Next week, April 21-29, all 397 National Parks will be offering free admission to celebrate National Park Week. Over 84 million acres of spectacular scenery and historical landmarks will be open to the public for you to explore. To help you plan and get the most out of your park visit, check out a few of these National Park related iOS and Android apps that are currently available for free in honor of the occasion.
Chimani
For a limited time, Chimani has made free all of their National Park apps for iOS and Android devices. The apps offer up information on points of interest, sightseeing guides, car audio tours, GPS enabled maps, park events, hiking trails, camping guides, and even when and where to catch the best sunrise and sunset. You can choose from 9 different National Parks including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Zion, and the Grand Canyon.
Fotopedia
Fotopedia has just released an updated version of their National Parks app, made freely available for a limited time. On your iPhone or iPad, you can take a virtual journey through the 58 major National Parks including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Glacier, Grand Teton, and the Grand Canyon. Over 3000 large format images by Quang-Tuan Luong let you explore areas you want to visit, helping you plan your trip through interactive maps and building an itinerary.
MapQuest
Most useful to help plan your trip before you go, Mapquest just launched a web-based guide to all the National Parks. Here you can find tips on where to enjoy certain activities such as hiking or biking, what sort of wildlife you can expect to encounter, and learn details about the park history.
Where’s A Bear and YNP Wildlife
If you are headed to Yellowstone, you might want to download one of these apps to keep up to date on the latest bear sightings. With two tourists killed in bear attacks last summer, it would be helpful to know that grizzlies were seen feeding on a bison carcass close to the Yellowstone River Trail before you head out on that hike.
For more information on National Park Week, head on over to NationalParks.org. What are some of your favorite National Park related apps?