The 10+ Best National Park Podcasts to Listen to on a Road Trip!
Are you looking for a good podcast for the road? These are the ten best National Park podcasts, plus a few more! I’ve listened to all of them and I would love to help you select the best ones for you or you and your family. Make sure to download enough episodes in case you run out of service, so these can keep you occupied for your entire road trip! Or listen ahead of time to get some good trip planning tips.
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1. Exploring the National Parks with Dirt in My Shoes
Ash, who is a former park ranger and founder of Dirt in My Shoes, teams up with her husband John to talk about all of their experiences in the National Parks. This podcast is great if you are interested in trip planning resources, fun facts, adventures, and mishaps. She also provides unique tidbits about what it’s like to be a park ranger! These two have really fun personalities so they are also very entertaining to listen to.
Episode Length: Most episodes range from 20 minutes to 1 hour in length
Episode Frequency: Weekly
INteresting Episodes of Dirt in My shoes:
There are several interesting and unique episodes of Dirt in My Shoes that you should listen to. Some of the ones I thought were really fun and helpful were:
- “Scariest National Park Roads Ranked: Episode 23”
- “Stupid National Park Behavior: Episode 31”
- “National Park Hiking Trails Ranked: Episode 11”
- “The First Five National Parks: Episode 65”
2. National Park After Dark
True crime lovers, this one is for you! Cassie and Danielle are best friends that share their love for the outdoors combined with their interest of murder and mystery in our National Parks. Each episode has creepy and thrilling stories of crimes that have occurred in the rural lands of the USA. And they have plenty of episodes to keep you company on your long road trip. This is definitely a top contender for the number one spot of the best National Park podcasts!
Episode length: 45 minutes to 1 hour, twice weekly episodes plus more content available to subscribers!
Episode frequency: Usually every 3-4 days
Interesting Episodes of National Park After Dark:
- Night of the Grizzlies Part 1 & 2 (this story is WILD – it’s also a book and movie)
- Grandma Gatewood: The Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
- The Solved Shenendoah Murders with Kathryn Miles
3. America’s National Parks Podcast
This podcast is great if you’re looking for more bite sized episodes. These episodes range in topics from news updates, parks history, interesting stories, and more. They also talk about all the national park units and not just the 63 major parks. This might also be the podcast for you if you prefer shorter episodes and almost 250 episodes to catch up on.
Episode length: 15-30 minutes
Episode frequency: Schedule somewhat variable usually from weekly to biweekly
Interesting Episodes of America’s National Parks Podcast:
- Yellowstone Mass Shooting Foiled
- National Park News: Pot Farms Keep Cropping up in Death Valley National Park
- Women Trailblazers of the National Park Service
4. Dear Bob and Sue: A National Parks Podcast
Authors Matt and Karen Smith host this podcast and share stories of their travels to all the U.S. National Parks. Other episodes feature trip guides based on personal experience, mailbag episodes where all of your questions are answered, and more special episodes like gift guides, haunted National Parks, and more! They also have written a couple books about their travels to each National park.
Episode length: Long episodes usually at least 1 hour long
Episode frequency: Usually weekly
Fun Episodes of Dear Bob and Sue:
- The Legacy of the Buffalo Soldiers in our National Parks
- Unique Experiences in the National Parks
- Ghost Towns of the National Parks
5. National Parks Traveler Podcast
This podcast is a nonprofit, independent media company dedicated to covering National Parks and other protected areas by presenting a variety of topics. The hosts cover all of the National Parks, National Monuments, National Park foundations, and more. Topics discussed include current events and news, climate change, political issues the parks face, and fun episodes like hidden gems. This podcast will be especially interesting to you like news style podcasts and if you want to know more about the lesser known units of the National Park Service.
Episode Length: 40 minutes to 1 hour
Episode frequency: Weekly
Interesting Episodes of the National Parks Traveler:
- Climate Change Impacts on Acadia
- Grizzly Confidential
- The Future of the Endangered Species Act
6. Gaze at the National Parks
Dustin and Michael record these episodes about their hiking experiences in the National Parks. Each episode details one hike in one National Park! In addition to the hiking episodes, they have “trail mix” episodes that discuss different National Parks topics. This podcast would be a great resource if you’re looking for first hand experience for specific trails and it feels like you’re having a conversation with your hilarious friends.
Episode Length: 20 minutes to 1 hour long
Episode Frequency: Weekly
Fun Episodes of Gaze at the National Parks
- The Summit Episodes are great for the wrap ups of the season!
- Trail Mix: Pets in the Parks
- Grinnell Glacier Trail
7. Switchbacks: Our Year in the National Parks
Cole and Elizabeth Donelson quit their jobs in 2015 and visited all of the US National Parks. While there have been no new episodes since 2020, this podcast still makes my list of favorites. They have over 80 episodes dedicated to “how to visit” guides and other bonus episodes. What I love most about this podcast is the way they discuss the history and facts about the parks. I love the conversational tone, and getting the background of the parks without it being boring! They also give great tips on things to do and where to stay.
Episode length: 30-75 minutes
Episode frequency: No longer making new episodes
Best Episodes of Switchbacks:
- How to Visit Hawaii Volcanoes
- How to Visit Mount Rainier National Park
9. Who Runs This Park
Who Runs this Park is a podcast where Maddie Pellman interviews National Park Superintendents to get an idea of how the National Parks are run. You’ll get a look into the behind the scenes of the National Parks in this unique perspective. Listen to this podcast to hear people’s stories and adventures.
Episode length: 1 hour
Episode frequency: ~ every 2 weeks
Favorite Episodes of National Park Explorer:
- Lake Clark National Park
- Glacier National Park
9. Hindsight Hikers
This couple discusses National Parks as well as some other destinations like the Idaho Sawtooth Mountains and tips on traveling with a baby. They also aren’t afraid to get candid and talk about their least favorite National Parks or some of the challenges they’ve had on their travels.
Episode length: 15-45 minutes
Episode Frequency: sporadic
Interesting Episodes of Hindsight Hikers:
- National Park Fun Facts
- Our Least Favorite National Parks
10. Park Predators
A true crime podcast hosted by Delia D’Ambra with a bit more of a serious tone than National Park after Dark. “Sometimes the most beautiful places hide the darkest secrets”. Follow along as she dives into stories about missing and murdered people in our National Parks.
Episode length: 30-45 minutes
Episode frequency: Weekly
Best Episodes of Park Predators:
- The Forest
- The Cliff
Other National Parks Podcasts:
- National Park Adventures: Ashley hosts on her first season with straightforward information on National Park overviews, fun things to do, hikes, scenic drives, where to eat, and where to stay. Episodes are 20-30 minutes.
- Made For You and Me: This podcast has over 50 episodes on the podcast app, but no new episodes since 2022. They do have some interesting episodes like the most common ways to die in a National Park and some fun banter between friends!
- American Field Trip: A National Parks Podcast: A brand new podcast, by hosts who have visited every single national park. They only have four episodes at this point, but it will be a great one to look out for! Episodes ~20-30 minutes.
Looking for books to read before you visit the National Parks? Here is our list of Top 10 Books to Read Before Visiting a National Park! We also made a list of the 10+ Best Parenting Audiobooks for a Road Trip.
Okay, now that you have 10 of the best National Park podcasts to choose from, use our National Parks Guides to plan your next vacation!
Happy travels!
