10 Unique Gifts for National Park Lovers

1. Calendars

I fell in love with the watercolor paintings featured in this calendar by local artist, Liesl Cannon. It has all my favorite national parks and it makes me happy every time I look at it.

Amazon also has many other beautiful national park calendars to choose from.

2. Candles

I discovered these AMAZING candles, lotions, and air fresheners at a local store near me. They’re made by Good Well Supply Co of Seattle, and they have scents for each national park!

I kid you not, the Yellowstone candle will make you feel like you’re walking around in the forest.

3. Videos

If you want to learn the stories behind the national parks, as well as the development of the National Park IDEA and the National Park Service, then you must watch the 6-disc DVD series by documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea DVD is more than just great scenery; it’s about the people, events, and drama surrounding the national parks.

It’s a must-have for anyone really curious about our national parks!

It also comes with a companion coffee table book.

4. Passport Book

Want a fun way to track all the national park sites you visit? Try the Passport to Your National Parks book by Eastern National.

Matt’s had one for years. When you visit a national park site, simply stop in at the visitor center and find the “cancellation station.” They have a stamp and ink pad there.

Stamp your book just like an actual passport — it will show the date you visited the park! What a fun and inexpensive way to document your adventures.

5. Books

Thomas Jefferson said, “I cannot live without my books.” I feel the same way! Here are some of my favorite books about the national parks. I’m only listing books I’ve actually read.

• Death in Yellowstone. This book was written by Yellowstone National Park historian Lee H. Whittlesey. It’s more academic than sensational. He covers every recorded death in Yellowstone but separates them out by category (death by geysers, by bear attacks, by drownings, etc.). Within each, he tells gripping stories that serve as a cautionary tale for today’s visitors.
• Death in the Grand Canyon. This book is similar in tone to Death in Yellowstone. Although there are no geyser or bear attack deaths, the Grand Canyon is actually more deadly than Yellowstone. You’ll think twice before getting too close to the edge of the canyon after reading this book! Want a sneak peek? See my article How many people have died in the Grand Canyon?
• Death in Zion National Park. Notice a theme here? Death books are some of the most popular national park books, I guess because people are interested in death. Use them as a guide for what NOT to do in the parks. Though lesser-known, Zion has had plenty of its own harrowing stories.
• Lonesome Dove. Larry McMurtry’s finest work. This fiction book is about what life was like on a cattle drive, and according to historians, is a fairly accurate representation. It’s full of drama and suspense. If you don’t want to read the book you can watch the 4-part miniseries. Both are EXCELLENT.
• The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. This is a book and a DVD series by the famous documentary filmmaker Ken Burns. This is about the history of the national parks and the National Park Service. It’s not just images of beautiful scenery; it’s full of stories and drama, like the battle for Jackson Hole, Wyoming (which I also cover in my audio guide for Grand Teton).
• Beyond the 100th Meridian. The famed Western writer Wallace Stegner recounts John Wesley Powell’s harrowing rafting trip through the Grand Canyon. Powell was the first person to successfully explore the Grand Canyon. And did you know he only had one arm?!
• Desert Solitaire. This monumental book was written by Edward Abbey, who was a park ranger in Arches National Park. The book is a defense of nature and the national parks and an attack on industrial tourism, greed, and just about everything else. Was Abbey a heroic defender of the parks, or a monumental crybaby? You decide.
• The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America. The polarizing Theodore Roosevelt did everything big — including creating national parks. In this academic tome, learn about the events that shaped Teddy’s conservation philosophies. Though there are more famous conservationists, no one had as much political influence as Teddy.
• Hard Road West. This fantastic book takes you on a historical and geological journey along the Oregon Trail. The author, Keith Meldahl, has the best way of taking a complicated topic like geology and making it accessible for most of us. If you like this, then you’ll also like his other masterpiece, Rough Hewn Land, a journey from California to the Rocky Mountains.
• Butch Cassidy: The True Story of an American Outlaw. Famous deaths of Western figures include General Custer’s Last Stand, Sheriff Pat Garrett gunning down Bill the Kid, and Wild Bill being shot in the back while holding Aces and Eights. But perhaps no death is as mysterious and controversial as Butch Cassidy. Did he die in Bolivia? Montana? Nevada?
• The Essential West. The title of this book has a double meaning: it’s about the West, but it’s a collection of the best writings from author Elliott West. Mr. West is a professor, but don’t think this book will be too difficult to understand. He’s a gifted story teller. What I like about this book is it’s a collection of essays. It doesn’t need to be read in order — just pick one that sounds interesting. Golden Dreams recounts the less-famous Colorado Gold Rush, and Bison R Us talks about what the Bison means as a uniquely American Symbol.
• Do Not Feed the Bears. This is the full history of bear feeding in Yellowstone – the only book covering this history that I’m aware of.
• False Architect: The Mary Colter Hoax. For many years, we’ve been told that one woman designed all the significant buildings on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Finally, one person looked into this incredulous claim and believes he solved the hoax.

6. Travel Guides

A travel guide says so much. It communicates “I love spending time with you” and “you are in my future plans.” You and your loved one can dream about the upcoming trip for months.

One special benefit of giving one of our travel guides is the peace of mind that the vacation will go great. All the details are included. You can spend time watching our YouTube videos together and seeing all the cool things you are going to do.

Our travel guides and accompanying audio essays are our pride and joy. We hope you enjoy them.

7. Maps

Start your bucket list today with a map you can update each time you visit a national park!

We purchased this one for Matt’s mom, who has visited over half of the parks! It comes with stickers to add to the map for each park you visit.

8. Parks Sign

Becca and Liz, our wonderful employees, gave us this fun Personalized National Park Sign. We love it and hang it above all of our park guides in our office.

9. National Park Tokens

This is my favorite way to track the parks we’ve been to, with WanderClub Tokens. They are small enough to fit several on your keychain and I love how they have them for national parks, states, and even baseball parks.

10. Park Pass!

If you’re going to visit the parks, don’t forget your park pass! You can purchase an individual park pass, but if you’re going to visit multiple parks in one year, your best bet is to get the America the Beautiful Pass.

The America the Beautiful Pass can be purchased online. If you’re 60 years or older, disabled, military, or have a 4th-grader, you may qualify for a free or discounted pass!