ENJOY YOUR VIRTUAL TRIP TO 3 U.S. NATIONAL PARKS

This week (April 16 – 26, 2020) is National Park Week in the U.S. Although most of the parks are closed because of COVID-19, the National Park Service invites you to explore the parks virtually and connect with the park community via social media during #NationalParkWeek. Here are three of the most interesting National Park Virtual Tours on their website. If you plan to visit one of the parks in the future, this will help inspire your travel. Enjoy your virtual trip to three U.S. National Parks!

• Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park
• Zion National Park – Sunrise and Sunset
• Crater Lake National Park

The natives enjoy Yellowstone too. (Probably even more with no visitors right now).

Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is a shining gem in the U.S. park system, and Old Faithful is a key tourist attraction. This park, which opened in 1872, is full of geothermal wonders from mud pots, hot springs, fumaroles and geysers of various sizes. Old Faithful is a massive geyser which erupts about once an hour. It’s both beautiful and powerful so bystanders have to keep their distance.   

This 8-minute video provides the experience of being there in person.It was taken during the summer from the top of  Old Faithful Inn. The wait-list reservation line for staying at this in-park hotel for the 2021 season is now open. Call or book online.

Zion National Park – Sunrise and Sunset

Thanks to park staff, there is a beautiful 7:45 minute sunrise video filmed from the Human History Museum in the park on the Zion National Park Facebook page. It’s fun to watch the first light as it slowly illuminates the colorful cliff of the West Temple. They also posted a 40-minute sunset video which is a similar experience in reverse. 

And in honor of National Park Week, the Park Service has launched a gorgeous new film about Zion called “We the Keepers” which you can stream for free on their Facebook page until April 26. Filmed on a drone, the high quality footage shows some of the most scenic places in the park.

The film is narrated in part by park rangers, hikers, international visitors, and rock climbers. There’s also a scene of people hiking through the Narrows. I really appreciated the perspective of members of the Kaibab Paiute tribe sharing the cultural importance of the land, and the need for all of us to help preserve it for future generations in both the beginning and the end.

Crater Lake National Park

Photo by Andrea P. Coan from Pexels

One of the lesser known parks up in the Northwest corner of the U.S. is Crater National Park in Oregon. In this wonderful interactive video by National Parks Foundation, Ranger Charlie guides us on a tour and tells us about the history and interesting spots in the park. Filmed with a 360 degree camera, we can drag the picture all around to see new angles in each scene.

I hope you enjoyed your virtual visit today in honor of National Parks Week! The beauty of each of these locations is a wonderful gift to the world. From Wyoming’s Old Faithful Geyser in Yellowstone, to Utah’s Zion and Oregon’s Crater Lake, America is lucky to have these beautiful national places to play in nature.

What’s your favorite National Park? Please share it in the comments below.