It is that time of year again. The weather is getting warmer and most of us just want to be outside. I grew up in Dundee Wisconsin surrounded by the vast Kettle Moraine State Forest. I would spend hours as a child running through the meadows, climbing rocks and trees, and exploring the woods. When I was very little my grandfather would babysit me at his office at the Ice Age Center. He was a naturalist there. He and Grandma made sure that my cousins and I had the chance to travel and explore many of the national parks where Grandpa had worked in his younger years. Each summer they took us somewhere new. I was blessed to be able to see The Grand Canyon, Yellowstone National Park, Mount Rushmore, Mesa Verde, and The South Dakota Badlands. Our grandparents also took us east to Niagara Falls, Gettysburg, The Finger Lakes of upper New York, and Washington D.C. As an adult it is more difficult to travel to these places as life is busy. This time of year I get out and explore the many beautiful natural areas closer to home. Though I am unable to travel to the national parks whenever I may like, I do still carry a deep appreciation for our country’s protected wilderness areas. These national parks deserve to be celebrated and protected for all future generations to enjoy. Dear reader, please join me on a literary tour and celebration of our national parks through the books I have selected below.

Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers

I realize this first book on my list may be too morbid for some. I put this one as my first pick as there are happy memories associated with this book for me. When we were at the Grand Canyon my uncle purchased this book at the gift shop. The rest of the trip my cousin and I spent our time pouring over the stories contained within with fascination. Kids like dark things. Recently I discovered a copy at a thrift shop and purchased it for myself to relive those childhood memories.

Each chapter in Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon is themed around a particular type of death that can occur in or around this rather dangerous geologic feature. Chapters cover falls from the rim, falls from within the canyon, environmental hazards, flash floods, drownings, plane/helicopter crashes, freak accidents, suicide, and murder. Most of these deaths can be avoided with use of common sense, other dangers I was surprised by. As an adult reading this book I have come to appreciate just how dangerous the The Grand Canyon can be. The danger of falling off the rim seems obvious. What I did not realize was just how dangerous the Colorado River was. So many people have been swept away just by stepping into the waters. I told my husband if we ever go into the canyon I am not stepping a toe in that river! The authors of this book are actually NPS Park Rangers who have worked in the canyon and participated in many of the rescues contained within. If you like thrilling stories of danger and survival this book is for you! (Not everyone dies in this book. Some are rescued). Though it is dangerous, the Grand Canyon is a beautiful natural wonder that can be safely enjoyed by the observant and informed traveler. Honestly, I learned a lot about the Grand Canyon from a natural aspect and from a historical aspect by reading this book. It is no surprise this geologic wonder has fueled human imagination for centuries.

Click HERE to request Over the Edge: Death in Grand Canyon

Haunted Hikes by Andrea Lankford

This one is for the bravest and most adventurous of national park visitors. I present to you Haunted Hikes! If you are in the mood to have a paranormal experience on your visit to one of our nation’s treasures then check out this book and bring it along! Haunted Hikes covers haunted trails from each of our national parks including those in Hawaii. In addition to covering the story and circumstances of the haunting, the book helpfully provides you with a map to the haunted trail in question. Trail length and difficulty is also included which makes this book a must have for all avid hikers seeking to meet a ghost. Haunted Hikes also includes helpful park information such as the best time to visit, where to park when you get to the trail, and information of what natural features you will see on your journey. I suppose you could say that this handy guide will prepare you for both the natural and the supernatural! I hope to vacation to Shenandoah in a year, I sure plan to take this book with me!

Click HERE to request Haunted Hikes!

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns

It is no secret that America’s national parks contain some of the most breathtaking scenery in the world. This is why these beautiful places have been set aside and preserved for the enjoyment of the public for so many years. The book, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea, contains jaw dropping photographs from every national park. Along side these photographs are paintings and black and white photographs that help to tell the stories of how these parks came to be. I am a history buff myself, so this added layer of primary source documents was a treasure trove to me. The book is full of beautiful and inspiring quotations from people who were a part of the various parks’ founding and quotes from people who visited the parks over the years. I would like to share a couple of my favorites with you:

” Every citizen shares with all the others the ownership in the wonders of our National pleasure ground, and when its natural features are defaced, its forests destroyed, and its game butchered, each one is injured by being robbed of so much that belongs to him.”-George Bird Grinnell (Founder of the Audubon Society)

“The first settlers found this continent a storehouse of energy and national wealth. . . . . But we have not been content with using these resources; we have wasted them as reckless prodigals. For more than three hundred years destruction was called “improvement.” Mankind must conserve the resources of nature, or the world will at no distant day become as barren as a sucked orange.”– Republican Representative John F. Lacey (1900)

“In the national parks there is one thing that the motorists are doing, and that is making them a great melting pot for the American people…This will go far in developing a love and pride in our own country and a realization of what a wonderful place it is. There is no way to bring it home to them in a better way than by going from park to park, through the medium of an automobile, and camping out in the open…It is just by trips of that kind that people learn what America is.– Stephen Mather (First Director of the National Park Service)

It was hard to choose just three quotes that detail just how important these parks are for people. Personally being in nature helps to fuel my spirituality. It helps to calm my being and open my mind to creativity, imagination, and new ideas. It helps me to quiet the noise of a busy life and feel closer to God. I highly recommend this book for all the other nature lovers and enthusiasts out there who are stuck at home or planning to go out visiting a national park. I also recommend this book for history nerds like me who want to know the personal stories of how we came to be blessed with these wonderful protected areas. In the words of John Muir, “Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.” Happy exploring!

Click HERE to request The National Parks: America’s Best Idea

Subpar Parks by Amber Share

If you are in the mood for a more humorous take on the national parks, I present to you Subpar Parks. If you go online you can find reviews for almost anything. Some of these reviews are helpful and tell us if a product is worth buying or if the food at a restaurant is tasty. Other reviews can be downright humorous. Subpar Parks takes a look at some of the most zany and ironic reviews real visitors have left of America’s natural areas. I wish to share a few favorites, though there are plenty to amuse the curious reader.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: “Didn’t even get to touch lava!” -Hopefully this person was making a joke…

Mesa Verde National Park: “Not much to look at.”- This is my favorite of the national parks. You literally get to walk through ancient Anasazi ruins. I got to go down into a Keva. It was one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I am not sure what this person expected to encounter…

Isle Royale National Park: ” No cell service and terrible wifi.”- I am not sure why this person was out in nature as this seems to be their primary concern.

Prepare to shake your head and smirk as the author takes you through these mind boggling reviews and teaches about what makes each national park a special place to visit.

Click HERE to request Subpar Parks

Knitting the National Parks by Nancy Bates

When you have come home from your national park adventures or are lounging in your campsite, you may feel inspired from all you have seen. If you wish to express your inspiration in a creative fashion, I present to you Knitting the National Parks. This book features instructions on how to knit a beanie hat based on each national park. Each of the hats feature vibrant colored yarn and is sure to earn you many compliments. I personally like the birch looking hat based on Acadia National park in Maine. Each of these creations would be perfect to wear on a chilly hike or even out and about in the city. Yarn-tastic adventures await!

Click HERE to request Knitting the National Parks!

Leave It As It Is by David Gessner

To wrap up this post I chose the book Leave It As It Is. The book follows the author’s quest to follow in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt by visiting every national park that Roosevelt enjoyed. Theodore Roosevelt could be considered the father of the national park system. He saved and set aside 230 million acres of land for future generations to explore and enjoy. David Gessner tells Roosevelt’s story by trying to see through the president’s eyes. The result is a beautifully crafted history of Theodore Roosevelt’s relationship with the wilderness, an exploration of the legacy and enduring majesty of these natural places, and a call to us in the present to continue the cause Roosevelt began in order to ensure that our children and grandchildren can experience the same wilderness that we cherish today. In the words of the author, “It is my hope that we, as Americans, will come to understand our legacy and the power of that legacy, and to protect it from the threats of the avaricious and shortsighted.”

Click HERE to request Leave It As It Is

Even if you cannot travel to one of these national parks in the near or distant future, I invite you to take the time to check out some of our local outdoor areas. Kohler Andre State Park, Maywood, The Kettle Moraine, and Ledgeview (Chilton) are a few of my recommendations. If you are not up to hiking take some time to sit outside in a park, in your yard, or out on the local beach. Close your eyes, feel the breeze on your face, and feel renewed with the peace of our natural world.