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Sunrise at Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

America's 10 Most Visited National Parks

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is basically the popular girl in high school that you can’t hate because she’s really nice and fun.

It's time you saw Zion National Park's Narrows in person.

Celebrate National Park Week by Winning a $10,000 National Park Adventure

Waiting for a windfall to justify your dream vacation at Yellowstone National Park? This could be it.

A photograph of Harriet Tubman taken by Harvey B. Lindsley in the 1870s.

Archaeologists Have Located the Site of Harriet Tubman’s Family Home in Maryland

The Underground Railroad conductor honed her wilderness skills around the cabin her father built in the 1840s.

Utahraptor State Park will be located on land nearby Arches National Park, pictured here.

Utah Is Getting Two New State Parks

Utahraptor State Park owes its name to a massive, velociraptor-like dinosaur whose fossils were first found in the area.

The app even has offline capabilities for use in the wild.

The National Park Service’s New App Will Help You Make the Most of Any National Park Visit

Want an audio tour of the 'Star Wars' filming locations in Death Valley? The National Park Service app has one.

Your new mantra could come from any corner of the world.

Interactive World Wisdom Map Teaches You Life Lessons From Around the World

Some of the best quotes about life come from regular people—this interactive map connects you with them.

The Quest for the North Pole: A Historical Timeline of Arctic Exploration

From Leif Eriksson’s chance continental landing to Ralph Plaisted’s trailblazing snowmobile adventure, here’s how Arctic exploration unfolded.

The Alfred Wegener Institute research ship Polarstern reached the North Pole on August 19, 2020, during the year-long MOSAiC expedition to study climate change in the Arctic.

11 Frosty Facts About the North Pole

For most of history, the North Pole was the stuff of legends and wild theories. Now people run a marathon there every April. Here are more unexpected facts about the top of the world.

The U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Why Isn't Washington, D.C., a State?

Residents of Washington, D.C., have no governor, no voting representation in Congress, and only limited local authority. The reason is simple: D.C. isn't a state.

Mt. Everest Just Got a Tiny Bit Taller, After Years of Disputes Between China and Nepal

The legendary summit is now nearly 2 feet taller, thanks to China and Nepal thawing out their contentious debate over its size.

A young beaver with all four feet firmly on the ground.

Watch: In 1948, Idaho Officials Sent 76 Beavers Parachuting Into Idaho’s Wilderness

“It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a parachuting beaver!” —Something you probably thought you’d never say.

The Trailblazing Story of Alexandrine Tinné, the Victorian Explorer Who Attempted to Cross the Sahara Desert

Alexine Tinné's quests to find the source of the Nile River and cross the Sahara Desert were no luxury holiday.

How African Dust Storms Create the Caribbean’s Beautiful Beaches—and Protect Them from Hurricanes

Bermuda's red soil and the Bahamas's white-sand beaches might have come from the same place: the Sahara Desert.

An 1847 illustration of the HMS Terror and HMS Erebus during an earlier Arctic expedition, by James Wilson Carmichael.

Little Weesy Coppin, the Ghost That Foretold the Franklin Expedition’s Fate

The British ships HMS 'Terror' and HMS 'Erebus' had vanished while searching for the Northwest Passage. A young Irish ghost purportedly knew where they were.

In Scandinavia, there's always time for a cup of coffee.

The 25 Countries That Drink the Most Coffee in the World

Finland is the ultimate champion at staying caffeinated, but its Scandinavian neighbors put up some impressive numbers, too.

Amazing Interactive Map Shows You Which Dinosaurs Roamed Your Neighborhood Millions of Years Ago

From glaciers to dinosaurs, this globe gives you a snapshot of what life was like during Earth’s adolescence.

The Most Popular Songs Named After Each Country

This map shows the world's most popular songs with country names in the title, from "Russian Roulette" by Rihanna to "Walk Like an Egyptian" by The Bangles.

Earthquakes don't cause giant cartoonish chasms to open up, but they can tear up the landscape like this.

9 Rockin' Facts About Earthquakes

Fear not: the chances of “The Big One” hitting while you read this article are very, very slim. But that doesn't mean you should let your guard down.

It's not Schitt's Creek, but it could be.

Tiny Ghost Town of Cleator, Arizona (Pop. 8) Can Be Yours for $1.25 Million

Cleator, Arizona, a former gold mining town, is home to a fake yacht club, eight humans, five dogs, and two grumpy cats.

News anchors have mastered the art of being linguistically neutral.

Why Do So Many News Anchors Sound Alike?

No matter where you are in the country, local and national news anchors have the same vocal delivery. There's a good reason why they learn it.

James Cook's journeys took him to New Zealand, Australia, and Hawaii.

12 Adventurous Facts About James Cook

James Cook was the first European to sail around New Zealand, land on Australia's east coast, and set foot on the Hawaiian Islands.

Lítla Dímun: The Smallest of the Faroe Islands Has Its Very Own Cloud

Thanks to an interesting weather phenomenon, Lítla Dímun in Denmark's Faroe Islands is often capped by a flying-saucer-shaped cloud.

The Netherlands Is Asking the World Not to Call It “Holland” Anymore—Here’s Why

It’s part of a tourism campaign to take the heat off clogged vacation spots like Amsterdam and other popular cities.

7 Mysterious Geological Formations That Still Baffle Scientists

From a lake the color of Pepto-Bismol to mysterious rock rings in the Sahara Desert, these strange geological wonders continue to stump scientists.

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