What Should Travelers Expect If National Parks Close?

The Grand Canyon wants travelers to stop leaving so-called “love locks” on fencing in the park, warning the trend endangers animals. 

Nearly a decade ago, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that I should travel to the Grand Canyon solo — the first National Park on what would become a yearslong personal quest.

This Saturday, Oct. 14, a “ring of fire” annular eclipse will dim the skies above a narrow ribbon of the Americas, from the western U.S. intoMexico and Central andSouth America, and this event is worth traveling for. Saturday’s spectacle — one of the country’s most hyped astronomical events of 2023 — will be the last annular eclipse to create a ring-of-fire effect above the contiguous U.S. until 2046.

Skygazers in eight western U.S. states will be treated to a rare “ring of fire” eclipse on Saturday, Oct. 14. With the moon covering all but the outer edges of the sun, it will briefly look as though there’s a blazing ring of fire igniting the sky.

The Grand Canyon sees around 5 million visitors a year for good reason: its grandeur is unlike any other place in the world. However, just a few hours away, there is another “canyon” national park that is smaller, much less trafficked, more colorful, and surrounded by distinct natural wonders. Bryce Canyon Country includes Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument, Capitol Reef National Park, Kodachrome State Park, and so much more in its 3-million-plus acres of protected lands. It’s the perfect Grand Canyon alternative for anyone who wants to see Utah’s natural splendor without the same level of crowds — Bryce Canyon sees about 2.5 million annual visitors, Capitol Reef about 1.5 million, and not even one million visit Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument every year.

Imagine waking up to gorgeous lake views surrounded by misty mountains and trees lining the horizon as far as the eye can see. That’s the magic of Jasper National Park, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, where I recently spent a cozy retreat to welcome the fall season. Coming from the scorching heat of Phoenix, Arizona, my lungs craved the crisp morning air, while the desert girl in me relished and autumnal mountain hues — and I soaked it all in from the private balcony of an alpine lodge on the shores of Pyramid Lake.

This Saturday, October 14, a solar eclipse will be seen across the Americas. From inside a 125 miles wide path stretching across the U.S. Southwest and on to Central and South America, a “ring of fire” will be glimpsed for a few minutes as a smaller-looking new moon covers only the middle 90% of the sun.

Turn around, bright eyes. Come mid-October, a major celestial event will be viewable from major swaths of the Western Hemisphere. Or maybe just look up – with the proper eye protection, that is.

From the deserts of Arizona to the rocky coastline of Maine, from the sandy shores of Florida to the peaks of Colorado, the United States offers a breathtaking range of natural landscapes. The new National Geographic book Great Outdoors USA: 1,000 Adventures Across All 50 States reveals how to hike, raft, climb, surf, and bike through some of the best of them. Here are 50 of its top picks, one in each state.

Surveys indicate that 60% of Americans are planning to travel for a vacation or getaway during the 2023 fall season, with 71% of fall travelers planning on traveling more frequently this season than they did last season, according to Vacasa, a vacation rental management and real estate company. And, for a majority of those opting into fall getaways, budget-friendly travel is still a top priority. For example, road trips are the preferred method of transportation as airfares continue to soar and flight changes/cancellations have people weary and causing many travelers to lose days of their coveted vacation time and funds.

Whether you want unique interior design, world-beating food, incredible value or simply a chance to escape the world for a day or two, you’re guaranteed a memorable stay at every one of our 42 winners and runners-up.

The year’s supermoon bonanza may be behind us, but the sky has a host of stargazing treats in store this October. Get ready for two meteor showers, bright planet sightings, and arguably the most anticipated astronomical event of the year: the annular solar eclipse come mid-month.