National Parks

Researchers are concerned about what the presence of microplastics in protected landscapes will mean for local ecosystems.

The Forecast in National Parks Is Cloudy With a Chance of Plastic Rain

New research finds America’s western national parks and wilderness areas receive more than 1,000 tons of plastic rain every year

Visitors gather on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park after its reopening.

The 'New Normal' of Visiting America's National Parks

Across the country, these treasured places—and the lodges and businesses that support them—navigate a complicated reopening

The Valley of the Gods offers one of the most solitary and serene experiences in the American West.

Why the Valley of the Gods Inspires Such Reverence

The haunting beauty of an ancient desertscape

Smithsonian Geologist Liz Cottrell answers your questions in the second season of the National Museum of Natural History’s YouTube series, “The Dr. Is In.”

What Is Hotter Than the Sun?

Get the facts from Smithsonian geologist Liz Cottrell in the latest episode of "The Doctor Is In."

A mule deer walks down the road in Yosemite Valley

With Humans Away, Animals in National Parks Are Having a Ball

Coyotes, bears and more are enjoying areas usually reserved for crowds of human visitors

Researcher Mark Meekan swims with a whale shark, which can grow up to 60 feet long, making them the world's largest fish.

Researchers Calculated a Whale Shark’s Age Based on Cold War-Era Bomb Tests

Nuclear bomb tests caused a spike in a radioactive form of carbon that accumulated in living things

In lieu of visiting Yellowstone (pictured here) and other national parks in person, try exploring them virtually.

How COVID-19 Is Affecting the United States' National Parks

Some sites have closed completely, while others are making modifications to promote social distancing

Meet the Ecologist Who Wants You to Unleash the Wild on Your Backyard

Fed up with invasive species and sterile landscapes, Douglas Tallamy urges Americans to go native and go natural

Hoh Xil, on the Tibetan Plateau, sits in what will soon be Sanjiangyuan, China's first national park, according to Getty.

China Is Developing a New National Parks System, Inspired by Yellowstone and Yosemite

The first one to open will encompass a high-altitude, remote region of the Tibetan Plateau

Let the battle of the bulge commence

Holly Cow! Fattest Bear of Them All Claims Coveted Title

For #FatBearWeek2019, the furever fabulous 435 Holly reigns triumphant

Sochan, a relative of the sunflower, can grow up to ten feet tall. Packed with vitamins and minerals, it rivals kale as a nutritional powerhouse.

Cherokee Indians Can Now Harvest Sochan Within a National Park

For the first time, the indigenous community is allowed to gather the cherished plant on protected land

A park ranger gives the Obama family a tour of Carlsbad Caverns National Park in 2016.

3-D Map to Digitize Part of Carlsbad Caverns Down to the Millimeter

The National Parks Service is also compiling a modern cultural history of the caverns

Every 30 seconds, the United States loses the equivalent of nine Grand Canyons to human development

The U.S. Loses a Football Field-Sized Patch of Nature Every 30 Seconds

A new report outlines the benefits offered by preserving 30 percent of the country’s remaining natural land and oceans by 2030

Nevada Has a Massive New Dark Sky Sanctuary

The night skies at 100,000-acre Massacre Ridge are some of the starriest in the world

Condor 409, pictured here, is the mother of the 1000th condor born since a breeding program was launched to save the critically endangered species.

The California Condor Nearly Went Extinct. Now, the 1000th Chick of a Recovery Program Has Hatched.

“When we confirmed it…it was just this feeling of overwhelming joy,” one wildlife expert said

Yosemite Gets Its Historic Place Names Back

A settlement with a former concessions operator means Camp Curry, the Ahwahnee Hotel and other iconic sites can use their original names again

The character of Smokey Bear first appeared in 1944.

A Brief History of Smokey Bear, the Forest Service's Legendary Mascot

How the beloved figure has become a lightning rod in a heated environmental debate

Grand Canyon Will Soon Be a Dark Sky Park

After three years of retrofitting lights, the national park will soon be certified by the International Dark Sky Association

Downtown New Canaan

The 15 Best Small Towns to Visit in 2019

From Neil Armstrong's hometown to the heart of Oklahoma's Osage County, these towns are ripe for exploring this year

Until engineers constructed the temporary dam in 1969, no one had seen the bare rock face of American Falls since March 30, 1848, when an ice jam from Lake Erie stopped the Niagara River.

When Niagara Falls Ran Dry

While seemingly a natural wonder of the world, the destination on the U.S./Canada border has been subject to human meddling for years

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