A Giant Beach in West Michigan
Charles Mears State Park is mostly a giant beach and an attached campground. But it's super popular because of its awesome Lake Michigan waterfront.
Parks channel tv
On now
Popular videos
The pulse of what's trending on The Parks Channel. Check out the most watched videos.
36°46'43.35"N, 103°58'46.81"W
Capulin Volcano NM
New Mexico
We hiked up the extinct Capulin Volcano!
We visited Capulin Volcano National Monument and spent an entire day exploring the volcano and the surrounding hiking trails.
Ari and Jessi Adler
36°46'43.35"N, 103°58'46.81"W
Capulin Volcano NM
New Mexico
We hiked up the extinct Capulin Volcano!
We visited Capulin Volcano National Monument and spent an entire day exploring the volcano and the surrounding hiking trails.
37°56'4.26"N, 75°22'32.44"W
Assateague Island
Maryland
Virginia
Assateague Island - The Land of Horses
Discover one of the few places in America where horses roam free. Assateague Island is a barrier island between Maryland and Virginia.
Jose Molina
37°56'4.26"N, 75°22'32.44"W
Assateague Island
Maryland
Virginia
Assateague Island - The Land of Horses
Discover one of the few places in America where horses roam free. Assateague Island is a barrier island between Maryland and Virginia.
42°22'50.07"N, 76°52'24.41"W
Watkins Glen State Park
New York
Discover the Beauty of Watkins Glen State Park
Experience one of the most visited parks in the Finger Lake region of New York State.
Jose Molina
42°22'50.07"N, 76°52'24.41"W
Watkins Glen State Park
New York
Discover the Beauty of Watkins Glen State Park
Experience one of the most visited parks in the Finger Lake region of New York State.
Explore Historical Parks
- U.S. Virgin Islands
Christiansted NHS
Christiansted National Historic Site sits in the heart of Christiansted, the capital of the former Danish West Indies on St. Croix Island. The site commemorates the urban colonial development of the Virgin Islands. It features 18th and 19th century structures including Fort Christiansværn (constructed from 1738 to 1749), the Danish West India and Guinea Company Warehouse (1749), the Scale House (1833), Stone Warehouse (1839), Stevedore Shed (1889) and Roald Amundsen Hjemkomst Museum (replica of Amundsen's ship, Gjøa, 1901-03). It was to these Danish colonial buildings that the first enslaved Africans were brought to St. Croix in 1655, and later, it was a stop on the Underground Railroad. Today, visitors can explore the grounds and buildings, attend interpretive programs and take part in special events. Christiansted National Historic Site is a unique window into America's colonial past.
Go to park page
- South Carolina
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park protects and interprets the sites, structures, landscapes and history associated with the first military engagements of the Civil War. The park encompasses two forts – Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the war were fired, and Fort Moultrie, where Confederate soldiers fought their first successful battle – as well as Liberty Square and Charleston Light. Located in Charleston, SC, on the banks of the Cooper River, the park also includes a Visitor Education Center that tells the story of the lead-up to the war, with exhibits on topics such as slavery and plantation culture, major figures, politics, and how the Confederate Army was formed. The Visitor Education Center is also the main departure point for tour boats heading to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor.
Go to park page
- Arizona
Montezuma Castle
Montezuma Castle National Monument preserves a set of ancient cliff dwellings about 90 feet up a sheer limestone cliff. It is one of the best-preserved cliff dwellings in North America, in part because of its ideal placement in a natural alcove that protects it from exposure to the elements. The precariousness of the dwelling's location and its immense scale of floor space across five stories suggest that the Sinagua were daring builders and skilled engineers. Access into the structure was most likely permitted by a series of portable ladders, which made it difficult for enemy tribes to penetrate the natural defense of the vertical barrier. The castle itself was built by the Sinagua people, a pre-Columbian culture closely related to the Hohokam and other indigenous peoples of the southwestern United States. Although the monument is now a popular tourist destination, neither part of its name is accurate. The castle was actually abandoned long before the Aztec emperor Montezuma was born, and it was not a traditional castle, but rather a high-rise apartment complex. Despite these inaccuracies, the Montezuma Castle National Monument is still a fascinating glimpse into the past.
Go to park page
Explore Natural Parks
- Texas
Padre Island
Padre Island National Seashore (PINS) is 70 miles long with 65.5 miles of Gulf beach. North Padre Island is the longest undeveloped barrier island in the world. The seashore hosts a variety of pristine beach, dune, and tidal flat environments, including 380 different bird species. The Laguna Madre on its west coast, is a famous site for windsurfing. Some parts of PINS are open to four-wheel-drive vehicles, and camping is available in the primitive areas of the park. The unspoiled beaches and abundant wildlife are a stark contrast to South Padre Island, which is better known for vacationing college students.
Go to park page
- Michigan
Hoffmaster State Park
Hoffmaster State Park, located in Muskegon and named after Percy James Hoffmaster, sometimes considered the founder of the Michigan state parks system, is situated on 3 miles of stunning Lake Michigan shoreline. It features the Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center, a modern campground, towering dunes, and 10 miles of scenic trails including 3 miles of trail that are groomed in the winter for cross-country skiing.
Go to park page
- Pennsylvania
Allegheny National Forest
Allegheny National Forest celebrated its 100th birthday in 2023, and most of the trees are the same age. Decades of European settlers cleared away the old-growth hemlock and beech trees for lumber and paper, wiping out local deer populations and their predators. Once the National Forest Service took over in 1923, a different forest emerged, with black cherry, red maple and sugar maple dominating. Today, Allegheny is Pennsylvania's only national forest, a wonderland of over 500,000 acres for camping, hiking and water activities. There are also over 100 miles of ATV and OHV trails with a permit.
Go to park page
Parks Channel - the first stop for your next adventure!
Watch and create
We curate videos that entertain and inform. Join our growing community of creators – or simply explore.
Explore videos
Go
Create your own profile, playlists and checklists.