National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

by National Geographic Society (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
It's impressive how much National Geographic can squeeze into a small book. Each entry tells how big the park is, describes its flavor, indicates when it's best to go and how to get there, and includes an elegantly useful map. A detailed tour of the sights includes glorious pictures (450 total), highlighting the best of each park. But practicalities are not neglected: entries include headquarters' addresses and phones, entrance fees, facilities for the disabled, accommodations, pet regulations, and what there is to do. And so it goes for each of the 54 parks--it's a gem of a guide.

From Library Journal
These National Geographic Society offerings promise to be popular items with anyone interested in going beyond just being a tourist and becoming an informed visitor to national parks and historic areas of the United States. They present a state-by-state listing of those sites deemed to be of historic importance in the development of the country, ranging from Revolutionary War battlefields in the Middle Atlantic states to remnants of the Gold Rush in the West. This is a significant series for teachers, parents, and anyone seeking to bring alive the story of our country for young people. Each site is identified by simple directions on how to reach it, whether or not submission fees are charged, and addresses and phone numbers. In addition, most sites list additional areas of scenic and/or historic value in the immediate vicinity. There are four volumes in the "Driving Guides to America" series; the one reviewed here lists tours of interest in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado. Each tour is preceded by a detailed map, the best time of the year to visit, the number of days recommended for the trip, and important phone numbers to call for additional information. The following tour descriptions are richly illustrated and include sidebars that help visitors truly appreciate the area. The national parks of America receive a respectful treatment at the hands of the National Geographic Society. These revised editions present all 54 parks in detail and offer visitors a wealth of information: when the park was created, how big it is, how to get there, the best time to visit, and suggested itineraries. Along with the well-known parks, there are listings for some that are either new or seldom visited; this is the best information available on parks such as Dry Tortugas, Saguaro, American Samoa, Joshua Tree, and Kobuk Valley. Each of these books is enthusiastically recommended for all public libraries.?Joseph L. Carlson, Vandenberg Air Force Base Lib., Cal.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 448 pages
• Publisher: National Geographic; Rev. [i.e. 3rd] ed edition (April 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0792270169
• ISBN-13: 978-0792270164
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,058,826 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars National Park Basics in a Book That Will Make You Want To Go, December 5, 2003

By	Wayne A. Smith (Wilmington, DE) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States, Fourth Edition (Paperback)

National Geographic has produced an excellent introduction to our national park system.

This book briefly covers national parks and monuments of the entire country. A description is given over a page or so (a bit longer for majors like Yosemite) which includes helpful visiting hints, the main attractions at each and other details that could help the day or short visitor hit the highlights. Information is also included on the best time of year to travel, places to stay, park rules and contact information. Also very informative are "side excursion" briefs for each major attraction.

The books' maps are very well done and it contains beautiful pictures that show our national treasures in all their glories.

Besides being well organized and informative, this is a very attractive book that makes one want to venture out and see some of the natural wonders of our country. Great for the national park enthusiast and would-be traveler.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent guide to the National Parks of the USA, February 18, 1999

By	[e-mail] (Near Green Bay, Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

This review is from: National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States (Paperback)

This book has a section on each National Park which describes how to get there, the best times to go, and what to do when you arrive. It includes color pictures and maps of each park. The maps show all the park's visitor centers, main roads, trails and campgrounds. It gives suggestions on what to do if you can spend a half day or full day, etc. It also includes information on facilities for the disabled. Nearby motels and campgrounds are also listed together with the address and phone number of each park's headquarters. I take this book with me to each park we visit and stamp the front page of book with the offical park stamp found in each visitor's center. I've been to 24 of the parks so far and hope to someday visit all of them. This book has been a valuable guide for me

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome, July 26, 2001

By	Abhas Jain "Abhas" (MA, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: National Geographic's Guide to the National Parks of the United States: Third Edition (National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States) (Paperback)

This book is a must have for every National Park or nature fan. We bought this book 3 week before visiting Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Glacier National Park. every thing the book said was correct. To test it, we tried some trails that the book had not reommended, and realized that the authors were correct.

This book is not intended to be an all inclusive giuide to any specific park. It covers most parks in about 4-6 pages. People spending 1-3 days per park are the target audience. the book provides day iteniaries which we found very helpful while planning our trip.

We use this book as our National Park passport. We stamp the book at each National Park and hope t have all 55 park descriptions stamped soon.

Highly recommend this book.