National Geographic Complete National Parks of the United States: 400+ Parks, Monuments, Battlefields, Historic Sites, Scenic Trails, Recreation Areas, and Seashores
Reviews (176)
Not helpful for planning visits to the Parks
This is a beautiful book for learning the basics about our National Parks. It is not very helpful for those who are planning trips to visit the Parks. We were hoping for itineraries, "must see" suggestions, travel tips. If you're looking for a book that educates you about the Parks, this one has beautiful pictures (of course! It's National Geographic!). If you're looking for a book to use in planning a trip to visit any of the Parks, there are other books that will fit that bill.
Terrific overall look at every single National Park UNIT (not just the parks)
I wasn’t sure what to expect with no preview of the book (so I am providing a preview here for you), but I got exactly what I was personally looking for: a description and account of every single National Park unit (that means not just the parks but every monument, battlefield, preserve, etc.). This is NOT a book with itineraries, places to stay, etc. This is a book that is organized by region, then by state, so you can see what is all around you either in your home state or in a state you are planning to visit. This is most helpful for us. Each description provides a history of the unit, as well as other relevant interesting information. Helps us decide if there is a monument, battlefield, etc that is worth driving 20 minutes out of the way to see when on our way to another site. We love all the small sites, too. There is so much rich history and amazing places in our Nation. Some of the unit descriptions do state the best things to see while there. I would highly recommend this book to all, particularly if you are interested in more than just the 63 (as of 2021) big parks. And if you want a book with itineraries, places to stay, best trails to hike, detailed maps, etc for the big parks (only the parks), I highly recommend “Your Guide to the National Parks,” 2nd edition, by Michael Joseph Oswald, also found here on Amazon. Currently on sale for just under $20 (regular $25). It is a thick paperback (704 pgs) with super detailed maps and lots of planning info for visiting each park. (I left a review with a photo-attached preview there, as well.) The only caveat with that book is that the most current edition was published in 2017, so just like it says on the cover, “all 59 parks” are included, meaning the last 4 added since then are not included (New River Gorge, White Sands, Indiana Dunes & Gateway Arch). I am anxiously awaiting a 3rd edition to that book with these last 4 included. Love having BOTH of these books in my collection, and they are well (and heavily) used. Highly recommend this book. Please see the preview, which includes a sample of the actual book pages, as well as the table of contents (again, organized by region and then by state), and the U.S. park location map (front of book) & the national trails map (back of book). There are very nice photos throughout, including some 2-page spreads of specific parks/areas. Awesome book!!
Good product ... poor packing
Book is great! However, it was crammed into a box that was too small and the corners were all bent and the discover ripped and bent as well.
Beautiful pictures, great book, good information
This book is amazing. I bought it because my wife and I are planning to take a road trip for a couple months across the United States of America and visit all the National Parks. It has been one of our dreams for a while and this book has helped us with what to expect, when the best times to go are, and the picture are simply stunning.
Fantastic Views on the National Parks
I bought this as a companion book for a colleague at work for his birthday. He spends a lot of his off time hiking throughout the United States and had just come back from one of the national parks. I figured this would be a great book to get his adventure dreams going full blast. Fantastic photos with great notes about each of the featured national parks included in the book. Great tips on outdoor hikes, plus they rate the hikes from inexperienced to expert.
After reading this, you will want to "find your park"
Great primer on all of the National Parks, but that's just what it is - a primer. I wish it had been more detailed, exploring the background and history of each park, but I suppose this would have turned into a series, rather than a one-off. Also, I suppose it's only natural, but the "stars" of the national park system - such as Yosemite or Yellowstone get more coverage than small, lesser known parks. Too bad, because imo, the "stars" already have enough of the spotlight shone on them through many other media (film, documentaries, park specific books, etc.), whereas the little gems need to be highlighted more so they can receive the appreciation they deserve. Still, if you want to get your feet wet and see which park is worth exploring, this book hopefully, gives enough tantalizing information to make you want to learn more and as the National Parks Service slogan says, "Go Find Your Park".
Thorough book with all the parks AND monuments
This is the book we'd been searching for. Initially got it out of the library but then bought one to keep. If you are a fan of the National Park system you know it's often just politics that creates the distinction between National Parks and National Monuments. So a book only about the official National Parks is selling you short on the system. The details and write ups are really thorough for something that you could almost mistake for a small coffee table book. We took it on an RV trip with us and it was super helpful. Highly recommended.
love this book! great resource
was very useful for my tour of some national parks/monuments, etc, helping with planning where to stay, which visitor centers were best for me, learning about some of the geology and natural forces at work in each area, and specifics as to what to expect when I got there. It was my "go to" book in planning each visit. The US keeps adding new monuments et al so it's best to get the most recent version of this book.
Not National Geographic Quality
I was very excited to get this book but must admit, it certainly doesn’t have the quality of pictures I would expect from National Geographic. A majority of the pictures are not nearly as colorful and clear as they could be with today’s cameras. If you’re looking for a list of a bunch of parks and general info about them, then this is the book for you. If you’re looking for ideas and things to do once you’re in the park, I recommend purchasing something else.
Informative with beautiful pics
I bought this for my dad for Christmas 2013 and he loves it. He's very into history, geography, and the National Parks. He likes to open it and dream of all the places he will go. (I also ordered him a U.S. park pass so he doesn't have to just dream.) Every time I go to the house I see it in a different place with bookmarks. He completely loves it. He knows s lot about this beautiful country, but he told me there are so many places and monuments he didn't know about. This was the perfect gift! Very informative and some beautiful photographs.
Comments
Post a Comment