The Best of the National Parks

Visiting 16 of America's nearly 60 national parks, The Best of the National Parks—which looks stunning on Blu-ray—rates the suitability of each park for activities such as rock climbing, hiking, and spelunking. While the choices tend toward the obvious (Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, the Everglades), viewers will also see some lesser known sites, including Oregon's Crater Lake (the world's deepest and purest lake, seen here in astonishing blue clarity), California's Death Valley (the driest, hottest, and, at 282 feet below sea level, lowest point in North America), Wyoming's Grand Teton, Maine's Acadia, Kentucky's Mammoth Cave, and Utah's Capitol Reef. While the tone is a bit on the touristy side, The Best of the National Parks features plenty of useful information for travelers. Also included is a second program offering a patriotic look at Mt. Rushmore and the surrounding Black Hills of South Dakota. Recommended. Aud: P. (S. Graham)