Hawaii may not have many national parks, but the ones it does have are stunning. On the Big Island, there's Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, one of the most reliably active places to experience volcanic activity and see the scars and changes it leaves behind. Then there's the only other national park in Hawaii, Haleakalā, on the island of Maui....

Towering above the landscape, Mount Rainier is the most dramatic and arguably most beautiful of the Cascade volcanoes. This mountain range stretches from northern California to southern British Columbia in Canada – and is dotted by old, sleeping volcanoes including Mount Rainier. Of the extinct volcanoes that draw hikers, mountaineers, and outdoors-folk...

They call it flyover country – the Great Plains. For the most part, they’re sweeping, rolling plains of agricultural land with little beyond rivers and roads to punctuate them. But in the heart of South Dakota, there’s a special geologic area that has drawn travelers for thousands of years. It’s called the Badlands, for the harshness of the landscape – but they’re definitely not bad. And a portion of this area is protected as Badlands National Park, one of the best national parks for stargazing in the U.S. Badlands National Park is a special stargazing destination for a number of reasons, including its remote location far from light pollution and major…

Yosemite is one of the most popular national parks – it's also an epic stargazing destination! Here's how ot plan a Yosemite stargazing trip.

Want to see the wonders of the natural world and night sky? Check out this list of the best national parks for stargazing, from coast to coast!

If you’re looking for breathtaking night sky views and daytime vistas, there’s nowhere quite like Arches National Park. It’s immediately obvious what makes this natural wonderland worth protecting – and that includes the sky at night. This is part of why Arches is one of the best national parks for stargazing, and many people plan Arches stargazing trips each year. I had the chance to visit Arches National Park as part of a trip to Moab in February 2020. It was bitterly cold in a classic desert winter way, but also a crowd-free way to visit one of the nation’s most popular national parks. If you want to go stargazing…

Looking for epic night skies in West Texas? If you want to go stargazing in Big Bend National Park, read this Big Bend stargazing guide!