Artist Can’t Believe Some Tourists Actually Leave One-Star Reviews For National Parks, Decides To Illustrate Them (New Pics)
A year ago, designer Amber Share made a submission to Bored Panda, giving us a taste of her so-called Subpar Parks.
It's an illustration series based on US National Parks with a unique angle: Share enriches the pictures of these gorgeous places with the worst reviews they've received online. The results provide a surprising and entertaining take on a very human feeling — disappointment — and sometimes are so absurd, I'd even call them poetic.
On Tuesday, Subpar Parks has culminated into a book. Featuring more than 50 percent new material, the publication includes more depth and insight into the most popular parks, such as Yosemite, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon, anecdotes and tips from rangers, and much more about the author's personal love and connection to the outdoors.
To commemorate this occasion, here's an update on the series!
More info: ambersharedesign.com | Instagram
This post may include affiliate links.
White Sands National Park
The review goes on to say that there aren't even any playgrounds, unless you count sliding down the sand hills and my inner child was SCREAMING about how much more fun that would be than a normal slide.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Listen. I know what you're thinking. "Amber, this review of @hawaiivolcanoesnps is definitely a joke." I assumed it was too. But after a deep dive on this reviewer's other reviews, I am convinced otherwise (but I am hoping they wanted to touch HARDENED lava).
Amber Share told Bored Panda she "travels and visits national parks (and other public lands) as often as I can; at least once or twice a year."
The designer, however, doesn't keep an exact count of how many she's visited. "I think [I've been to] about a third of them. I'd love to see them all eventually!"
The pandemic has taken a huge toll on the entire travel industry. But since Share doesn't have to physically travel to the parks in order to create her satirical posters, it hasn't really affected her work. "Luckily, I've been able to stay consistent with this project despite a limited ability to travel over the last year!" she added.
North Cascades National Park
They really ought to install a tropical beach if they want to keep @ncascadesnps interesting.
Everglades National Park
I guess we're calling the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi, home to panthers, crocodiles, manatees, and over 350 kinds of birds, "nothing" now.
Unlike the reviews in her illustrations, the book Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors has a 5-star rating on Amazon and has already become its number 1 best seller in the Landscape & Seascape Art category.
"My book is a collection of over 75 parks, including many never seen before on Instagram. Even some of the original parks I posted have additional illustrations and reviews in the book, and it's chock full of other sketches and illustrations, park information, history, and tips and anecdotes from myself and park rangers," she explained. "It's really fun and informative, and beautiful to flip through (if I do say so myself)."
Working on Subpar Parks, reading all of these negative reviews, has taught Amber how to navigate these destinations. If you also want to have a positive national park experience, it's a good idea to do the research. That includes talking to people who've been there as well as talking to people who are familiar with what you like to do and rangers. Then, just give yourself more time than you think you need and soak in the goods.
Mount Rainier National Park
Nevermind that @mountrainiernps is the most topographically prominent mountain in the lower 48.... so prominent in fact that locals refer to it as THE mountain. I've seen bigger. One star.
I grew up in WA and on a clear day it's common for people to say "The mountain is out today."
Channel Islands National Park
Pretty sure this is the same person who stayed in the Airbnb I host and docked us a star because the birds outside woke him up.
Big Bend National Park
Listen @bigbendnps, can't you get control of your weather? One star.
It hailed on me in Kenya, I was in a state of shock. I expected dry, Arabian desert good thing I'm not on airbnb, zero stars for not controlling this hail or given early instructions on it's arrival. Also, the lions were skinnier than national geographic lions and refused to kill anything before my eyes
Bryce Canyon National Park
Pinnacles National Park
I mean, all of Earth is a giant rock, so what's interesting about a bunch of smaller rocks? One star.
Hot Springs National Park
It appears @hotspringsnps' only crime is honesty Saved the OLDEST for last! This park is the oldest area managed by the @nationalparkservice, first protected as Hot Springs Reservation in 1832!
Why would you go to a hot spring, if you are not into hot springs in the first place?
Maybe you are just curious, and haven't ever been to hot springs before.
Load More Replies...
Sorry again, we didn't mean to make it so boring for all you "Grand Canyon" lovers. Step right this way to the view of your lives, where you'll see your life flashing before your eyes as you're pushed off by Bruce the Janitor.
Probably some of the best nights of sleep after spending the dat at the hot springs…. Colorado was nice, we were actually in them while it was snowing…. The one in the Philippines, was like Jurassic park .. great way to detox your body
Black Canyon Of The Gunnison National Park
Just a canyon created over the course of 2 million years, exposing mind-blowing patterns of rock that's over 2 billion years old. Nothing interesting here.
This is my favorite NP...the canyon is mind blowingly dramatic with its deep color and large veining!!
Badlands National Park
You know when you're SUPER angry about something and you come up with the best zinger later in the shower and just have to share it with people? That's this review.
National Park Of American Samoa
Imagine spending the time and money to travel to a lush, beautiful, and remote Pacific island and feeling this underwhelmed with it.
People like this don't deserve to live on this planet. They're the people who move out of the "too crowded" city and then complain it's too quiet with no night life.
Biscayne National Park
I'd personally consider it a plus if I could explore coral reefs and shipwrecks and see dolphins, turtles, and tons of fish at @biscaynenps without interruption. Maybe the park's trying to tell you something!
They’re just pissed off they can’t immediately post pictures online. You know, even without a signal, you can still take pictures—-for yourself, not the internet.
Gateway Arch National Park
I mean, it IS a completely curved arch, so yeah – there are no points.
Shenandoah National Park
If you have to get out of your car, is it even worth seeing?
Lol - same reason there will be plenty of parking but people circle the front 30 spots for 20 min so the don't have to walk so far to go in the store, gym ( makes me laugh even harder and is on par to the escalator to the gym), or any where else. Unless you are disabled, there is no need for this.
Kaibab National Forest
1.6 million acres of plain jane forests (with a huge variety of vegetation & wildlife depending on which elevation you’re in), desert, lakes, meadows, views of the Grand Canyon, plentiful dispersed camping, and hikes galore.
A lot of people have asked me where we camped when we visited the Grand Canyon, and here’s your answer! Kaibab National Forest is a great option for dispersed camping near GCNP, but there’s also plenty to do in the forest itself! We camped and hiked in the northern district, which borders the north rim of GCNP (the forest has districts that border the south rim too), and if you’re lucky and get there early, you can even find campsites with views of the canyon. Plain Jane is the last phrase I’d use to describe our experience! P.S. The most recommended thing on our entire trip that we didn’t get to do was get cookies from Jacob Lake Inn So if you visit, grab some and let me live vicariously through you!
I guess there really are some people who just can’t see the forest for the trees. Sad.
Peak District National Park
Guess that explains why Peak District is a popular climbing destination in the UK.
Haleakala National Park
Another day, another sunrise, on top of a volcano, 10,000 feet up. Meh.
Port Campbell National Park
Thanks for the laughs, UK parks, but it's time to take a look at a few of the most disappointing places in Australia! Between The Twelve Apostles (sadly, only 8 of which remain), Loch Ard Gorge, London Arch, and the Grotto, I can TOOOOTALLY see how Port Campbell National Park is overhyped. Would absolutely hate to visit the Australian coast someday.
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park
An 1,100-foot natural sandstone monolith (the world's largest!) that's 500 million years old? Yawn – it's got nothing on that 12-ft man-made hunk of metal that turned up in Utah.
HOW DARE YOU?! I'M ENRAGED! EDIT :It may have sounded sarcastic. It's not.
Mesa Verde National Park
I guess the Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings, petroglyphs, and the largest archaeological preserve in the United States doesn't count as much these days.
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu? More like KakaDON'T, am I right?!
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Putting the "bad" in Carlsbad since 1930. Couldn't you at least hang some art and install a tasteful sconce or two?
Coconino National Forest
That’s it. That’s the review.
(Really though. One star, one word. That’s all this person could muster for this incredible place. They apparently missed the many areas of this 1.8 million acre wonderland that are decidedly NOT desert, given that Coconino is one of the most diverse national forests in the country!)
Jasper National Park
Given how magical Spirit Island/Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park looks, it seems like we must just have different definitions of the word "need."
Redwoods National Park
I went to a coastal forest park and all I saw was coast and forest.
Yeah, just f*****g huge tall trees, that have been there for millennia, and wildly beautiful coastline, that’s all. Asshole.
Dry Tortugas National Park
Most of us usually call this exploring... (P.S. Bummer that this person seems to have missed all the non-walking water-based activities @drytortugasnps has to offer
Rocky Mountain National Park
I mean, other than 300 miles of trails, ridiculous star gazing, Trail Ridge Road, an insanely beautiful wildflower season, and hundreds of species of wildlife.... There's really nothing impressive about @rockynps
thank you. plus, Never Summer, backcountry hiking, rivers, waterfalls, big moose and tiny electric blue dragonflies, and everything in between. 🥰 i love my state.
The British Isles
Ok, not *technically* a national park (a National Scenic Area!), but you know I had to — plus, as the highest mountain in the British Isles, Ben Nevis is pretty dang majestic. There were so many gems in 1-star reviews of this place, it was tough to choose what to actually put on the illustration Can't wait to climb this baby myself and see what all the whining is about.
Note: this post originally had 77 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Our national parks are never boring. Only the people who whine that they're boring are boring.
It seems like these people are the type of people who are going to wonderful beaches to jet ski, wonderful deserts to quad, wonderful countryside to mud truck... I want to visit these people and review them as "f... annoying, rude, disrespectful, poor human beings that needs to be constantly kept entertained like toddlers to fill the emptiness of their brains". I don't like them too much lol
Load More Replies... How on earth do people look at the magnificent wonder of nature, and just think "meh"? These people probably have such a dreary life all about the material things they can gather together and would quite happily use the GC as a giant landfill because "it's already a big, convenient hole in the ground". I pity these people for their lack of wonder
People don’t like the same things you like. Ease off, pal. I’d greatly prefer a museum to a long trek to and through nature.
Load More Replies...
I'm from Canada, and my wife and I have been to Bryce,Yellowstone, Waterton, jasper,banff,estates,zion,and monument national parks. We loved every minute of it,that said, we have seen people who just want to hurry up and look just for the sake of saying they been there then hurry to the next place. If you don't want to stop and smell the rose,then just stay home and google it. The best time we had was at Waterton, that night no phones, no cell service, no TV. We went outside and got to see the milky way,and a thunder storm in the distance, and the icing on the cake, herd wolves howling. Can you get that at home?!!
I grew up outside of Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park and worked there as a Park Ranger. I can't tell you how many people would ask me at the entrance if they can see everything from their car. This isn't "A small World" at Disneyland, get your ass out of the car and walk around!
Some people should just stay TF home, and leave room for this of us who actually want to be there—-and reduce the number of assholes trampling ecosystems and distressing sensitive wild animals. A less crowded park is just my cup of tea.
I'm starting to think we need more research to go into brain cell growth and brain cell transplants, because clearly a lot of people have a desperate shortage of brain cells.
I'm lucky enough to live close to many of the parks. I'm about an hour from Bryce Canyon & Zion. Capitol Reef & Great Basin are about two hours, Arches, Canyonlands, & the North rim about 3 hours. Mesa Verde & the South rim about 5.5 hours. Yellowstone and Petrified Forest are 6-7 hours. I make very good use of my National Park pass.
I try to avoid people who cut everything down. If you see a problem with everything you need to re evaluate where the problem is coming from. If this is supposed to be funny it's not. Just really sad.
Yes. When the only constant in every equation is you, then the answer is easy. At least for the rest of us.
Load More Replies... 
Would it be possible to add names of parks? Just to see how beautiful they're in reality.
The names of the parks are in the titles above the pictures just after the number. If you Google national parks any number of these are going to come up and you just check out the images that are all over the Internet
Load More Replies...
I love the style of these pictures but it would be nice to have the place names in them even though a few do.
The names of the parks are listed in the title above the pictures
Load More Replies...
These tourists are really rude, they don't know how much work people put in these national parks.
These are really great. The places should sell them in the gift shops.
Just Wow! How can you dislike or be bored amidst such beauty. Those who complain, just keep your noses in your social media and stay home. As for the illustrator.... great job.
You stupid assholes out there that want to complain about the national parks of being boring and nothing to do you need to stay the hell home. You obviously have no clue of The Great Outdoors. I hate people like you that all you want to do is complain complain complain. Nature is a privilege and we should feel blessed to be able 2 be able to witness it's magnificent Beauty.
This would have been a hilarious article with cool art if it weren’t for everyone hissing and spitting about the reviewers in every comment section.
These sound like they are written by a pissed off teen who didn't want to go on the family vacation.?
You can bet that if these treasures were not protected, some people would have no compunction to building a house facing the view.
This post just added a few new entries to my bucket list. Thanks for creating this amazing list and those beautiful 1-star illustrations.
Meh. Too much information to load i have up but did laugh at the first 10
I imagine these people to be too into their phone or games to look at things and/or their brain hasn't developed yet... if it ever will...
Need to feel superior so badly that people without your interests are lesser than you, huh?
Load More Replies... Our national parks are never boring. Only the people who whine that they're boring are boring.
It seems like these people are the type of people who are going to wonderful beaches to jet ski, wonderful deserts to quad, wonderful countryside to mud truck... I want to visit these people and review them as "f... annoying, rude, disrespectful, poor human beings that needs to be constantly kept entertained like toddlers to fill the emptiness of their brains". I don't like them too much lol
Load More Replies... How on earth do people look at the magnificent wonder of nature, and just think "meh"? These people probably have such a dreary life all about the material things they can gather together and would quite happily use the GC as a giant landfill because "it's already a big, convenient hole in the ground". I pity these people for their lack of wonder
People don’t like the same things you like. Ease off, pal. I’d greatly prefer a museum to a long trek to and through nature.
Load More Replies... I'm from Canada, and my wife and I have been to Bryce,Yellowstone, Waterton, jasper,banff,estates,zion,and monument national parks. We loved every minute of it,that said, we have seen people who just want to hurry up and look just for the sake of saying they been there then hurry to the next place. If you don't want to stop and smell the rose,then just stay home and google it. The best time we had was at Waterton, that night no phones, no cell service, no TV. We went outside and got to see the milky way,and a thunder storm in the distance, and the icing on the cake, herd wolves howling. Can you get that at home?!!
I grew up outside of Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park and worked there as a Park Ranger. I can't tell you how many people would ask me at the entrance if they can see everything from their car. This isn't "A small World" at Disneyland, get your ass out of the car and walk around!
Some people should just stay TF home, and leave room for this of us who actually want to be there—-and reduce the number of assholes trampling ecosystems and distressing sensitive wild animals. A less crowded park is just my cup of tea.
I'm starting to think we need more research to go into brain cell growth and brain cell transplants, because clearly a lot of people have a desperate shortage of brain cells.
I'm lucky enough to live close to many of the parks. I'm about an hour from Bryce Canyon & Zion. Capitol Reef & Great Basin are about two hours, Arches, Canyonlands, & the North rim about 3 hours. Mesa Verde & the South rim about 5.5 hours. Yellowstone and Petrified Forest are 6-7 hours. I make very good use of my National Park pass.
I try to avoid people who cut everything down. If you see a problem with everything you need to re evaluate where the problem is coming from. If this is supposed to be funny it's not. Just really sad.
Yes. When the only constant in every equation is you, then the answer is easy. At least for the rest of us.
Load More Replies... Would it be possible to add names of parks? Just to see how beautiful they're in reality.
The names of the parks are in the titles above the pictures just after the number. If you Google national parks any number of these are going to come up and you just check out the images that are all over the Internet
Load More Replies... I love the style of these pictures but it would be nice to have the place names in them even though a few do.
The names of the parks are listed in the title above the pictures
Load More Replies... These tourists are really rude, they don't know how much work people put in these national parks.
These are really great. The places should sell them in the gift shops.
Just Wow! How can you dislike or be bored amidst such beauty. Those who complain, just keep your noses in your social media and stay home. As for the illustrator.... great job.
You stupid assholes out there that want to complain about the national parks of being boring and nothing to do you need to stay the hell home. You obviously have no clue of The Great Outdoors. I hate people like you that all you want to do is complain complain complain. Nature is a privilege and we should feel blessed to be able 2 be able to witness it's magnificent Beauty.
This would have been a hilarious article with cool art if it weren’t for everyone hissing and spitting about the reviewers in every comment section.
These sound like they are written by a pissed off teen who didn't want to go on the family vacation.?
You can bet that if these treasures were not protected, some people would have no compunction to building a house facing the view.
This post just added a few new entries to my bucket list. Thanks for creating this amazing list and those beautiful 1-star illustrations.
Meh. Too much information to load i have up but did laugh at the first 10
I imagine these people to be too into their phone or games to look at things and/or their brain hasn't developed yet... if it ever will...
Need to feel superior so badly that people without your interests are lesser than you, huh?
Load More Replies...