In honor of Earth Day and the conclusion of National Parks Week, we’re celebrating some of our most popular outdoor classrooms!

Yellowstone National Park: A number of our team call Montana home, including Paul. We could dedicate this entire blog post on all that Yellowstone has to offer (we have several already!) but here are just a few of the highlights…

Yellowstone is the world’s first National Park and 2022 marks its 150 year anniversary. Under the expert guidance of our professional guides, we explore the places very few visitors get to experience and learn about the wildlife and their habitat. It is always a thrill to see and learn about the Yellowstone Big 5 (bison, bears, moose, bighorn sheep, and wolves). And in particular, the stories behind the incredibly successful 1995 reintroduction of wolves.

Yellowstone National Park also has over 10,000 thermal features, including the world’s highest concentration of geysers, hot springs, mud pots and more. This landscape is surreal and makes for one of the best places for students to learn and spend time in a truly wild place.

Everglades National Park: A distinctly different ecosystem than that of Yellowstone, but no less unique and inspiring. Everglades National Park is one of the largest wetlands in the world and one of the best outdoor classrooms to learn about freshwater ecology and wildlife in a subtropical wilderness.

Morning wet walks (known by locals as swampin’), offer the thrill of exploration in a fascinating landscape as you traverse through the cypress and hardwood forests looking for wildlife. You can also travel by Airboat into the Miccosukee Indian Reservation to visit a traditional indigenous village deep in the Everglades. Along the way, you’ll observe and learn about alligators, exotic birds, and more. We also combine this with a day spent snorkeling on the Florida Keys barrier reef and kayaking in the critical mangrove forest habitat. There’s no shortage of adventure! 

Grand Canyon National Park: Perhaps the most well-known National Park in the country, a trip to the Grand Canyon is a trip to one of the seven great natural wonders of the world.

In addition to the epic postcard-worthy sweeping views we’re all familiar with, touring in the Grand Canyon has much more to offer. Enjoy a morning trip to Sunset Crater National Monument and Wupatki National Monument, visit the Desert View Watchtower, and the famous Cameron Trading Post on the Navajo Reservation. For an alternate entrance and view, try a scenic float trip on the mighty Colorado river from Glen Canyon Dam to Lee’s Ferry, wildlife watching, ancient Petroglyphs, swimming, and continue to the Grand Canyon North Rim.

Grand Teton National Park: Located north of Jackson Hole Wyoming and just south of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park offers unparalleled hiking, boating, and wildlife viewing opportunities

Naturalist-led hikes into the forests and alpine lakes bring alive the stories of wildlife and forest ecology. We get to see firsthand how a forest recovers from wildfire or come in the fall and experience the awesome display of rutting Elk. Adventures down the Snake River Canyon via raft bring an element of excitement while a trip up the Jackson Hole Tram gets us into the high alpine peaks, without all the effort.

With such close proximity to Yellowstone, trips to Jackson and Grand Teton National Park are often combined with a trip to Yellowstone National Park as well.

All of our trip itineraries are customized to meet your specific goals. Our GTrek Programs feature science research, conservation, and adventure experiences designed to empower high school students. These educational tours equip students with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to make a difference in the world of conservation, help find their passion with potential science careers, and experience the awe of exploring some of the most critical habitats on the planet.

Interested in learning more about how you can incorporate a student group tour to a National Park into your curriculum? Request a complimentary quote today and an Education Program Specialist would be delighted to share more.

Global Travel Alliance is an authorized permittee of the National Park Service.