We scoured the internet to discover the best virtual tours of each of the 62 U.S. national parks and compiled them in one place for your convenience.
In this section, we’ve grouped all national parks in the Pacific region. Here, you will find 17 national parks scattered across California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, as well as the island state of Hawaii and the U.S. territory of American Samoa. The latter is home to the only U.S. national park south of the equator.
From self-guided tours on Google Earth and high-definition video expeditions on Google’s Arts & Culture portal to live webcams and a rich variety of documentaries and dynamic videos uploaded by park enthusiasts on YouTube, these virtual journeys will transport you to the most beautiful and exciting destinations for outdoor adventures across the Pacific region of the United States, allowing you to get a taste of the country’s truly unique and highly diverse natural wonders.
Channel Islands National Park
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 390 mi2 |
| Established: | March 5, 1980 |
| URL: | NPS |
Located off the coast of Southern California, Channel Islands National Park is comprised of five islands – Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Miguel and Santa Rosa. The islands are home to various natural and cultural resources, and because of that, they have been designated as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO.
On Anacapa Island, you will find a lighthouse built in 1932 along with trails that allow visitors to hike and see it up close. Santa Cruz Island offers several unique caves, including the large Painted Cave, while Santa Rosa Island is home to rare Torrey pines. Animal lovers should explore San Miguel Island where thousands of seals congregate, or Santa Barbara Island that attracts nesting seabirds.
Virtual Tours of Channel Islands National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| Live Webcams | Launch webcams |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (5m 19s)
Channel Islands in 24 Hours (12m 50s) The Beauty of Santa Cruz Island (4m 33s) |
Crater Lake National Park
| Location: | Oregon |
| Area: | 286.3 mi2 |
| Established: | May 22, 1902 |
| URL: | NPS |
Crater Lake National Park is located in the Cascade Mountains of southern Oregon and it’s most famous for, you guessed it, Crater Lake – a gorgeous body of water formed in a collapsed volcano.
The park has numerous trails and roads popular with visitors because they open up scenic views to its gorgeous landscapes. One such trail is Sun Notch that offers direct outlook to the small island of Phantom Ship. Another one is the Rim Drive – a road that circles the lake, offering front row views of the park’s unique volcanic formations.
Virtual Tours of Crater Lake National Park:
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (5m 26s)
Crater Lake National Park Tour & Hike (6m 58s) Crater Lake National Park in 4K Ultra HD (8m 18s) |
Death Valley National Park
| Location: | California & Nevada |
| Area: | 5,270 mi2 |
| Established: | October 31, 1994 |
| URL: | NPS |
Death Valley National Park covers the middle section of California and Nevada, encompassing territories in both states. There are several iconic formations that attract visitors from all over the country. One of them is Titus Canyon, a limestone formation of colorful rocks. The canyon is most famous for being next to a couple of former mining towns that have been abandoned and turned into ghost towns.
Another popular attraction at Death Valley National Park is Badwater Basin which, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest point in North America. The name of the area comes from the small spring-fed pool that’s full of undrinkable “bad” water due to accumulated salts.
Virtual Tours of Death Valley National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (9m 59s)
Death Valley's Nature Documentary (55m 53s) A Guide to Death Valley National Park (11m 59s) |
Great Basin National Park
| Location: | Nevada |
| Area: | 120.58 mi2 |
| Established: | October 27, 1986 |
| URL: | NPS |
Great Basin National Park is located in eastern Nevada, not too far from the state’s border with Utah. As you could guess from the park’s name, it features the Great Basin Desert, as well as a large portion of the South Snake mountains.
The park’s nature is characterized by its groves of ancient bristlecone pines and for the famous Lehman Caves. The latter can be found at the base of the towering Wheeler Peak. Some of the animal species that inhabit the park include cougars, marmots, bobcats, jackrabbits, pygmy rabbits, and mountain cottontails, as well as over 200 bird species, among which hawks, sparrows and bald eagles.
Virtual Tours of Great Basin National Park:
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (4m 41s)
Solitude at Great Basin National Park (3m 9s) A Day in Great Basin National Park (5m 14s) |
Haleakalā National Park
| Location: | Hawaii |
| Area: | 52 mi2 |
| Established: | July 1, 1961 |
| URL: | NPS |
Haleakalā National Park is one of two national parks located in Hawaii. Here, you can find the dormant Haleakalā Volcano. The crater of the volcano is accessible to visitors and it’s one of the most popular spots to observe the sunrise or sunset. There are numerous unique volcanic features that you can examine along the crater’s interior, including large cinder cones.
Another popular feature of the Haleakalā National Park is Hosmer’s Grove, a forest covered with a unique collection of trees, including Himalayan deodar, Japanese sugi, Australian eucalyptus, and North American pine, spruce, cypress and fir.
Virtual Tours of Haleakalā National Park:
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (4m 14s)
Exploring the Road to Hana and Haleakala National Park (10m 42s) |
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
| Location: | Hawaii |
| Area: | 505.36 mi2 |
| Established: | August 1, 1916 |
| URL: | NPS |
Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located on the Big Island of Hawaii and it encompasses two of the state’s active volcanoes, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa. As both volcanoes are active, the park offers a unique glimpse of dramatic volcanic activity and landscapes, as well as a one-of-a-kind look at rare plant and animal life.
Due to its distinctive natural features, the Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park has been designated as an International Biosphere Reserve and a World Heritage Site.
Virtual Tours of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park:
| Google Arts & Culture | Launch tour |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (8m 19s)
A Tour of Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (10m 52s) Exploring Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park (14m 12s) |
Joshua Tree National Park
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 1,235 mi2 |
| Established: | October 31, 1994 |
| URL: | NPS |
Joshua Tree National Park is located in Southern California, not far from Palm Desert. Characterized by desert landscapes and rock formations in various forms, the park is most famous for its unique Joshua trees that are native to the Mojave Desert.
Joshua Tree National Park is very popular with people seeking outdoor recreation, as it offers various opportunities for camping, hiking, climbing, bird watching and stargazing.
Virtual Tours of Joshua Tree National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (5m 16s)
A Few Days in Joshua Tree National Park (9m 3s) Narrated Tour of Joshua Tree National Park (3m 46s) |
Kings Canyon National Park
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 721.72 mi2 |
| Established: | March 4, 1940 |
| URL: | NPS |
Kings Canyon National Park is located in central California and encompasses the southern portion of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The park is contiguous with Sequoia National Park and the two are jointly administered by the National Park Service.
The park is named after Kings Canyon which is a glacier-carved valley that is more than a mile deep. Due to the rocky terrain, there are several waterfalls and watersheds that you can find here, including the Grizzly Falls and the Roaring River Falls.
Virtual Tours of Kings Canyon National Park:
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (7m 6s)
A Visit to Kings Canyon National Park (23m 58s) Hiking Mist Falls & Zumwalt Meadow at King Canyon National Park (9m 44s) |
Lassen Volcanic National Park
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 166.33 mi2 |
| Established: | August 9, 1916 |
| URL: | NPS |
Lassen Volcanic National Park is located in Northern California and its named after its most outstanding feature, the Lassen Peak volcano. The volcano is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc and it is the largest lava dome in the world. While it is considered asleep, the volcano’s magma chamber is still functioning, making it capable of eruptions.
Because of the volcanic activity in the area, the park is also rich in hydrothermal sites like Little Hot Springs Valley, Diamond Point, and Bumpass Hell. Apart from Lassen Peak, there are also four shield volcanoes in the park: Mount Harkness, Red Mountain, Prospect Peak, and Raker Peak.
Virtual Tours of Lassen Volcanic National Park:
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (5m 28s)
3 Days of Exploring and Backpacking in Lassen Volcanic National Park (9m 15s) Hiking Lassen Peak in Lassen Volcanic National Park (3m 28s) |
Mount Rainier National Park
| Location: | Washington |
| Area: | 369.3 mi2 |
| Established: | March 2, 1899 |
| URL: | NPS |
Mount Rainier National Park is located in Washington state not far from the city of Seattle and it is named after the active volcano that it encompasses. Mount Rainier is the highest point in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest and it is largely covered with glacial ice.
There are more than 25 glaciers that cover the side slopes of the volcano, including Carbon Glacier (the largest glacier by volume in the contiguous United States) and Emmons Glacier (the largest glacier by area). The park is a very popular destinations for hiking and mountaineering, and features numerous valleys, waterfalls, subalpine meadows, and vast areas of old-growth forest.
Virtual Tours of Mount Rainier National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (7m 38s)
Mount Rainier National Park Documentary (48m 51s) Mount Rainier National Park in 4K Ultra HD (7m 21s) |
National Park of American Samoa
U.S. Department of the Interior / Flickr
| Location: | American Samoa |
| Area: | 21.23 mi2 |
| Established: | October 31, 1988 |
| Official site: | NPS |
The National Park of American Samoa is the only U.S. national park south of the Equator. Encompassing three islands across the U.S. territory of American Samoa – Tutuila, Ofu and Ta’ū – the park was established to preserve and protect coral reefs, tropical rainforests, fruit bats and the Samoan culture.
Virtual Tours of National Park of American Samoa:
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (3m 2s)
Narrated tour of National Park of American Samoa (4m 46s) CBS Sunday Morning - One the trail: American Samoa (4m 40s) |
North Cascades National Park
| Location: | Washington |
| Area: | 788.52 mi2 |
| Established: | October 2, 1968 |
| URL: | NPS |
North Cascades National Park is located in northern Washington, not too far from the Canadian border. The park is almost entirely protected as wilderness and there are very few constructions or roads going through it. Its main natural attractions include conifer-clad mountains, glaciers and lakes.
The park is divided into two sections – northern and southern – by the Skagit River that flows right through the Ross Lake National Recreation Area. With more than 1,600 plant species found within its boundaries, North Cascades National Park has the highest degree of flora biodiversity among all U.S. national parks.
Virtual Tours of North Cascades National Park:
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (2m 45s)
Backpacking Through North Cascades (13m 8s) North Cascades National Park in 4K Ultra HD (3m 29s) |
Olympic National Park
| Location: | Washington |
| Area: | 1,442 mi2 |
| Established: | June 29, 1938 |
| URL: | NPS |
Olympic National Park encompasses the Olympic Peninsula in the Pacific Northwest, spanning various different ecosystems, including the prominent Olympic Mountains, subalpine forests, temperate forests, and the rugged Pacific coast.
The park is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts, offering various opportunities for climbing, hiking and backpacking. The park has been designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Virtual Tours of Olympic National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (6m 14s)
Top 8 Destinations in Acadia National Park (10m 1s) Acadia National Park in 4K (6m 11s) |
Pinnacles National Park
Stanislav Sedov / Flickr
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 41.57 mi2 |
| Established: | January 10, 2013 |
| URL: | NPS |
Located in Central California, Pinnacles National Park is famous for its numerous rock formations, known as pinnacles, that represent the eroded leftovers of an extinct volcano. The park is divided into into two parts, east and west, and the majority of it is protected as wilderness.
In addition to the rock formations that attract rock climbers, the park also features several unique talus caves. Pinnacles National Park is prime habitat for prairie falcons, as well as a release site for California condors.
Virtual Tours of Pinnacles National Park:
| YouTube |
Pinnacles National Park in 24 Hours (11m 17s)
Pinnacles National Park Time Lapse in 4K (4m 15s) California 101: Pinnacles National Park (1m 49s) |
Redwood National Park
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 217.19 mi2 |
| Established: | October 2, 1968 |
| URL: | NPS |
Redwood National Park represents a sprawling woodland system characterized by towering redwood trees. Located near the border with Oregon, the park serves as protection for several forests, beaches and grasslands in Northern California.
There are several threatened animal species that could be found here, including the tidewater goby, the Chinook salmon, the northern spotted owl, and Steller’s sea lion. As a result, the park has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Virtual Tours of Redwood National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (6m 48s)
The Best of Redwood National Park (6m 53s) Experience the Magic of Redwood National Park (3m 48s) The Tallest Trees on Earth: Redwood National Park (45m 48s) |
Sequoia National Park
Matt Machin / Flickr
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 631 mi2 |
| Established: | September 25, 1890 |
| URL: | NPS |
Sequoia National Park is located in Central California and is contiguous with its northern neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park. The two national parks are administered jointly by the National Park Service.
As the name suggests, the park is most notable for its giant sequoia trees. Here, you can find the General Sherman tree which is the largest tree in the world. In addition, the same forest where that tree is found, the appropriately named Giant Forest, also contains four more of the ten largest trees on Earth.
Virtual Tours of Sequoia National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (7m 6s)
Sequoia National Park Travel Guide (7m 30s) The Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park (4m 18s) |
Yosemite National Park
| Location: | California |
| Area: | 1,169 mi2 |
| Established: | October 1, 1890 |
| URL: | NPS |
Similar to King Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, Yosemite National Park is located in Central California and is famous for its giant, ancient sequoia trees. One of the park’s most famous attractions is the Tunnel View, an iconic landmark that opens up unique scenic views of the majestic Bridalveil Fall, as well as the Insta-ready cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.
With an average of four million annual visitors, Yosemite National Park is among the most popular U.S. national parks, and it’s also the most Instagrammed of all national parks in the country.
Virtual Tours of Yosemite National Park:
| Google Earth | Launch tour |
| Live Webcams | Launch webcam |
| YouTube |
GoTraveler Tour (27m 25s)
8 Amazing Places in Yosemite National Park (22m 3s) Yosemite National Park in 4K Ultra HD (6m 22s) |
