The Official National Park Service App Is Here
Although the National Park Service has had numerous apps for individual parks and sites for years, there never was a unified National Park Service app. Now, however, there is!
This brand new app is the official app of the National Park Service. Created by National Park Service staff—the people who know the parks best—it provides information, guidance, tips and suggestions for all its 420+ sites, from historic sites and battlefields to national monuments and national parks.
As a collection of all the information you’d find on the NPS website, while also providing it in a more accessible way, this is arguably the best national parks app available right now.
You’ll find basic visitor information like opening times and entrance fees (if any), as well as maps, an event calendar and current conditions. Additionally, most national parks have much more detailed advice about where to go, what to do—and when to do it—and places to stay, from campgrounds to lodges.
Features of This National Parks App
- Interactive Maps
- Park News, Events and Alerts
- Amenities
- Park Tours
- What To See
- Things To Do
- Where To Stay
- Accessibility Information
- Passport Stamp Locations
- Share Your Visit
- Offline Use – You can download the entire content of a park for use off the grid.
This is a great new tool to have at your disposal if you’re someone who does their research and planning on their smartphone. Although I always use physical national park guidebooks to create my itineraries, I do think this app is super-useful on the road, especially for quickly checking conditions, alerts and upcoming events. The interactive maps are fantastic for on-the-go use as well.
Note: This is a new app and, because of both the large number of parks and huge amount of information about them, this app is constantly updated. Some parks may have less info than others. Park rangers are working to create more content, so check back regularly if you can’t find what you’re looking for right away.
Download the NPS App (Android & iOS)
You can download the National Park Service app for free via the following links:
NPS App for Android: Google Play Store
NPS App for iPhone: App Store