#national-parks

#national-parks

America's national parks are treasures worth exploring, and the best part? You don't always have to open your wallet. With 63 official national parks and more than 400 additional sites managed by the National Park Service, there's no shortage of stunning landscapes to discover. Some parks charge entry fees-typically $20-$35 per person or per vehicle-but there are plenty of ways to enjoy the beauty for free.

As one of the most protected national parks in the world, the Galápagos Islands are full of incredible wildlife that are not afraid of humans and will come in closer contact with you than is possible in most other natural places in the world. You can experience a variety of landscapes in a small space, from lush highlands full of tortoises to moon-like volcanic rock covered in piles of iguanas.

The Center for Biological Diversity filed a lawsuit today to prevent President Donald Trump from replacing a beautiful picture of Glacier National Park with a close-up of his own face on the America the Beautiful National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, reads a press release. Kieran Suckling, executive director of the Center, blasted the president's image being used on passes as his crassest, most ego-driven action yet.

When it comes to winter travel in the southwestern United States, a ski trip to Lake Tahoe or a glam Las Vegas getaway may come to mind. But a few hours' drive northeast of Sin City is a region with twisting canyons, cathedral-like spires, and delicate sandstone arches that only look more stunning with a dusting of snow. Southern Utah is home to five national parks, four national monuments, and countless hiking and biking trails.

Entering some National Parks is about to get more expensive for foreign visitors. The Federal Government announced on Tuesday a new $100 per person fee. "For some people, they just want to come here to see the beautiful view over here. So, it's going to be really hard for them to come here from now," tourist Get said. Get, originally from Thailand, was taking in the iconic views of the Yosemite Valley on Wednesday.

A new study by the travel experiences booking platform analyzed five years of visitor data and Google reviews to find which U.S. national parks are most popular during the fall. The study analyzed National Park Service data from 2020 to 2024, combining visitor numbers, time spent in each park, and online reviews to create a "fall score" out of 100. After crunching all the numbers, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee took first place, with a score of 96.9 out of 100

When I first visited Brazil in 2020, my destination choice was largely driven by tropical weather and affordable hotels. Since becoming a full-time resident, those parts of Brazilian life are undoubtedly still seductive, but I've also fallen deeper for the Brazil that stretches beyond Copacabana and the sounds of bossa nova. This is the country Brazilians affectionately call Brasil com S, a place with more than 70 national parks, more than 4,600 miles of coastline, and more local fruit stands than fast food chains.

Calabria, tucked between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas, is Italy's best-kept secret. It's a land of dramatic coastlines, ancient ruins, hilltop villages, and untouched natural beauty. And as one of the few less-traveled paths left in Italy, Calabria makes for a deeply immersive cultural journey, best taken over the course of five or seven days. Here are a few of the best towns to visit when traveling to Calabria.

We have passed into the era of unhistory. The other day, it was announced that a famous 1863 picture of an ex-slave showing the crisscrossed scar tissue from dozens of whippings would be removed from a national park. And, as The Washington Post says, this was part of a general campaign on the part of the administration to quite literally whitewash American history as presented on our public lands.

Spain is a top destination for eco-conscious travelers. The country is home to the most biosphere reserves in the world, is a global leader on Blue Flag beaches and is working towards protecting 30 percent of its marine areas by 2030. And, with the second-longest high-speed rail network in the world, low-impact travel between Spanish destinations is easier than ever.

Exploring the great outdoors with pets is about to get easier and more exciting. ORIJEN™, a brand known for nourishing pets with biologically appropriate nutrition, has unveiled the ORIJEN Trails app. Created in partnership with the National Park Foundation, this innovative tool is designed to inspire pet owners to discover dog- and cat-friendly adventures in national parks across the United States.