For nearly 40 years, Park and Recreation Month has been observed in July to promote building strong, vibrant and resilient communities through the power of parks and recreation. recognize the importance of parks and recreation in establishing and maintaining the quality of life for, and contributing to the physical, economic and environmental well-being of communities.
This month is also dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the more than 160,000 full-time park and recreation professionals — along with hundreds of thousands of part-time and seasonal workers and volunteers — who maintain our country’s local, state and community parks.
This year’s theme — “Where You Belong” — celebrates the many ways park and recreation professionals across the country foster a sense of belonging in their community by providing welcoming and inclusive programs, essential services for all ages and abilities, and safe, accessible spaces to build meaningful connections.
From snow-capped mountains to colorful coral reefs, rolling grasslands to monochromatic deserts, the United States boasts incredibly diverse landscapes and natural splendor, especially as found in its iconic national parks and a stunning variety of local parks in all the states.
The nation’s 63 national parks are congressionally designated protected areas operated by the National Park Service, an agency of the Department of the Interior. National parks are designated for their natural beauty, unique geological features, diverse ecosystems, and recreational opportunities. They draw millions of visitors a year to unique natural wonders and unforgettable terrains. These open spaces offer everything from wonderful hiking trails, photography and wildlife viewing opportunities, to stargazing or even boating and climbing. They are great for all ages, educational and most of all, the serenity of parks makes for a very relaxing and rewarding experience.
If you are considering visiting a national or state park this summer, or in any season, here are some latest travel books and some nonfiction reads available to borrow with your Livingston Library card.
Guidebooks
Accessible Vacations : an Insider’s Guide to 10 National Parks by Simon Hayhoe
Best of Yellowstone & Grand Teton by Becky Lomax
California & Southwest USA’s National Parks
The Complete Guide to the National Parks : All 63 Treasures From Coast to Coast by Erika Hueneke
The Day Hiker’s Guide to the National Parks: 280 Trails, All 63 Parks by Michael Joseph Oswald
Great Lakes & Midwest’s National Parks by Regis St. Louis
100 Great American Parks by Stephanie Pearson
New England & the Mid-Atlantic’s National Parks
Rocky Mountain National Park by Erin English
USA National Parks : Lands of Wonder
Utah’s National Parks by Lauren Keith
The World Almanac Road Trippers’ Guide to National Parks : 5,001 Things to Do, Learn, and See For… Yourself by John Rosenthal
Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks by Ashley Harrell
Zion & Bryce Canyon National Parks by Andrew Collins
Nonfiction Reads
Feral : Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks by Emily Pennington
After a decade as an assistant to high-powered LA executives, Emily Pennington left behind her structured life and surrendered to the pull of the great outdoors. With a tight budget, meticulous routing, and a temperamental minivan she named Gizmo, Emily embarked on a yearlong road trip to sixty-two national parks, hell-bent on a single goal: getting through the adventure in one piece. She was instantly thrust into more chaos than she’d bargained for and found herself on an unpredictable journey rocked by a gutting romantic breakup, a burgeoning pandemic, wildfires, and other seismic challenges that threatened her safety, her sanity, and the trip itself. What began as an intrepid obsession soon evolved into a life-changing experience.
Guardians of the Valley : John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite by Dean King
In June of 1889 in San Francisco, John Muir-iconic environmentalist, writer, and philosopher-meets face-to-face for the first time with his longtime editor Robert Underwood Johnson, an elegant and influential figure at The Century magazine. Before long, the pair, opposites in many ways, decide to venture to Yosemite Valley, the magnificent site where twenty years earlier, Muir experienced a personal and spiritual awakening that would set the course of the rest of his life. Upon their arrival the men are confronted with a shocking vision, as predatory mining, tourism, and logging industries have plundered and defaced “the grandest of all the special temples of Nature.” While Muir is consumed by grief, Johnson, a champion of society’s most pressing debates via the pages of the nation’s most prestigious magazine, decides that he and Muir must fight back. The pact they form marks a watershed moment, leading to the creation of Yosemite National Park, and launching an environmental battle that captivates the nation and ushers in the beginning of the American environmental movement.
Historic Yellowstone National Park : the Stories Behind the World’s First National Park by Bruce T. Gourley
This book captures the most interesting moments in the park’s history. There’s the presence of Native Americans in the early years of the area’s history, the early explorers and expeditions, its debut as the very first national park, the explosive growth of tourism, and the people who made history in this astonishing and mysterious Rocky Mountain landscape.
Leave Only Footprints : My Acadia-to-Zion Journey Through Every National Park by Conor Knighton
The Emmy-winning CBS Sunday Morning correspondent chronicles his year traveling to every one of our national parks, discovering the most beautiful places and most interesting people that America has to offer.
The Power of Scenery : Frederick Law Olmsted and the Origin of National Parks by Dennis Drabelle
Tells the story of how America’s national parks came to be, with Frederick Law Olmsted’s insights and energy serving to link three jewels: Yosemite National Park, Yellowstone National Park, and Niagara Falls State Park.
Searching for Sunshine : Finding Connections with Plants, Parks, and the People Who Love Them by Ishita Jain
A thoughtfully researched visual exploration of our connections to nature, and why and how plants and green spaces make us happy.
Subpar Parks : America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors by Amber Share
Based on the wildly popular Instagram account, Subpar Parks features both the greatest hits and brand-new content, all celebrating the incredible beauty and variety of America’s national parks juxtaposed with the clueless and hilarious one-star reviews posted by visitors.
A Walk in the Park : the True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko
This is a chronicle of Fedarko’s year-long effort to find a 750-mile path along the length of the Grand Canyon, through a vertical wilderness suspended between the caprock along the rims of the abyss and the Colorado River, which flows along its bottom. Consisting of countless cliffs and steep drops, plus immense stretches with almost no access to water, and the fact that not a single trail links its eastern doorway to its western terminus, this jewel of national parks is so challenging that when Fedarko departed fewer people had completed the journey in one single hike than had walked on the moon. The intensity of the effort required him to break his trip into several legs, each of which held staggering dangers and unexpected discoveries. Accompanying Fedarko through this sublime yet perilous terrain is the award-winning photographer Peter McBride, who captures the stunning landscape in breathtaking photos. Together, they encounter long-lost Native American ruins, the remains of Old West prospectors’ camps, present day tribal activists, and signs that commercial tourism is impinging on the park’s remote wildness.
Hoopla offers several ebooks, audiobooks and movies related to national parks for viewing on your screens.
—Archana Chiplunkar, Adult Services & Acquisitions Librarian