Explore National Parks vs National Parks Journal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Explore National Parks
Access detailed information for all national parks, including web pages, social media links, and weather forecasts. Subscribe for a monthly donation to support the developer.
- National Park web pages
- Twitter integration
- Facebook integration
- Instagram integration
- Weather forecasts
- Monthly developer donation option
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This App provides National Park related media as follows: National Park web page for all parks Twitter Facebook Instagram Weather Disclosure regarding auto-renewing subscription, if purchased, is as follows: - Title of publication or service is as follows: "Donate $0.99 USD to App Developer monthly." - Length of subscription (time period) is one month. - Price of subscription is as follows: $ 0.99. - Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. - Subscription automatically renews unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. - Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and the cost of the renewal will be $ 0.99. - Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. - No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during active subscription period. - Link to Privacy Policy is as follows: http://privacy-policy-sta.tumblr.com - Link to Terms of Use is as follows: http://terms-of-service-sta.tumblr.com - Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication.
National Parks Journal
Document your visits to all 63 US national parks with a personal travel companion. Track visited parks, capture memories with photos and journal entries, and create shareable video reels. Everything works offline and remains private on your device.
- Track visited national parks
- Journal entries for each park
- Photo gallery organization
- Create video reels from photos
- Offline functionality
- Digital park passport and stamps
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National Parks Journal is your personal travel companion for all 63 US national parks. Track every park you visit, capture your favorite memories with photos and journal entries, and create stunning video reels to share your adventure. Everything works offline and stays private on your device. Generate a collectible park passport and have it delivered to your inbox. Whether you are planning a trip to Yellowstone, exploring the trails of Zion, or chasing sunsets at Grand Canyon, this app helps you document your journey through every national park on your checklist. Track Your National Parks Journey Keep a running checklist of every national park you have visited. See your progress across all 63 parks, check which ones remain on your bucket list, and organize your collection by state or region. Your personal park passport tracks each visit so you never lose count. Create Video Reels in Seconds Turn your national park photos into beautiful video reels instantly. Select your favorite shots from any trip and our engine builds a shareable reel set to music. Perfect for reliving your travel memories or sharing your adventure on social media. Write Your Travel Journal Go beyond a simple checklist. Add detailed diary entries for each park visit. Record the trails you hiked, the wildlife you spotted, and the scenery that took your breath away. Your digital travel journal keeps every memory organized by park. Organize Your Photo Gallery Upload and organize photos park by park. Keep your gallery sorted so you can always find that perfect shot from Yosemite, Zion, or the Grand Canyon without scrolling endlessly. Every photo stays on your device. Completely Offline and Private No login required. No accounts. No ads. Your journal, photos, checklist, and video reels stay on your device. National Parks Journal works without internet, making it the perfect travel companion for remote parks where service is unreliable. Plan Your National Park Road Trips National Parks Journal is perfect for road trips that cover multiple parks in one adventure. Planning a trip through Utah? Track your visits to Zion, Bryce Canyon, Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef all in one journey. Exploring the California coast? Document your stops at Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Channel Islands. Headed to the Pacific Northwest? Keep a diary of your time at Olympic, Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Crater Lake. Every trip, every park, every memory in one place. Collect Your Digital Park Stamps Build your personal stamp collection as you explore. Each national park visit is tracked with the date and details you choose to add. Watch your progress grow from your first park to all 63. Whether you have visited the iconic parks like Rocky Mountain, Glacier, and Great Smoky Mountains or discovered hidden gems like Congaree, Voyageurs, and Dry Tortugas, your digital passport keeps a record of every adventure. Made for Every National Park Traveler Solo travelers, couples on a vacation, families on a summer road trip, or experienced explorers working through their bucket list. National Parks Journal fits your style. Use it as a simple trip tracker or as a detailed travel diary with photos and journal entries for every stop. From the volcanic scenery of Hawaii Volcanoes to the rugged wilderness of Denali, from the white sands of Biscayne to the ancient forests of Redwood, your national park story deserves to be remembered. Your National Parks Adventure Starts Here Whether you are a seasoned explorer chasing all 63 parks or a first-time visitor planning your next vacation, National Parks Journal is the free, ad-free, and private way to track and document your national park journey. From Acadia to Zion, start your adventure today. National Parks Journal is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service (NPS). All park information is based on publicly available data.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: National Parks Journal at none against Explore National Parks's 2. National Parks Journal also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (9 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Explore National Parks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. National Parks Journal asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Explore National Parks against 4.9 for National Parks Journal. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: National Parks Journal has 9 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Explore National Parks ships an update every 3 months, National Parks Journal weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and July 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Explore National Parks | National Parks Journal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.9 (9 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 9 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.5 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 67 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Support The App | Vaibhav Teli |
Customer experience
Explore National Parks
National Parks Journal
In-app purchases
Explore National Parks
- Donate monthly.$0.991 Month
- Donate one time.$1.99
National Parks Journal
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Explore National Parks free?
Is National Parks Journal free?
Which has better reviews, Explore National Parks or National Parks Journal?
Do Explore National Parks or National Parks Journal have ads?
Which is updated more often, Explore National Parks or National Parks Journal?
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