“National park” means something different to each person. Some think about the breathtaking views while others think about the opportunity to recreate in wide open spaces. National parks to me mean the opportunity to view wildlife in a natural setting. In the rest of the blog, I will share some tips on how to admire and watch wildlife responsibly in national parks, and how to use your phone to capture awesome photos.

Without fail there is always a story that makes its way to the news about someone who did not listen to the rules put in place about the safe viewing distances recommended by the park. These rules are not guidelines and should be strictly followed, and these rules apply for all wildlife (not just bears and bison). Moose can cause just as much harm as any bear can. Also, you are not the first person that these animals have seen! Most of the wildlife at these parks are not bothered by seeing people. Do not ruin these animals’ lives by getting too close and not obeying the rules set by the park, it will not end up good for you or the animal. I promise you that taking a few extra steps is not going to make your iPhone photo better. Be responsible and capture some mental photos.  

National parks can seem intimidating because of their size. It may seem like finding a needle in the haystack but by using some of these tips the needle doesn’t seem so hard to find. 

1. Talk to park rangers. They spend the most time at the park and see the most wildlife. You also won’t be the first person to ask them so they will usually have an answer. 
2. Go looking for wildlife within the first hour of sunrise or the last hour of the sunlight. This is when most wildlife is active and you will find the most success.
3. Use other people to guide where you are going. There are going to be other people out viewing wildlife, use the extra eyes to help you. If someone is pulled over make sure to drive slowly by them or pull up behind them. There is usually a reason they are pulled over. 

Your camera or iPhone won’t be able to capture any quality photos of wildlife unless it is less than 100 yards away, and if that is the case, you better drop those items and retreat to your vehicle. These types of devices don’t have the capability to capture wildlife at great distances. Yes, you can pay around $2000-$10000 to have a camera and lens with these capabilities but most of us can’t afford it or justify it. All hope isn’t lost though, there are options that don’t cost that much but still allow you to show your photo masterpieces off. The way I capture wildlife in photos is to use a spotting scope and my iPhone. This is called Digiscoping.

The world of Digiscoping is vast and there are a lot of different types of options for spotting scopes and ways to attach your phone to the scope. Fortunately in today’s age we have a lot of options for spotting scopes for all types of budgets. The spotting scope I have is around $300 and has been perfect for me. The way I attach my phone to the spotting scope is to use the Magview system. This allows for an easy and secure way to attach my phone to the spotting scope.