Feature image: The Denali National Park entrance area is LEED-certified.
Although the phrase “green park” may sound redundant, outdoor spaces catering to human recreation can contain sustainability features, just like any other facet of the built environment.
As we savor the end of spring, with days growing longer and warmer, we encourage you to get outside with LEED as your guide.
From the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center in Wyoming, where you can witness the famous 18-story geyser, to the visitor’s center in Ohiopyle State Park, with Pennsylvania’s 135-mile Great Allegheny Passage trail providing access to hiking, biking and camping—LEED-certified spaces provide direction and safety to adventurers, all while having little impact on the environment they showcase.
To help you plan for your next adventure, we've gathered some of our favorite park-related LEED spaces in the Green Going Out Guide. For places to rest, fuel up and learn about the outdoors, check out our map:
National Parks
Crater Lake National Park (Oregon): Annie Creek Restaurant/Gift Shop
Denali National Park (Alaska): Denali National Park Entrance Area
Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore: Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk
Lassen National Park (California): Southwest Walk-In Campground
Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado): Mesa Verde Visitor and Research Center
Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming): Old Faithful Visitor Education Center, The Canyon Lodge and Cabins
Yosemite National Park (California): Starbucks, Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite
Denali National Park visitor center.
Local parks
California: Audubon Center at Debs Park
Maryland: Philip Merrill Environmental Center, Robinson Nature Center
Michigan: Chippewa Nature Center
Nevada: Clark County Wetlands Park Nature Center
North Dakota: International Peace Garden
Pennsylvania: Ohiopyle State Park Visitor Center
Texas: Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Center, Memorial Park Running Trails Center
Utah: Swaner Preserve and EcoCenter
Virgina: Brock Environmental Center
Washington: Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center
Carkeek Park Environmental Learning Center.
