Some days we all just need a national park vacation. When it’s not an option for us to jump in the car for a road trip, the next best thing are national park webcams.
Thanks to the handy work of rangers around the National Park Service, we are now able to visit an incredible number of parks via the web. So many so, Montana State University maintains a database, a map and a collection of screenshots from great moments on the cams.
Some of ParkChaser’s favorites include the Old Faithful Cam in Yellowstone National Park and the Kilauea Caldera in Hawaii National Park, especially during the recent years when the volcano was more active.
Just be sure to keep the season in mind when checking on national park webcams. Many of the parks have frigid winter temperatures, leaving the cameras to fend for themselves or offline for the season.
11 Best National Park Webcams for A Virtual Get-Away
1. Channel Islands Live Bald Eagle Webcam
2. Yellowstone National Park
Related Links:
- Which National Parks Are Like Yellowstone?
- Hiking in Yellowstone National Park: The Grand Canyon of Yellowstone
- 5 Ways to Rock A Winter Visit to Yellowstone National Park
- Camping in Yellowstone National Park: The Madison Campground
3. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii has webcams that you will certainly want to check out anytime the volcano is active such as early in 2014 when it was consistently churning. Some of the webcams maintained by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory have heat-resistant technology to allow you to see deep into the active volcano crater.
Related Links:
- Visit all the National Park Service Sites in Hawaii
- Hiking Hawaii Volcanoes National Park: The Thurston Lava Tube
- Park Chaser’s Best of Hawaii’s National Parks
- Hiking Hawaii Volcanoes: The Kilauea Iki Trail
- Great National Park Drives: Chain of Craters Road
4. Katmai National Park and Preserve
- Bear fans will enjoy the salmon season on Alaska’s Katmai National Park and Preserve web cameras. They have a series of webcams focusing on river areas like Brooks Falls that Alaskan brown bears frequent.
Related Links:
- The Least Visited National Parks in 2018
- Visit all the National Park Sites in Alaska
- 13 National Parks With Bears
5. Yosemite National Park
- Visitors who long for a trip up the granite slope of Half Dome will love webcams maintained by the Yosemite Conservancy. Yosemite National Park also has webcams focused on El Capitan, the Merced River, and Yosemite Falls. This webcam, located at about 8,000 feet in elevation, shows Half Dome and the surrounding high country – Image courtesy of Yosemite Conservancy and Yosemite National Park
Related Links:
- Hiking Yosemite National Park: The Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls Trail
- 14 National Parks with Big Trees
- 17 National Parks with Stunning Waterfalls
6. Glacier National Park
- Glacier National Park maintains 9 webcams in the park including the park headquarters and lookout from the top of Apgar Mountain. Glacier’s webcams were some of the first to go online in the country.
Related Links:
- Glacier National Park Trip Planning Toolkit
- 3 Best Places to See Wildlife in Glacier National Park
- Park Chaser’s Best of Glacier National Park
- Hiking Glacier National Park: The Grinnell Glacier Trail
7. Rocky Mountain National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park boasts one of the highest visitor centers in the United States. That makes the webcam that overlooks the Alpine Visitor Center area one of the highest too.
Related Links:
- Park Chaser’s Best of Rocky Mountain National Park
- The Best Fall Hikes in Rocky Mountain National Park
- Camping in Rocky Mountain National Park: The Moraine Park Campground
- 3 Best Places to See Elk in Rocky Mountain National Park
8. Denali Sled-Dog Camera
- Many National Park fans are unaware that Denali breeds a litter of sled-dog puppies each season. Beginning in spring and early summer of each year, one of Denali’s webcams is centered live on the puppy kennel where viewers can watch the puppies grow under the careful watch of the park rangers.
Related Links:
- Camping in Denali National Park: The Riley Creek Campground
- 4 Myths About Camping in Denali National Park
- Alaska Vacation Recap: Denali National Park and Preserve
9. Mount Rainier National Park
- Ever wonder what Paradise looks like? Mount Rainier National Park has a number of webcams fixed on the Paradise Visitor Center Area. Keep track of the winter road status, take in the views of the mountain side, or just enjoy a few minutes of get-away.
10. Climber’s Ranch – Grand Teton National Park
- It is not often that the peaks of the Grand Teton range are visible through the foggy clouds on Grand Teton National Park’s webcams.
Related Links:
- 3 Best Spots to See Wildlife in Grand Teton National Park
- Hiking Grand Teton National Park: Inspiration Point
- The Most Visited National Parks in 2018
11. Padre Islands National Seashore
- For a real beach get-away, visit the webcam of Padre Islands National Seashore in Texas. Pointed straight out to the Gulf of Mexico, visitors can enjoy the waves and some sunshine from miles away.
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