Latta Nature Preserve & Nature Center
Spanning 1,460 acres along the shores of Mountain Island Lake, Latta Nature Preserve is Mecklenburg County’s largest natural area and a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.
Nature: 211 Things to Do
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Spanning 1,460 acres along the shores of Mountain Island Lake, Latta Nature Preserve is Mecklenburg County’s largest natural area and a haven for outdoor enthusiasts.
Dive into the heart of Southern California’s wilderness at the Irvine Ranch Natural Landmarks, a 50,000-acre outdoor paradise recognized as a National Natural Landmark in
It’s best known for having the world’s most epic amphitheatre, but the other 640 acres of Red Rocks Park are well worth exploring. You’ll find
Wrapping around the City of Cleveland is a network of 18 parks, spanning 23,000 acres, connected by 300+ miles of trails for walkers, runners, bikers,
Taking a walk, run, or bike ride along the paved path of Cincinnati Riverwalk will lead you past some of the city’s most notable landmarks
Nicknamed “Chicago’s Front Yard” for its prominent placement on Lake Michigan in the city’s central business district, Grant Park contains some of Chicago’s most iconic
Just outside of America’s first public park (Boston Common) sits America’s first public botanical garden: Boston Public Garden. Founded in 1837, this beautifully arranged collection
The largest collection of plant species native to Texas can be found at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin. Founded by the former first
Although it’s called “New River Gorge”, this West Virginia river is one of the oldest on the continent. The entire river is 360 miles long,
This is true wilderness. Gates of the Arctic National Park is the northernmost national park, has no park facilities, and unsurprisingly it’s the least visited
The largest lake in North America (by surface area) is Lake Superior in Michigan, and within its waters sits a huge island (Isle Royale) with
Located in Alaska’s arctic region, Kobuk Valley National Park was established to protect the 100 foot tall Great Kobuk Sand Dunes and 61 miles along
This Alaskan national park features an active volcano that erupted in both 2009 and 1989, but its most famous feature may be its human element:
The only National Park to originate as a National Recreation Area, Cuyahoga Valley National Park is unique in that it’s partially urban, containing many smaller
Sand dunes can’t compete in size with the mountains on this list, but seeing natural mounds of sand standing nearly 200 feet high is quite
Each day, 500,000 gallons of naturally hot water flow from the base of Arkansas’ Hot Springs mountain into these hot springs themselves. For hundreds of
Scenery greater than Switzerland: that’s how activists described this majestic region when first pushing for a North Cascades National Park in 1892. It finally became
The only national park below the equator, American Samoa National Park covers 3 of the 5 islands in American Samoa. Initially granted protection status for
The largest national park in the United States is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park at over 13 million acres. That’s 6X the next closest: Yellowstone. It’s
These 7 stunning tropical islands are part of the Florida Keys, anchored by Fort Jefferson- the largest brick masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere –
Today, Katmai National Park is best known for the iconic Brooks Falls where grizzly bears hunt for spawning salmon as they swim upstream. It’s the
The “Great Basin” is an area covering parts of 6 states (Nevada, Oregon, Utah, California, Idaho, and Wyoming) where water can only escape through evaporation;
The most popular island in the US Virgin Islands is St. John’s and 60% of it – including 5,500 acres of surrounding water and much
Named for the Congaree River that flows through it, Congaree National Park in South Carolina protects the largest old growth bottomland hardwood forest in the
The peak of an ancient volcano eroded, forming the spires that lend California’s Pinnacles National Park its name. Half of the volcano now sits 200
The highest point in Texas is in the Guadalupe Mountains (Guadalupe Peak, 8749 feet) and Guadalupe Mountains National Park contains some of the most beautiful
The main method of accessing Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota is boat, and in fact that’s the only way to reach the park’s largest
One of the largest ice fields in the United States (Harding Icefield) is in southern Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park. It contains 38 glaciers but
There is a chain of 8 islands on the southern coast of California called the Channel Islands and 5 of those islands (and 1 mile
The sheer gorge of the Black Canyon is so deep and narrow that it only gets 33-minutes of sunlight each day in some areas, owing
North America’s largest single cave chamber (by volume) is in the “Big Room” at Carlsbad Caverns in Carlsbad National Park, both of which get their
The tallest trees on earth can be found in Redwood National Park along 40 miles of California coast. The tallest tree in the park, named
The largest lava dome volcano in the world (Lassen Peak) can be found alongside shield volcanoes, cinder cone volcanoes, and composite volcanoes at Lassen Volcanic
The tallest sand dunes in North America can be found at Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado. They reach a height of 750 feet,
The world’s longest known cave system is Mammoth Cave with more than 400 miles of passageways (2X the next closest, Sac Actun underwater cave). The
More than 600 cliff dwellings built 700+ years ago can be found in Mesa Verde National Park, making it the largest archaeological preserve in the
The word Denali means “the high one” in the native Athabaskan language, directly referring to this mountain in Denali National Park that is the highest
Carved by a glacier that left the mile-deep Kings Canyon behind, Kings Canyon National Park has 2 main sections: Grant Grove in the west and
Containing the largest field of gypsum white sand dunes in the world (275 square miles), White Sands National park in New Mexico is a stunning
One of the longest and most complex caves in the world is Wind Cave in South Dakota, the namesake of Wind Cave National Park, where
Named after the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt National Park covers 3 areas of badlands in North Dakota known as the North
The fallen trees in Petrified Forest National Park are 225 million years old, surrounded by land where dinosaurs once roamed and humans eventually settled. Wind
What it lacks in accessibility, Glacier Bay National Park makes up for in raw beauty: it can only be reached by boat or plane but
The best way to explore Biscayne National Park – 95% of which is under water – is by boat. Start at the Dante Fascell Visitor
When a volcano erupted and collapsed 7,000+ years ago, it left behind a deep crater that eventually filled with rainwater and is known today as
The labyrinth of canyons known as Canyonlands National Park is divided into 4 distinct areas: Island in the Sky: an elevated area in the park’s north
If you like big buttes than we cannot lie, Badlands National Park in South Dakota is the place to go. These steep rocky formations, actually
The Haleakala volcano on the Hawaiian island of Maui is the main attraction of Haleakala National Park. It’s now dormant, having last erupted hundreds of
Named for its white sandstone cliffs that resemble the domes of US capitol buildings, Capitol Reef National Park features a warp in the earth’s crust
Named after the Saguaro Cactus which grows nowhere else in the world, Saguaro National Park is distinctly split between an East and West Region, separated
This fragile network of tropical wetlands and forests is the 3rd largest protected area in the United States (2,400 square miles) and contains a fascinating
This California park contains the Giant Forest, home to some of the largest trees on earth including “General Sherman”, the largest single stem tree (by
Thousands of enormous natural sandstone arches dominate this aptly named National Park, making it home to the highest density of natural arches on earth. Each
Two of the world’s most active volcanoes (Kilauea, Mauna Loa) can be found on the Big Island of Hawaii, home to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park,
The hottest place in the United States is Death Valley National Park where temperatures exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also the driest place in the
Oddly enough, Bryce Canyon – the focal point of Bryce Canyon National Park – is not a canyon at all. It’s a geological amphitheater surrounded
Named for the tree-like plants that populate its nearly 800,000 acres, Joshua Tree National Park combines parts of the Mojave Desert and Colarodo Desert in
Over 12 feet of rain every single year makes Olympic National Park (Hoh Rainforest, Quinault Rainforest) the wettest area in the continental United States. Visitors
Home to the tallest mountain on the Atlantic Coast (Cadillac Mountain) and covering numerous islands off the shore of Maine (including half of Mount Desert
Just 2 hours from Denver you’ll find a collection of 76 mountains topped with the highest paved road in the United States (Trail Ridge, 12,000+
The most impressive views of any National Park are arguably found in Yosemite, where waterfalls cascade over towering granite walls, plummeting into the 7-mile long
Only 10 miles south of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park is named after the tallest mountain in the Teton Range and its 310,000
Red and tan sandstone canyons dominate the landscape of Zion National Park, but its beauty is spread across 147,000 acres that contain four separate ecosystems:
It’s not the most iconic, but you may be surprised to learn that the Great Smoky Mountains are the most visited National Park in the
The most iconic National Park in the United States – the Grand Canyon – is also considered one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the
It’s not the most visited but Yellowstone National Park deserves to officially be ranked #1: it was the very first to be designated a National
When the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History opened in 1910 it had nearly 10 million objects, moved in with the assistance of horse-drawn carts. Today
The USBG (United States Botanic Garden) is a living plant museum originally envisioned by President George Washington, established by Congress in 1820, and since 1934
The 2.1 mile walking path surrounding the Tidal Basin leads to some of Washington DC’s greatest treasures, including the Jefferson Memorial. At a depth of
The expansive stretch of land between the United States Capitol to the east and Lincoln Memorial to the west is generally considered the National Mall.
Stretching over 9,600 acres in North Phoenix, the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve offers 36 miles of trails through rolling desert terrain, towering saguaros, and occasional glimpses
The Phoenix Mountain Preserve is a vast network of rugged desert peaks and trails woven into the urban fabric of Phoenix. Established in the 1970s
Overview Piestewa Peak is one of the most iconic hiking destinations in Phoenix, offering a steep yet rewarding climb with panoramic views of the city.
This 34-mile pedestrian loop trail is an outdoor-lover’s delight, overlooking Lake Mead National Recreation Area, passing the Hoover Dam, and looping around the Las Vegas
The Waugh Drive Bat Colony, nestled under Houston’s Waugh Drive Bridge since the 1990s, is home to 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats, forming an essential part
Mercer Botanic Gardens, established in 1974, is a horticultural haven spanning 60 acres in the Houston area, embodying the vision of botanist Charles Mercer. This
Smither Park iis an eclectic outdoor art space conceived in 2011 as a tribute to the late visionary artist John H. Smither. This park embodies
Tranquillity Park is not just a green space but a historical landmark, commemorating the Apollo 11 moon landing of July 20, 1969. It stands as
Sheldon Lake State Park and Environmental Learning Center, established in 1942 and transformed into an education and recreation site in 1984, is a 2,800-acre outdoor
The Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park, home to the iconic Williams Tower Water Wall, is a 64-foot U-shaped fountain and a cornerstone of Houston’s urban
Memorial Park stands as a tribute to the soldiers who served in World War I. Established in 1924, this 1,466-acre park intertwines history with urban
Sam Houston Park, established in 1899, stands as Houston’s oldest public park, encapsulating over a century of the city’s history within its 20-acre expanse. This
Market Square Park, on the grounds of what was once Houston’s City Hall, is a historic area reborn as a dynamic urban park. It dates
Hermann Park, the verdant 445-acre heart of Houston since its inception in 1914, stands as a testament to the city’s commitment to preserving green space
Lake Houston Wilderness Park, spanning over 4,700 acres north of Houston, is the city’s only park to offer overnight camping. This expansive park, once a
Kickerillo-Mischer Preserve, a 80-acre natural sanctuary in northwest Houston, opened in 2017, offering a pristine landscape of forests, wetlands, and Marshall Lake. This preserve is
Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center, established in 1982 in Humble, Texas, sprawls over 300 acres as part of the Spring Creek Greenway. The
The Houston Arboretum & Nature Center, established in 1967, is a 155-acre escape from the city’s hustle and bustle. As one of the first nature
The Cullen Sculpture Garden, crafted by Isamu Noguchi, merges art with the natural world in downtown Houston. It showcases sculptures from the 20th and 21st
Buffalo Bayou Park is the lush heart of Houston, encapsulating the city’s transformation since its founding along the banks of the bayou in 1836. This
Challenger Seven Memorial Park is a 300-acre park that stands as a tribute to the seven crew members who perished in the Space Shuttle Challenger
The Baytown Nature Center, 25 miles east of downtown Houston in Baytown, Texas, spans a 500-acre peninsula. This area was reborn as a wildlife sanctuary
Cullinan Park, one of the largest nature parks in the Houston metropolitan area, spans over 754 acres and offers a serene escape from urban life.
Bayou Bend Collection and Gardens, a distinctive extension of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is located in the historic River Oaks neighborhood, several
In 1872, four freed slaves—Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Jack Yates, and Elias Dibble— pooled together $800 to buy land in Houston, creating Emancipation Park. This
Established in 1941, this 17.5-acre haven was once the home of Edith L. Moore, a fervent nature enthusiast, and her husband Jesse, an oil industry
Discovery Green, a vibrant 12-acre park in downtown Houston, opened in 2008, transforming a series of parking lots into a dynamic urban oasis. It quickly
Armand Bayou Nature Center, established in 1974 near Pasadena, Texas, is one of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the United States. Spanning over 2,500
Las Olas Beach, often called Florida’s Venice, charms with its intricate network of waterways and stunning beaches. Visitors can enjoy the thriving art, food, and