52 Best National Park Books for 2024

In Your Guide to the National Parks (Amazon bestseller), Michael Joseph Oswald offers comprehensive information on all 63 national parks. His guide includes detailed maps, hiking information and other popular activities, a history of each national park and those small details that make your trip a success. You’ll even find suggested road trip itineraries.

As you would expect, National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks of the United States includes 300 gorgeous photographs and 80 maps. Updated in 2021, the 9th edition includes Indiana Dunes, White Sands and Gateway Arch national parks. Along with plenty of practical information, you’ll also find itineraries for week-long regional road trips that visit multiple national parks.

A Goodreads Choice, Subpar Parks combines informative text about the best national parks with their online one-star reviews by disappointed travelers. While it may sound like an odd combination, this book will leave you howling. Based upon her wildly popular Instagram account, Amber Share has captured her love for national parks with anecdotes and tips from rangers and, of course, those humorous one-star reviews.

Moon guide books have been around for a long time. USA National Parks includes overviews of 62 parks (it's missing information on New River Gorge National Park). The popular guide includes planning resources, itineraries, trail maps, and road trip ideas for each park.

I've recommended 100 Parks 5000 Ideas to national park lovers for years. Author Joe Yogerst has included plenty of inspiring photographs and information for planning your next national park trip in the U.S. or Canada. You'll find the best things to do, an overview of each park plus detailed travel advice. This book goes beyond U.S. National Parks by including outstanding state parks and city parks.

If you’re a Lonely Planet fan, you might think the famous guidebook publisher only covers exotic destinations. Not so. The company has an excellent national parks travel guidebook, USA’s National Parks.

The information has been updated to eliminate businesses that are no longer open after the 2020 pandemic. You’ll also find essential information like park hours and website links as well as insider tips to enhance your national park trip.

Note: New River National Gorge National Park is not included.

I’ve always been a fan of Fodor’s guidebooks because the company hires local experts to research and write them. And The Complete Guide to the National Parks of the USA is no exception to this practice.

Published in 2021, this guide includes up-to-date coverage on all 63 national parks. You’ll discover the top things to do based upon local recommendations along with historical and cultural insights.

Of course there are the usual trip planning tools and practical tips. I especially appreciate the multiple itineraries for organizing my trip to maximize my time in the parks.

When Alan and I explore a national park, we always bring the Benchmark Road and Recreation Atlas for the state where the park is located. This way, we learn about the national forests, public lands and state parks located close by.

Benchmark publishes atlases for most of the Western states as well as the Southern Appalachians. Benchmark makes great maps, too!

Another Amazon Bestseller, National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks is a visually stunning coffee table book. Written by Jon Waterman, a former national park ranger (and updated in 2019), the book includes his tips for visiting the national parks as well as maps, and of course, those gorgeous photos.

Here’s another award-winning coffee table book by QT Luong. Originally released to celebrate the National Park Service’s 100th birthday, Treasured Lands was recently updated in May 24, 2022.

Enjoy flipping through the gorgeous pages of this national park coffee table book. You’ll be planning a trip before you know it!

The National Parks, America’s Best Idea is an Amazon Bestseller. After flipping through the pages, you’ll understand why. The book is a beautiful accompaniment to the PBS series of the same name that documents the history of the parks.

With a publication date of 2009, you might think this book is a bit outdated. However the emphasis is on history and men like Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir who inspired the preservation of these lands so it still deserves a spot on your coffee table.

Part of the National Park system, U.S. National Monuments offer an under-the-radar trip to beautiful lands that rival more popular national parks. Photographer, QT Luong, has documented their beauty in Our National Monuments, America’s Hidden Gems.

The author hiked and camped in 22 land-based national monuments. The result? Three hundred photos with text that highlights each national monument. If you enjoy off-the-beaten-path, less crowded nature experiences, this book belongs on your coffee table.

The National Parks of the United States, written by Andrew Thomas, features all 63 of U.S. national parks and also three de-listed ones in Michigan, North Dakota, and Oklahoma. You’ll find park details such as the nearest city, GPS coordinates, and more.

The map overview of all the parks is especially good as well as the wildlife section.

In Walks of a Lifetime in America’s National Parks, Bob and Martha Manning write about the best trails in the parks. Discover scenic vistas, waterfalls and the best trails for wildlife viewing. Hiking Ambassadors for the American Hiking Society, the Manning’s are experienced walkers and hikers. The book includes hundreds of photographs as well as practical tips for making the most of your national park hike.

Author Greg Witt shows you how to make the most of your time in 50 Best Short Hikes in Utah’s National Parks. You’ll appreciate the 1 to 8-mile hikes covering Utah’s 5 national parks: Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Arches, Bryce, and Zion.

Hikes include GPS coordinates, detailed maps plus the author’s recommendations for top hikes divided by categories. He also includes information on geology, animals, and plants.

Alan and I are big fans of Falcon Guides hiking books. You’ll find one for almost every national park.

I’ve included Hiking Yosemite National Park is an example of the details you’ll find in Falcon Guides. Recently updated and revised, the book includes 62 hikes in Yosemite, including difficulty ratings, trailhead directions and what to expect on each trail.

Day Hikes of Glacier National Park Map Guide, by Jake Bramante, is THE book for hiking the Crown of the Continent. Actually it’s more of a map with thick, waterproof pages, making it convenient to bring on the trail.

The author includes a list of his favorite Glacier National Park hikes. Plus trails are numbered and easy to find on the map. This is a must if you’re hiking in Glacier!

Written in 2017, National Park Lodges, by authors David L. Scott and Kay W. Scott, covers every lodge in in the National Park System, including national monuments. Actually, the book includes all the accommodations in the parks from luxury inns to rustic cabins. While the authors write about lodging rates and facility information, I recommend double checking with each park as prices and facilities have probably changed since 2017.

Great Lodges of the National Parks, by Christine Barnes, is a beautiful gift book that accompanies the 2002 PBS television series of the same name. The book includes 175 full-color photographs that illustrate the history, wildlife and natural settings of national park lodges like Glacier Park Lodge or El Tovar in the Grand Canyon.

A portion of the book’s proceeds is donated toward the continued rehabilitation of these historic buildings.

One volume of Great Lodges of the National Parks was not enough. There needed to be another one! Volume 2 of Christine Barne’s series continues to tell the fascinating stories of national park lodging.

Travel vicariously to Grand Lake Hotel in Yellowstone National Park or Lake Quinault Lodge in Olympic National Park, plus many more park destinations. Once again, you’ll enjoy the history that’s illustrated with beautiful photography.

As boomers age, some of us will experience disabilities that affect our walking capabilities. But that doesn’t mean national park travel has to end. In Barrier-Free Travel National Park Lodges, Candy Harrington offers detailed information on the accessibility at 52 national park lodges on the US mainland. You’ll even learn the bed heights.

This book is a valuable resource to seniors or boomers with mobility issues. Parents traveling with strollers for children will also benefit from this book as it covers accessible activities as well.

Published in 2007, Kathleen Bryant’s Western National Parks’ Lodge’s Cookbook highlights signature recipes shared by the chefs who cook them. The book also includes the histories of fifteen lodges in ten western national parks. What a fun way to remember the delicious lasagna you enjoyed at Crater Lake Lodge.

In the Yellowstone National Park Cookbook, park personalities share favorite recipes along with stories of their time in America’s first national park. From park employees to tour guides, botanists, and chefs, enjoy 125 wonderful recipes that recall the wonders of Yellowstone National Park.

This cookbook comes with its own soundtrack! Dining at Great American Lodges entices readers with gorgeous food photography, photos of each lodge, and of course, recipes! The CD from Big Sky Ensemble adds the perfect touch when serving up these delicious meals at home.

Lynda Ly’s The National Parks Cookbook, features signature dishes from top national park restaurants. You’ll enjoy the beautiful photography, as well.

The author spreads the love around by covering regional favorites from throughout the country. If you’ve lusted for the Salmon Tostada with fire-roasted corn and greens from El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon, here’s your chance to learn how to prepare it at home.

Beauty and Bounty combines delicious Olympic Coast cuisine with lovely paintings of the Olympic Peninsula. Featuring regional farm products combined with the bounty of the sea, this is the perfect cookbook for fans of Olympic National Park in Washington State.

When John Wesley Powell led a 1869 expedition down the Colorado River, his exploits introduced the Grand Canyon to the nation and the world. Donald Worster, author of A River Running West, documents the life of Powell: scientist, explorer, writer and conservationist. This is a grand adventure worth reading about.

Did you know that Yosemite Valley was state owned before it became a national park? Famous landscape architect, Fred Olmstead, played a big part in determining the management of this wilderness park.

The Power of Scenery, by Dennis Drabelle, explores Olmstead’s influence (as well as others) on the establishment of the national park system. The goal was to avoid the carnival-like atmosphere that had become Niagara Falls. Enjoy this fascinating account on how the national park movement came to be.

Written by the second Director of the National Park Service, Horace M. Albright, Creating the National Park Service chronicles a history that you might not know about. Albright directed that the book not be published until after his death.

When Stephen T. Mather, first National Park Service Director, had a nervous breakdown, Albright took over while protecting Mather’s reputation and continuing to carry out his vision for park management. The story also includes corporate intrigue and is told from the first-hand observations of one who lived it.

An Amazon Editor’s pick, The Wilderness Warrior examines the life of Theodore Roosevelt in relation to the conservation of America’s lands. Author Douglas Brinkley shares Roosevelt’s crusade to preserve more than 230 million acres of wild America, creating the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, passing the Antiquities Act of 1906, and saving Devils Tower, The Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest.

Another Amazon Editor’s pick, Rightful Heritage, by Douglas Brinkley, reveals Franklin D. Roosevelt’s role as founder of the Civilian Conservation Corps and as a protector of America’s lands. “Pristine landscapes such as the Great Smokies, the Everglades, Joshua Tree, the Olympics, Big Bend, Channel Islands, Mammoth Cave, and the slickrock wilderness of Utah were forever saved by his leadership.” We may know Roosevelt as a war president but his accomplishments in preserving America’s landscape deserve attention, too.

Martha Day Zschock has created a Scratch and Sketch book that allows young artists to learn while doing. As they scratch away the white outlines, the wonders of California’s mighty redwoods and the presidential figures of Mount Rushmore are revealed.

The book includes 20 pages with text and illustrations. Plus you’ll find 20 extra pages for young artists to create their own national park magic. Recommended for ages 5 and up.

Updated in 2020, The National Parks: Discover all 62 National Parks of the United States, is an overall national park guide that kids will enjoy. Entertaining and educational, your grands will appreciate the eye-catching photographs and easy-to-read text. Beware, they’re going to quiz you with all that new-found national park knowledge so you’ll need to read the book, too!

An Amazon Editor’s pick, this Lonely Planet for kids book helps your kiddo learn about 60 national parks. Reading it with them is a great way to help them get excited for a visit.

Updated in 2019 (New River Gorge, Indiana Dunes and White Sands are missing from this book), your favorite traveling child will enjoy the facts, photos and illustrations throughout the book. They’ll meet the wildlife, discover beautiful landscapes, and learn about geographical

Part of The Campground Kids series, Smoky Mountain Survival is an action-packed account of kids enjoying Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

In this lively Amazon bestseller, children learn about camping and bears while having an epic adventure in Great Smoky Mountains. They will also be highly entertained by the story.

Are you looking for a kid’s national park book with beautiful illustrations and fun facts? National Parks of the USA by Kate Siber and Chris Turnham is a kid-friendly guide for your next national park trip.

While this book only includes 21 national parks (by region), your child will enjoy the gorgeous illustrations complemented by write-ups of the animals and plants that make the park their home.

In Ranger Confidential, Andrea Lankford writes about her experiences working in some of the most popular parks in the NPS.

Enjoy Andrea’s insight into: Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smokies, and Denali. You’ll read behind-the-scene stories of drama, determination, and redemption in this funny (but graphic) memoir.

Former National Park Ranger, Russell Cahill, shares his personal stories and experiences for a fun read in Tales From the Parks. You’ll enjoy his stories of ushering bears out of hotel lobbies, dealing with terrified climbers at Yosemite, and much more. If you’re looking for a first-hand account of working in the parks that’s also enjoyable, this is it.

Are you fascinated by caves? Doug Thompson was a park ranger at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, which introduced him to the fascinating world of spelunking. In Underground Ranger, he shares his adventures exploring Carlsbad and many other caves in the region. In the process, he overcame a fear of heights and tight spaces. Talk about a challenging job!

Since I’m not a cave explorer, I’ll live vicariously through Doug Thompson’s book!

Bear in the Back Seat, by Kim DeLozier and Carolyn Jourdan, documents DeLozier’s experiences as a wildlife ranger. In fact, he was the chief wildlife ranger at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. His 30 years of service includes many black bear encounters, including sedated ones and those who woke up mid-flight in the back of a helicopter.

You’ll enjoy this funny memoir that details the heartwarming and heartbreaking stories of life as a National Park ranger.

In The Last Season, author Eric Blehm writes about the amazing life of National Park ranger, Randy Morgenson. The backcounty ranger disappeared in California’s Sierra Nevada under mysterious conditions. Part biography, part mystery, the gripping story of The Last Season is sure to entertain and inform you.

New York Times bestselling author, Nevada Barr, writes a series of books based upon fictional national park ranger, Anna Pigeon. In Boar Island, Pigeon travels to Acadia National Park to begin her job as Acting Chief Ranger in the company of a friend and her daughter who is experiencing cyber-bullying and stalking.

In addition to dealing with a cyber crime, Pigeon must solve a brutal murder that happens soon after her arrival in Acadia. Enjoy this compelling crime story.

The Wild Inside is book one of Christine Carbo’s Glacier mystery book series. The Whitefish, Montana resident writes an intriguing story of a Glacier National Park father-son camping gone wrong. Ted Stystead watches his father being dragged to his death by a bear.

Twenty years later, Ted, now a Special Agent for the Department of the Interior, returns to Glacier to investigate a similar death in the park. Only this time, the victim was tied to a tree before the bear attack. Mystery fans will enjoy this gripping novel.

If you’re looking for a charming, lighthearted read, Lin Stepp’s, Down by the River, is the book for you. Set in Tennessee near Great Smoky Mountain National Park, this warm-hearted novel about a mid-life change of location and career is a beautiful reminder of small town living in the Smoky Mountains.

If you enjoy Down by the River, you’ll want to read the rest of the Smoky Mountain Novel books. Dolly Parton writes about Lin Stepp, “I’ve finally come across someone that believes in all the things that I do…love, family, faith, intrigue, mystery, loyalty, romance, and a great love for our beloved Smoky Mountains.”

Unquiet Ghosts: A Novel is a thriller set in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Author, Glenn Meade, combines a mysterious plane crash in the Smokies, family tragedy, and a found briefcase containing millions of dollars into a high energy read.

Why did the plane crash? Where did the money come from? What really happened to Kathy Kelly’s family? Are powerful people searching for Kathy, too? Will you read this fast-paced book in one sitting?

In Death Canyon, former prosecutor, Jake Trent, teams up with national park ranger (yes a beautiful one), Noel Klimpton, to solve a series of murders in Jackson, Wyoming. Hot on the murderer’s trail, the clues take them into Yellowstone National Park.

Written by David Riley Bertsch, Death Canyon takes you into the majestic Rocky Mountains and scenic valley of Jackson Hole. Along the way, you’ll meet believable characters involved in the sinister side of life in Yellowstone.

The Art of the National Parks is the best national parks book for fine art lovers. Fifty-nine artists have created posters that richly illustrate the beauty of our national parks. The book also includes information about each park focusing on nature, trip highlights and visitor’s tips. Place this book on your coffee table knowing that a portion of the proceeds goes to conserving our national parks.

Become a national park artist when you color the pages of Coloring Glacier National Park. I created this grayscale coloring book from photos that Alan and I have taken in Glacier National Park.

I particularly enjoy coloring grayscale because the results look like a painting. Coloring Glacier National Park includes a varied selection of scenic landscapes, wildlife, and nature close-ups. It’s a great way to remember your visit to Glacier National Park.

In Art of the National Parks, seventy painters and sculptors offer their impressions of eight national parks. Enjoy this large-format book with over 450 artworks of Acadia, Everglades, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion. You’ll also learn about the artists’ styles, techniques, and philosophies.

Visit Mount Ranier National Park through the eyes of artist and author, Molly Hashimoto. In Mount Ranier National Park: an Artist’s Tour, you’ll tour the park’s main roads through over 80 watercolor paintings and sketches.

Along the way, you’ll learn about about pertinent information about the park, including natural history, geology, architecture, and more. This book is a beautiful keepsake for visitors to Mount Ranier National Park.

In The Art of the National Parks: Coloring Book, you’ll enjoy coloring poster-sized and stylized line-art of 63 national parks. Each poster includes a short park description. There are full-color images of the national parks to inspire your color choices.

The Teton Range has long attracted artists drawn to capturing the majesty of the area. Painters of Grand Teton National Park, by Donna L Poulton and James Poulton, was published in 2016 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Grand Teton National Park.

The book includes four hundred paintings, drawing, and photographs by well-known artists. Covering two hundred years of art and a variety of styles, Painters of Grand Teton National Park emphasizes artists who lived and worked year-round in the Tetons.