Come explore the National Park System with the Traveler / Rebecca Latson photo of the view of Lassen Volcanic National Park from the summit of Cinder Cone

How many of you visited a unit of the National Park System over the Thanksgiving holiday? Did you think about doing that but didn’t have time to plan? Maybe the Traveler’s Explore The National Park System series can help you with future plans. There’s always something new to learn about the national parks. Plus, it’s never too late to start planning your next park adventure.

For a little background about this particular page on the Traveler site, Explore The National Park System was begun back in the early 2000s by Traveler Founder and Editor-in-Chief Kurt Repanshek. The parks listed contained information based upon travel experiences by Kurt and other Traveler contributing writers.

A few months ago, Kurt asked me to update these park pages and add to them. It’s a work in progress, folks. I’ve reviewed the existing pages and updated them regarding pricing for everything, from fees to lodging to camping. I’ve also cleaned up broken links, added new links, removed items no longer applicable (some restaurants and lodging establishments are no longer in business), and of course added pretty pictures here and there. You will note, not all the units of the National Park System, let alone just the national parks, are listed under the Essential Guides section … yet. Like I mentioned earlier, these park pages are a work in progress, so please be patient and check back often.

In addition to reviewing the existing park pages, I’ve added new park pages based upon my own travel experiences. For areas with which I am not as familiar, I have researched these park aspects to provide you with up-to-date information. Periodically, I will return to each park to further update them. It’s been a great learning experience for me, not to mention it’s provided me with numerous quiz questions to use in future monthly National Parks Quiz And Trivia pieces.

The link to the main page is at the top of this article. Go ahead. Click on it. Scrolling down that page, you will see links for different park units beneath the Essential Park Guides section. Click on a park to be taken to that park page’s introduction. For example, click on the Lassen Volcanic National Park link.

Park page introduction for Lassen Volcanic National Park / Traveler screenshot

Below the introduction are links to park sub-pages detailing, among other things:  getting there, hiking, lodging, geology, history, and other special-interest sub-pages for that particular park. There are even Traveler Checklists for most of the parks to help you decide what to do and see once you get there.

A few of the sub-page listings for Lassen Volcanic National Park / Traveler screenshot

Below the National Parks Traveler's Essential Park Guides is the Traveler's Comprehensive Overview of the National Park System. Each link there will take you to a page listing every single article / mention / photo and caption for that park that has been published in the Traveler. Oh, I might add, this is a work in progress too.

From time to time, the Traveler may even take one of these pages and publish it on the front page. You know, just to pique your curiosity and encourage you to delve a little deeper into that park unit.

These units of the National Park System are for you - the public - to enjoy. These pages will hopefully help maximize that enjoyment while making your park planning preparation a little easier. If nothing else, you should find reading the various pages enjoyable, enlightening, and educational.