Celebrating "America's Best Idea" By Kristin Vinduska
An American flag flies through the fog that rests upon the Teton Mountain Range in Grand Teton National Park.
The establishment of the national parks in the United States has been famously called “America’s Best Idea.” This year we celebrate these places during National Park Week on April 20th through April 28th. On August 25th of this year the National Park Service will celebrate its 103rd birthday. The National Park Service protects some of the most pristine, beautiful landscapes in the country. These wild places are preserved for the inspiration and education of present and future generations.
I grew up visiting public lands during summer family vacations. I have visited 19 national parks and many other national park service sites under different designations such as national historic sites, national monuments, national rivers, national lakeshores, and many others. These visits inspired me to pursue a career where I will get to help protect these public places. The grandeur of the outdoors is my panacea. Topping a hill and seeing the peaks of the Grand Tetons, marveling at a glacier resting peacefully on the volcanic Mount Rainier, imagining all the weathering that occurred to form sandstone monuments in Arches, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, and Capital Reef, observing elk munching on a meal just before the Arkansas sunset - these are the moments that take my breath away. I found my heart in these wild places.
The National Park Service safeguards 419 areas of many designations that encompass American culture and biodiversity. Artists and scholars have been inspired by these places for generations. The national parks belong to the creatures that find habitat within park boundaries and these parks also belong to the public, to you and me. I hope that when you visit any national park that it provokes a passion within you to become a park champion, a fierce supporter of our wild oases.
How do you become a responsible outdoor steward?
Start by following the seven Leave No Trace Principles:
Below is a comprehensive list of all 61 national parks listed by the state they are located in:
Alaska
Denali
Gates of the Arctic
Glacier Bay
Katmai
Kenai Fjords
Kobuk Valley
Lake Clark
Wrangell-St. Elias
Arizona
Grand Canyon
Petrified Forest
Saguaro
Arkansas
Hot Springs
California
Channel Islands
Death Valley
Joshua Tree
Kings Canyon
Lassen Volcanic
Pinnacles
Redwood
Sequoia
Yosemite
Colorado
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Great Sand Dunes
Mesa Verde
Rocky Mountain
Florida
Biscayne
Dry Tortugas
Everglades
Hawaii
Hawaii Volcanoes
Haleakalā
Indiana
Indiana Dunes
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave
Maine
Acadia
Michigan
Isle Royale
Minnesota
Voyageurs
Missouri
Gateway Arch
Montana
Glacier
Nevada
Great Basin
New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns
North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley
Oregon
Crater Lake
South Carolina
Congaree
South Dakota
Badlands
Wind Cave
Tennessee
Great Smoky Mountains
Texas
Big Bend
Guadalupe Mountains
Utah
Arches
Bryce Canyon
Canyonlands
Capitol Reef
Zion
Virginia
Shenandoah
Washington
Mount Rainier
North Cascades
Olympic
Wyoming
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
Other
American Samoa
Virgin Islands
As a photographer, I have had the privilege of focusing my lens on some of the most unique places and creatures in America’s national parks. I hope you enjoy this gallery of photos I have collected from some of my favorite national park trips. I wasn’t able to locate photos from every trip but I am sure you will be able to see a progression of camera quality and increase in photography know-how. I hope these images inspire you to get out and explore your public lands! Happy National Park Week!
(All images taken by Kristin Vinduska.)
A mother black-tailed doe crosses the trail below the majestic Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park.
A black-tailed fawn follows close behind its mother in Mount Rainier National Park.
A marmot munches on a blade of grass under the warming sun in Mount Rainier National Park.
Wildflowers wave in the cool breeze on the road to Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.
Blue smokey mountains fold over one another creating dynamic layers at Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.
The waves of the Pacific Ocean meet Ruby Beach on the shores of Olympic National Park.
Sunlight leaks in between skyscraper trees to illuminate a carpet of ferns in Olympic National Park.
Water cascades down Sol Duc Falls in the Hoh Rainforest in Olympic National Park.
Alpenglow highlights the jagged peaks of the Teton Mountains in Grand Teton National Park.
A moose cow chows down on green vegetation in Grand Teton National Park.
American bison bathe in the dirt in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
A Civilian Conservation Corps shelter overlooks the Little Missouri River as it winds its way through Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The last light fills the sky as dock lights illuminate a lonely boat on the shores of Voyageurs National Park.
A National Park Service boat bobbles in the water of Lake Kabetogama in Voyageurs National Park.
The unique architecture of Bathhouse Row provides a place for visitors to enjoy healing and delicious spring water in Hot Springs National Park.
The vast ravines of Canyonlands National Park create a dramatic landscape.
Red rock walls tower over Zion National Park.
Bighorn Sheep carefully climb their way up rocky landscapes near Capitol Reef National Park.
Intricate petroglyphs tell an ancient story on the walls of Capitol Reef National Park.
Double Arch expands over sandstone rock in Arches National Park.
Brightly colored Hoodoos stand tall in Bryce Canyon National Park.
Pristine glacier melt flows down Red Rock Falls in Glacier National Park.
An American flag waves in sync with the waves of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.