If you are a fan of our country's National Park system, National Geographic has published the perfect book for you. Their Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman is a lush coffee table book designed to please the outdoor traveler.

It begins with a overview of the National Parks system, starting with the creation of the National Parks Service in 1916 signed into law by President Woodrow Wilson. This beautiful book has over 200 maps, photos, and illustrations. History buffs will enjoy the many old photos and maps that show the parks as they were. Science fans will be attracted to the topographical maps and information about the flora and animals found in the parks, and art majors will love the historical paintings that feature the parks.

There are so many interesting facts here, like the top fifteen most visited parks (did you guess that the Great Smoky Mountains Park is number one with more than 11 million annual visitors?). The Extremes Map has lots of trivia - the oldest park (Yellowstone, established in 1872), the only park south of the equator (National Park of American Samoa), and the smallest park by area (Thaddeus Koscuiszko Park in New Jersey is .02 acres).

The sections are divided up by region- from the Eastern Coast & Forest Parks to Alaska & Hawaii Parks. There are fun facts interspersed in each section that you can use as ice breakers at a party- Cadillac Mountain is the highest peak on the Atlantic Coast, and from October to March is the first place in America to see the sunrise, and Butch Cassidy's gang hidout in Canyonlands National Park in the rock walls there known as Robbers Roost.

Of course the photos are stunning, as one would expect to find in a National Geographic publication. You'd swear some of them were paintings- like the photo of the Grand Teton National Park, Bear Lake in the Rocky Mountain National Park, and Snug Harbor Park in Isle Royale National Park- they look so breathtaking.

After extensively covering 32 of the largest and most popular parks, there is a section that gives an overview of the smaller and lesser-known parks, like Mesa Verde in Colorado, Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio, and Virgin Islands National Park.

Atlas of the National Parks is a comprehensive look at some of the most beautiful places in our nation. If you have someone on your holiday gift list who has visited some of them or always wanted to visit them, give them this beautiful book. ( )

Do I really have to write that this a most stunning book? It is from National Geographic so you know the photos are going to be out of this world – and they are. The large, coffee table book opens with a discussion of the National Park system and from there breaks down the Parks by area; Eastern Coast and Forest Parks, Central Plains, Lakes and Mountains Parks, Desert Southwest Parks, Pacific Northwest Parks, Alaska and Hawaii Parks and More National Parks at a Glance.

Each Park featured is introduced with words, maps and photos. If you have visited a specific Park you can look it up and relive your trip. If you are planning a trip you can learn some valuable information about the place you want to visit. If you want to dream, this book lets your soul take wing.

Take Yellowstone – my favorite Park. The Park is in three states; Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Mostly Wyoming but that doesn’t keep Montana from claiming it. It is a place of unparalled beauty and if you can get there I encourage you to do so. If you can’t this glorious book will at least give you a gourmet taste so you can dream until you visit.

It’s the kind of book you keep around to pull out when you need your spirits lifted because the beauty found inside can’t help but give you hope for a better world. The book also educates you as to the various eco systems found in the US and the beauty that can be found within them. I had no idea how beautiful the desert could be until we traveled through southern Utah. Oh.My.Word. The area that encompasses Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches National Parks is astoundingly beautiful. Stunning red rock vistas. Not far from them are Zion and Bryce Canyon – also glorious visions of what nature can offer but in a different way.

Southern Utah is a place I feel fortunate to have spent so much time visiting. Reading through this book took me back to those days. If you know someone who has been gifting this to them will bring back their visit and remind them of that joy. Otherwise it could be a vicarious visit for you.

I cannot say enough about how gorgeous this book is. I have picked it up so many times to just revisit a Park. Like Acadia in Maine. It’s been decades since we visited there and yet looking at the chapter reminded me of the glory of that trip in the early days of our marriage.

This is a magnificent book on so many levels. From the photos to the vast amount of information presented about the National Park system. It would definitely be a fantastic addition to any home library. ( )