Contrary to some signs you may see along state roads, there are not any National Parks in Massachusetts. There are, however, 15 different places that are under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service – they represent a variety of “unit designations” ranging from historical sites to recreation areas to a National Seashore. In our finale to the “See America” series, our guide Steve Farrar will take us on a tour of local places that can give us a taste of the National Park Service right here in our own backyard (or at least within distance of a day trip).

Steve Farrar, grew up in the Boston suburb of Medfield, MA and experienced his first National Parks as an impressionable 14-year-old on the way to the 1969 National Boy Scout Jamboree in Idaho.  The 5-day bus trip from Salt Lake City included stops in Grand Teton NP, Yellowstone NP, and Glacier NP which sparked a fascination with natural beauty that has evolved into Steve’s life-long passion for visiting our National Parks.  His adventures exploring 61 of the 62 parks include hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, scuba diving the coral reefs of the Virgin Islands, camping among the wolves on Isle Royale, scaling rock faces in Yosemite, and climbing to the summits of Mount Rainier and Denali.