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Entry bubble Go West, Young Man!

By: Sam | December 12, 2007 | Category: Travel

Recently, I saw the movie “Into the Wild,” which is a screen adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s acclaimed bestseller. The book tells the true story of Christopher McCandless who, after graduating from college, donates all his money to charity and heads on a journey out West.

When I read the book several years ago, I was not only struck by McCandless’ inner journey but also his outer one through the American West. It’s a part of the country that I haven’t really explored, but the spirit and scenery has always fascinated me. And seeing the breathtaking images of the Pacific Crest Trail and Denali National Park on the big screen only heightened my curiosity and sense of adventure.

If I truly wanted to “go west young man” (or lady in my case), where would I go and what would I want to see? At pueblo.gsa.gov, I found two helpful publications, National Park System Map and Guide and National Trails System Map and Guide. These full-color maps list activities at more than 300 parks, monuments, and historic sites, along with 17 national trails. They’re a great starting point for discovering all that our national parks and trails system have to offer.

Another great resource is USA.gov. Just typing “national parks” in the Search box gave me tons of quick links and images to help make my planning easier. You can find a national park by name, location, topic, or activity. This link is great for someone like me who likes to swim and hike but isn’t so into snow skiing. There’s also a link to National Register Travel Itineraries, which can take a lot of guesswork out of your planning.

Once you’re ready to explore, visit Recreation.gov to make reservations for campgrounds and tours and to buy an annual pass for national parks and federal recreational lands. If you aren’t able to take a trip sometime soon, don’t worry—you can still experience the wonder of our national parks with the National Park Service’s Soundscapes. Make sure to check out this sound clip of a bison in Yellowstone!

| Comments [5] | envelope Email This Entry | Tags: into   national   park   parks   pueblo.gsa.gov   recreation   service   the   travel   usa.gov   wild  

Comments:

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I read your blog on the bus through my blackberry. The article is well written. But, the link took forever to download. Does nps.gov has a mobile version? Is it too much to ask Uncle Sam to catch up on mobile trend?

Posted by dcrider on December 12, 2007 at 08:18 AM EST #

Thanks for your comment. Unfortunately, nps.gov does not have a mobile version, but there are several federal and state agencies that do. Please visit http://mobile.usa.gov/ to find this list (click on "Govt. Mobile Web").

Posted by Sam on December 12, 2007 at 09:21 AM EST #

I would love to visit an American National Park. This is a setting that definitely make the best experiences. Like the movie, It'd be great to just bask in the fresh air and wilderness. Maybe a few adventures that's in a controlled environment. This is the life! Thanks for the links.
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www.paydayland.com.au/articles

Posted by Janny on December 12, 2007 at 03:10 PM EST #

If you are coming all the way to Alaska, don't forget about our state parks system. You can find general information about Alaska State Parks at http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/index.htm, including state cabin rentals.

Only have time to see the very best of Alaska's State Parks? Check out the "Jewels of the Alaska State Parks" System at http://www.dnr.state.ak.us/parks/jewels/index.htm.

Finally, whereever you go in Alaska, you will have incredible wildlife viewing opportunities. To see what these opportunities are, please visit the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's Wildlife viewing page at http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=viewing.main.

Thanks again for the great work you at usa.gov are doing in highlighting the rich feast of federal information resources available to the citizens of this country.

Posted by Daniel Cornwall, Alaska State Library on December 13, 2007 at 01:12 PM EST #

Can one still get free 40 acre homesteads in Alaska?

I have always dreamed of doing that. However, like in the movie, the reality of the hardship and isolation might be a bit much for me.

Posted by Citizen Jmaximus on December 15, 2007 at 10:15 AM EST #

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