America's National Parks

Season 1

Experience the glory and splendor of America's untamed national parks. Acclaimed filmmaker, Dennis Burkhart (PBS, Discovery Channel, NBC) showcases the unrivaled grandeur and vastness of America's rare lands.

Where to Watch America's National Parks • Season 1

59 Episodes

Yellowstone (1872)
E1
Yellowstone (1872)Yellowstone's system of geysers are the main reason it was established as America's first national park, a concept that spread. Yellowstone is the core of one of the last, nearly intact, natural ecosystems in the Earth's temperate zone.
Sequoia (1890)
E2
Sequoia (1890)Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of the San Joaquin Valley. Visitor activities vary by season and elevation. This landscape testifies to nature's size, beauty, and diversity.
Yosemite (1890)
E3
Yosemite (1890)First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.
Mt. Rainier (1899)
E4
Mt. Rainier (1899)Mount Rainier, an active volcano, stands as an icon in the Washington landscape, and is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous U.S.A., spawning six major rivers. Subalpine meadows exist aside ancient forests, and wildlife abounds.
Crater Lake (1902)
E5
Crater Lake (1902)Located in southern Oregon, Crater Lake National Park is the fifth oldest national park in the United States. Crater Lake's Earth-blue waters, with islands that appear to float upon the lake itself, add to the Park's supernatural energy.
Wind Cave (1903)
E6
Wind Cave (1903)Swaying prairie grasses, forested hillsides, and an array of wildlife welcome visitors to one of our country's oldest national parks and one of its few remaining intact prairies. Secreted beneath is one of Earth's longest caves, Wind Cave.
Mesa Verde (1906)
E7
Mesa Verde (1906)Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years. The park protects nearly 5,000 archeological sites, among the most notable on Earth.
Glacier (1910)
E8
Glacier (1910)Glacier National Park located in Montana encompasses over 1,000,000 acres, and includes parts of two mountain ranges, over 130 named lakes, more than 1,000 different species of plants, and hundreds of species of animals.
Rocky Mountain (1915)
E9
Rocky Mountain (1915)Rocky Mountain National Park's 415 square miles encompass and protect spectacular mountain environments and hiking trails. Trail Ridge Road, cresting over 12,000 feet, overlooks the pristine beauty of subalpine and alpine ecosystems.
Haleakala (1916)
E10
Haleakala (1916)Haleakala is a special place that resonates with both ancient and modern Hawaiian culture, and it protects the bond between the land and its people. Haleakala also cares for endangered species, some of which exist nowhere else on Earth.
Hawai'i Volcanoes (1916)
E11
Hawai'i Volcanoes (1916)Volcanoes are monuments to Earth's origin, evidence that its primordial forces are still at work. During a volcanic eruption, we are reminded that our planet is an ever-changing environment whose basic processes are beyond human control.
Lassen (1916)
E12
Lassen (1916)Lassen Volcanic National Park is home to smoking fumaroles, meadows freckled with wildflowers, clear mountain lakes, and numerous volcanoes. Jagged peaks tell the story of its eruptive past while hot water continues to mold the land.
Denali (1917)
E13
Denali (1917)Denali consists of 6 million acres of pristine wilderness in Alaska. The park's centerpiece, Denali peak, is the highest in North America. The land preserves one of America's most remote lands and helps keep the code of the wild intact.
Acadia (1919)
E14
Acadia (1919)Acadia National Park in Maine reserves much of Mount Desert Island and associated smaller islands off the Atlantic coast. Originally created as Lafayette National Park in 1919, it is the oldest National Park east of the Mississippi River.
Grand Canyon (1919)
E15
Grand Canyon (1919)Beloved around the globe as an iconic symbol of America, the sights and sounds of the Grand Canyon dazzle like nothing else on Earth, and opportunities for outdoor activities are extensive. Mother Nature used her special paintbrush here
Zion (1919)
E16
Zion (1919)Follow the paths of indigenous people and pioneers. Gaze at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Challenge your courage in a narrow slot canyon and be enchanted by Zion's flora and fauna.
Hot Springs (1921)
E17
Hot Springs (1921)Water. That is what first attracted people, and they have been coming here ever since to use the region's soothing thermal waters to heal and relax. Over time, a thriving city built up around the hot springs. Come discover it for yourself.
Bryce Canyon (1923)
E18
Bryce Canyon (1923)Bryce Canyon, the boundaries of which form the National Park in southwestern Utah, features naturally carved amphitheaters of epic proportion. The bold, natural hues and color of sand and stone dazzle in the sun and are an artist's dream.
Grand Teton (1929)
E19
Grand Teton (1929)Nestled in the northwestern corner of Wyoming, approximately 310,000 acres are dedicated to Grand Teton National Park. The park includes all major peaks of the 40-mile-long Teton Range, and contains pristine prehistoric ecosystems.
Carlsbad Caverns (1923)
E20
Carlsbad Caverns (1923)The wonders of cavernous exploration come to life in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, located in the Guadalupe Mountains in southeastern New Mexico. The primary attraction of the park is its' spectacular namesake, Carlsbad Cavern.
Everglades (1934)
E21
Everglades (1934)Everglades offers visitors an exciting journey into one of the wettest and wildest parts of the United States. Representing 20% of the original everglade landmass, the national park protects a wide range of indigenous plants and animals.
Great Smokies (1934)
E22
Great Smokies (1934)Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in the Great Smoky Mountains. The park is world renowned for its natural diversity, ancient mountains, and Southern Appalachian mountain culture.
Shenandoah (1926)
E23
Shenandoah (1926)75 miles from the bustle of Washington, D.C., Shenandoah's 200,000 acres are your escape to cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, and quiet wooded hollows. Take a hike, meander along Skyline Drive, or picnic with the family.
Olympic (1938)
E24
Olympic (1938)Olympic National Park is a land of beauty and variety. A day's exploration can take you from mountain vistas with meadows of wildflowers to colorful ocean tide pools. Nestled in valleys are large, ancient forests of spectacular vibrancy.
Kings Canyon (1940)
E25
Kings Canyon (1940)This landscape testifies to nature's size, beauty, and diversity, replete with striking mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie side-by-side.
Isle Royale (1940)
E26
Isle Royale (1940)Explore a rugged, isolated island far from the sights and sounds of civilization. Surrounded by Lake Superior, Isle Royale offers unparalleled solitude and adventures for backpackers, hikers, boaters, kayakers, canoeists, and scuba divers.
Mammoth Cave (1941)
E27
Mammoth Cave (1941)Mammoth Cave preserves the world's longest known cave system of complex labyrinths, as well as the Green River valley and land of south-central Kentucky. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place."
Big Bend (1944)
E28
Big Bend (1944)Big Bend in Texas represents the largest protected area of Chihuahuan Desert topography and ecology in the United States, including more than 1,200 species of plants, 450 species of birds, 56 species of reptiles, and 75 species of mammals.
Virgin Islands (1956)
E29
Virgin Islands (1956)The hills, valleys, and beaches of Virgin Islands National Park are breathtaking, and worthy of ageless preservation. Dating back centuries, the history of the islands reveals a complex history of civilizations, both free and enslaved.
Petrified Forest (1962)
E30
Petrified Forest (1962)Globally renowned for its Late Triassic fossils, Petrified Forest National Park attracts Geologists who study the Chinle Formation, archeologists who research 13,000 years of history, and biologists who explore the Arizona grassland.
Canyonlands (1964)
E31
Canyonlands (1964)Canyonlands preserves an environment created by the powers of erosion. Over time, the Colorado and Green Rivers have carved the park into four districts: The Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze, and the rivers themselves.
Guadalupe Mountains (1966)
E32
Guadalupe Mountains (1966)Guadalupe Mountains National Park is the world's premier example of a fossil reef from the Permian Era. Extensive hiking and backpacking opportunities await visitors in one of the nation's most pristine wilderness areas in West Texas.
North Cascades (1968)
E33
North Cascades (1968)The North Cascades beckons your arrival. Discover a region adapted to persistent moisture in the west and recurrent fire in the east. Explore jagged peaks crowned by more than 300 glaciers as well as cascading waterfalls and deep valleys.
Redwood (1968)
E34
Redwood (1968)Most people know Redwood National Park as the home to the tallest trees on Earth. Yet, the park also protects vast prairies, oak woodlands, wild riverways, and nearly 40 miles of pristine coastline supporting a mosaic of rich diversity.
Voyageurs (1971)
E35
Voyageurs (1971)In the heart of North America, Voyageurs, you will find rocks half as old as the Earth. You can experience the life of a voyageur, immerse yourself into the boreal forest, view the clear night skies, or ply the interconnected water routes.
Arches (1971)
E36
Arches (1971)Arches National Park in eastern Utah is known for preserving over 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including Delicate Arch, in addition to a variety of unique geological resources and land formations. Mother Nature is a profound artist.
Capital Reef (1971)
E37
Capital Reef (1971)Capitol Reef offers visitors a stunning array of landscapes, where light and shadow delicately streak across the stark and bold faces of rock and stone. Located in south-central Utah, Capitol Reef is 100 miles long, but quite narrow.
Badlands (1976)
E38
Badlands (1976)Badlands National Park in southwestern South Dakota protects 242,756 acres of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States, all crafted by time's earthworks.
Theodore Roosevelt (1976)
E39
Theodore Roosevelt (1976)When Theodore Roosevelt came to Dakota Territory to hunt bison in 1883, he could not have imagined how his adventure would forever alter the course of the nation. Roosevelt's experience would help shape future conservation policy.
Channel Islands (1980)
E40
Channel Islands (1980)Channel Islands National Park consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of California in the Pacific Ocean. Although the islands are close to California's shores, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped.
Biscayne (1980)
E41
Biscayne (1980)Biscayne National Park in southern Florida, south of Miami, preserves Biscayne Bay and its offshore barrier reefs, offering visitors some of the most remarkable aquatic experiences, above and below the water, anywhere in the United States.
Gates of the Arctic (1980)
E42
Gates of the Arctic (1980)Roughly the size of Switzerland, Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska is the northernmost national park in the U.S. Like its brother and sister parks, Gates of the Arctic preserves a sacred part of wild America.
Glacier Bay (1980)
E43
Glacier Bay (1980)Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is comprised of 3.3 million acres of treasured natural wonders and wildlife near Juneau, Alaska. Magnificent glaciers, towering mountains, abundant wildlife, and miles of immaculate coastline.
Katmai (1980)
E44
Katmai (1980)Katmai National Monument preserves the famed Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, a spectacular forty-square-mile, 100-to-700-foot-deep, ash flow deposited by Novarupta Volcano in 1912. Katmai's remote wilderness is home to many brown bears.
Kenai Fjords (1980)
E45
Kenai Fjords (1980)At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula is a land where the last Ice Age still lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, and wildlife thrives surrounded by a vast expanse of ice where blue is depicted in a million hues.
Kobuk Valley (1980)
E46
Kobuk Valley (1980)For 9,000 years, people traveled to Onion Portage in Kobuk National Park to harvest the caribou as they crossed the river, a tradition that continues. Caribou migrate through the region, their tracks crisscrossing massive, sculpted dunes.
Lake Clark (1980)
E47
Lake Clark (1980)Lake Clark National Park is a land where volcanoes steam, salmon run, bears forage, craggy mountains reflect in shimmering turquoise lakes, and local people rely on the land's resources. Solitude is found around every corner and riverbend.
Wrangell-St Elias (1980)
E48
Wrangell-St Elias (1980)Wrangell-St. Elias National Park encompasses one of the tallest peaks in North America. Within this wild landscape, people have been living off the land for centuries. The park is a rugged, yet, inviting place to experience true adventure.
Great Basin (1986)
E49
Great Basin (1986)In the shadow of Wheeler Peak, 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines grow on rocky glacial moraines. Great Basin has the solitude of the desert, the smell of sagebrush after a thunderstorm, exquisite night skies, and the beauty of Lehman Caves.
American Samoa (1988)
E50
American Samoa (1988)The National Park of American Samoa is an exotic national park in the American Territory of American Samoa, distributed across three stunning islands: Tutuila, Ofu, and Ta'u. It is the only American national park south of the Equator.
Dry Tortugas (1992)
E51
Dry Tortugas (1992)The Dry Tortugas encompass 100-square miles of open water and seven small islands. Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the park is known as the home of Fort Jefferson, picturesque blue waters, superlative coral reefs, and vast bird life.
Saguaro (1994)
E52
Saguaro (1994)The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic cacti, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, and are silhouetted by magnificent desert sunsets.
Death Valley
E53
Death ValleyDeath Valley National Park, the largest park in the contiguous United States, contains a diverse desert environment of salt-flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons, and mountains, and was declared an International Biosphere Reserve.
Joshua Tree (1994)
E54
Joshua Tree (1994)Upon closer examination, Joshua Tree National Park reveals a fascinating variety of plants and animals that make their home in this land shaped by strong winds, unpredictable torrents of rain, and climatic extremes.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison (1999)
E55
Black Canyon of the Gunnison (1999)Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, in western Colorado, is so named due to the canyon's steepness, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate far into it. As a result, the canyon walls are most often cloaked in black shadow.
Cuyahoga (2000)
E56
Cuyahoga (2000)Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a United States national park that preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio.
Congaree (2003)
E57
Congaree (2003)Congaree National Park in South Carolina provides a sanctuary for plants and animals, a research site for scientists, and a place for you to walk and relax in a tranquil wilderness setting amid giant hardwoods and towering pines.
Great Sand Dunes (2004)
E58
Great Sand Dunes (2004)The tallest dunes in North America are the centerpiece in a diverse landscape of grasslands, wetlands, forests, alpine lakes, and tundra, best experienced by hiking, sand sledding, splashing in Medano Creek, wildlife watching, and more.
Pinnacles (2013)
E59
Pinnacles (2013)Old volcanic rock formations that have been rounded by atmospheres and weather over time add a commanding presence to Pinnacles National Park. The park is home to a variety of unique winged inhabitants, some of which are extremely rare.