Chattanooga Just Became North America’s First National Park City. Here’s What That Means
The designation was awarded by a London-based charity that aims to make cities more like national parks: “greener, healthier and wilder”
Discover Unique Adventures at These Five Minnesota State Parks
From towering pines and fish-filled lakes to iconic wilderness areas, Minnesota’s parks and forests have it all
Grizzly Bears Are Emerging From Their Dens in Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Parks
Adult males are waking up from their winter hibernation—and they’re on the hunt for food
These Were the Most—and Least—Visited National Parks in 2024
America’s national park sites saw a record number of visitors last year. Great Smoky Mountains, Zion and Grand Canyon national parks are perennial favorites among travelers
Smithsonian Photo Contest Galleries
These 15 Photos Capture What Makes America’s National Historic Landmarks So Iconic
See images of special attractions across the country from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest
Meet the ‘Wooly Devil,’ the First New Plant Genus Discovered in a National Park Since 1976
A volunteer spotted the tiny, fuzzy plant with maroon florets while exploring the remote northern corner of Big Bend National Park in Texas
Driver Vandalizes Threatened Plants in Death Valley National Park
National Park Service officials haven’t identified the person or people who illegally drove more than two miles across Eureka Dunes, home to the federally protected Eureka dunegrass
Four Lynx Have Been Illegally Released Into the Scottish Highlands. Officials Think ‘Guerrilla Rewilding’ Is to Blame
So far, only two of the four lynx have been recaptured, leaving authorities scrambling across the snowy woods to find the missing cats
Will Yellowstone Erupt Soon? Scientists Are Using New Techniques to Find Out
Using magnetotellurics, researchers produced a detailed picture of the magma beneath Yellowstone, offering insights into a distant future of possible volcanic activity
Seven Ways to Explore Alaska’s Endangered Glacial World
With the state’s glaciers retreating at alarming rates, there is no time like now to trek, climb, paddle and fly to see them
Rare and Giant Steller’s Sea Eagle Spotted Thousands of Miles From Home in Eastern Canada Park
The bird, thought to be the only one of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, is presumed to be Stella, an out-of-place raptor spotted at sites across North America in recent years
The Iconic, One-Eyed ‘Queen of the Wolves’ Dies After Fight With Rival Pack in Yellowstone National Park
A beloved matriarch, 907F lived to be 11 years old, which is much longer than the average life span for gray wolves and a rare feat, even for those in the protected area of Yellowstone
Who Was Frances Perkins? Meet the Trailblazing Workers’ Rights Advocate Whose Homestead Just Became a National Monument
Perkins was America’s first female cabinet secretary and the longest-serving Secretary of Labor
The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2024
These top titles of the year whisk readers away on adventures and remind us of the many wonders in this world
The World’s Largest Mammal Migration Is Taking Place in Zambia Right Now
Each year, millions of straw-colored fruit bats descend on Kasanka National Park for a few months, and scientists are working to understand their mysterious journey
The ‘World’s Most Famous Grizzly’ Was Killed by a Car. Was Her Death Preventable?
Grizzly 399 became a celebrity of Grand Teton National Park in her lifetime. Now, her death has drawn attention to wildlife-vehicle collisions and how they might be reduced
How a Dead Seal Sparked Theodore Roosevelt’s Lifelong Passion for Conservation
As a child, the future president acquired a marine animal’s skull, which became the first specimen in his natural history collection
Meet Milagra, a Rare Condor Rescued as an Egg and Newly Released Back Into the Wild
Milagra, Spanish for “miracle,” was hatched and raised in captivity by foster condor parents after her mother died of avian flu in April 2023
‘Highly Defensive’ Mother Bear Grazer Defeats Male That Killed Her Cub to Win Fat Bear Week
For the second year in a row, Grazer bested the massive male named Chunk to take the crown in the single elimination online popularity contest at Katmai National Park and Preserve
The Highest Peak in Great Smoky Mountains National Park Will Now Be Called by Its Cherokee Name
In 1858, the mountain was named for a Confederate general. Now, it will once again be known as “Kuwohi”
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