If you’re in the United States, mark your calendar for August 4th—one of several days in 2025 when the National Parks waive entrance fees across all U.S. national parks to celebrate the passage of the Great American Outdoors Act. 

To celebrate, we’re sharing photo highlights from a few recent family road trips through four visually iconic parks—each one a crash course in composition, color, and natural design: Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA: bubbling hydrothermal pools and lava rock trails; Yosemite National Park, CA: granite cliffs, towering pines, and epic golden light; Grand Canyon National Park, AZ: ancient rock layers and panoramic drama; Zion National Park, UT: red rock cathedrals and bold desert textures

A Brief History Lesson (and a Few Numbers)

The U.S. National Park Service was founded in 1916, but Yellowstone—America’s first national park—was established even earlier, in 1872. Today, the NPS manages over 400 sites, including 63 designated national parks. Collectively, they span more than 84 million acres and welcome 300+ million visitors annually.

And get this—Hudson Canyon, featured in our last post, is deeper than parts of the Grand Canyon. Nature’s still got surprises.

Bonus: Got a 4th Grader?

If you’re a parent or guardian of a 4th grade student in the U.S., you’re eligible for free park access all year long through the Every Kid Outdoors program. It’s a great way to turn field trips into real adventures.

Where We Stayed (and Recommend):

• Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA – Mill Creek Resort for rustic cabins close to the park.
• Yosemite, CA – AutoCamp Yosemite for sleek Airstream stays or Evergreen Lodge for a timeless forest retreat near Hetch Hetchy—a lesser-known corner of the park that’s home to a dramatic glacial valley and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, an early 20th-century engineering marvel that still supplies water to San Francisco today. For designers and engineers, it’s a fascinating intersection of natural beauty and human ingenuity.
• Grand Canyon, AZ – El Tovar Hotel or Bright Angel Lodge right on the Southern rim.
• Zion, UT – Under Canvas Zion for upscale tents or any boutique stay in nearby Springdale.

For our global readers: While the fee-free days apply to U.S. parks, the value of time outdoors is universal. Whether you’re exploring a national landmark or a neighborhood trail, nature offers a kind of clarity and perspective that fuels creativity in any corner of the world.

Nature's Moodboard