Buzz
With the sun shining bright, the days stretching long, and the temperature rising, it’s the ideal season to venture outdoors and experience the beauty of nature. Whether you're exploring a vast national park or a cozy green space near home, these YouTube channels will fuel your desire to discover the world beyond.
10. National Geographic
National Geographic is a household name, and their YouTube channel showcases breathtaking footage of the great outdoors, national parks, untamed landscapes, underwater explorations, and much more. You'll also find a variety of their award-winning documentaries, engaging “Today I Learned” clips, and other fascinating stories that go beyond just time-lapse park views and camping escapades—though they feature those too, and they’re always a thrill to watch.
9. GoPro
GoPro’s YouTube channel is a mix of marketing and pure visual splendor—since all the videos are filmed using GoPro cameras, they do want you to consider buying one. But beyond that, the channel features breathtaking footage of things that are incredibly hard to capture otherwise. Whether it’s high-energy adventure sports, soaring above in high-altitude flights, or quirky backyard science experiments, the content is packed with inspiration to get moving, whether it’s hiking, cycling, mountaineering, or even a relaxed stroll in your local park or garden.
8. REI
Known for its outdoor gear stores, REI’s YouTube channel offers an engaging mix of advice, product reviews, and guided tours through nature. For instance, the video above provides a comprehensive guide on camping during winter, while this one takes you on a journey along the renowned Tour du Mont Blanc. Not into hiking? There’s also a fantastic guide to prepping your bike for city cycling, which is especially handy for those of us without quick access to wilderness escapes. And if you're up for a challenge, this 10-day trek to Machu Picchu might just be the ultimate adventure.
7. Guide You Outdoors
Guide You Outdoors is all about motivating you to explore the natural world, embrace outdoor spaces, and enjoy the adventure. The channel’s offerings range from simple knot-tying tutorials to serene winter walks through the forest, capturing all kinds of weather and scenic beauty along the way. They even offer tips for foraging and harvesting edible mushrooms while you're out and about. Overall, the channel is both educational and inspiring, with a very approachable, down-to-earth vibe.
6. 58 National Parks
As the name suggests, 58 National Parks is a channel dedicated to exploring national parks and untamed landscapes. It features stunning visitor guides, such as the one for Crater Lake (shown above), as well as others like Canyonlands National Park in Utah and Lassen Volcanic National Park in California. These concise video tours will introduce you to all the wonders each park has to offer, and spark a desire to visit them yourself. Whether it’s a quick virtual getaway or a starting point for your next adventure, this channel has you covered.
5. Wintertrekker
If you’re more interested in the authentic experience of being outdoors—setting up camp, creating a space, and leaving it better than you found it—Wintertrekker is the YouTube channel for you. True to its name, most of the videos are set in cold or fall/winter months, giving you a glimpse into the beauty of the outdoors during some of the most peaceful and picturesque seasons, with fewer crowds around. Plus, since many of the adventures are solo journeys, you’ll gain valuable insights on how to navigate the wilderness when you're by yourself.
4. Peak Survival
Peak Survival’s YouTube channel focuses on outdoor survival techniques and preparation for emergencies or roughing it without the conveniences of home. You’ll find guidance on packing essential emergency kits, how to properly hang a bear bag while camping, reviews of various pre-made emergency kits, MRE (meals ready-to-eat) breakdowns and reviews, and more.
3. Adventure Archives
Adventure Archives is a group of three friends who explore the wilderness and take you along on their adventures. While this is a simple way to describe it, their journey is filled with valuable tips on hiking, tracking, camping, and surviving outdoors. You’ll also learn how to truly enjoy your time in nature, discover amazing sights, and perhaps get inspired to experience some of these places yourself. Even if you can’t make it out there, you can live vicariously through their 4K footage of parks like Shenandoah and Yosemite, or tune into their Campfire Chronicles podcast. Either way, it’s an experience you won’t regret.
2. Find Your Park
Find Your Park may be a smaller channel, but it’s definitely worth checking out. Managed by the National Park Service, it features videos that encourage you to get outdoors and explore the parks, help preserve them, and hear from those who are dedicated to conservation efforts. At the very least, it will motivate you to engage with nature, locate your nearest national park, and experience all it has to offer. Oh, and happy birthday, National Park Service.
1. The National Park Service
As mentioned with the Find Your Park channel, the National Park Service's official YouTube channel goes beyond simply encouraging you to explore nature. It’s filled with videos covering a wide range of topics, from promotional content about local parks and wild spaces (like the video above) to introductions to sacred sites across the United States, fascinating documentaries on subjects you might not have encountered before, and even a walking tour exploring the impact of climate change on our treasured wilderness areas.
Illustration by Nick Criscuolo.
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