Do you love exploring the beautiful US National Parks and would you like to learn more about them? These are the best books on National Parks to inspire you!
The U.S. National Parks are also known as America’s best idea and they are fascinating to explore. To learn more about these gorgeous places, it’s useful to have a book or two about the national parks.
There are many different kinds of books about America’s National Parks. In this list, you’ll learn about the best national park books that cover national parks in a specific region, great national park itineraries, and coffee table books with beautiful pictures taken in the national parks. These books can be a fantastic gift for both national park lovers and nature lovers. Let’s get started!
The Best US National Parks Coffee Table Books & Travel Guides
A coffee table book is a large book and is usually hard-covered. It is filled with large photos and interesting information. A coffee table book is not only fun to browse through, but it is also fun to use as decoration in your house. Are you looking for an amazing national parks coffee table book? Look no further, because here are the best coffee table books on National Parks.
National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks
This beautiful National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks showcases all of the American National Parks. Besides many beautiful photographs, it also has a collection of maps, interesting information about the history of each park, and fun infographics. It’s written by Jon Waterman, who used to be a park ranger of the National Park Service and a wilderness guide.
The first book of its kind, this stunning atlas showcases America's spectacular park system from coast to coast, richly illustrated with an inspiring and informative collection of maps, graphics, and photographs.
Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 63 Parks
Moon USA National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 63 Parks is another great coffee table book about the National Parks of the USA. With almost 800 pages of information and photographs, it is a big book. But a great one! It has fun lists (like the best national parks to go to for hiking), handy planning tools, maps, and a practical guide for each US National Park.
Whether you're trekking to striking vistas, rafting a wild river, or camping under the stars, find your park adventure with Moon USA National Parks.
USA National Parks: Lands of Wonder
DK Eyewitness has some great travel guides, and they also made this gorgeous coffee table book about national parks in the United States. USA National Parks: Lands of Wonder is filled with beautiful photos and has practical tips for each of the national parks.
Breathtaking and awe-inspiring, the USA National Parks never fail to amaze. Distinguished by rust-red canyons, snow-capped peaks and silent forests, they’re yours to roam. Immerse yourself and your family in these ancient lands, explore their heritage and find out what makes them unique.
National Parks of the USA
This great book by Kate Siber (author) and Chris Turnham (illustrator) is a perfect gift for children between 2 and 9 years old. National Parks of the USA is one of the best children’s books on national parks and has beautiful illustrations and covers the most iconic national parks. But be careful, this book will probably turn your kid into a national parks lover and then you actually need to visit those gorgeous national parks.
"...a colorful, kid-friendly encyclopedia crammed with beta, factoids, and vivid illustrations..." - Outside Magazine
Lonely Planet National Parks of America
Lonely Planet is well-known for its great comprehensive travel guides, but they also produce some amazing coffee table books. Lonely Planet’s National Parks of America is absolutely stunning and filled with gorgeous pictures. In addition, there are fun detailed itineraries for each park.
Welcome to the great outdoors! The second edition of Lonely Planet’s bestselling National Parks of America features three newly created parks (Indiana Dunes, Gateway Arch and White Sands) and a complete update and refresh of all existing park profiles.
Your Guide to the National Parks: The Complete Guide to All 63 National Parks
This book is written by Michael Joseph Oswald, an award-winning travel journalist. He makes sure that you’ll get a very detailed and comprehensive guide to all the US National Parks. The book Your Guide to the National Parks has over 700 pages and contains tips that are suitable for everyone, whether you’re a thrill seeker or just want to visit the parks with your family. It also has very large and details maps.
"Slip this book into your glove compartment, and you'll have the perfect travelling companion when visiting the national parks." – National Outdoor Book Award
100 Parks, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do
This National Geographic guide does not only cover the national parks in the USA in 100 Parks, 5,000 Ideas: Where to Go, When to Go, What to See, What to Do, but also in Canada! It is a very useful book to get inspired and plan an amazing national park trip.
Filled with helpful travel tips and beautiful National Geographic photography, this expert guide showcases the best experiences in the top national, state, and city parks throughout North America.
Mapping America’s National Parks: Preserving Our Natural and Cultural Treasures
Would you like to more about the geology and preservation of national parks, monuments, and other historic sites? Then Mapping America’s National Parks: Preserving Our Natural and Cultural Treasures is the book for you! This book contains many interesting maps and shows you how the National Park System uses GIS (geographic information software) to keep a balance between preservation and enjoyment. Very interesting!
Get an insider look at the US National Park Service to see how they use maps and geospatial technology to protect and manage America’s national parks.
Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America’s National Parks
Looking for the best national parks coffee table book with photographs? Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America’s National Parks is the one you want! QT Luong (photographer, author, and environmentalist) was the first person to take (large format) photographs in all of America’s National Parks. It took him about 300 visits in 25 years and the result is this breathtaking book with over 600 images.
"The centennial of the National Park Service has been the occasion of ... many books. The most glorious of these is TREASURED LANDS . . . No one has captured the vast beauty of America's landscape as comprehensively." - Dominique Browning, The New York Times
Tip! QT Luong also published a book called Our National Monuments: America’s Hidden Gems, full of incredible photographs of (lesser-known) National Monuments.
The National Parks: America’s Best Idea
This famous book by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns is not the most recent book on this list (it’s from 2009), but it might be the best book ever written about the US National Parks. The National Parks: America’s Best Idea was part of a 12-hour PBS documentary series about the US National Parks. The book teaches you about the history of National Parks, starting with the creation of Yellowstone National Park in 1872. A must-read if you want to learn more.
The companion volume to the twelve-hour PBS series from the acclaimed filmmaker behind The Civil War, Baseball, and The War.
Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA: All 63 parks from Maine to American Samoa
Fodor’s has some great national park guides and Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA is one of their masterpieces. In addition to beautiful photography and information about each of the parks, it also features fun itineraries, trip-planning tools, and detailed maps.
"Fodor’s is pitched a few notches higher…aimed at a fairly discerning traveler with an appetite for background and the occasional surprise.” – New York Times
The Art of the National Parks
The Art of the National Parks is a unique book with beautiful illustrations of the National Parks. It is a contemporary take on the famous posters from the 1930s.
ART OF THE NATIONAL PARKS is a beautiful art book that displays the unique beauty of each U.S. National Park, as captured by the Fifty-Nine Parks Print Series.
Subpar Parks: America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors
From Instagram to a book! That’s what Subpar Parks did. Subpar Parks has over 400k followers on Instagram and they combine bad reviews with beautiful images of the national parks. It’s hilarious! They added their favorites to the book Subpar Parks: Amerikca’s Most Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors. In addition, they’ll add some interesting tips that they got from park rangers.
**A New York Times Bestseller!** Based on the wildly popular Instagram account, Subpar Parks features both the greatest hits and brand-new content, all celebrating the incredible beauty and variety of America’s national parks juxtaposed with the clueless and hilarious one-star reviews posted by visitors.
Best books on National Park Road Trips & Trip Planning
Are you planning a national park road trip? These books might come in handy.
Rand McNally 2024 Road Atlas & National Park Guide
Rand McNally’s road maps are iconic and they’ve made one that focuses on the US National Parks. Rand McNally 2024 Road Atlas & National Park Guide is not just a book with detailed maps, it is a road atlas and a travel guide in one. A perfect book to plan a fun road trip.
A four-color, 132-page National Park Guide details the best of the best in each park---from trails, drives, and natural wonders to programs, museums, and lodges. Hundreds of photos capture the essence of each park. Park inset maps highlight key points-of-interest.
Roaming America: Exploring All the National Parks
Roaming America: Exploring All the National Parks is a coffee table book and a practical travel guide in one, it’s one of my personal favorites! The book has beautiful photographs, practical information about road-tripping, where to stay, and great routes and itineraries. In addition, you’ll also get some photography tips.
For the nature and adventure enthusiast: Roaming America is a visually stunning, ultimately practical guide to visiting the US National Parks.
Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges
As you might know, most National Parks have unique places to stay the night. In the book Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges, you’ll find an overview of every single lodge in the National Parks and the National Monuments. It includes photographs and prices.
The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges is the only definitive guide of its kind––covering every lodge in America's National Parks and Monuments, from luxurious inns to rustic cabins.
Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West: with the Best Scenic Road Trips
Do you want to visit multiple national parks in the western USA like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite National Park? Fodor’s The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the West: with the Best Scenic Road Trips will help you plan your trip! It has more than 70 detailed maps, great example itineraries, and useful tips from locals. An unmissable guide!
“In terms of comprehensiveness of coverage, the very accessible format, and the enthusiastic tone, this series remains one of the best on the market.” – Booklist
Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks: Extraordinary Hikes in Exceptional Places
Are you a hiker and do you want to learn everything about the most scenic hikes in the National Parks? Make sure to check out Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks! From really short nature trails to full-day hikes and multiday backpacking trips. It’s all in this book.
“American Trails is working to create more and better trails across our country; the Mannings’ exceptional book leads you to the very best hikes in our national parks.” - The National Park Foundation
National Park Guide for Dogs
Do you like to visit the National Parks with your dog(s) and do you want to know where to go? This National Park Guide for Dogs has all the answers to your questions. This book is a great guide for checking the pet information for the parks you would like to visit.
This book is meant to help you quickly and easily determine what activities you can enjoy with your dog companions while visiting the U.S. National Parks, especially when you are unable to access the website due to a lack of internet or cell service.
Where Should We Camp Next? National Parks
I love camping in the US. But it’s sometimes difficult to find the best spots, especially when you visit the National Parks. The book Where should we camp next? National Park edition gives you an overview of more than 300 amazing camping spots inside and just outside the national parks.
"This book is a must-have if you’re planning a camping trip to a national park ― whether you are a seasoned camper or a first-time visitor." - ActionHub
Inspiring stories about the National Parks
The National Parks have inspired many people from all over the world to learn more about nature. These are some inspiring books filled with stories about the beauty of the national parks.
Son of the Wilderness: The Life of John Muir
John Muir is probably the most famous adventurer in the USA and he was the founder of the National Park System. He wrote many books about his travels (mainly in California). The book The Life of John Muir is a biography of John Muir, and tells you the story of his journey from Scotland, to Wisconsin and California.
The story follows Muir from his ancestral home in Scotland, through his early years in the harsh Wisconsin wilderness, to his history-making pilgrimage to California.
Death, Daring, & Disaster – Search and Rescue in the National Parks
Visiting the wilderness in America’s National Parks is not without risks. In this book, you’ll learn that over 150,000 rescue missions were carried out since the opening of the first national park in 1872. There are 375 stories about disasters, getting lost, and tragedy. Death, Daring, & Disaster is not a fun or a light read, but definitely interesting.
375 exciting tales of heroism and tragedy drawn from the nearly 150,000 search and rescue missions carried out by the National Park Service since 1872.
The Naturalist: Theodore Roosevelt, A Lifetime of Exploration, and the Triumph of American Natural History
President Theodore Roosevelt was very passionate about nature and conservation. Under his presidency, he doubled the number of US National Parks. Read more about his story in The Naturalist, an entertaining biography.
“The Naturalist makes it clear that, though Roosevelt never became the full-time species-hunter and wildlife writer to which he aspired as a youth, he left a lasting mark in the field… Today’s conservationists may lionize Roosevelt as a champion of the National Park System and of environmental legislation, but Roosevelt probably would have been satisfied with the respect of a museum man like Darrin Lunde.” - Natural History
Leave Only Footprints: My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park
Conor Knighton is a correspondent for CBS Sunday Morning and he decided to visit each of the national parks within a year. In his book Leave Only Footprints, he tells you the story of his journey and shares his best experiences. It’s not just a guidebook, he also shares some about his personal life and at some points, the book is quite funny.
“Conor Knighton is not only blessed with Charles Kuralt’s peripatetic curiosity and John Muir’s reverence for nature, he shares their all-too-rare gift - his writing makes you want to hit the road and see for yourself what truly makes America great.”- Mark Adams, New York Times bestselling author of Turn Right at Machu Picchu
National Parks logbooks
Would you like to record all your adventures in the national parks? There are several fun logbooks to keep track of your visits.
U.S. NATIONAL PARKS: Adventure Planner & Passport Stamp Book
This is a great logbook. This Adventure Planner & Passport Stamp Book has two pages of every park where you can tick off the most popular sights, there’s space for the official stamp (you can get a stamp in every US National Park), and there’s room for some personal notes.
This National Park Passport Book features a two-page spread for each of America’s 63 national parks and has a lot of space for your adventures. There are also some lists and maps included: all the National Parks by state and in alphabetical order. You can also write down your own Bucket List and follow your visits.
The National Parks Journal: Plan & Record Your Trips to the US National Parks
This logbook by Stephanie Payne is different from the previous books and very useful. The National Parks Journal has a list of the national parks, which makes it easy to check off the parks you’ve already visited. In addition, there are many diary pages to document all your visits.
From the Cape Cod National Seashore to the Sequoia National Park, this journal is the key to a fun and memorable national park vacation that you’ll want to remember (and revisit) for a lifetime.
63 National Park Adventure Guide
Looking for a logbook that’s perfect for kids? Make sure to get this one! The 63 National Park Adventure Guide has beautiful illustrations of each park, stickers, and of course, you can keep track of all your visits and adventures.
Our newly-updated 63 Park edition of the National Park Adventure Guide is better than ever. This super fun and USEFUL guide is a must-have for any trip to the National Parks.
Other fun National Park gifts
In addition to this list of best books on national parks, there are also other fun national park items you can give as a gift. Here are a few fun ideas.
National Parks Scratch Off Map of United States Poster
Do you know which of the National Parks you’ve visited so far? Use this fun scratch-off poster to keep track. Buy the National Parks Scratch Off Map of United States Poster now.
What's Included - National Park Scratch Off Poster PLUS 63 National Park Stickers PLUS 25 Blank Stickers you can take for your park Cancellation Stamps, which you can later stick into your NP passport!
The National Parks Cookbook: The Best Recipes from (and Inspired by) America’s National Parks
A cookbook inspired by the US National Parks? Yes, that’s a thing! The National Park Cookbook is filled with amazing recipes of food that you get in the National Parks. A great gift for people who love to cook.
Feast on the flavors of America’s national parks with more than 70 delicious recipes inspired by their iconic lodges, landscapes, and chefs—including savory dishes, cocktails, and desserts.
National Park Sticker Pack Set
This National Park Sticker Set contains 100 beautiful stickers with images of the national parks. Use them to decorate your water bottle, notebook, or any other item. The stickers are waterproof and can be pasted multiple times.
Our national park stickers are the perfect choice of nature stickers pack for people who love to go camping, hiking, climbing, biking, fishing, etc. Also, use them as unique gifts for adults, teens, girls, and boys.
Knitting the National Parks: 63 Easy-to-Follow Designs for Beautiful Beanies Inspired by the US National Parks
Are you into knitting? Or do you know someone who loves knitting? Then this might be a perfect gift! The book Knitting the National Parks contains 63 beautiful knitting patterns for beanies. There’s a design for every park. How cool would it be to have one of these beanies?
Knit unique beanies inspired by the jaw-dropping and unique landscapes from each of the 63 US National Parks.
2024 National Park Foundation Wall Calendar
Calendars are awesome, especially when they have great photography. That’s why you can’t miss this 2024 National Park Foundation Wall Calendar, filled with the most beautiful photographs from America’s National Parks. When you buy this calendar, you support the National Park.s
From the National Park Foundation, the official charity of America's National Parks, comes a remarkable 2024 wall calendar filled with breathtaking photographs from America's beautiful national parks.
Vintage National Park Posters
Would you like to decorate your house with the US National Parks? This set of Vintage National Park Posters contains nine different vintage national park posters and they’re so beautiful!
A variety of posters showcasing the majestic views unique to U.S. national parks.Our national park poster series aims to evoke nostalgia through design, celebrating our American heritage and the unbridled gifts of nature with designs that fit the park landscape.
The Art of the National Parks: Coloring Book
Do you want to feel like an artist? This coloring book contains the posters of the coffee table book The Art of the National Parks. Next to each poster, there’s a description of which colors to use. But if you want to use different colors, it’s totally up to you. You’re the artist!
The Art of the National Parks: Coloring Book features poster-sized and stylized line-art renderings from the popular “Fifty-Nine Parks print series.”
National Parks of the USA: Activity Book: With More Than 15 Activities, A Fold-out Poster, and 50 Stickers!
Entertain your kids with this fun National Park activity book! With this book, they’ll learn about plants and animals that live in the national parks. It also contains fun facts, a poster, and stickers. A great gift!
Bite-sized information and awesome facts about the national parks are scattered throughout, with over 50 stickers to get creative with at the back of the book.
National Parks of the United States Map
Do you know where all the US National Parks are located? You get an amazing overview with this National Parks of the United States Map by National Geographic. It’s waterproof and tear-resistant, so you can easily take it outside during bad weather. Or maybe even draw on it with an erasable marker!
National Geographic's Destination Map of National Parks of the United States highlights the nearly 400 magnificent parks across America.
Read more about America’s National Parks
Did you like this National Park gift guide and would you like to read more about the amazing US National Parks? I’ve traveled from the Netherlands to the USA several times over the past few years and visited many National Parks and National Monuments. That’s why you can read a lot about America’s National Parks on this website. You might like to read these articles as well:
- Overview: US National Parks list by state
- Utah National Parks: nature at its best!
- Visiting the Grand Canyon: practical tips & the best things to do
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This gift guide was published in October 2022. Last update: December 2023.
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