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A branch full of cherry blossoms, with a body of water and a building with pillars and a domed roof in the background

Sponsored by Enjoy Illinois

Northern lights in the sky of Fairbanks, Alaska

Astrotourism

The Most Beautiful Places to See the Northern Lights—Without Leaving the U.S.

You don’t need to go abroad to see the legendary light show that is the aurora borealis.

August 19, 2025 02:02 PM

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Bailey Berg

National Parks

These U.S. National Parks Are Hosting Free Stargazing Festivals This Summer

Here’s what you need to know about visiting the parks after dark.

May 17, 2023 10:18 PM

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Bailey Berg

Staying in popular parks like Zion could be easier for late minute travelers.

National Parks

How to Score a National Park Campsite—Even if It’s Sold Out

This handy new tool helps campers find places to pitch their tents and park their RVs in the country’s most popular national parks.

June 9, 2023 04:58 PM

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Bailey Berg

Hotel News + Openings

A New Mountain Lodge Is Coming to This Lesser-Visited, Volcanic Region of Japan

The Lucy hotel from luxury brand Hoshino Resorts is opening next to a national park in the Japanese countryside.

May 20, 2025 12:35 PM

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Olivia Young

Bahamas_Seahorses_IMG_4197_credit The Cove.jpg

National Parks

A New National Park in the Caribbean Is Home to the Most Rare Seahorses in the World

The lagoon in the Bahamas also has bioluminescence, octopus, and night diving.

December 11, 2025 03:29 PM

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Vanita Salisbury

Redwood trees in Montgomery Woods State Natural Reserve in Mendocino County

Outdoor Adventure

This Underrated California Region Is Getting Three New State Parks

The initiative represents the biggest expansion of California’s state parks system in decades.

May 6, 2026 05:31 PM

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Jackie Bryant

A field of purple hydrangeas in front of a green misty mountain with a small mountain chalet and evergreen trees

Where to Travel Next

Shhh! These Are Some of the Quietest Places on Earth

Quiet Parks International has selected parks, trails, and wilderness where you can escape noise pollution and finally find that ultimate luxury: some good old-fashioned silence.

July 11, 2024 09:56 AM

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Nicholas DeRenzo

A group of four visitors walk over fossil-like hoodoos while exploring the badlands at Dinosaur Provincial Park

Destination Spotlight

Don’t Miss These UNESCO Sites of Alberta—Which Has More Than Any Other Province in Canada

These 5 (of 6) stunning, protected areas are within easy reach of Calgary.

November 13, 2025 01:22 PM

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Jennifer Malloy

A mound at Ocmulgee Mounds Historical Park

National Parks

The U.S. Could Be Getting a New National Park. Here’s Where.

If Ocmulgee Mounds becomes a national park, it’ll be the first in Georgia—and the first comanaged by a tribe that was once forcibly removed from the land.

April 18, 2023 04:23 PM

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Bailey Berg

A night sky lit up by stars and the milky away above a desert landscape with red mountains

Astrotourism

16 Stunning Places to Go Stargazing in 2025

Enjoy a celestial show every night in these ultra-dark locations around the globe.

December 27, 2024 04:42 AM

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Nile Cappello

Terraced pools with milky blue waters surrounded by chalky white stone

UNESCO World Heritage

12 Extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Sites Where Nature Meets Culture

Cave art or beaches? Mountains or temples? Ancient ruins or volcanoes? You can enjoy both culture and nature at these remarkable sites.

June 9, 2025 05:16 AM

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Pat Tompkins

The hills of Channel Islands National Park

Winter 2024

How to Visit One of California’s Least Visited—but Most Beautiful—National Parks

Here’s how to have an epic adventure at Channel Islands National Park.

February 7, 2024 01:52 PM

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Sarika Bansal

National Parks

How Outdoor Spaces in the U.S. Are Becoming More Accessible

A new movement balancing preservation and accessibility empowers people with disabilities to more easily explore national parks and public lands.

August 28, 2023 01:41 PM

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Kathleen Rellihan

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