An Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide The National Parks

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Great Stories

Don’t just stop at the scenic overlooks. We’re diving deep into forgotten histories, celebrating unsung stewards, and uncovering wild natural phenomena — plus sharing tips and itineraries for planning your own offbeat adventure. These are some of your favorite national parks like you’ve never experienced them before.

national parks

Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs

Removing items from national parks is illegal—and at these sites, legend says, it can also come with paranormal consequences.

Written By

Ellery Weil

May 16, 2025

forests

How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

María José Aguilar-Carrasco helps people with disabilities gain access to nature.

By Jonathan Feakins
nature

Wyoming’s Sacred Landscapes: A Journey Through Native American History

High-spirited powwows, wild horses, ancient carvings, and figures that changed the course of history.

Sponsored by Travel Wyoming
maps

How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park

After 60 years of exploring the gulleys and guts of the South Carolina swamp, John Cely drew the landscape he knew by heart.

By Ashley Stimpson
national parks

Wolves Have a Bad Reputation. One Yellowstone Naturalist Is Trying to Fix It.

Wildlife guide Audra Conklin Taylor shows the beauty, value, and character of the park’s packs.

By Lina Zeldovich

Great Escapes

Itineraries and expert advice for the curious traveler.

Itinerary

The Explorer’s Guide to Joshua Tree National Park

Venture into the realm of desert tortoises, “mentalphysics,” and lonesome Muffler Men.

Itinerary

The Explorer’s Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Wander through a ghost town, marvel at a half-scale model of the Titanic, and witness the greatest firefly show on Earth.

Mount Cephron catches the moonlight in Banff National Park.

Itinerary

The Explorer’s Guide to Banff National Park

Discover a lost ghost town, an ancient cave system, and a taxidermied merman in Canada’s first national park.

Great Places

A curated selection of wonders from the Atlas.

King Salmon, Alaska

Valley of 10,000 Smokes

In 1912, this idyllic Alaska landscape was blown apart in the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
Banff, Alberta

Sulphur Mountain Cosmic Ray Station

Since its original beginnings as a weather observatory mountaintop, this facility played an instrumental role in gathering atmospheric data for almost 100 years.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Isa Lake

The only natural lake in the world that drains into both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Tulare County, California

Mark Twain Stump

The last remnant of a tree that helped prove to the world that sequoias are real—and they’re spectacular.
Washington, D.C.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

A lovely aquatic park built by a one-armed Civil War veteran who made a fortune from lotuses.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial

America’s smallest national park site is the former residence of exiled Polish national hero Thaddeus Kosciuszko.
Buena Vista, California

Crane Flat Lookout

The first lookout in Yosemite.
Twentynine Palms, California

Skull Rock

An eerie natural formation that looks right back at you.
Tucson, Arizona

Petroglyphs at Signal Hill

This small hill features the most notable collection of petroglyphs in Saguaro National Park.
Volcano, California

Black Chasm Cavern

Its dark depths conceal millions of rare, delicate crystal formations.
West Glacier, Montana

Lake McDonald

Spectacular views await visitors to this lake.
Brooklyn, New York

Plumb Beach

Now owned by the National Park Service, this location was once home to illegal boxing matches.