Scenic views, fresh air, and unique natural wonders – these are just some of the many reasons millions of outdoor enthusiasts flock to the U.S. national parks every year. Spring is usually the time when most people swap their busy urban surroundings for a few days of hiking, camping and relaxing in the wild. However, we are currently living in some pretty unusual times where national parks are closed to the public and we need to stay home and abstain from non-essential travel.
To help satisfy some of those outdoor cravings without having to leave your house, we scoured the internet to find the best virtual tours of each of the 62 U.S. national parks and compiled them in one place for your convenience.
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 some of the best destinations for outdoor adventures across the country, allowing you to get a taste of the truly unique and highly diverse natural wonders of the United States and its outlying territories.
We arranged the parks in five different groups based on the regions that the National Park Service has established. That way, you can not only choose the specific part of the country you’re most excited to check out, but you will also easily notice the common features among different national parks based on the specific region where they are located.
Select a region from the list below and #LetsWanderu!
Northeast & Southeast
With only one national park in the Northeast, we grouped all parks in the Eastern United States together. Here you will find nine national parks located in Maine, Florida, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Midwest
The Midwest region features nine national parks, including the one park in the country located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. These parks will take you on a journey to the states of Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio and South Dakota.
Intermountain Region
This region encompasses 19 national parks spread vertically from the U.S. border with Canada all the way down to the country’s border with Mexico. The parks are located across the following eight states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.
Pacific Region
In this region, 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.
Alaska
As the name suggests, here you will find the eight national parks scattered throughout the state of Alaska. As the state with the highest number of national parks within its boundaries, Alaska gets its own group.
If you are not sure where to start, check out our study ranking the most instagrammed national parks. If you are after the most scenic views, it will surely come in handy. Then again, every park’s scenery is incredible in its own unique way.
As we go further into spring and the weather starts getting nicer, the desire to hit the trails or pitch a tent at the camping grounds is growing bigger by the minute. Catch us planning our next adventure with this US National Park Checklist. It’s true what they say – absence does make the (wanderlust-filled) heart grow fonder. After several weeks of stay-at-home quarantine, we are all craving at least a brief walk in the woods.
That’s why we hope these virtual tours will help satisfy some of that pent-up lust for the outdoors until we are able to travel freely again. And once that happens, Wanderu will be here to help you get there and see all this beauty in person.
