National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States, 9th Edition

National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States, 9th Edition

2/2/21; 528 pages

"There’s simply no better getaway in the United States than a visit to one of the country’s 62 national parks from Alaska to the Virgin Islands, from Maine to America Samoa. Profiled in this all-new ninth edition of National Geographic’s enduring and informative guide, you’ll find expert travel advice, candid tips for hiking and wildlife spotting, and detailed maps to help navigate your way through America’s great outdoors. Updated throughout with the latest information from park rangers and National Geographic’s own acclaimed travel writers, this fully revised and comprehensive guidebook includes the newest additions to the United States park system—Indiana Dunes, White Sands, and Gateway Arch national parks. Whether you’re looking to explore the underground world of Mammoth Caves or make your way through the mangroves of Everglades National Park, you’ll find a destination that suits your needs, and inspiration to plan your next wild adventure. In addition to park details and descriptions, this sparkling new edition features week-long regional road trip itineraries s so you can visit multiple parks in one vacation. Filled with more than 300 dazzling photographs and 80 full-color maps, this inspiring book reveals the best the United States has to offer—right in its own backyard."

and

National Geographic Secrets of the National Parks, 2nd Edition
12/15/21; 288 pages

"The iconic landmarks in America's national parks draw hundreds of millions of visitors every year, from Yosemite's famous Half Dome to Yellowstone's Old Faithful. But beyond these well-known wonders lies a world of hidden treasures—if you know where to look. This exceptional guide reveals these lesser-known gems, along with insider knowledge about the parks' main attractions. With vital tips from rangers, experts, and travelers, readers can have Acadia's massively popular Sand Beach and Jordan pond to themselves, or be one of the 10 percent of Grand Canyon visitors who go beyond the rim. Fully updated and redesigned to include the newest national parks and featuring expert advice from rangers, park managers, frequent visitors, and locals, this authoritative book will help you get out of the parking lot and off the beaten path to find interesting outlooks, challenging hikes, wildlife watching, and more. With brand-new entries for Pinnacles National Park, Gateway Arch, Indiana Dunes National Park, and Denali National Park and Preserve, this book will be your go-to guide on road trips, camping getaways, and day hikes, allowing you to enjoy the rich opportunity in the country's vaunted national parks."

 

Both of these guides are very highly recommended -  very, very get-these-now recommended. When the review copies arrived I literally set aside my normal, logical, methodical approach to reviewing any book and immediately started tearing through them, planning trips and alternate forays and day outings and extended journeys. After 2020 which is known as "the year where all my vacation time was spent at home doing nothing" a vacation consisting of actually leaving home and going to a National Park sounds like a restorative miracle. Since I'm basically centrally located, my travel plans could be pretty wide open in all directions. My approach is likely close to how most people will use both guides, and the great thing is that it works.

Naturally the photographs are spectacular because these are National Geographic guide. Furthermore, there is so much great information provided in the guide that is essential to planning any trip to a national park.

The 9th edition of National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States presents the parks in the Table of Contents by region: East, Midwest, South Central, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. This is followed by a section on using the guide, and after that is a map of the USA with the regions and parks marked. The guide has an index for quick referencing too and there is a map key located in the back of the book after the index. Each regional introduction includes a map of the whole region followed by the individual parks, which are presented in alphabetical order within the regions. Then there are individual maps of each park. Each of the park entries contains a description of the park. There is an information section for each park that offers details on finding the park, best times to visit, entrance fees, the location of the visitors center (a great source for brochures or information is also online), park headquarters, and information on where to stay, campgrounds or lodging. There are phone numbers, addresses, and website addresses provided. Each entry is followed by six suggestions for nearby excursions. After each region section is a wonderful Hit the Road section which helps with planning on visiting more than one park on your trip because many are in close proximity to each other. Also there are notes on special advisories that you need to keep in mind when visiting parks, such as stay away from wild animals, expect RV detours, and, especially important, know that cell phone service may be limited or not available, so don't expect to rely on your cell phone.

Once you have your trip planned, pull out the 2nd edition of National Geographic Secrets of the National Parks: The Experts' Guide to the Best Experiences Beyond the Tourist Trail and look for the secrets and less traveled areas along you planned trip. The guide is organized into the same regions as National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States: East, Midwest, South Central, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska. After the Table of Contents, there is a map of the USA with the parks marked in the How to Use this Guide opening section. For each of the parks in the guide, there are lesser known experiences, places to visit that are less crowded, hard-to-find sights, and other secrets known by the local park rangers, outfitters, and guides who know the parks the best. Every national park is not included, but there are enough to make this a valuable companion to the National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of these guides from National Geographic for TLC Book Tours. 
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