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PARKS...IN...SPAAAACE!!!

When visiting parks, we often go in search of that perfect overlook to enjoy the scenery of parks from as high as we possibly can climb. NASA astronauts have quite literally an out-of-this-world view of national parks and take some pretty stellar pictures to share. Travel along with the space station on its journey west to east getting the extreme bird’s eye view of national parks across the country. And compare it to a more down-to-earth view.

Special thanks to our friends at NASA for taking pictures of us! Learn about other ways that NASA and the National Park Service work and play together.

Katmai National Park & Preserve, Alaska

Aerial view of Katmai National Park & Preserve Aerial view of Katmai National Park & Preserve

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Aerial view of Katmai National Park & Preserve
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Mount Katmai in the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 58.62235668, Longitude -155.0126574
A land of fire and ice, the mountain ridges of Katmai National Park and Preserve's icy, volcanic landscape in southern Alaska leaves a distinct pattern of surface of the Earth. 

Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska

Aerial view of Denali National Park & Preserve Aerial view of Denali National Park & Preserve

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Aerial view of Denali National Park & Preserve
Credit: (NASA / Charles Anderson)

Right image
Denali during autumn
Credit: (NPS / Tim Rains)

Latitude: 63.29777484, Longitude: -151.0526568
At 20,310 feet high, North America’s tallest peak of Denali in Denali National Park & Preserve towers above the rest whether looking up or down at the mountain. 

Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Alaska

Aerial view of Glacier Bay Aerial view of Glacier Bay

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Aerial view of Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Exploring the waterways by boat
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 58.80086718, Longitude: -136.8407579
The intricate network of waterways that make up Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve in Alaska's Inside Passage beckons explorers to witness its wonders from both ships and spaceships.

Olympic National Park, Washington

Aerial view of Olympic National Park Aerial view of Olympic National Park

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Aerial view of Olympic National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Mountain flowers
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 47.80392754, Longitude: -123.6663848
Mount Olympus and the other giants of the Olympic Mountain Range command a view of old-growth rain forests, meadows, lakes, and rugged coastline in Olympic National Park.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Aerial View of Mount Rainier National Park Aerial View of Mount Rainier National Park

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Aerial View of Mount Rainier National Park
Credit: (NASA / Ricky Arnold)

Right image
Mount Rainier
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 46.86075416, Longitude: -121.7043885
An icon on the horizon, the active volcano Mount Rainier in Mount Rainier National Park is the most glaciated peak in the contiguous US and stands tall over its peers at 14,410 feet.

Yosemite National Park, California

Aerial view of Yosemite National Park Aerial view of Yosemite National Park

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Aerial view of Yosemite National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Sunset over Upper Lyell Canyon
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 37.84883288, Longitude: -119.5571873
The vast wilderness of the High Sierras in Yosemite National Park has drawn people to its tall waterfalls, grand meadows, deep valleys, and ancient giant sequoia forests for thousands of years.

Death Valley National Park, California & Nevada

Aerial view of Death Valley National Park Aerial view of Death Valley National Park

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Aerial view of Death Valley National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Badwater Basin after a storm
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 36.48753731, Longitude: -117.134395
How low can you go? Look up from (or down on) the hottest, driest, lowest place in North America, Death Valley National Park's Badwater Basin at 283 feet below sea level.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Aerial view of the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park Aerial view of the Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park

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Aerial view of the northern Rocky Mountains and Glacier National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Going-to-the-Sun Road
Credit: (NPS / Tim Rains)

Latitude: 48.68414678, Longitude: -113.8009306
Ascend to the sky on Going-to-the Sun Road in Glacier National Park, climbing over a mosaic of forests, alpine meadows, pristine lakes, and rugged mountains of the Northern Rockies.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Aerial view of Grand Canyon National Park Aerial view of Grand Canyon National Park

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Aerial view of Grand Canyon National Park
Credit: (NASA)

Right image
Desert View after a storm
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 36.17280161, Longitude: -112.6836024
A pretty grand canyon along 277 miles of river reaching up to 18 miles wide and a mile deep is hard to miss passing over Earth or standing on it in Grand Canyon National Park.

Capitol Reef National Park, Canyonlands National Park & Arches National Park, Utah

Aerial view of a large desert area with waterways and clouds Aerial view of a large desert area with waterways and clouds

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Aerial view of national parks in southern Utah
Credit: (NASA / Ricky Arnold)

Right image
Double Arch in Arches National Park
Credit: (NPS / Jacob W. Frank)

Capitol Reef National Park (Latitude: 38.2821653130533, Longitude: -111.247048377991)
Canyonlands National Park (Latitude: 38.24555783, Longitude: -109.8801624)
Arches National Park (Latitude: 38.72261844, Longitude: -109.5863666)
The unique landscape of the national parks in southern Utah almost makes those who venture to explore the arches, hoodoos, domes, and other unique geological formations feel like they are walking on another planet.

Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Arizona & Utah

Aerial view of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Aerial view of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area

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Aerial view of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area
Credit: (NASA)

Right image
Winding through Reflection Canyon
Credit: (NPS / Gary Ludd)

Latitude: 37.51841301, Longitude: -110.7718311
A series of waterways meander through colorful bluffs, mesas, buttes, and canyons that cut through the Colorado Plateau in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Aerial view of Grand Teton National Park Aerial view of Grand Teton National Park

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Aerial view of Grand Teton National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Sunset over Catholic Bay
Credit: NPS / Tobiason

Latitude: 43.81853565, Longitude: -110.7054666
Mountains, fault lines, glaciers, forests, wetlands, rivers, and lakes collided to create an inspiring landscape to all explorers and adventurers of Grand Teton National Park in the Rocky Mountains.

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana & Wyoming

Aerial view of Yellowstone National Park Aerial view of Yellowstone National Park

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Aerial view of Yellowstone National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Rainbow next to a Beehive Geyser eruption
Credit: (NPS / Jacob W. Frank)

Latitude: 44.59824417, Longitude: -110.5471695
Yellowstone National Park forms the core of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a vast wilderness spanning 34,375 square miles full of forests, lakes, and hydrothermal features, including about half of the world's active geysers.

WHITE SANDS NATIONAL MONUMENT, NEW MEXICO

Aerial view of White Sands National Monument Aerial view of White Sands National Monument

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Aerial view of White Sands National Monument
Credit: (NASA)

Right image
A blooming soaptree yucca on the dunes
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 32.77907858, Longitude: -106.3333461
Like no other place on Earth, the glistening waves of white sand dunes of the Tularosa Basin found in White Sands National Monument engulf 275 square miles of desert, creating the world's largest gypsum dunefield.

Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial & Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Aerial view of the Black Hills Aerial view of the Black Hills

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Aerial view of the Black Hills of South Dakota
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Mount Rushmore National Memorial
Credit: (NPS)

Jewel Cave National Monument (Latitude: 43.73102945, Longitude: -103.829994)
Mount Rushmore National Memorial (Latitude: 43.88037021, Longitude: -103.4525186)
Wind Cave National Park (Latitude: 43.58012365, Longitude: -103.4394709)

Where are the faces? The Black Hills of South Dakota are home to three national parks, including an iconic national memorial, the third longest known cave in the world, and another that has unique cave formations found nowhere else in the world.

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Aerial view of Badlands National Park Aerial view of Badlands National Park

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Aerial view of Badlands National Park
Credit: (NASA)

Right image
Badlands at dusk
Credit: (NPS / Lee McDowell)

Latitude: 43.68584846, Longitude: :-102.482942
A striking break in miles of gentle prairie, the rugged spires and deep canyons of Badlands National Park have caught many explorers and travelers by surprise when first encountered.

Everglades National Park, Florida

Aerial view of Everglades National Park and Florida Bay Aerial view of Everglades National Park and Florida Bay

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Aerial view of Everglades National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Mangroves in a river of grass
Credit: (NPS / G. Gardner

Latitude: 25.37294225, Longitude: -80.88200301
The dynamic ecosystems of Everglades National Park on the southern peninsula of Florida make up the nation's largest subtropical wilderness protecting habitats and species found nowhere else on Earth.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, DC, Maryland & West Virginia

Aerial view of a section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Aerial view of a section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal

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Aerial view of a section of the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal from Hancock to Cumberland, Maryland
Credit: (NASA)

Right image
Lift Bridge along the Canal Towpath
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 39.3909816, Longitude: -77.89763546
Stretching 184.5 miles along the Potomac River, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park weaves through the Chesapeake Bay watershed showcasing its natural beauty and remnants of cultural history along the river and canal.

Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Maryland

Aerial view of Baltimore Harbor Aerial view of Baltimore Harbor

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Aerial view of Fort McHenry in Baltimore Harbor
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Star-spangled banner flying over Fort McHenry
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 39.26395314, Longitude: -76.58044165
Oh, say can you see the star-spangled banner from space? A replica of the famous 30- by 42-foot flag is often unfurled in Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore Harbor.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Aerial view of Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor Aerial view of Acadia National Park and Bar Harbor

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Aerial view of Acadia National Park
Credit: (NASA / Jeff Williams)

Right image
Fall colors on Otter Point
Credit: (NPS)

Latitude: 44.30777545, Longitude: -68.30063316
Among miles of rugged coastlines and islands teeming with biodiversity, Acadia National Park sports the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coast.

VALLES CALDERA NATIONAL PRESERVE, NEW MEXICO

A satellite view of a caldera.  The depression resembles a crater with green hills inside.  Along the flanks, drainages fan out downhill. A satellite view of a caldera.  The depression resembles a crater with green hills inside.  Along the flanks, drainages fan out downhill.

Left image
Valles Caldera from Space.
Credit: NASA

Right image
A view into Valles Caldera during fall.
Credit: NPS: Valles Caldera

Latitude: 35.836593, Longitude: -106.488249
About 1.25 million years ago, a spectacular volcanic eruption created the 13-mile wide circular depression now known as Valles Caldera National Preserve.  The preserve is known for its huge mountain meadows, abundant wildlife, and meandering streams. The area also preserves the homeland of ancestral native peoples and embraces a rich ranching history.

Tags

Acadia National Park, Arches National Park, Badlands National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Death Valley National Park, Denali National Park & Preserve, Everglades National Park, Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, Glacier National Park, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Grand Canyon National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Mount Rainier National Park, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Olympic National Park, Wind Cave National Park, Wrangell - St Elias National Park & Preserve, Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park more »

Last updated: October 28, 2021