The National Park Service app- a Review

The National Park Service just released the beta version of their new app for Android and Apple. This app contains information on all 400+ national park service sites, and is unlike any other app available. I spent my free time during the last few days perusing the app and it's many features. I'm so excited about this- even though it has some glitches it is working pretty well already, and some of the parks have so much info I can tell it's going to be really useful. I just hope the rest of the parks add info quickly- I want to start using it for planning this spring's trips!

Features:

Map search feature

When you open the NPS app, the main menu shows a featured park, the “find a park” search section, and then 6 buttons leading to the some other features of the app.

The “Find a Park” section allows you to search by name, but also has options such as state, or searching near you using your GPS. You can then view these parks as a list of a map. Unfortunately, when I tried to actually open any of the park pages from the search feature, the app crashed. I was able to access the same park from the Featured Parks on the main page, and from the "My Lists" section, so I am sure this is a glitch with the search page itself. This was the most glaring problem with the app, and as it is still in beta, I’m hoping it will be fixed soon. Until then, the search feature still works, you will just need to access the actual park from a different section- I added it to my list and then clicked on it from there. I bit of a hassle but doable. 

Main Park Page

 Main park pages: The heart of the app is the individual park pages. These include different features for different parks and is still in development. Some of the parks have a bare minimum of information while others are much more fleshed-out. Some of the best features I saw while perusing a random selection of parks include app-based self-guided tours, links to specific hikes and other activities, and the interactive park maps which show detailed information of roads, trails, visitor centers, and more. 

Some of the parks have tours on the app, which are designed to be used directly from the app as you visit the park. With links to several stops and information to read about each stop, this interactive featured is one of the most exciting aspects of the app and one which I hope they will continue to add to other parks. 

Hikes in Arches National park

When I visited the Arches page, one of the most developed parks I visited, I could go to a page specifically for hiking, and as well as a list with mileage and information, some of the hikes included links with even more information. I can only imagine that as they continue adding information to the app this feature will become more available at other parks and with other activities. 

The park maps are amazing- when you zoom in you can see all the trails, buildings, and parking, as well as flags with labels for visitor centers and other areas. I can see so many uses for these maps both for planning and during a visit- I just want to sit and look at park maps and dream of future trips! Remember, all these park pages are downloadable, including the maps, so you can use them in the actual park even without cell service. 

One thing all the parks seem to have already is visitor center information, which looks to be very up-to-date. In this time of covid with it's unexpected closures and hour changes, this is important. Camping information and ideas for other places to stay nearby make planning a visit easier. The most needed information like site lengths, lodge prices, and the number of sites available is right there on the page- you can even get to reservations right from the app. 

Visitor Center Page

Other cool things on the park pages include information on volunteer opportunities, where to get your park stamp, and information on how to register for ranger programs and tours.

Other Features: In addition to the main park pages, the app includes features to help you plan and personalize your app. You can save parks in lists which you can create. You can then access the parks directly from that list, or you can look at a map of your list. This is a great feature for planning a trip, and it's so fun to look at the map of the parks you've visited- I impressed myself!  You can also “favorite” parks using the heart button on the individual page. 

Overall I am very impressed with this app, and am excited to use it for planning our next trip. My husband might not be, because I’ve done nothing but sit and read about parks since I got it- meaning I now have a bunch more sites on my “must see” list! 

 

An app tour of a park

Pros

• Free 
• Well-designed
• All park service sites in one place 
• Small and park sites are included-as well as trails and rivers 
• Interactive maps 
• Intuitive interface
• Downloadable information 
• Because it’s managed by the park service, information (should!) stay up to date. 
• Condensed to the information most needed

Cons 

• Still in beta 
• Crashes easily
• The park search page seems to not be working currently 
• Must be used online (but individual park information can be downloaded) 
• Many parks don’t have much information yet- hopefully they continue to update often