If you're serving in the U.S. military and don't enjoy trudging through the wilderness, it's gonna be a long 4-6 years for you. But if you're a service member or veteran and enjoy communing with nature, the National Park Service has a gift for you: free lifetime access to all 63 national parks. That's 85 million acres of unspoiled America to drink in at your leisure.
It's just another great benefit of military service, arguably on par with VA home loans and the GI Bill ... for those who are into the great outdoors, that is. It's not limited to active-duty troops, either. Gold Star Families, reservists, National Guard smen, separated veterans and their dependents all get the same free access.
But just like a home loan means you have to choose a house, and the GI Bill means you have to choose a school, free national-park access means you need to choose a park (or parks) to visit, even if it's just deciding which one to visit first.
Luckily, National Geographic has a new show that could help with that decision. "National Parks: USA" is a five-part series that premieres Sept. 8, 2024, and begins streaming the next day on Disney+.
Nat Geo says "National Parks: USA" is a visual love letter to some of America's most cherished wild spaces. In the true Nat Geo style and quality that we've come to expect when we see that little yellow rectangle , the series visits five of the most unique and incredible wilderness areas in the country: Zion, Yellowstone, Katmai, Everglades and Olympic National Parks.
Although the beautiful imagery captured by the Nat Geo team should be more than enough inspiration and motivation to visit these places with your free lifetime pass, here are just a few more reasons.
Zion National Park
Zion National Park was Utah's first-ever protected national park. Coral-colored sandstone cliffs and dramatic rock formations give Zion an otherworldly look and feel, making it one of the most unique places in the country, and maybe on Earth. Your outdoorsy friends on Instagram have no doubt taken selfies in the iconic Narrows of Zion Canyon -- and you can join them. Zion is also the dream destination for hikers, canyoneers, geology enthusiasts and anyone who's ever wanted to see a bighorn ram.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone didn't need Kevin Costner to make a name for itself. Stretching across portions of Montana, Wyoming and Idaho, visitors can easily see why it became America's first national park (and maybe the first national park ever). It sits on a supervolcano that would disrupt the entire world climate if it erupted and, as such, has a lot of incredible geothermal features and unique wildlife that have been killing disrespectful tourists for generations . What more could you ask for?
Katmai National Park
Speaking of otherworldly locales and massive volcanoes, Alaska's Katmai National Park is home to the most active volcanoes of any national park in America. To give you an idea of just how alien the natural landscape can get, the Apollo program's astronauts trained in Katmai's Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes before landing on the moon.
There's no need to worry about getting caught in an eruption, as the volcanoes give plenty of earthquake warning before they go off. What you should be aware of is that Katmai has the world's largest concentration of brown bears. The closest you'll want to get is the park's annual Fat Bear Week , which features a "fattest of them all" competition among the bears.
Everglades National Park
VIsitors might be surprised to find out that Everglades, sitting just outside Miami, is one of the most important wetlands in the world and is also home to dolphins, along with panthers, manatees, American alligators, crocodiles and an astonishing array of other biodiverse creatures. But get in there while you still can: Rising sea levels from climate change and invasive species are wreaking havoc.
If you want to help rid the park of its most destructive invader, Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hosts an annual competition to see who can capture the most Burmese pythons. It attracts woodsmen from around the country!
Olympic National Park
One million acres of Washington state's Olympic Peninsula are protected by Olympic National Park, a sprawling area of rain-soaked backcountry that features forests, glacier-capped peaks, tidepools and thermal hot springs. Humans have inhabited the lands for thousands of years, as evidence of humans fighting Mastodons were unearthed here in 1977. Hiking and fishing are fair game here, but unlike most other parks, Olympic features a ski resort, complete with a lift for skiers, snowboarders and tubers alike.
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