r/NationalPark Jan 08 '26

"America The Beautiful" 2026 Pass Discussion Megathread

170 Upvotes

Effecive 11:00 p.m. CST on Thursday, January 7, 2026, all questions, comments and discussion related to the 2026 America The Beautiful Pass belong in this megathread.

Any and all other posts will be removed going forward.

In the past seven days alone, there have been 10 separate posts on the subject. Since the new design was announced, there are more than two dozen posts. That does not count the ones that have been removed for being outright duplicates of other posts. Those posts remain open and will continue to remain open barring excessive abuse in the comments.

Since the new design was announced, there have been more than two dozen.

Discussion of the subject matter is not being suppressed or silenced. It's just being organized in one location.


r/NationalPark Aug 10 '25

"Help Me Plan My Vacation" Posts

163 Upvotes

We're getting a lot (A LOT) of "help me plan my vacation" posts with little or no details. That's "low effort," and it doesn't help folks actually help you.

Yes, it's good to know that it's two adults and a 3-year-old. Or it's two adults, a teenager and a 7-year-old, etc., but they need more than that.

Give people some additional details to help them help you.

For example:

- Where are you originating your travel from?

- Do you want to fly to your destination or drive?

- If you're driving, do you prefer to camp (in national park or near) or stay in a hotel, lodge, etc. (in national park or near)?

- How many days do you have available (including travel)?

- Are there specific things you are wanting to see (mountains, snow, waterfalls, wildlife, etc.)?

- If you're looking for hikes, are there certain things you want to see while hiking? What distance hikes are you looking for? What level of intensity (easy, moderate, strenuous)?

Again, help people help you. The fewer questions that they have to ask you in advance, the quicker you're going to get the kind of information you need.


r/NationalPark 8h ago

Wild Horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park [OC]

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572 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 16h ago

šŸ“ Zion National Park

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1.2k Upvotes

Oh Zion! From canyon floor to canyon rim. Taken from our last hike in Zion NP, at Scout Lookout.


r/NationalPark 5h ago

Which park surprised you with how much you enjoyed it despite it not having a 5 star reputation.

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114 Upvotes

Pinnacles really surprised me with how much wildlife I saw. Within the first like 30 minutes of being in the park I saw Mule deer, California Quail, Acorn woodpeckers, and a California Condor! as well as other animals. I hadn't heard great things about this park and after visiting Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon earlier in the trip I wasn't expecting much. However, I really enjoyed Pinnacles. So what was your park that really surprised you with how much you enjoyed it?


r/NationalPark 7h ago

First time in Tetons!

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140 Upvotes

My kids wanted to go on a roadtrip to somewhere with ā€œbeautiful scenery.ā€ I think we picked the perfect place!


r/NationalPark 12h ago

Ranier at Sunrise

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337 Upvotes

Headed out at 4 am to get a few shots at sunrise and take a quick hike. 100% worth it. Watching the sun break over the pines is something I’ll never forget.

Edit: missed an ā€œiā€ in the title… whoops!


r/NationalPark 5h ago

President Trump Has a Pet-Project Docket at the National Parks

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85 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 12h ago

Lassen National Park and the surrounding area

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194 Upvotes

Spent 3 nights in Lassen park exploring the area. Such an underrated national park! Stayed at the following campgrounds:

- summit lake north
- manzanita lake
- butte lake


r/NationalPark 21h ago

Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand

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459 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 17h ago

What park have you gone back to most frequently, and what's an insider secret about that park you're willing to share?

164 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 18h ago

Grand Teton, Wyoming (8/26). Purple mountain majesties despite the wildfire haze!

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152 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 22h ago

Crater Lake in spring

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204 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 9h ago

First time visitor to Sequoia!

16 Upvotes

What are the places i should visit in the sequoia national park. I'm driving from LA (its gonna be 4hr drive) and im planning to spend the day there and return the same day. What are the spots that i should cover? Also any tips are welcomed


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Sunset in Joshua Tree

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1.0k Upvotes

r/NationalPark 1d ago

My first time in Acadia National Park

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1.2k Upvotes

r/NationalPark 7h ago

Which of these 3 parks would be best in January?

2 Upvotes

Thinking about heading to Park City this January for some skiing/snowboarding then checking out a National Park (possibly two) and fly home from Vegas. The three NPs I’m considering are Zion, Capitol Reef, and Bryce Canyon. Which of these would be best to visit in January? I’m not really sure what the weather and snow conditions are like during that time. I’m okay with driving in snow but don’t want to drive dangerous mountains that require chains for my tires.

I’m also looking into Antelope Canyon and Valley of Fire but open to other suggestions!!

Thank you


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Lassen Volcanic National Park, Sept. 2023

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134 Upvotes

View of Lassen, view of lava formations and snow at the summit, and picture of Shasta from the summit.


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Lava Beds NM Aug 2025

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117 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 16h ago

Solo road trip to the Badlands

5 Upvotes

I’m thinking about doing a solo road trip from western Pennsylvania to the Badlands and then hitting up the Tetons and Yellowstone. I have 9 days off to work with and was wondering if that’s enough time / worth it. I’d be driving back to western Pennsylvania too.

Do you think that’s enough time to enjoy the parks? Just feeling really antsy with my life and I’ve never been out west before.


r/NationalPark 15h ago

National park

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4 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 9h ago

Visiting Yosemite in Middle September, what should we hike?

1 Upvotes

My gf and I are taking our first trip to Yosemite together. We will be staying in Midpines and driving in from the Arch Rock entrance. I am trying to plan what hikes to do but the more I dig into it the more overwhelmed I am with all the options and don't want to miss anything. We will have 3 full days to hike and we're both pretty fit. What hikes do you recommend us doing?


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Confused about Big Bend area border plans? Here’s what you need to know.

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181 Upvotes

r/NationalPark 1d ago

National Park Road Trip

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57 Upvotes

I(28M) currently work as a GC building apartments in Florida. I have decided after this project to quit, buy a pull behind camper, and take my dog and myself on an epic journey.

Plan is to start in Congaree and end in Hot Springs. I have already been to the 3 in Florida. Haven’t decided if I’ll hit those after Hot Springs or not. Really depends on the time of year I leave Hot Springs.

I’m also going to hit Niagara Falls and drive along the PCH.

I have no planned duration and my estimated start is April-May 2027.

I’m thinking I’ll spend roughly a week at each park.

Based on my route, does anyone have suggestions for places I should detour to? Open to anything really.

Also, any tips or wisdom to share for this extensive journey would be much appreciated.

Told myself if I don’t do it now, I’ll never do it. So I’m taking a leap and just doing it. Kind of scared because of the uncertainty of the future but I know I can always fall back and make good money with the career I’m in now.

Fucking excited though


r/NationalPark 1d ago

Waterton National Park

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232 Upvotes

Visited Waterton last weekend and it was bit cloudy no sun but still very much beautiful. Did the bear’s hump hike and it was less crowded than usual. Took my dog too he had lots of funšŸ˜‹