Washington—Newly revised and updated, National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks of the United States, Third Edition, (National Geographic Books, ISBN 0-7922-7028-2, February 2001, $25) features all 55 of the country’s national parks, including the five newest ones: Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Dry Tortugas, Death Valley, Joshua Tree and Saguaro.

Widely recognized as the definitive resource to America’s most cherished natural treasures, this updated edition of the Society’s best-selling guide contains 77 maps and 450 full-color photographs.

Dividing the country into seven regions—the East, the Southwest, the Colorado Plateau, the Pacific Southwest, the Rocky Mountains, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska—the guide gives in-depth information on each park, such as size, major landmarks, wildlife, park activities and trails. Paying special attention to the ecological welfare of the areas it describes, the guide focuses on each park’s natural wonders, setting, history and struggle against environmental threats.

National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks of the United States also provides detailed visitor information, including the best months to visit the parks, facilities for disabled visitors, campgrounds, area lodging and directions by car and air. Field-tested recommendations accompany itineraries, sight-by-sight tours and suggested excursions to hundreds of nearby natural attractions, national monuments, wildlife refuges and forests.

Special mention is made of the country’s five newest national parks. Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison is one of the most dramatic canyons in the country with a slit in the earth so narrow that sunlight penetrates to the bottom only at midday. Dry Tortugas, Florida’s bird and marine life sanctuary with some of the healthiest coral reefs remaining off North American shores, includes 64,701 acres of protected land and water.

Death Valley in California, the largest national park south of Alaska, is North America’s driest and hottest spot and has the lowest elevation in the Western Hemisphere—282 feet below sea level. In California’s Joshua Tree National Park, two desert systems, the Mojave and the Colorado, divide the park into separate arid ecosystems of profoundly contrasting appearances, while the terrain in Arizona’s Saguaro National Park varies from saguaro forests to nearly pristine woodlands of oak and pine.

Straightforward and easy to use, National Geographic’s Guide to the National Parks of the United States is the ultimate one-stop guide that will suit the needs of even the most ambitious park visitor.

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