Recommended National Park Guidebooks and Videos
Travelers have access to many valuable sources
of information that will enhance a visit to a national park. The
National Park Service web site at
www.nps.gov
is one such source. Here you will find information about facilities,
activities, and other worthwhile things to know about each of the 391 units
managed by the National Park Service.
It is a good idea to acquire one or more books to read at your leisure and
take along on your trip. If you will be spending a substantial amount of
money on a national park vacation you may as well do some preparation before
departing on the trip. Below are some sources of information that we
believe offer good value.
Spending a little time and money beforehand will almost certainly prove
beneficial to enjoying your travels.
Note: Use link at the bottom of this page to view recommended
books devoted to specific parks.
Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges,
7th ed. by David and
Kay Scott. An in depth review of every national park lodging facility from
Yellowstone icon Old Faithful Inn to Rocky Knob Cabins on the Blue Ridge
Parkway. Includes information about capacity, handicap access, activities,
rates, food service, and making reservations. Advice on which rooms to
request based on views, size, etc. Also, considerations in choosing a place to stay when two or more lodges are
in the same park. A valuable resource
for anyone considering a trip to a national park.
Order this book from Amazon
National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States,
7th
ed.
The updated edition of this
best-selling guide to America's national parks. Glossy paper and
plenty of excellent color photographs. Coverage concentrates on the
big, popular parks, an advantage for some readers, but a disadvantage for
individuals searching for out-of-the-way units managed by the National Park
Service. A compromise between a small coffee table book and a
guidebook to accompany you on a cross-country trip.
Order this book from Amazon
Great Lodges of the
National Parks, vol. 2
by Christine Barnes. The follow up to her Great Lodges volume. Another
coffee table book describing the history, architecture, and romance of
ten historic lodges including Lake Hotel in Yellowstone, Furnace Creek
Inn in Death Valley, Glacier Bay Lodge in Glacier Bay, and Jackson Lake
Lodge in Grand Teton. Despite the title, several of the lodges are not
in national parks. Published as a companion to the PBS lodge series.
Order
this book from Amazon
Ansel Adams: Our National Parks
by William Turnage and Andrea Stillman. This 130-page paperback
with its narrative and seventy-eight b/w photographs is enduring
evidence of Ansel Adams' love and devotion to our country's most
spectacular landscapes. From Hawaii to Alaska to Mesa Verde in
Colorado, this book contains some of Adams' most beloved work.
Order this book from Amazon
Frommer's National Parks of the American West,
8th ed.
by Don and Barbara Laine.
Pick a western park to visit and this book will provide advice on what
to do and where to eat when you get there. Especially valuable for
people who will be visiting one or more parks for the first time.
It helps if you are starting from the Midwest because you won't find
Great Smoky Mountains NP or Shenandoah in this volume.
Order this book from Amazon
Frommer's National Parks with Kids, 2nd ed.
by Kurt Repanshek. A valuable guide for parents who may discover
that family vacations without television, Xbox, and on-demand activities
can be exasperating. Suggestions on how to plan and enjoy a family
vacation to a national park. The book includes advice for hiking,
kayaking, child safety, an
d the popular junior ranger programs that
are offered in most national park units. Keep in mind that many park
bookstores offer activity books to help keep the kids busy.
Order this book from Amazon
Great Lodges of the National Parks
by Christine Barnes. Best-selling companion volume to the PBS
series about national park lodges. This coffee table book
describes 15 of America's most beloved lodges (plus Canada's Prince of
Wales Hotel) including Old Faithful Inn, Crater Lake Lodge, Glacier Park
Lodge, Paradise Inn, the Ahwahnee, and the El Tovar. An excellent
book from an author who is obviously fascinated with the lodges.
Not a guidebook, but rather something to savor and study in front of the
fireplace.
Order this book from Amazon
Treasures of America's National Parks (DVD).
A set of six DVDs that provide outstanding
widescreen videos of our country's most popular parks including Bryce
Canyon, Denali, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, Yellowstone,
Yosemite, and Zion. Also includes segments on national park lodges and
the Canadian Rockies. This set provides an excellent preview of what you will be
seeing or a thoughtful review of what you saw.
Order this video from Amazon
Great Lodges of the National Parks: The West
and Pacific Rim (DVD).
Follow up to the "Treasures" DVD noted above.
This volume includes Furnace Creek Inn in Death Valley NP, Glacier Bay
Lodge, Jackson Lake Lodge in Grand Teton NP, and Volcano House in Hawaii
Volcanoes NP. It also includes several lodges that are near, but not
in national parks including Lake Quinault Lodge (just outside Olympic NP),
the Stanley Hotel just outside Rocky Mountain NP.
Order this video from Amazon
The American
Heritage Dictionary of Business Terms
by David Scott. Not about the national parks,
but you never know when you may become puzzled with some obscure business
term while watching an eruption of Old Faithful. Plus, it is
authored by the same person who put up this web site. A paperback
with over 6,000 terms covering investments, marketing, law,
economics, finance, and international business. Plus, case examples
and sage advice
from professional business people.
Order this book from Amazon
