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 Late summer and early fall are great times to enjoy the great outdoors. Whether you like camping, wildlife watching, active recreation, scenic drives or historic places, there’s an outdoor adventure waiting for you – and it may be a lot closer to home than you think.National Parks. The National Park Service cares for a network of nearly 450 natural, cultural and recreational sites across the country.
These areas include national parks, monuments, battlefields, military parks, historical parks and sites, lakeshores, seashores, recreation areas, scenic rivers and trails, and the White House. At www.nps.gov, you can explore all the options and purchase park passes.If you want help planning the trip, the site also offers itineraries that spotlight different regions and themes across the country. For example, you can find itineraries for trips highlighting:
•Historic places of the Civil Rights movement
•Florida shipwrecks
•The Lewis and Clark Expedition
•Aviation More national park information can be found at www.Away.com.
The site has monthly travel guides suggesting destinations all over the country based on the kind of trip you want to take. The guides include descriptions of the best national parks and preserves to visit each month. And at www.Recreation.gov, you can find all kinds of activities available on federal land.
State Parks. There are more than 3500 state parks in the U.S. Many of these parks rival their better-known national counterparts for beauty and cultural or historical significance. Check your state Web site or local library for information about state parks near you. Additional state park information can be found at www.GoCampingAmerica.com. A word of caution: many state parks have undergone budget cuts, so staff and hours may be reduced, and some areas may be closed altogether – make sure you know before you go.
A Walk in the Woods. Forests are a great way to get back to nature.
Many forests permit camping and hiking. To find a forest near you, as well as outdoor activity ideas, visit www.AbundantForests.org. The US Forest Service Web site, www.fs.fed.us, offers guides to national forests and grasslands and information on passes and permits needed.
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