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Review | Your Guide To The National Parks, 3rd Edition

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By Kurt Repanshek - June 9th, 2022
Your Guide To The National Parks, 3rd edition

For park travelers who prefer having a tactile national park guide in their hands, the 3rd edition of Your Guide To The National Parks has arrived with a number of updates, not the least of which is the inclusion of four "new" national parks.

Michael Joseph Oswald's latest edition is not something you'll stick in your daypack to lug around. It's too heavy for that, running to more than 700 pages! But it is ideal for traveling from park to park in your car or truck and poring over in the evening to plan your next day's activities, or your next park destination.

As for those "new" parks, Oswald has added chapters on Indiana Dunes, Gateway Arch, White Sands, and New River Gorge, all which had their National Park Service designations changed since the 2nd edition.

What else is new in this edition? All new four-color photos, regional maps depicting park units, vacation planners that include "tips and recommendations," and sections that point to destinations nearby the parks that are worthy of your consideration.

Something sure to spur a little friendly debate are the author's sections on best parks, best sites in parks, best parks for for paddling, biking, hiking, and best lodges.

In truth, there likely is no 100 percent agreement to be had upon rankings of the parks. For everyone who says Yellowstone National Park unquestionably is No. 1, another will no doubt say Rocky Mountain, or Great Smoky Mountains, or Olympic, or ... name your favorite park. Still, it can be a fun discussion of what your favorite park is compared to your friend's and why. Do Gateway Arch National Park and Hot Springs National Park comport to the stereotypical idea of a "national park"? Oswald isn't so sure.

No doubt, his decision to leave the Blue Ridge Parkway, Natchez Trace Parkway, and the paved road through Arches National Park off his list of "Best Scenic Drives" will generate some consternation.

The section on "Suggested Trips" is a nice addition, as there are more than a few national parks that have national park neighbors in the general vicinity that justify a road trip connecting a few parks on your travels. These pages point out possible park connections, and include mileages between the parks. For instance, Biscayne National Park is 55 miles from Everglades National Park which is a 173-mile drive, plus a 2-hour ferry ride, to Dry Tortugas National Park. Want to tack on Virgin Islands National Park? That's a 3-hour flight from Miami, plus a ferry ride from St. Thomas to St. John.

Also nice in this edition are the park maps with the author's favorite spots highlighted. For instance, at Big Bend National Park the map points you to Santa Elena Canyon and Emory Peak, along with some others, for hiking, and suggests the hot springs for a nice soak.

Throughout the chapters you'll naturally find sections on hiking (with mileage and difficulty ratings), visitor center information, ranger programs, cycling options, seasonal weather trends, camping and lodging, and much more. 

No big publishing house backs Oswald's passion for the parks, another reason to purchase this $28 book: support the little guy! But beyond that, there's a rich trove of information in this edition to help you get the most out of your national park adventure. If there's a fault, it's one we've noted with other guidebooks -- there are no blank pages for you to make your own notes, nor a space to stamp your park passport.

But if you want a thorough primer on the 63 "national parks" in the park system, you can't miss with this one.

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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.