Documentaries on the National Parks Services for National Parks Week

National Parks Week is held in April each year and is a time to celebrate our national parks, learn about their history, and help the preservation and conservation efforts of the NPS. The parks host a variety of events and workshops during the week to help educate visitors, however, you don’t need to travel to celebrate National Parks Week.

There are many documentaries on the National Parks Service that you can watch online or offer as film screenings, whether it be hosted inside your library or at an outdoor venue for your community.

We’ve included a list of some of the best documentaries on the NPS, specific parks, and the history of climbing at Yosemite for you to celebrate National Parks Week wherever you may be. We also highly recommend Discoveries… America National Parks collection from Bennett-Watt HD Productions.

Documentaries on Multiple National Parks

The National Parks: America’s Best Idea

This six-part documentary series was produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. It was filmed over the course of six years, telling the story of how the National Parks Service began and the creation of six national parks: Acadia, Yosemite, Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, the Florida Everglades, and the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.

This series is available to stream on the PBS website. The run time of each episode varies from 112 to 133 minutes.

National Parks Adventure

This documentary was originally released for IMAX theaters in 2016, the 100th birthday of the NPS. Directed by Greg MacGillivray and narrated by Robert Redford, it follows the story of how the parks were born and why people travel across the world to see them.

National Parks Adventure is a sweeping overview of the NPS history that is both “equal parts adrenaline-pumping odyssey and soulful reflection on what the wilderness means to us all.”

The run time is 43 minutes and it is available to watch for free on Youtube through GoUSA TV.

More Than Just Parks

More Than Just Parks was started by two brothers with a commitment to conservation and preservation who wanted to share the beauty of national parks and public lands with everyone. They create short films of 3 - 5 minutes, showcasing the beauty of individual national parks with video and time-lapse photography.

The short films are available on Youtube and a collection of their videos can be found on their website. They also provide educational guides, resources, and articles about the national parks for those interested in learning more.

Park Specific Documentaries

The Great Yellowstone Thaw

This three-part series was co-produced by BBC and PBS and follows animals in Yellowstone park as the seasons change. Most people visit the park in the summer when the weather is nice, but this series shows how different animals and wildlife cope with extreme temperature changes of up to 140 degrees, including bison, wolves, grizzly bears, beavers, and great gray owls.

Each episode is 54 minutes. The three episodes follow the brutal winter, spring thawing, and wildfires as temperatures start to increase.

This series can be watched on the PBS website.

Into the Canyon

Directed by Peter McBride, who also stars alongside friend Kevin Fedarko, this documentary follows the two as they trek the 750-mile journey through the Grand Canyon on foot. Hiking the full length has not been completed by many, and it is a dangerous and grueling journey. However, the goal of this documentary is not just to show this trek, but to bring attention to the environmental dangers facing one of the most well-known parks.

The run time is 1 hour and 22 minutes. It was originally produced with National Geographic. It was originally produced with National Geographic and can be streamed on Disney+.

Documentaries on Climbing El Capitan

Free Solo

Centered around the world’s most famous rock, El Capitan in Yosemite Park, this National Geographic documentary follows free soloist climber Alex Honnold as he prepares to free climb the 3,000 ft rock. Directors E. Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin capture Honnold as he accomplishes this lifelong dream all while showcasing the beauty and history of El Capitan and Yosemite.

The run time is 1 hour and 40 minutes. It was originally produced with National Geographic. It was originally produced with National Geographic and can be streamed on Disney+.

Valley Uprising

Released in 2014, Valley Uprising follows the rock climbing history and evolution of Yosemite valley. Directors Nick Rosen and Pete Mortimer interviewed 50 climbers over seven years in order to accurately show the history of climbing that originated in the valley and the rebellion and counterculture over the past 60 years. They show the stories of generations of climbers and the first free climb of El Capitan that set the precedent for climbers to follow.

The run time is 1 hour and 38 minutes. It is available on Prime Video for members and is streaming free on Tubi.

The Dawn Wall

This documentary is a story of perseverance and friendship as climbers Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson attempt to climb the Dawn Wall of El Capitan. The two spent six years planning and practicing their route, blurring the line between obsession and dedication. They are both battling their own inner demons, which are juxtaposed against their seemingly impossible climbing goal.

Over the course of 19 days in January of 2015, they climbed the Dawn Wall and made history, catching the attention of journalists around the country.

The run time is 1 hour and 40 minutes. It is not currently available on any streaming services for free but can be rented or purchased through a variety of digital video platforms.