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Explore National Parks Through Maps Out Of History

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Maps unlock the world in front of us...even if we're not standing right in front of the landscape contained on the map we're gazing at. They allow us to wander through the landscape, cross mountains, ford rivers and streams, and envision campsites in the backcountry. And, in the case of a new eBook, they allow us to look into the past of some national park settings.

In an atlas holding a dozen or so yellowed maps, Dave Broer allows us to take a decades-old look at parks such as Crater Lake, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Glacier, and Mammoth Cave...before it was a national park...in a compilation he's created for national park junkies.

Historic Maps of the National Parks of the United States ($4.99), features maps from the early 1900s up to mid-century. Drawn in many cases by U.S. Geological Survey cartographers with some roads and trails added by the National Park Service, the maps, when compared to today's maps, quickly show changes time has brought to the parks.

Take the map of Mount Rainier, for example. The Russell Glacier, which these days falls short of reaching Echo Rock, wrapped around that feature and stretched towards Seattle Park when the map was drawn in 1938. There is no Skyline Drive on the 1934 edition of the "proposed" Shenandoah National Park. Many Glacier was still a "chalet," and not yet a "hotel" in Glacier National Park.

For long winter nights, rainy afternoons, or in the lodge after a day in the park, these maps bring an added, interesting, perspective to the parks.

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The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.