In celebration of National Public Lands Day, an annual event that takes place on the fourth Saturday of September, we have rounded up five of our favorite national parks in the United States. From icy glaciers and temperate rainforests to tropical underwater oases, the following national parks showcase a breadth of biodiversity from coast to coast.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK
Situated on the coast of Washington, Olympic National Park protects nearly 1 million acres. The Olympic mountains and old growth forests back up to a stunning, 73-mile coast featuring rocky islands and striking sea stacks, tidepools teeming with life, and appearances from whales and sea otters. Rialto Beach is famous for its scenic views of offshore islands and sea stacks. The most popular tidepooling spots include Beach 4, one of the Kalaloch beaches and Mora’s Hole in the Wall, where you can spot varied wildlife of the region from vibrant sea stars and nudibranchs to cunning octopuses and crabs.
GLACIER BAY NATIONAL PARK
From land to sea — Glacier Bay National Park has it all. The marine and terrestrial environments are closely connected, and many of the land-based animals like moose, bears, and wolves are reliant on the productive waters of Glacier Bay. One fifth of this national park is made up of water, which offers a diversity of marine animals from sea lions and seals to whales and orcas. Glacier Bay is also known for its array of iconic birds — puffins, bald eagles, and cormorants are just a few of the hundreds of species of birds that have been seen here.
ASSATEAGUE ISLAND NATIONAL SEASHORE
Assateague is well-known for the wild horses that freely roam along the oceanside. These horses are thought to have descended from domestic horses left by owners in the late 17th century. Beyond the famous hoofbeats and sandy dunes, this national seashore brims with unexpected life. Tens of thousands of shorebirds take refuge in the marshes and bay as the estuary provides protected breeding grounds for a variety of aquatic species, and crustaceans like the horseshoe and ghost crabs that are dependent on the beaches. And that’s not all — a multitude of land-based animals like deer, mice, snakes, raccoons, and foxes live in this protected natural habitat.
DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK
Less than 1% of this national park is dry land — the rest is underwater! As part of the Florida Keys reef system, this park is made up of a cluster of seven islands. Each encompasses beautiful coral reefs that are home to sharks, rays, octopuses, squid, lobsters, tropical fish, and more. It was originally named “Las Tortugas” for the numerous sea turtles found swimming around the islands! To this day, green and loggerhead sea turtles nest on the sandy beaches of this park. But turtles aren’t the only animals present in this natural playground — Dry Tortugas is a world class birding destination, with over 300 bird species spotted here.
CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
The Channel Islands are a series of eight islands off the coast of California. The National Park covers the northernmost five islands and their surrounding waters, preserving and protecting extensive natural and cultural resources. Their isolated position has created a unique ecosystem that is unlike anywhere else in the world — touted as the “Galapagos of North America” due to its rich biodiversity. Because of this, Oceana has taken multiple expeditions to the Channel Islands to explore and document ocean biodiversity and vulnerable species off Southern California. We will conduct a third expedition in November 2025 to build off the data and information we collected in 2024, so stay tuned!
LEARN MORE
These are just five of 433 national parks in the United States — each unique in their own way and all to be celebrated and cherished. But there’s something that doesn’t belong in these special places: plastic pollution. Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of the Interior recently ended a policy to reduce single-use plastics in our national parks and other important public lands.
Oceana polling has shown that the majority of U.S. voters believe single-use plastic items have no place in national parks.
And we agree — America’s national parks should be full of natural beauty — not plastic. Plastic pollution doesn’t just ruin the view. It pollutes ecosystems, endangers wildlife, and undermines the very purpose of protecting these public lands. We need Congress to step up and safeguard these special places by making our national parks plastic-free.
