No lifeguard on duty, swim at your own risk. Swimming and wading are allowed in the Gulf of Mexico along North Beach, Malaquite Beach, and South Beach, and in the Laguna Madre at Bird Island Basin. The Malaquite Beach area near the visitor center provides ample parking, picnic areas, restrooms and showers. Use caution when swimming and never swim alone. Strong currents flowing parallel to the beac…
55 parks and sites (NPS)
Swimming · Padre Island National Seashore
No lifeguard on duty, swim at your own risk. Swimming and wading are allowed in the Gulf of Mexico along North Beach, Malaquite Beach, and South Beach, and in the Laguna Madre at Bird Island Basin. The Malaquite Beach area near the visitor center provides ample parking, picnic areas, restrooms and showers. Use caution when swimming and never swim alone. Strong currents flowing parallel to the beach, tides flowing to-and-from the beach, and sudden drop-offs in the ocean floor can be hazardous for swimmers and waders…
Swimming in Lake Powell · Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Swimming is a popular activity at Lake Powell, especially in the summer when water temperatures can surpass 80° Fahrenheit. Please be aware that there are no life guards at Lake Powell or on the Colorado River. Water Quality conditions can change at your favorite swim areas depending on high visitor use, recent storms, rising lake waters, new algal blooms, and waste from wildlife, livestock, and previous visitors coming in contact with the lake waters. Swim at your own risk . Swimming is prohibited at all marinas a…
Swimming
Padre Island National Seashore
No lifeguard on duty, swim at your own risk. Swimming and wading are allowed in the Gulf of Mexico along North Beach, Malaquite Beach, and South Beach, and in the Laguna Madre at Bird Island Basin. The Malaquite Beach area near the visitor center provides ample parking, picnic areas, restrooms and showers. Use caution…
Swimming in Lake Powell
Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Swimming is a popular activity at Lake Powell, especially in the summer when water temperatures can surpass 80° Fahrenheit. Please be aware that there are no life guards at Lake Powell or on the Colorado River. Water Quality conditions can change at your favorite swim areas depending on high visitor use, recent storms,…
Upcoming programs and events at parks in this collection (from the NPS Events API).
Step back in time and discover life in a mining camp! Join a ranger at the Blue Heron Interpretive Center in Kentucky for a 20-minute talk on the coal mining operations and daily life at Mine 18. Learn how miners worked and how families lived in this isolated community. This program is offered every Wednesday through Saturday at 12:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM ET. Program is worth 5 GO BIG points. To learn more about the GO BIG Challenge, visit Big South Fork GO BIG Challenge - Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
Join Us Saturdays and Sundays in September at the Historic Rugby Visitor Center for 'Critter Corner'! From 9 AM to 5 PM ET on Saturdays and Noon to 5 PM on Sundays families can explore animal pelts and skulls, browse nature books, enjoy coloring pages, and chat with a ranger about the critters of Big South Fork.
The Paddle Clinic introduces park visitors to canoeing while building paddle skills and confidence. Biscayne National Park is 95% water and paddling is one of the best ways to explore the park. The trips are staff/weather dependent. Watch the weather and call (786)335-3620 the day before the trip to confirm. Know that trips can be cancelled up until the last minute. All paddlers must be 11yrs+. Non-paddlers sitting in the middle must be 6yrs+. (Indicate age when signing up anybody under the age of 18.) No experience necessary but comfortability on the water is required. This is a beginner course and is moderately strenuous. Most paddle clinics spend nearly two hours on the water and traverse two miles of shallow bay. Shoes and clothes that can get wet are required. Water bottles, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen are recommended. Please ensure that you’ve provided a local phone number or email address that you are able to check prior to the trip. If you need to cancel, please call (786)335-3620 as soon as possible. These trips are in high demand and others would appreciate the opening. Please arrive 30 min before scheduled departure time. Upon arrival, each participant must come to the visitor center desk to sign a waiver. You spot will be given away if you have not checked in 15 min prior to departure time.
Step back in time and discover life in a mining camp! Join a ranger at the Blue Heron Interpretive Center in Kentucky for a 20-minute talk on the coal mining operations and daily life at Mine 18. Learn how miners worked and how families lived in this isolated community. This program is offered Friday and Saturday at 12:00 PM and Sunday at 3:00 PM ET. On Memorial Day, the program will be at 12:00 PM. Program is worth 5 GO BIG points. To learn more about the GO BIG Challenge, visit Big South Fork GO BIG Challenge - Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
Join us for a variety of rotating staff led activities, cool topics, and hands-on learning programs such as guided walks, science labs, nature journaling, and history presentations that encourage connection with Biscayne's resources. Drop-ins and the entire family are welcome. Programming is free. For program specifics, please visit or call the visitor center at 786-335-3620.
Join us for a variety of rotating staff led activities, cool topics, and hands-on learning programs such as guided walks, science labs, nature journaling, and history presentations that encourage connection with Biscayne's resources. Drop-ins and the entire family are welcome. Programming is free. For program specifics, please visit or call the visitor center at 786-335-3620.
Join us this Saturday as we demonstrate the craft of whittling inside Tyler Bend Visitor Center at Buffalo National River! Volunteer Ricky Hoyt will be showcasing and creating art shaped with steady, determined hands. Gain a better understanding on local folk art through understanding his technique, advice and thought process!
Join Us Saturdays and Sundays in September at the Historic Rugby Visitor Center for 'Critter Corner'! From 9 AM to 5 PM ET on Saturdays and Noon to 5 PM on Sundays families can explore animal pelts and skulls, browse nature books, enjoy coloring pages, and chat with a ranger about the critters of Big South Fork.
Saturday at 12:45 PM and 3:30 PM ET, join park staff at the Blue Heron Interpretive Center for hands-on Appalachian rag doll demonstrations. Program is worth 5 GO BIG points. To learn more about the GO BIG Challenge, visit Big South Fork GO BIG Challenge - Big South Fork National River & Recreation Area (U.S. National Park Service)
Acadia National Park protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, an abundance of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. At 4 million visits a year, it's one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. Visitors enjoy 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads.
Established in 2000 to preserve, protect and interpret traditional Native Hawaiian culture and natural resources, Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail is a 175-mile corridor encompassing a network of culturally and historically significant trails. This "trail by the sea" traverses wahi pana (storied landscapes), ancient Hawaiian sites and over 200 ahupuaʻa (traditional land divisions).
American Memorial Park honors the American and Marianas people who gave their lives during the Marianas Campaign of World War II. At the park, memorials stand in tribute to the courage and sacrifice of the US Servicemen and Chamorro and Carolinian civilians who were killed in the battles between the United States and Japan that took place on Saipan, Tinian, and the Philippine Sea in 1944.
An oasis in the desert, Amistad National Recreation Area consists of the US portion of the International Amistad Reservoir. Amistad, a Spanish word meaning "friendship," is known for excellent water-based recreation, camping, hiking, and rich cultural history dating back nearly 5,000 years. Amistad is also home to a wide variety of plant and animal life both above and below the water.
Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, located at the northern tip of Wisconsin's Bayfield Peninsula, features 21 stunning islands, a scenic 12-mile shoreline along Lake Superior, and is located within the ancestral homeland of the Ojibwe people. Established in 1970, the park showcases picturesque sea caves, sandy beaches, and the largest collection of lighthouses in the National Park system.
Want to live on the edge? Visit a place recreated each day by ocean wind and waves. Life on Assateague Island has adapted to an existence on the move. Explore sandy beaches, salt marshes, maritime forests and coastal bays. Rest, relax, recreate and enjoy some time on the edge of the continent.
Encompassing 125,000 acres of the Cumberland Plateau, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area protects the free-flowing Big South Fork of the Cumberland River and its tributaries. The area boasts miles of scenic gorges and sandstone bluffs, is rich with natural and historic features and has been developed to provide visitors with a wide range of outdoor recreational activities.
The vast, wild landscape of Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area offers visitors unparalleled opportunities to immerse themselves in the natural world, and experience the wonders of this extraordinary place. With over 120,000 acres, one can find an astounding diversity in ecosystems, wildlife, and more than 10,000 years of human history to explore.
Within sight of Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Evidence of 10,000 years of human history is here too; from prehistoric tribes to shipwrecks, and pineapple farmers to presidents. For many, the park is a boating, fishing, and diving destination, while others enjoy a warm breeze and peaceful scenery.
Welcome to Buck Island Reef National Monument, called “the finest marine garden in the Caribbean Sea” by President John F. Kennedy. Snorkel the famous underwater trail, explore endangered elkhorn coral reefs. Hike the trails on the 176-acre island to the observation platform for an unparallel view. Discover a vibrant world above and beneath the waves in this Caribbean paradise.
Established in 1972, Buffalo National River flows freely for 135 miles and is one of the few remaining undammed rivers in the lower 48 states. Once you arrive, prepare to journey from running rapids to quiet pools while surrounded by massive bluffs as you cruise through the Ozark Mountains down to the White River.
Discover a dynamic barrier island shaped by dunes, coastal hammocks, and Mosquito Lagoon. Walk among ancient Timucua shell mounds and connect with thousands of years of human history. Immerse yourself in a protected sanctuary where diverse plants and wildlife thrive—making Canaveral National Seashore a place where nature, history, and discovery come together.
Showing 1–12 of 55 parks