What Do National Park Layoffs Mean for YOU? Yes, You, Fellow Outdoorist.
Wondering what the mass national park layoffs and cuts mean for you? We describe what’s happening and what to expect at parks this summer.
Search Results for: national parks
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These are the Fee-Free National Park Days This Year [2026]
There are a total of 5 fee free national park days in 2023, which means you can get into any of the more than 400 parks, monuments and conservations areas, many of which usually charge a pretty penny, for free (or almost free)! And we highly recommend you take advantage of these days if you’re traveling on a budget, hoping to save some dough on your next adventurous outing, or you’re looking for any old excuse to visit a national park near you (or not so near you). Which you totally should, ’cause they’re pretty dang great! So if you’re ready to enjoy some seriously epic landscapes, pack the camera and start planning! And remember that you’ll still need to make reservations ahead of time at some national parks (we’ll tell you which ones).
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Kayak Camping in Everglades National Park: Spend the Night on a Platform on the Water
Imagine paddling through water that perfectly reflects the blue of the sky. There’s so much open space and so few other people you feel like you have the whole bay to yourself. Jellyfish float by, maybe a dolphin or two. If you’re patient you might spot a ray (and probably more than a few small lemon sharks minding their own business). Mangrove-lined keys dot the horizon and after hours of paddling, you finally spot it in the distance, your campsite for the night: A wooden platform standing a dozen feet or so above the water, outfitted only with a portable toilet, a slanted roof, and a few ladders. It’s a chickee and it might be the coolest place to camp in Everglades National Park. But what’s involved in kayak camping in the Everglades, reserving a chickee, and making your way out to one? And what should you bring along to help guarantee a successful trip? Read on, wanderer. Read on.
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Backpacking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Backpacking in Guadalupe Mountains National Park offers a unique wilderness experience in the desert peaks of West Texas. You should go. Here’s how and what to expect.
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Beat the Crowds on the Quiet Side of Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, split between Tennesee and North Carolina, is the country’s most visited national park. Like, by a lot. A lot, a lot. This park, which is free to visit, btw, saw over 12 million visitors last year. Twelve! Million! The next most-visited park only saw a little over three! So yeah, it’s safe to say that the Smokies are overrun with tourists and visitors, especially if you’re on the south side of the park around the Blue Ridge Parkway. Fortunately, there’s a trick to avoiding the massive amounts of people (and traffic) rambling through the area: head to the quiet side of the Smokies, the northern edge where there are still picturesque hiking trails and adventures galore, just a lot fewer people. Wanna know what things to do on the peaceful side of the Smokies? Here’s what we recommend.
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Beginner Guide to Acadia National Park
Heading to Acadia National Park for the first time? Not sure where to start or what to expect? We feel you. We were wondering many of the same things not long ago. But since we were road tripping around the northeast, we figured we owed it to ourselves to visit the “Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast.” So we did! And here’s what we learned.
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Backpacking on Isle Royale – Guide to Isle Royale National Park
Not gonna lie, a little over a year ago when my dad said, “I really wanna go backpacking in Isle Royale National Park next summer; wanna come?” I was 100% not sure where the heck Isle Royale even was. So after a quick map search (it’s an island in Lake Superior) and a brief discussion of whether it’s pronounced roy-al as in Royale with cheese or roil as in the royal family (park rangers use the latter pronunciation), followed by a hearty bout of laughter brought on by my parents thinking I plan more than a month in advance…Isle Royal National Park was suddenly very much on my radar.
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Day Hiking in Canyonlands National Park
Ah, Canyonlands. So many units to choose from (three, actually), so many day hikes available. We set out on one just two days after hiking rim to rim across the Grand Canyon to see what the park had to offer. We actually planned to spend two days exploring, but that didn’t quite happen…more on that…
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It’s Plastic Free July! Here Are Our 5 Favorite Zero Waste Camp Hygiene Products and Tips
When camping, especially boon docking or dispersed camping where you may or may not have access to showers and tiled bathrooms, cleanliness often takes a backseat (well, it does for us, anyway). But just because you’re sleeping in the dirt or planning long road trips with lots of exploratory stops at state or national parks doesn’t mean you have to neglect your clean routine. On the contrary, we’ve found and tested plenty of sustainable products that make it easy to stay healthy, happy, and squeaky clean no matter where you roam: backcountry, frontcountry or anywhere in between. So if you’re wondering how to stay clean while camping, here are our favorite tools for camp hygiene.
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Three Person Tents: REI Half Dome Vs Big Agnes Copper Spur
What’s better than a roomy two-person tent when spending a few nights in the outdoors? A three-person tent, of course! They offer more room for duos, plenty of space for ultra plush double sleeping mattress and bag setups, are a mansion for single campers (whether or not you’re bringing your dog), and offer way more livable space for changing, lounging, or waiting out inclement weather. We recently tested two solid 3-person tents on a 10-day road trip to Utah’s national parks and compare them both here and now in this REI Half Dome vs Big Agnes Copper Spur tent comparison.
