The Best Way to Celebrate Earth Day? Visit a National Park

Show Mother Nature Some Love By Spending Earth Day Outdoors

How are you going to celebrate Earth Day? And don’t say recycling or going green. You should have been doing that for years now! Here’s a better suggestion: visit one of our national parks. Sure, you could celebrate Earth Day at home or lounging on the beach. But c’mon, what better way to show your appreciation for the planet than the great outdoors – and maybe even sleeping under the stars?

If you’re not sure which one to visit, here are our picks for the 5 best national parks for hiking, camping, and just generally being outdoors-y.

  • Glacier National Park, Montana

    This national park is known for its awe-inspiring scenery and rugged terrain. Although it offers the classic backpacking trails, Glacier also has plenty of options for those who are, ahem, less than interested in walking. All. Day. Long. Your alternatives include shorter guided hikes plus horseback, rafting, and boat tours.

    If you really don’t want to explore on foot, Glacier has one option that the other parks don’t: their famous Red Bus Tours. You can discover the scenery and wildlife of Glacier in these vintage roll-top buses. Celebrate Earth Day in style, you guys!

  • Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

    For most people, this is the absolute best national park. There’s hiking, rafting, buses, helicopters, water buses, jeeps, bikes – if it offers transportation, you can pretty much find it at the Grand Canyon. Even mules. But for all its popularity, the Grand Canyon is still… majestic. The colorful rock layers are the nothing less than awe-inspiring – and the perfect backdrop for your Earth Day selfie!

    P.S.: if you want to venture across the absolutely terrifying Skywalk, take a West Canyon tour. The bridge’s glass bottom floats a terrifying 4,000 feet over the Colorado River.

  • Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

    Yellowstone is the OG – the world’s first (and maybe best) national park. And if that’s not enough to get you on a flight, Yellowstone is the perfect park if you love water and adrenaline, with plenty of heart-racing options for paddling and rafting. Hikers are in luck, too, with over 1,300 miles of trails in the park.

    But let’s be honest: the real reason everyone wants to visit Yellowstone is its geothermal wonders: the geysers. Specifically, Old Faithful. The time between eruptions ranges from 60-110 minutes, so if you hang out long enough you’ll be sure to catch it at least once.

  • Yosemite National Park, California

    If you like to hike this is the best national park for you. Yellowstone has trails for everyone, from mild terrains to challenging uphill treks. But the rewards are worth it: majestic, world-renowned views everywhere you look. And what better way to celebrate Earth Day than by being surrounded by its stunning glory?

    Oh, and if you get a chance, check out Vernal Fall, Yosemite’s most powerful waterfall. The hike from the trailhead to the waterfall’s footbridge is only a mile. Totally doable, even for newbies.

  • Zion National Park, Utah

    Zion is an adventurer’s paradise! It offers something completely different: canyoneering. Um… what? Canyoneering is a fancy word for exploring steep, narrow canyons by any means necessary: scrambling, sliding, rappelling, and of course hiking.

    Zion’s the best national park if you have nerves of steel. Because if you want to visit Zion’s most iconic landmark, Angels Landing, be prepared: the challenging hike includes narrow ridges and steep drop-offs. But hey, you can celebrate Earth Day at 5,790 feet high!

So, Earth Day at a national park sounding good? Yeah, we think so too… except for getting there. Because let’s face it, between bulky hiking boots and bottles of bug spray, you’re quickly going to max out your suitcase allowance. And that’s before you try to figure out how to fit your tent into a suitcase. No worries, we have your solution – ship your camping gear. That’s right; you can even ship a tent.

No need to pay extra for overweight luggage. Shipping your camping supplies with LugLess starts at just $20. And you can ship your camping gear directly to the campground, or your airbnb or hotel (if you’re spending your first night indoors). Happy camping, you guys!

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