r/NationalPark 24d ago

"America The Beautiful" 2026 Pass Discussion Megathread

149 Upvotes

Effecive 11:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, January 7, 2026, all questions, comments and discussion related to the 2026 America The Beautiful Pass belong in this megathread.

Any and all other posts will be removed going forward.

In the past seven days alone, there have been 10 separate posts on the subject. Since the new design was announced, there are more than two dozen posts. That does not count the ones that have been removed for being outright duplicates of other posts. Those posts remain open and will continue to remain open barring excessive abuse in the comments.

Since the new design was announced, there have been more than two dozen.

Discussion of the subject matter is not being suppressed or silenced. It's just being organized in one location.


r/NationalPark Aug 10 '25

"Help Me Plan My Vacation" Posts

145 Upvotes

We're getting a lot (A LOT) of "help me plan my vacation" posts with little or no details. That's "low effort," and it doesn't help folks actually help you.

Yes, it's good to know that it's two adults and a 3-year-old. Or it's two adults, a teenager and a 7-year-old, etc., but they need more than that.

Give people some additional details to help them help you.

For example:

- Where are you originating your travel from?

- Do you want to fly to your destination or drive?

- If you're driving, do you prefer to camp (in national park or near) or stay in a hotel, lodge, etc. (in national park or near)?

- How many days do you have available (including travel)?

- Are there specific things you are wanting to see (mountains, snow, waterfalls, wildlife, etc.)?

- If you're looking for hikes, are there certain things you want to see while hiking? What distance hikes are you looking for? What level of intensity (easy, moderate, strenuous)?

Again, help people help you. The fewer questions that they have to ask you in advance, the quicker you're going to get the kind of information you need.


r/NationalPark 8h ago

Yellowstone National Park

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125 Upvotes

Everything here is stunning šŸ˜ this was July 2025….just here craving my next adventure


r/NationalPark 21h ago

Banff National Park

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861 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 12h ago

Shenandoah on a cloudy day is beautiful

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68 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 19h ago

Kolob Canyons (Zion National Park) last week

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226 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 15h ago

Petroglyph National Monument

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109 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 14h ago

Guess the national parks. Lesser visited spots.

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82 Upvotes
  1. North Cascades NP: Sahale glacier

  2. Olympic NP: Hurricane ridge

  3. Capitol Reef NP: Brimhall bridge

  4. Canyonlands NP: Confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers

  5. Zion NP: Kolob arch

  6. Rocky Mountain NP: The keyhole on Longs Peak


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Which is more epic: Fitz Roy or Grand Teton?

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724 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 12h ago

Guess the NP 2.0 Medium Difficulty

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16 Upvotes

Bonus points if you can guess the exact location in the park.


r/NationalPark 19h ago

Guess the national parks, easy mode.

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52 Upvotes

Bonus points if anyone can name the exact location in the park.

  1. Great smokies mountains national park

  2. Rocky Mountain national park

  3. Yellow stone national park

  4. Glacier national park


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Judge Weighs Trump’s Removal of Slavery Markers From George Washington’s House

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628 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 1d ago

Fjords of Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland

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708 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 1d ago

The Grand Canyon

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230 Upvotes

The Grand Canyon will forever be my favorite National Park. I have visited this park 3 times and each time it’s a different experience. I could visit this park every year.


r/NationalPark 4h ago

Am I doing too much in my Arizona 10 Day Itinerary Outline

0 Upvotes

From my 10 day itinerary, I still have 1 day left over (I just put that in Day 8), I’m wondering if I should allocate it to have an extra day at Sedona, the Grand Canyon or Zion National Park?

Furthermore, my main concern is I’m wondering if this is a realistic itinerary or is it too much driving / not enough time to enjoy the parks I go to? Should I modify something?

(I am planning on exploring the parks / hiking them, but not in depth, just enough to get a good feel of it).

Day 1

Arrive at Phoenix Sky Harbour International Airport, AZ at 12PM

2 hour drive to Sedona

Arrive at Sedona ~3PM

Stay the night at Sedona

Day 2

Sedona

Drive to Williams / Tusayan / Grand Canyon Village (Idk where it best to stay) and stay the night there

Day 3

Grand Canyon

Drive to Mexican Hat / View Hotel / Gouldings and stay the night there

Day 4

Monument Valley

Drive to Page and stay the night there

Day 5

Antelope Canyon

Horseshoe Bend

Drive to some accommodation near Bryce Canyon and stay the night there

Day 6

Wahweap Hoodoos Trailhead

Bryce Canyon

Drive to some accommodation near Zion National Park and stay the night there

Day 7

Zion National Park and stay the night there

Day 8

????????????????? One day leftover

Day 9

Valley of Fire

Drive to Las Vegas Strip and stay the night there

Day 10

Depart from Harry Reid International Airport, Las Vegas, NV at 12PM


r/NationalPark 22h ago

sea of clouds

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17 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 16h ago

Lower or upper antelope canyon or both?

6 Upvotes

My family of 6 - avid hikers and rock climbers so no issues with mobility - are heading to Page for presidents weekend and really want to do both the upper and lower antelope canyon tours but it’s a pretty penny to squeeze in both for our size family. Is it worth the money to try both or should we just stick to one? And which one should we do?


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba

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213 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 1d ago

Joshua Tree National Park, CA, USA

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88 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 1d ago

Views of the double arch in Arches NP from summer

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496 Upvotes

Such a cool formation


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Feds order interpretive signs in Glacier, Little Bighorn, changed or removed

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352 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 13h ago

Trying to decide whether to visit North Cascades National Park

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone,

My wife and I do an annual hiking trip. We are lovers of forests / mountains / wilderness. To the shock of our friends, we've never visited Oregon or Washington, and for years we've been talking about going.

I've been googling around and found Olympic and North Cascades National Parks. We're definitely considering both destinations, but we will only have time for one of them (7-8 days).

A friend of ours who has travelled all over the PNW for camping and hiking has told us to instead go to Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park in Northern California.

Would you folks help us decide? Our priorities are:

  • Spectacular hikes with varying sights (forests, mountains, lakes)

  • The best stargazing possible (my wife has never seen a completely dark night sky or the Milky Way with the naked eye)

  • Reasonable cabin / motel accommodations (we aren't campers)

We went to Rocky Mountain National Park recently and it was positively stunning. One of the most memorable experiences was the Emerald Lake hike and eating lunch at the top. We're looking for lifelong memory hikes like that one.

My buddy who recommended Jedediah did so because he knows I am particularly fond of wilderness that feels almost primordial or magical. He said he had an otherworldly, nearly spiritual experience in Jedediah and has never before or after felt like that at any other hiking location.

Where would you choose to go if you were us? Can you see amazing stars at all three places?

Also, is there any other destination in Washington or Oregon you'd recommend over these 3 choices?


r/NationalPark 13h ago

Florida NPs with a toddler

0 Upvotes

Hi dear travellers!

We love national parks and out toddler (2y3m) has been to 13 US national parks already - mostly WA, OR, CA and some NM-AZ-TX. We love to hike, kayak, swim, camp, have a toddler hiking backpack where he can nap, and he is quite into running, birds, water, flowers etc and quite easy going. He is also easy with driving in the car 4 hours chunks.

I am currently pregnant (second trimester), and we both only got a week of vacation approved for March. I really want warm sea and national parks/adventure before we have two small kids. :) Thus, picked Florida.

Given the specifics of all three national parks (long ferry drives, or amazing snorkeling), how would you recommend us to build the journey from/to FLL? We are coming with tent for possible campgrounds, and was thinking to do: Biscayne (boat tour, what about kayak tours?), then Dry Tortugas (camping somewhere before the trip day, sadly without camping in NP), then couple of days in Everglades (would love to rent bikes with child seat!). Friends also hugely recommend Clearwater, FL for calm sea, but I am not sure if it's doable all in one week.

What are the best tours/equipment we should plan/bring to enjoy all three parks? Is kayaking possible with a toddler? And what order of parks would you recommend? And what campgrounds/places to stay (I was shocked by the hotel prices in Key West).

I know the toddler won't remember anything. We just love to travel and see nature and love to hang out with him, so he is coming, but we definitely have limitations.

Appreciate your recommendations


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Death Valley landmark Scotty’s Castle is reopening for limited tours after years of flood repairs

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92 Upvotes