National Park Books

National Geographic Complete National Parks of the United States, 2nd Edition

This book is an amazingly complete guide to every unit of the National Park Service. Along with the 59 national parks, nearly 350 other national monuments, memorials, preserves, historic sites, battlefields, cemeteries, parkways, trails, and seashores are covered as well. At 544 pages, the coverage is obviously not extensive, but there’s no better book for getting an idea of every single NPS area. We use it all the time.

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National Geographic Guide to National Parks of the United States, 8th Edition

This is National Geographic’s guide to the national parks only, unlike the guide above. As a result, more detailed coverage is possible. As with any National Geographic publication, there are some great photos, along with the usual information. We own several editions of this book and can recommend it.

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The National Parks: America’s Best Idea

This book is a beautiful companion to Ken Burns’ sweeping documentary of the national parks. The links below point to the hardback version, but there is also a very nice softcover available from the page. We highly recommend getting the videos as well. They can be found on the National Park DVD & Blu-ray page.

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Treasured Lands: A Photographic Odyssey Through America’s National Parks

This is perhaps the finest photo book of the national parks produced to date. It features the photography of QT Luong. It is not cheap, but is worth every cent. A stunning portrayal of every national park.

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The National Parks: Our American Landscape

This is another photo book of the national parks of the United States. Most of the photographs in this paperback book are simply stunning. It is another great choice for those looking for a photo book of the parks.

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David Muench’s National Parks

This is yet another photo book of the national parks. This one features the work of David Muench, one of the most talented and well-known landscape photographers around.

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Books Covering Specific National Parks