorite canyon in the world! 

And Google Arts and Culture gives you a glimpse of why, with the Bryce Canyon National Park virtual tour . Descend into the maze of towering hoodoos … by horseback , yes! You can almost smell them. Stick around for the super-cool Night Sky feature. I could finally see constellations other than the Big Dipper!

You may also like 2-Day Epic Canyon Road Trip to Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Grand Canyon North Rim and Antelope Canyon

5. Carlsbad Caverns National Park Virtual Tour (New Mexico)

Have you ever wanted to be Batman? You gotta check out the Carlsbad Caverns National Park virtual tour from Google Arts and Culture. Step inside the Big Room of this crazy-cool cavern. Hike through Lower Cave. And learn about the incredible formations around you and the bats above.

6. Dry Tortugas National Park Virtual Tour (Florida) 

Ahhh … now Google Arts and Culture takes you under the ocean with the Dry Tortugas National Park virtual tour ! Dive the Windjammer Shipwreck or swim through a coral reef. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. 

I really would like to explore the fort, too, but I couldn’t figure that part out. (If you figure it out, please share in the comments below!)

7. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Virtual Tour (Hawaii) 

Now everyone loves Hawaii. Hawaii is near the top of most peoples’ lists of the most beautiful places to visit around the world.

And with the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park virtual tour from Google Arts and Culture, we get to explore this fascinating volcanic area from home. Stand inside a volcano tube and (almost) run your hand along the rock. Fly over an active volcano. Listen to it roar. 

You may also like Where to STAY in Maui and Inspiring BACKYARD Travel Decor

Interested in a small group tour of the Hawaiian islands?  Check out Intrepid Travel’s 10-day tour of Oahu, Kauai, Hawaii’s Big Island and Maui.

8. Kenai Fjords National Park Virtual Tour (Alaska)

We end our list of the best virtual tours of national parks in the United States by heading north. Waaay north. 

How many of us have been to Alaska? Not me! Google Arts and Culture takes us up to Alaska with the Kenai Fjords National Park virtual tour . Kayak among icebergs. Descend 30 feet into a glacier crevasse. Watch a whale breach. The Kenai Fjords National Park virtual tour is sooo beautiful and remote. And reminds us to enjoy our warm summers!

Also check out Best Trips with DAD , including fishing trips to Alaska!

5 BEST Virtual Tours of National Park in Asia

1. zhangjiajie national forest park virtual tour (china).

So many areas in China are among the most beautiful places to visit around the world. Among them is certainly Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which inspired the Avatar movie. Its quartz-sandstone pillars will leave you in awe.

The Zhangjiajie National Forest Park virtual tour from AirPano includes jaw-dropping 360-degree photos and a 360-degree video. Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the video; open it in your YouTube app or with a VR headset for an even more immersive experience. 

Also, you have to check out the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge virtual tour – open it up in your YouTube app or put on your VR headset. Just imagine walking across this bridge, looking 300 meters (980 feet) straight down. Could you do it??

You may also like:

• 15 Best Virtual Tours of Famous HISTORIC Sites  including the Great Wall and Xian Warriors.
• 17 Best CITY Virtual Tours including The Forbidden City and Hong Kong.

2. Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Virtual Tour (Vietnam)

WOW!! National Geographic did a great job of taking us through this fascinating world’s largest cave. Just to reach Hang Son Doong is a 4-day hike through the rough jungle of northern Vietnam. But just looook …

The Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park virtual tour takes you into the jungle and through the Son Doong cave. Listen to the sounds of the jungle, and then the dripping water. And then the jungle again at the two sinkholes where the roof collapsed. Explore the massive chambers and stalagmites, including possibly the tallest in the world. Hold onto the rope as you wade through the fast-moving river.

Considering all the bugs living in the cave (not to mention the jungle!), I’m content with a virtual wow.

You may also like: 13 Best Virtual Tours of Waterfalls   with Ban Gioc Waterfall and Detian Falls along the Vietnam-China border

3. Kamchatka Peninsula Virtual Tour (Russia)

When searching for the best virtual tours of national parks, I came across this GORGEOUS area: Kamchatka Peninsula on Russia’s faaaar northeast coastline. Although it isn’t technically a national park, it’s home to the Kronotsky Nature Reserve and South Kamchatka Sanctuary. So, I’m gonna let it slide … because I just had to show it to you!

The Kamchatka Peninsula virtual tour from AirPano will take your breath away. Wild expanses of lush greenery turn to dramatic coastal cliffs, sandy beaches and the ocean (well, the Sea of Okhotsk to the west and Bering Sea to the east). Waterfalls are tucked inside rugged cliffs. Plus, partially-sunk shipwrecks, steep sea stacks up to 183 meters high (600 feet), and lots of super-cute seals. It’s now made my list of most beautiful places to visit around the world.

Want to hang out in Russia? Here are AirPano’s 360-degree photos and videos of beautiful places in Russia . I had no idea! Check out the gorgeous Sakhalin Island or Orda Cave, the largest underwater gypsum cave in the world.

4. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park Virtual Tour (Japan)

Japan is definitely one of my bucket list destinations. I had a one-night layover in Tokyo on my way to Vietnam, and while I didn’t get to see any of it, their hospitality left me super impressed. Japan’s cherry blossoms, majestic monasteries hidden in lush mountaintops, and haunting historical sites make it one of the most beautiful places to visit around the world.

Google Earth takes us on the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park virtual tour of Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is an active volcano, with its last eruption in 1707. Trek around the rim of this symmetrical cone and into the giant crater. To tilt and rotate the map, use Shift + drag.

Want more of Japan? Get a rickshaw virtual tour of Tokyo !

5. Sagarmatha National Park Virtual Tour (Nepal)

Want to walk on top of the world? Explore Mount Everest and the Himalayas with Google Earth!

The Sagarmatha National Park virtual tour takes you to the top of the world’s highest peak, plus Mount Everest base camps, communities and other nearby peaks. Take Google Map’s interactive 360-degree views of Everest’s south base camp . (I found it easier, though, to change the first link to map view and “walk” around the villages that way.)

Click on the little man (bottom-right corner) to jump over to another mountain range. Or, click on the blue dots for close-up views of mountain villages and the Imja River. To tilt and rotate the map, use Shift + drag.

Interested in getting a VR headset? Check out Google Cardboard … a cheap way to enjoy the view!

4 BEST Virtual Tours of National Park in the United Kingdom & Europe

1. national park virtual tours in iceland.

All of Iceland is known as one of the most beautiful places to visit around the world. Rather than limit you to one national park virtual tour, check out AirPano’s compilation of Iceland’s BEST landscapes !

Incredible aerial views take you over mountains and lakes. The famous Blue Lagoon. Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon and Vatnajokull glacier.

Explore with the embedded map. Auto-rotate or pan and zoom yourself. Hover over the information symbols to figure out what you’re looking at. And to move through all the 360-degree images, easily click “next” or scroll through the image legend along the side.

2. Cliffs of Moher GeoPark Virtual Tour (Ireland)

If you’ve dreamed of visiting these world-famous cliffs, start with the Cliffs of Moher virtual tour . 

Follow the arrows along the path or click on the double-arrows along the bottom to move through the main viewing areas and visitor center. Climb to the top of O’Brian’s Tower for the most spectacular view. Or even better … put on your VR headset!

Want to linger in Ireland before moving onto other national park virtual tours? Check a variety of virtual tours in Ireland, courtesy of Virtual Visit Tours . 

3. Loch Lomond National Park Virtual Tour (Scotland)

For a taste of the Scottish highlands, take the Loch Lamond National Park virtual tour ! Explore the peaceful beauty of the Great Trossachs Forest and multiple lochs.

Click the information buttons to learn about the landscape around you and easily change the toggle view. The coolest part of this virtual tour? You can easily switch between the seasons! The only thing missing here is the audio.

Want more of Scotland?  Check out:

• Your ULTIMATE Road Trip from London to Edinburgh with 36+ Stops
• Speyside Whisky Distillery Tours + Map: 16 to Visit and Why
• Islay Whisky Distillery Tours + Map: How to Visit ALL 9

4. Abisko National Park Virtual Tour (Sweden)

Open up this tour in the YouTube app on your mobile. Better yet, use a VR headset!

This super-cool Abisko National Park virtual tour takes you inside an ice hotel, on a reindeer sleigh ride to the base of Mount Noulja, and then under the night sky as the natural wonder of aurora borealis (or the Northern Lights) dance above you.

Want  more  of Europe? I highly recommend:

• 17 Best CITY Virtual Tours: Inspiring Cities of the World like Naples and Pompeii to Paris and Moscow
• 15 Best Virtual Tours of Famous HISTORIC Sites , from grand palaces to humble WWII hiding spots
• 13 Best Virtual Tours of WATERFALLS in the Austrian Alps and Swiss plains

3 BEST Virtual Tours of National Parks in Australia

1. kakadu national park virtual tour (australia).

With Google Street View, now you too can walk the sandy paths through the Kakadu National Park virtual tour . In fact, Australia has nearly 60 national park virtual tours available, including some 360-degree videos to open in your YouTube app and compatible with VR headsets.

Scramble up to Jim Jim and Twin Falls, and almost feel the perfect soft sand of the hidden beaches between your fingers. Imagine the refreshing sounds of waterfalls and laughter at the Gunlom and Maguk swimming holes. And “hike” up to Nadab Lookout in the Ubirr virtual tour for an expansive view.

So, I got lost (just like in real life!). If I couldn’t see the X on the ground telling me where to go, I went to the little map (bottom left corner) and double-clicked where I wanted the yellow map guy to go. In the left column, be sure to switch between “All” and “360° View” so you can see the stunning pictures of the area, too.

2. Porongurup National Park Virtual Tour (Australia)

If you’re hungry for more national park virtual tours from Western Australia, check out their app. Parks WA app takes you to the rugged south coast, along the AWESOME tree-top walk in Valley of Giants, and caving in Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. Experience these most beautiful places to visit around the world on your smartphone or computer. Or even better, get a VR headset!

3. Great Barrier Reef Virtual Tour (Australia) 

I can’t leave Australia without showing you this Great Barrier Reef virtual tour from ECOVR. It’s an amazing underwater tour even just as a regular video. But for a more immersive experience, open the link in your YouTube app. 

You can also interact with the Great Barrier Reef in Google Maps Street View. It has some pretty incredible underwater photos.

Looking for penguins? Check out my wildlife virtual tours post!

2 BEST Virtual Tours of National Parks in Africa

1. namib-naukluft national park virtual tour (namibia).

If you’re going to see a desert, you should see the Namib. It’s the oldest desert in the world, and even though it’s one of the most remote places in the world, its red sand dunes are still famous.

Take a tour through the Namib-Naukluft National Park virtual tour from AirPano. The Namib Desert has the highest sand dunes in the world, up to 325 meters high (1066 feet). Pause to pan and reflect at Deadvlei, with its tree skeleton graveyard that tells of the once-thriving oasis. And gaze up at the starry sky … you just don’t see that in the city.

If you love 360-degree videos, open up the Sahara Desert of Algeria virtual tour with your YouTube app or VR headset.

2. Drakensberg National Park Virtual Tour (South Africa)

Now, we know that Africa is HUGE and stunning. So, I can’t just leave Africa with one virtual tour through the desert. 

Check THIS out: The Drakensberg National Park virtual tour (yes, again from AirPano!) is SO AWESOME! Dramatically jagged, teeth-like peaks tower above lush green valleys. Of course there’s a waterfall. The images in the Photo Gallery just make me so happy.

Want more African experiences? Visit the incredible Victoria Falls in my waterfalls virtual tour post, or bungee jump off a nearby bridge in crazy virtual tours ! Then take a safari in the wildlife virtual tours .

I KNOW that South America has epic landscapes everywhere . I just had a hard time finding good interactive virtual tours of them.

But here’s a beauty: Lencois Maranhenses National Park virtual tour from AirPano. In the equatorial part of Brazil lies this fascinating landscape that I didn’t even know existed. A mix of seasonal fresh water lagoons, salt marshes, and tall, wave-like white sand dunes. 

Tip: The best time to visit the warm lagoons of the Lencois Maranhenses National Park is July to early September.

Looking for more of South America? Visit the stunning Angel Falls and Iguazu falls in virtual tours of waterfalls . Then, experience Machu Picchu in virtual tours of historic sites and the Galapagos in wildlife virtual tours !

So, of this whopping 23 best virtual tours of national parks around the world, which ones make your best-of list? Which of these most beautiful places to visit around the world are you eager to experience for yourself?

Here are other posts you may be interested in: 15 virtual tours of famous HISTORIC SITES 13 virtual tours of amazing WATERFALLS around the world 17 inspiring virtual tours of CITIES

If your next dream destination isn’t on this list of best virtual tours of national parks, here are three fantastic resources to check out:

• Google Earth is quite a fantastic resource. Search Canadian National Parks or National Parks of the United States , and you’ll get a photo legend of a bunch of them. Here’s a list of virtual tours for the most loved national parks in the USA .
• Google Arts & Culture: Places has a ton of other virtual tours for you to explore. Many historic sites can be toured with Google Maps Street View, but not all with audio or information icons.
• AirPano has tons of virtual tours of the most beautiful places to visit around the world. These include 360-degree photos and HD videos to enjoy on your YouTube app or with your VR headset. 

Interested in getting a VR headset? If you’re into gaming or want a good one, reviewers praise the Oculus brand . Otherwise, you CAN get a cheap VR headset. Just check out Google Cardboard !

SHARE these 23 BEST virtual tours of national parks!

Eager to explore? Finally start your travel bucket list (FREE template!) or start planning your next trip !

Feature photo credit (Yosemite National Park): Connor McSheffrey from Unsplash.

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How To Visit Glacier Virtually

Apr 10, 2020 | Activity , General

Even though the park is closed, we hope you can still enjoy the outdoors safely and responsibly right now. Maybe you’re self-isolating, but dreaming of your next epic outdoor adventure. No matter what, we’re here to support you with virtual resources to help you explore Glacier National Park.

If there is anything else we can do for you during these uncertain times, please let us know! Join the conversation with us on social media or reach out to us directly at [email protected].

Zoom Backgrounds

Whether you’re working from home, attending online yoga classes or planning your next trip to Glacier with friends, you can still virtually meet in Glacier. Take yourself to Logan Pass, St. Mary or along the path of a grizzly bear with a Glacier Zoom background .

Go On A Virtual Tour

Even though we’re all social distancing now, you can still visit our national parks virtually from home via Google Earth . Google has created 360-degree tours of over 100 national park sites, including Glacier National Park. Please remember travel is not advised at this time, but we hope this will inspire you for future adventures.

Virtual reality tours

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This Virtual Tour of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Will Make You Feel Like You're on an Epic Island Hike

You deserve a virtual trip to Hawaii.

While you may not be able to hop on a plane to Hawaii right now you can still pay the islands a visit right from your couch.

The National Parks Service did us all a favor a few years ago by recording several truly stunning virtual experiences in spaces across the nation . The tours, each guided by an expert ranger, bring people inside and through some of America’s most treasured and unique places. And that includes this intimate tour of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park .

“Explore the land shaped by the world’s most active volcano,” the narrator begins, before introducing park ranger Andrea Kaawaloa-Okita, who grew up just down the street from the park.

“Compared to the rest of the planet, Hawaii is very young,” Kaawaloa-Okita says. “It’s constantly changing and still growing.”

Upon starting the virtual tour, guests are transported to the park’s entrance, where Kaawaloa-Okita explains its “vibrant ecosystem” that comes with many native plants, birds, insects, “many of which can’t be found anywhere else in the world.”

Then, virtual visitors can enter right into the volcano’s incredible lava tubes.

Kaawaloa-Okita explains inside, that “lava tubes are like the veins of a volcano, transporting lava from the heart of an eruption.”

She adds, “what does lava do when it runs out of land? It starts becoming it.”

Visitors can then use their mouse to explore the gorgeous cave structure, simply clicking around to see it all as if they were right there with Kaawaloa-Okita.

From the caves, visitors head out to the coastal cliffs, where Kaawaloa-Okita explains, “over 500 new acres of land has been added to the island in the last 30 years alone.” She adds, “With new land comes new life,” explaining birds have already begun to nest in the cliffs, laying their eggs and raising their young right there.

Finally, the tour heads to a spectacular area to view the park’s active volcano. But, we don’t want to give it all away, so you’ll have to just go take the tour for yourself and feel what it’s like to stand next to Mother Nature’s newest creations.

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I Visited 14 National Parks In One Year. Here Are the Apps I Used to Plan and Pull Off Those Trips.

By Elissa Sanci

Elissa Sanci is a writer on the discovery team. She has found that clear ice makes carbonated drinks taste better, and citronella candles don’t work.

In 2021, I visited 14 national parks spanning from the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between. I hiked up mountains for stunning 360-degree vistas, ventured underground to explore cave systems, and wandered through slot canyons in the desert heat—and to do it all successfully, I relied on a few trusted apps. Whether I’m searching for campsites, organizing a packed itinerary, or navigating long hikes safely, I’ve found these apps extremely useful in pulling off my national park trips. Here are the apps that can help you plan your own adventures.

Learn about the national parks

The app: National Park Service ( iOS and Android )

What it’s good for: Information about every single national park site across the country—including national parks, monuments, and historical sites.

The nitty-gritty: All of my trip planning begins with this handy app released in 2021 by the National Park Service. Easy to use and free to download, the NPS app (which you can also use offline as long as you download content beforehand) offers interactive maps of each park, self-guided tours curated by park rangers, and news and current events, along with lists of amenities (such as food services, restrooms, and gift shops). You can get as involved with the app as you’d like, whether you want to keep detailed lists of the overlooks and points of interest you want to see or you just need to check the park hours and entry fees.

The NPS app gives real-time updates on conditions within the park—such as road closures, long entry lines, weather advisory warnings, and whether you need a reservation to enter—allowing you to find all the pertinent information you need to know before heading to or traveling throughout the park. I didn’t use the NPS app on my trip to Big Bend National Park—but if I had, I could have avoided a two-hour wait at a trailhead when important roads were blocked off for construction.

Discover the best hiking trails

The app: AllTrails ( iOS and Android )

What it’s good for: Finding and researching all possible paths through a park.

The nitty-gritty: With a free membership, you can search for hiking trails using a name, city, or park and then filter your results based on difficulty level and length. From there, you can read through hiker reviews to learn more about the trail and assess whether it’s right for you. You can also save your preferred routes on curated lists; for example, I created separate lists for each of the parks in Utah I planned to visit so that I could easily refer back to them while preparing for each trip. And AllTrails isn’t just for hikers, as you can also use the app to plan out mountain biking, snow sports, mountaineering, trail running, and climbing excursions.

If you plan to hike a few different trails during your trip, the AllTrails Plus Membership might be worth investing in. For $36 a year, you have the ability to download maps for offline access, something that comes in handy if you find yourself veering off-trail in an area with limited service. Just make sure you’ve downloaded the map prior to your hike. The Plus Membership comes with other perks, too, but I’ve found the ability to see my GPS dot moving alongside the correct trail worth the yearly membership fee all on its own. If you’re not sold, you can sign up for a one-week free trial—but make sure to time it so that the period lines up with your next trip.

After your trip, return to AllTrails to leave reviews of the trails you hiked. If you relied on information you learned about certain trails to choose and execute a hike safely, repay the favor by leaving thoughts about your experience in the comment section. Prospective hikers will appreciate your updates on trail closures, maintenance issues, and tricky-to-follow trails.

Find a place to sleep

The apps: Recreation.gov ( iOS and Android ), The Dyrt ( iOS and Android ), Hipcamp ( iOS and Android )

What they’re good for: Finding campsites suited to your budget, expertise, and comfort level.

The nitty-gritty: Which app you use to reserve a campsite or lodging for your trip ultimately depends on the kind of experience you’re looking to have.

Recreation.gov lists only federal camping options, so if you know you’d like to stay in the national park or forest you’re visiting, this app should be your first stop. Each campsite listing shows site details including rules, amenities, and availability. You can book directly through the app, and you can also use Recreation.gov to apply for permits and pay your park-entry fees.

The Dyrt is a good option for campers looking for free and discounted campsites, as it offers a repository of more than 500,000 campgrounds around the country on both public and private land. Similar to the listings in Recreation.gov, each Dyrt listing gives a rundown of the amenities and rules of the campsite, but rather than allowing you to book through the app, Dyrt redirects you to the campground’s website. You can also look through Dyrt user reviews and photos as you make a decision. The Dyrt is a free app, but if you want the ability to search for campgrounds offline or to download maps, you can sign up for The Dyrt Pro for $36 per year. You can sign up for a free seven-day trial if you’re not ready to commit.

Hipcamp is perfect for folks who would rather glamp than camp. Through this app, you can find Instagram-worthy private glamping sites (think decked-out RVs, yurts, and cabins). These sites tend to be more expensive, but they offer more amenities and creature comforts for those who aren’t comfortable pitching their own tent or sleeping on the ground. Like Airbnb (which can also help you find glamping and camping sites), Hipcamp lets you read through each host’s bio, flip through photos of the listing, and scroll through reviews before booking directly in the app. You can use Hipcamp to find cheap DIY campsites, as well.

Explore the park without leaving your car

The app: Just Ahead ( iOS )

What it’s good for: A narrated car ride through the parks.

The nitty-gritty: This app is useful for folks who want private guided tours. Employing your phone’s built-in GPS (offline use is also an option), the Just Ahead app automatically begins narrating as you drive by certain markers on the map, and you can learn about scenic views, geology, and park history as you pass them. Each guide is professionally written and narrated by journalists and authors who have written for National Geographic and Outside Magazine. Just Ahead isn’t without its limitations, though: It offers guides to only a handful of the more popular US national parks (such as Yellowstone, Joshua Tree, and Rocky Mountain), and each guide must be purchased separately, starting at $15.

Organize your travel plans

The app: Notion ( iOS and Android )

What it’s good for: Keeping important travel information and documents in one place.

The nitty-gritty: You can plan your trip however you’d like, be it in Google Docs, detailed Excel sheets, or the notes app on your phone—but I love using Notion, a free project-management and note-taking app that you can access on both your phone and your desktop. Because you can use this app to organize all parts of your life, it can feel a little overwhelming at first, but Notion provides a dedicated travel template that can help make trip planning more streamlined. You can pull all the essential details of your trip into one highly organized spot by creating tables for different kinds of information (such as your budget or flight details), embedding Google maps specific to your trip, and assigning tags to certain categories so they’re easier to find. You can create a general overview of your trip, linking out to other important documents, files, and websites—and you can make more in-depth, filtered views for each day of your trip with all the information you’ll need. Notion also makes collaborating with others simple, so you can share your plans with travel buddies ahead of time and work together to create the perfect trip.

This article was edited by Treye Green and Annemarie Conte.

Meet your guide

Elissa Sanci

Senior Staff Writer

Elissa Sanci is a senior staff writer for Wirecutter’s discovery team based in Denver. Her byline has appeared in The New York Times, Woman’s Day, Marie Claire, and Good Housekeeping. When she’s not testing TikTok-famous products or writing about car garbage cans, you can find her hiking somewhere in the Rockies or lying on the couch with a bowl of chips balanced on her chest. There is no in-between.

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National Park Service 4+

The official app of 420+ parks, national park service, designed for ipad.

• #59 in Travel
• 4.1 • 692 Ratings

Screenshots

Description.

The Official NPS App – Your Ultimate National Park Companion! • Explore 420+ national parks effortlessly with interactive maps, self-guided tours, and essential on-the-ground information. • Interactive Maps: Plan your trip with detailed park maps, including points of interest, trails, and essential information. • Park Tours: Discover park highlights with self-guided tours, just like having a ranger by your side. • Amenities: Find transportation, dining, restrooms, and more for a hassle-free visit. • Plan Your Visit: Access fee and pass information, operating hours, and other essential details to help you plan your visit. • Accessibility: Enjoy a fully accessible experience with audio descriptions for points of interest and exhibits, making it inclusive for all. • Offline Use: No internet? No worries! Download park content for offline exploration, perfect for remote areas. • Share Your Visit: Create virtual postcards to share your park experiences with friends and family. • Things to Do: Explore hiking, bus tours, museums, ranger programs, and more for a fun-filled visit. • News, Alerts & Events: Stay updated with park news and events. • Passport Stamps, Fees & More: Access park-specific details all in one place. Discover all 420+ National Park System sites, from iconic landmarks like Yellowstone and Yosemite to hidden gems. Download the official NPS App now for an unforgettable park adventure!

Version 1.18

What's New in This Update: - New Park Home: Each park now features a more vibrant photographic header, integrated search bar and streamlined park information. - Media Gallery: Dive into our expanded media galleries featuring an array of photos, and in select parks, videos, audio clips, and podcasts. - Improved Offline Downloads: Managing your offline downloads is now smoother and more intuitive. Many Other Improvements: We've made numerous tweaks and enhancements throughout the app to improve functionality and user experience. We always appreciate hearing from our users. Your feedback and requests are important to us, and we encourage you to leave a review to help us continue improving.

Ratings and Reviews

692 Ratings

Very good app. Maps need improvement

Overall, I think this app is pretty well put together, and anyone visiting a National Park or NPS-maintained site should have this app downloaded. It is very nice that you can download individual parks for offline use. This is especially helpful for parks where there might not be cell service. However, there are a couple things that I would change about the app. First, there should be a way to link your park passes (daily entry, tours, A the B, etc.) to the app. That way you can have everything organized in one place. Second, the maps for individual parks, especially the larger ones, are way too cluttered. Using Yellowstone as an example, there are 515 unique markers on the Yellowstone map. Before it was shuttered, the old Yellowstone app had the PERFECT setup for the map. It would have large markers for the most used points of interest (Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic, Mammoth Hot Springs, etc.), while having smaller markers for less used points (trailheads, vault toilets, picnic areas, etc.) Then, when you zoomed out on the map, you would only see the large, important markers. As you zoomed in, the smaller, less used markers would appear. This helped tremendously by keeping the map from being too littered with markers and by making it easy to find the famous points of interest that most people will be looking for.

Useful app but info not available from other devices

The information on the NPS Park app is very helpful. It contains detailed information about the parks, history, access, parking, lodging, and other amenities. A few areas of improvement would be: 1. to be able to retrieve information saved on one device from another device For example, if you save all the parks that you have visited over the years onto one phone, you can’t retrieve it from a tablet or laptop. On top of which once you get a new phone there’s no way to transfer the information. You have to enter it all over again since there’s no way to retrieve that history. 2. The app has a lot of good information but is not the most intuitive to navigate. Frequently you are told where you can locate information, but there is no link provided to let you go to that page. 3. A note to the NPS developers. While there are buttons on each page that ask whether the page was helpful, there is no place to provide general feedback so that the end-user could provide suggestions.

Awesome start. Hoping for many more features.

Honestly this is one of my favorite apps. Even if I’m not traveling, I like to load the app and explore parks from afar. I love how much love and energy went into this app. It’s obvious that the content comes from people who love the parks as much as we do. Here’s what I’d love to see: Improve offline access: being able to save parks for offline use is awesome. However, the app spends a really long time trying to load when you don’t have internet access before finally giving an error message and then loading after a delay. I wish the app would start in offline mode (offline is default) and then access the internet once the app is loaded. Sort by ability or activity level: I wish I didn’t have to load every single item in a list to see if a trail or thing is ADA accessible. Maybe add an icon to the items on a list… or add a filter. Passport stamp locations: I love this feature. Can the items on this list be clickable? Take me to the entry for that visitors center, so I can find info on accessing it. More pictures: I’m disabled and physical access can be an issue. It’s so cool to be able to see places I’ll never be able to visit. Show me the super advanced hikes I’ll never get to. And show us more wildlife we might have trouble seeing on our visit! I’ve got a million suggestions but you all are busy people. Thanks for making a cool app. Looking forward to updates.

App Privacy

The developer, National Park Service , indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .

Data Not Linked to You

The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:

• Diagnostics

Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

Information

• Developer Website
• App Support
• Privacy Policy

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Bangladesh National Budget FY2024-25

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VAT on amusement parks may increase

The government today proposed imposing 15 percent value-added tax on amusement parks and theme park services.

At present, they pay 7.5 percent value-added tax on these services.

For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.

Budget FY25: Prices up, prices down

In addition, it has been proposed to withdraw the existing VAT exemption facility on tour operator services.

About Tk 12,000 crore has been invested in amusement parks in Bangladesh over the past two decades. About 6 lakh people have been employed directly by them, according to the Bangladesh Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (BAAPA).

Bangladesh's first amusement park opened in 1979 when the government set up Shishu Park in the capital's Shahbag. Shishu Mela Park in Shyamoli opened six years later.

Set up in 1990, Gulshan Wonderland was the country's first privately-run park, which was demolished two decades later.

National Budget FY25: Three-year tax exemption for cashless tech jobs

Currently, there are more than 300 amusement and theme parks in Bangladesh. Of them, over 100 parks are members of the BAAPA. The annual turnover of the sector is Tk 5,000 crore, according to the trade body.

Tour operator services, which include hotels and resorts as well as tour guides, may also no longer enjoy a 15 percent VAT exemption.

Imranul Alam, a tour operator, said VAT has to be paid while renting vehicles or eating at restaurants.

Additionally, the profit margin has also decreased significantly given the current economic situation.

So, if the government imposes VAT on tour operator services now, the business will be negatively affected. Investment will be discouraged, he said.

No one who works in tourism at the root level is on the list of policymakers, which is why entrepreneurs have to face such a situation.

If this continues, the tourism sector will not be able to go very far, he added.

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বাস্তবসম্মত, সাহসী, গণমুখী বাজেট: কাদের

‘আমাদের বাজেট এই সরকারই করেছে, এখানে কোনো প্রেসক্রিপশন কাজ করেনি।’

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Pride month, featured stories.

Enjoy the great outdoors! Discover many different activities you can do in national parks.

Explore the above and underwater world of complex ecosystems, maritime heritage, and exciting recreational opportunities in our oceans.

Discover the origins and traditions of Juneteenth, one of the oldest known commemorations related to the abolition of slavery in the US.

Navigate waters safely with tips to be prepared, stay vigilant,and know how to react to keep your boating adventures fun.

There are endless ways to enjoy national parks all summer! Find ways to play and stay safe while out and about.

Learn how to model best practices to protect America's treasures while looking out for each other's health and safety.

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Last updated: June 3, 2024