Here I am, sitting in front of my laptop, hoping Crater Lake National Park and its lodging will be open May 23-29, as I have room reservations in the park for that window.
Fingers crossed, but I’m not holding my breath. I figure I’m in the same boat as most of the rest of you who have/had plans for a national park visit. What can one do in the meantime if one wants to visit a national park but can’t? Google it!
I typed “national park virtual tour” into Google’s search engine and pulled up a bunch of articles and sites with links to various national park virtual tours lasting anywhere from 1 minute to 11+ minutes. Below is a sampling of what you can find out there in the National Park System if you have the time and patience.
Be aware that not all these tours have audio nor video. Some are slideshows of 3D maps and photos. Others are far more detailed and interactive. Google Arts and Culture teamed up with the National Park Service to produce a cool series of five virtual park tours. Those five tours provide video and narratives along with a little bit of interaction in which you click to hear sounds or investigate other aspects of the park before moving on to the next portion of the tour.
Kenai Fjords National Park
https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/kenai-fjords/exit-glacier-tour
Hawai’I Volcanoes National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
https://artsandculture.withgoogle.com/en-us/national-parks-service/bryce-canyon/sunset-point-tour
Dry Tortugas National Park
Yellowstone National Park provides a map from which you can click on several different portions of the park to be taken to pages with details specific to that area, including 3D models, maps, photos, and accessibility information.
https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/photosmultimedia/virtualtours.htm
This long link below below takes you into Google Earth, where you can choose from 31 national parks for a sort of 3D map / street view / photo tour of each.
The NPS media video page links to a large number of NPS virtual tours:
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks:
Redwood Mountain Virtual Tour Parts 1 & 2
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=00112E70-B51A-6F1E-3F6B75D4F73490BB
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=FA2EE484-EB9E-4237-4FBA40054154B39D
General Grant Tree Trail Virtual Tour
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=F880EC5B-A2E1-421D-BEA5822B650F0084
Mesa Verde National Park Balcony House tour
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=17367558-1DD8-B71B-0B739F758EB9BB06
Glacier National Park Logan Pass Virtual Map
https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=48C81F0A-1DD8-B71B-0BB97FE1273ED77D
Statue of Liberty National Monument
https://www.nps.gov/featurecontent/stli/eTour.htm
A virtual tour of landscape change in Denali National Park and Preserve
https://www.nps.gov/features/dena/003/landchange/virtual_tour.html
Devils Tower National Monument
https://www.nps.gov/deto/learn/photosmultimedia/virtual-tour.htm
Upper Delaware Scenic & Recreational River Access Points
https://www.nps.gov/upde/learn/river-access-points.htm
I found all these links within just 10 minutes of web surfing. Imagine how many more are out there for you to enjoy, all from the comfort of your couch.
Comments
Loving this list. I've been to most of these. My favorite is Redwood National Park. Some good tips on hikes are here: https://redwoodcoastparks.com
Good story