As we all adjust to our new normal, our household has done plenty of virtual tours of faraway places over the last few weeks. The American National Parks have been particularly appealing to visit virtually especially since our time with nature has been limited. This is also a great way to celebrate National Parks Week next week.
While most of these parks are currently closed until further notice, it doesn’t mean you can’t experience them from the comfort of your home and plan for a trip later. Most of the virtual experiences I’ve been seeing are all linked to Google Earth. While that is a great resource, I’m saving you some time and adding a few more links that showcase the parks. There are some links to 360-degree views, photo galleries and live web cams unique to each park.
These are the National Parks we’ve visited and highly recommend all of them. Previous blog posts include many tips and photos to help you plan your trip in the future.
Yellowstone National Park
Visit the country’s first National Park that spans multiple states. We love Yellowstone National Park for its diverse offerings of geysers, waterfalls, lakes, mud pots, canyons, thermal pools and rare wildlife.
Witnessing the geothermal activity alone will make put this park on many national park lover’s bucket list. It’s like getting the best of everything Mother Nature has to offer. This is one of our favorite parks. See the many unique features of Yellowstone through the virtual tours below.
- Best of Yellowstone EYExpo
- National Park Service Virtual Tours
- National Geographic Wild Yellowstone
- Watch any of the nine Live webcams
Grand Teton National Park
This magnificent park is adjacent to Yellowstone but also has it own distinctive personality. Its highlight is the impressive Teton Range that looms over the valley, meadows and lakes. The park offers plenty of outdoor adventures from river rafting, horseback riding, lake cruising, hiking and wildlife viewing. We visited Grand Teton with kids during Fall and would love to return during the summer.
Grand Canyon National Park
“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder, which, so far as I know, is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world.” – President Theodore Roosevelt
This incredible park is considered one of the world’s seven natural wonders. The canyon is 227 miles long and offers breathtaking views. The scenic viewpoints and hiking trails are some of the best ways to see the Grand Canyon. But, these virtual tours gave such an amazing in depth look into the park too.
Yosemite National Park
This was the first national park I visited inspired me to explore the others and introduce my kids to them too. California’s most popular national park has impressive waterfalls, imposing granite cliffs, lakes, meadows and even giant trees. This famous tunnel view of the valley will make you want to delve deeper into everything this park has to offer.
Death Valley National Park
Don’t let its name fool you. This vast park that’s an easily accessible 2.5 hours drive from Las Vegas never ceases to amaze us. It’s a park filled with superlatives as the continental United States’ largest national park and also known to be the lowest, driest and hottest during the summer months.
We love the park’s sand dunes, colorful canyons and especially the large salt flats which are the lowest elevation in North America at – 282 feet (-86 m) below sea level.
- National Park Service Video Tours
- Ultra HD Nature Documentary Film
- Death Valley Vacation Travel Guide by Expedia
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Want to see the largest living tree in the world? The General Sherman Tree and other giant trees can all be seen at Sequoia National Park and the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park. The parks also have scenic trails, amazing canyons, caves, rivers and mountains. See the massive trees up close on these virtual tours.
Joshua Tree National Park
It may be in a desert area but there are so many interesting things about Joshua Tree National Park. The park is filled with giant yucca plants known as Joshua trees which looked like they came out of Dr. Seuss’ books.
There are many trails with various cacti, unique desert plans, palms plus a lot of boulders for climbing. We’re lucky enough to live a couple of hours from here and it is a wonderful desert oasis.
Redwood National and State Parks
There was nowhere else in the world that made us feel so small than when we visited the Redwood National and State Parks in Northern California. This collection of a national park and three state parks is home to the world’s tallest trees which are old-growth coastal redwood trees.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve also offer woodlands, prairies and several miles of coastlines. Go on a virtual tour to see these magnificent trees up close.
- National Park Service VR Tours
- Virtual Redwoods – Videos, Photos and Live Webcam
- Virtual Nature Walk on Jedidiah Smith Redwoods State Park. This was so relaxing
Bryce Canyon National Park
If you don’t know what hoodoos are, this is the best park to see them and learn more about them. Take these virtual tours to see these red and orange limestone rock formations. This Utah National Park is filled with many unique rock formations, scenic viewpoints into the canyon and beautiful trails. We loved our Bryce Canyon visit here during winter.
Arches National Park
This popular Utah park is one of our family’s favorites. It is packed with over 2,000 sandstone arches in various shapes and sizes in addition to other unique rock formations, giant monoliths and spires. View these incredible arches and formations up close especially the magnificent Delicate Arch that is almost synonymous with the park.
Zion National Park
This is Utah’s most visited park and for great reasons. Zion has many natural wonders that includes deep canyons, sandstone cliffs, red rock canyons and wild rivers. It has one of the best scenic drives we’ve explored. We’ve visited Zion National Park (in winter and Spring) twice but haven’t made it to the Narrows yet. Doing these virtual tours gave us an idea of a trek through here.
Canyonlands National Park
Utah’s largest National Park near Arches is made up of three districts: Island in the Sky, the Maze and the Needles. We only had the opportunity to visit Island in the Sky. Most of this area included trails and many scenic viewpoints looking out into the incredible canyon. See why this park is called a “showcase of geology”.
Mesa Verde National Park
This UNESCO World Heritage Site has over 5,000 archaeological sites including some of America’s best-preserved prehistoric cliff dwellings. This park serves almost like an outdoor museum to teach visitors about the lives of the ancestral people who once called this home. We loved our visit to this park during Spring. Marvel at this unique park and even a close-up look inside one of the cliff houses.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Think of this park as a giant sandbox. These were the tallest sand dunes in North America and an unlikely location in the middle of Colorado. This unique park makes it a wonderful playground for the whole family that includes sand boarding and sledding. Medano Creek shows up during the summer months to offer additional activities.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
We’ve visited many caves over the years around the world. But, Carlsbad Caverns was the biggest and most incredible that it took us two days to explore various parts of this 119-cave system. Imagine going 70 stories down and be amazed at the variety of formations and chambers. This park is a wonderful year round destination no matter the weather outside.
Everglades National Park
The park spans 1.5 million acres of wetland in South Florida and actually has three separate entrances. We only went to one and explored the park’s southern area. Luckily, we were able to do one of the boat tours.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere is home to some animals on the endangered species list like the manatee and American crocodile. Take a virtual field trip through the wetlands, swamps, bays and trails of this expansive park.
Crater Lake National Park
Known as the deepest lake in America, Crater Lake, in Oregon, is one of our favorite parks. The park has over 30 scenic viewpoints along the 33-mile Rim Drive that look out into this clear blue lake. If you’re visiting during the summer, don’t miss the chance to go on a cruise or a swim in the lake. The park also have over 90 miles of trails and about 40 extinct volcanoes.
Volcanoes National Park
There is nowhere else in the national park system to see new lands being formed than Volcanoes National Park in the Big Island of Hawaii. With two of the world’s most active volcanoes within the park, it almost acts like an outdoor classroom as visitors explore lava tubes and lava fields and observe smoking calderas. We loved our visit to this park.
During active volcano activity, lava can be seen flowing into the ocean and forming new lands through a cruise, helicopter or bike/hike options. These online experiences show incredible footage of the volcanoes and the park in action.
Haleakala National Park
This dormant volcano and only National Park in the Hawaiian island of Maui is known for its breathtaking views especially during sunrise and sunset. It is aptly known as the “House of the Sun” in Hawaiian.
It makes for a great day trip and worth every mile of the daunting drive. The views are spectacular especially around the summit and crater area. Reservations are necessary to watch the sun rise but check out these virtual tours if you’re like us who aren’t morning people and couldn’t make the early wake up call.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
We visited this Alaskan treasured park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site twice as part of our Alaska cruise itinerary. From spotting many whales and bald eagles to watching glaciers calving or breaking off, this park was such an incredible experience. Put this park on your travel wish list and watch these videos to see everything this amazing park has to offer visitors.
- National Park Service Virtual Tours
- Glacier Bay Day Tour
- Collection of Photos
- Sawyer Glacier Calving
Badlands National Park
Its name doesn’t really convey how amazing and picturesque this park is. The 31-mile Badlands Loop State Scenic Byway has about 10 lookout points along the way. The rugged landscape seems almost otherworldly various and unique rock formations.
Wildlife sightings of buffalo and prairie dogs were major bonuses. This was a fantastic day trip from Rapid City, South Dakota. See this unforgettable landscape virtually.
The following places may not have the National Park designations yet but are still a major part of the National Park system. They are all worth the visits in person and virtually. Did you know that a National Monument is established with the President’s declaration while a National Park is established through an Act of Congress?
Colorado National Monument
On the outskirts of Grand Junction, the Colorado National Monument offers stunning panoramic views of canyons, sandstone cliffs, giant monoliths and unique rock formations. Many of us can enjoy this amazing area thanks to the efforts and dedication of its founder, John Otto. The 23-mile Rim Rock Drive has about 19 scenic viewpoints along the way. Visit this hidden gem virtually.
Petroglyph National Monument
This little known park by Albuquerque, New Mexico has over 25,000 petroglyph images and is one of the largest petroglyph sites in North America. These petroglyphs are rock art carved by Pueblo Indians who once inhabited this area to tell their stories and communicate with each other. It was a fascinating walk through this park’s outdoor gallery and try to guess what some images conveyed.
Kasha Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument
Located near Santa Fe, New Mexico, this park was filled with some unique and whimsical cone-shaped rock formations aptly named tent rocks. There were several trails in the park to see the rocks up close. It was amazing to see what Mother Nature can do and marvel at this fantastic scenery. Check out these videos to learn more about tent rocks.
Devils Postpile National Monument
Located in central California, this park has many interesting features besides its distinct name. The Devils Postpile refers to the thousands of mostly tall hexagonal basalt columns formed thousands of years ago.
It is an amazing geologic wonder in person. There are also several scenic hiking trails and the powerful Rainbow Falls. The park is usually only open from mid-June to mid-October.
Statue of Liberty National Monument
Lady Liberty has almost become synonymous with freedom and America. This magnificent statue on Liberty Island and the Immigration Museum on Ellis Island are worth the visits and only accessible by ferries.
There are many reasons these attractions are high on many visitors’ list in New York. Go on these virtual tours to learn more about one of the world’s most famous statues.
Independence National Historical Park
Philadelphia’s top attraction is this group of about 24 historic buildings and monuments in the Old City area. The Independence National Historical Park includes major structures like Independence Hall (where the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were signed), Benjamin Franklin Museum, the cracked Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, Franklin Court Printing Office and Signer’s Garden.
You may not cover all the attractions in person but you definitely will learn a lot more through these virtual tours. We had a layover in Philadelphia and managed to see a few of these attractions in a short time.
- 9 Places to Visit in Independence National Historical Park
- Benjamin Franklin Museum
- Photo Gallery
- Liberty Bell tour
Boston National Historical Park
One of the best ways to learn the beginnings of American history is by visiting these important sites in Boston. The historical park includes monuments and structures along the 2.5-mile Freedom Trail as well as Paul Revere’s House, the Charleston Navy Yard and the USS Constitution.
This is one of the best outdoor classrooms we’ve visited. Tour the park from the comfort of your home and put this on your list when you visit the area.
Cabrillo National Monument
This is the closest national park entry to our home and one we’ve visited many times over the years. Named after a Spanish explorer who first set foot on the west coast of America.
We love Cabrillo for its panoramic views of San Diego, whale watching opportunities and the iconic Point Loma Lighthouse. But, our favorite area is exploring the tide pools and seeing the interesting rock formations and marine life.
National Mall and Memorial Parks
Our nation’s capital has some of the best and iconic monuments and memorials that span from the US Capitol to the Potomac River. These represent various American symbols of freedom, equality and sacrifice like the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, Martin Luther King Memorial, Jefferson Memorial and the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial. These virtual tours are some of the best way to see the National Mall from the comfort of your home and to add them to your travel wish list.
- Virtual Tour
- Live Webcam (see the cherry blossoms during Spring)
- National Mall 360 degree Guided Virtual Tour
Our National Parks Travel Wish List
We’ve tried to visit at least a park or national monument each year but there are just too many of them. The following parks are still on our travel wish list and hope to visit one of them soon. We can all dream now and travel later. Visit them virtually and see why they should be on your travel wish list too.
Channel Islands National Park
This California park is one of the closer ones for us to visit. But, we’ve put it off for so long due to our busy schedules. We’ve always wanted to visit during Spring to see the burst of wildflowers. The park has five islands with plenty of hiking, wildlife sightings and water activities for visitors especially in the two most visited ones, Anacapa and Santa Cruz.
Photo Credit: Along for the Trip
Denali National Park and Preserve
This Alaskan mega park has been on our travel wish list for so long. The park includes six million acres of wilderness and the rugged beauty of mountains, alpine meadows and lakes among other things. It is anchored by the North America’s highest peak, Denali, at 20, 310 feet.
We’d love to see the Alaska Range and see the unique plants that have adapted to this environment. But, we would really enjoy seeing the diverse wildlife in the park especially the moose, caribou, wolf and of course, the bears. The park also offers various activities from hiking, fishing and rafting. Virtually tour this amazing park and see why it’s at the top of our travel wish list.
Glacier National Park
Pictures of Glacier National Park’s pristine lakes and lush mountains have always made me want to hop on the next plane to Montana and explore it. The park has over 700 miles of trails filled with forests and alpine meadows.
We would love to drive on the famous “Going-to-the-Sun-Road”. There are about 25 “active glaciers left here so this is one of those parks to visit sooner rather than later.
Explore this natural wonder through these tours. Watching them has really made want to visit this summer. Read tips and how to spend one day in Glacier National Park from our friends at Tips for Family Trips.
- “Going to the Sun Road” tour
- National Park Service Virtual Tours and Photo Gallery
- Glacier National Park Tour
Photo Credit: Tips for Family Trips
Olympic National Park
I have wanted to visit this park since watching the Twilight movie series which showed the Hoh Rain Forest. Located in northwestern Washington along the Olympic peninsula. It’s been called having “three parks in one” because it includes three varied ecosystems and environments: the mountains with glaciers, meadows and lakes, the Pacific coastline and its rain forest. There are plenty of outdoor activities and unrivaled beauty.
Virgin Islands National Park
Our Spring Break trip this year was supposed to be a 7-day Caribbean cruise. One of our port stops was St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands. We’ve visited this island twice on previous cruise so we were really looking forward to hopping over to nearby St. John and exploring Virgin Islands National Park.
We’ll have to wait but for now you can read about their tips and experience at Virgin Islands National Park from our friends at Along for the Trip. Most of St. John is a national park with beautiful beaches, amazing marine life and coral reefs. The park also has petroglyphs, historic buildings including windmills and plantations.
Photo Credit: Along for the Trip
White Sands National Park
This is the newest member of the National Park system when it was designated as a national park after being a national monument for many years. Located in New Mexico’s Tularosa Basin, this park has been on my wish list for years. All the wavy white sand dunes look unreal.
Known as the largest gypsum dunefield in the world, White Sands National Park is truly an incredible natural wonder. The park offers a myriad of activities from hiking, sledding, horse riding, biking and driving down scenic Dunes Drive.
I’ve enjoyed looking through these videos and dreaming of a visit there soon. Read tips and what you need to know when visiting White Sands National Park from our friends at We3Travel.
Photo Credit: We3Travel
Be a Junior Ranger Online
Do the kids need a break from their virtual classrooms? Kids around the country can earn their Junior Ranger badges by exploring parks online and completing interactive and printable activities. One of the things my kids looked forward to doing when they were younger was earning these badges. It’s such a fun way to learn about the various parks.
Here is a list of all the parks that have Junior Ranger programs.
Pin it for later!
