“Please bring back Parks Madness next year!” voter Lauren Schwartz wrote to us. “Sorry to see it end. Thanks to the Parks Channel for putting this together. It has been so much fun to read the stories and memories of other Park Lovers.”
There’s no ignoring it: our annual Parks Madness competition is falling under a very different atmosphere than last year, when the grandaddy of them all, Yellowstone, outpolled Zion by 64-36% to take home the trophy. Even if your favorite park didn’t make it very far, we kept hearing from voters how much they enjoyed the chance to celebrate and debate the astounding range of cherished places our country has protected.
The mood has changed this year. Our public lands are under threat at a level never seen before. While there has always been some push and pull in the question of preservation vs. exploitation, the basic idea of protecting our heritage has been a core value of “We the People” – something the vast majority of us, despite our many differences, could always agree on. To paraphrase Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert, public lands are not a political issue, they’re an ideological one. Both major parties have long and distinguished histories recognizing their value.
Now is not a time for complacency. If you want to add your voice to efforts to protect public lands, please check out our blog post on what you can do.
But now is also not a time to despair. We believe there is real merit in reminding folks why “We the People” protected these spaces in the first place. Why they’re special. How they bring us together. Why they pay off unimaginably, and unforgettably, for the paltry investment it requires to keep them safe.
So we’re doing Parks Madness again, in hopes that we can revive the spirit of the common good. We will be changing the tone, however, to reflect the madness of the moment. Last year our messaging leaned into the over-the-top jargon of sports conquests, with headlines like “Forest Topples Mountain” when Redwood got more votes than Denali, and “Zion Snuffs Out Smokies.”
The very idea of elimination hits a little too close to home this year, so we’ll be taking a softer tone. Remember the entire point of this: these are ALL our shared treasures. None is a loser! As you go through each matchup in each bracket, we ask you not to think of it as one park “defeating” another, but simply to ask this question, If I could only go to one of these this year, which would it be? That calculation can take in all sorts of factors, including whether you’ve been there before, or the all-too-real problem of overcrowding, or even whether it’s a place you’ve never heard of but it sounds interesting.
We also really hope to double-down on interaction. Last year we received hundreds of photos and comments from all across the country, and it was clear that round by round, people were getting more and more into it. This year we’ve added a comment functionality on our website, which you’ll see at the bottom of this page, and we want to hear more from you throughout the tournament! Opinions on when and where to go, favorite memories – maybe even a few park fails! There will also be a couple of ways to share photos and videos of your picks for park of the year. Please be sure as well to rope in all your friends and family to what will no doubt be the event of the year. After all, sharing is caring…
A few important changes to relate for Parks Madness 2025:
• Yellowstone Drops the Mic. After getting a first-round bye and winning handily last year, the world’s first national park is not on the bracket. We know that probably disappoints some of you – and by all means, share with us your displeasure and the reasons for it! We are not declaring it the GOAT by any means and reserve the right to bring it back next year. We just want to shine a light on other places that don’t get as much attention. Its 2024 crown remains firmly attached to that bison’s head, so be on the lookout for it!
• History Enters Play. This year we’ve added some of our most famous historical monuments to the competition, for the simple reason that history includes parks too (in fact two-thirds of National Park Service sites are historical) and they too represent our shared heritage. With the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence coming up next year, it’s a great time to start showcasing our historical treasures. We also hope this spawns some challenging decisions for voters.
• Not Just National. We’ve broadened out the entries to include a few iconic names that are not national parks. Trivia question: what’s the city park that draws more visitors than the National Mall? Also, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, so we’ve added the world’s most famous footpath and a few other significant trails. Their addition, along with historical sites, means that not all 63 national parks are represented. If we left out one of your favorites, let us know about it!
• Geographic Variety. Unlike last year, when the four brackets were divided by region, we’ve thrown everything in a blender and created four brackets with four iconic park creatures: Bald Eagle, Bear, Bison and Owl. Each bracket has a mix of entrants and matchups that vary widely, with the goal of increasing competition. Some feature an inter-state rivalry, or a clash of environments. Some are simply matchups based on seeding. We’ll have more to say about how the brackets came together later.
For now, get ready for the fun! Here’s the schedule:
Bracket Release: Friday April 25.
First Round (Round of 64): April 25 – May 4. Winners announced on Monday, May 5.
Second Round (Round of 32): May 5-8. Winners announced on Friday, May 9.
Sweet 16: May 9-11. Winners announced on Monday, May 12.
Elite Eight: May 12-15. Winners announced on Friday, May 16.
Final Four: May 16-19. Winners announced on Tuesday, May 20.
Championship Game: May 20-22. Winner announced on Friday, May 23.
Have comments on the plan? Send ‘em our way below…
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