333 Items Tagged

National Parks

Eroded rocks of the badlands in the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest National Park.

Arizona’s Petrified Forest Is Changing What We Know About the Dawn of the Dinosaurs

New discoveries of small animals that lived more than 200 million years ago are changing how paleontologists think about biodiversity in the Triassic.

Shaena Montanari May 23, 2025

Haleakalā National Park’s summit region, shrouded in the pre-dawn fog.

Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs

Removing items from national parks is illegal—and at these sites, legend says, it can also come with paranormal consequences.

Ellery Weil May 16, 2025

For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.

How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

María José Aguilar-Carrasco helps people with disabilities gain access to nature.

Jonathan Feakins May 15, 2025

The Explorer’s Guide to Joshua Tree National Park

Venture into the realm of desert tortoises, “mentalphysics,” and lonesome Muffler Men.

Cely's map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree's trees and waterways.

How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park

After 60 years of exploring the gulleys and guts of the South Carolina swamp, John Cely drew the landscape he knew by heart.

Ashley Stimpson May 12, 2025

Though they're protected inside the park, wolves can be killed when they cross its borders.

Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.

Wildlife guide Audra Conklin Taylor shows the beauty, value, and character of the park’s packs.

Lina Zeldovich May 12, 2025

Torrey pine grove on Santa Rosa Island.

12 National Park Trees That Are Truly Terrific

Famous, ancient, larger than life.

Roxanne Hoorn May 9, 2025

Entrance to the Mount Carmel Tunnel

12 Incredible Caves and Caverns Hidden in National Parks

Underground or inside, each spot on this list is more than meets the eye.

Roxanne Hoorn May 9, 2025

Landscape Arch

12 Must-See Rocks You’ll Find in National Parks

Come for the views, stay for the sediment.

Roxanne Hoorn May 9, 2025

Native Americans have a longstanding, rich, and vibrant culture in Wyoming.

Wyoming’s Sacred Landscapes: A Journey Through Native American History

High-spirited powwows, wild horses, ancient carvings, and figures that changed the course of history.

Sponsored by Travel Wyoming

Nankoma Island

The ideal location for an immersive ecological experience.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

Greenbrier Area

Waterfalls, rapids, and top-notch swimming spots await in this densely forested corner of the Smokies.

Gatlinburg, Tennessee

LeConte Lodge

Supplies are schlepped up by llamas at this century-old inn accessible only by hiking trails in the Great Smokies.

Hayfield, California

Carey's Castle

Hidden deep in the Joshua Tree Wilderness, this 1940s miner's cabin built into a gap between two mega-sized boulders.

Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Dive into the history and true tall-tales of Banff National Park.

Castleguard Cave

Canada’s longest cave system is home to creatures found nowhere else on the planet, as well as rare cave pearls.

Fort Zion

A kitschy stop on the way to Zion National Park.

The first photo of the woolly devil made a stir among botanists when Deb Manley uploaded it to iNaturalist in March 2024.

A Devilish New Species Discovered in Big Bend National Park

This tiny, fuzzy sunflower relative has been hiding in plain sight—it represents the first new genus identified in a U.S. national park in nearly 50 years.

Andrew Coletti March 4, 2025