When Parks Get Punny: 30+ Witty And Humorous National Park Service Posts

The National Park Service does not only, as stated in their LinkedIn profile, preserve, protect, and share our nation’s special places and stories; the agency of the United States federal government founded in 1916 is also making the world a funnier place, one tweet at a time. From relatable animal memes to wildlife posts paired with witty captions and informative tidbits, this Twitter (X) account, run by social media specialist Matthew Turner, is, in his words, “the perfect mix of the educational and entertaining.” If you are keen on learning about nature and looking for your daily dose of the world’s best medicine – this social media account is a must-follow. We have compiled some of the NPS’s funniest tweets to brighten your day. If these don’t make you chuckle, we don’t know what will.

Beary Funny

When you’re smiling at your phone, people think you’re texting your crush, but you’re just looking at this bear fishing joke. The guy who came up with it has a great sense of humor. He excels at crafting jokes, much like bears excel in fishing.

According to the NPS, at Brooks River, bears use many fishing styles, including standing or sitting and waiting for airborne salmon, chasing and pinning their catch with their “bear” hands to the bottom of the river, looking for fish underwater, stealing from other bears, diving underwater, and some resort to begging from other bears – work smarter, not harder.

Who’s That Creature? It’s Pika!

If you ever wondered what a Pika is, here is an informative and funny tweet that describes the cute animal – spoiler alert, it doesn’t have the same electrical abilities as the Pokémon Pikachu. It would be cool if it did, though.

Every day is an opportunity to learn something new. Besides a Pika not having electrical abilities, we didn’t know it was a close relative of the rabbit. Whoever said social media is a waste of time and isn’t educational hasn’t come across this account yet.

So Fetch!

Check out the NPS quoting Mean Girls; they’re not just a regular government agency, they’re cool. We could also say they’re so fetch, like this Rosy Maple Moth. To change the Mean Girls quote, “Come on loser, let’s learn more about this moth.”

The oh-so-pretty Rosy Maple Moth above is the smallest among silk moths. It favors sugar, red, and silver maples as its host trees – where it gets its name – as the National Park Service mentioned in another tweet. So grool!

Dad Joke Loading…

Dad joke loading… “Why are Salamanders so happy? They eat whatever bugs them.” – National Park Service, April 2023. That joke is so corny and wholesome; we love it. Where is the buddum tish sound when you need it most?  

The National Park Service doesn’t just have dad jokes up their sleeve; they also have facts. In their comment section, they mentioned that these Tiger Salamanders, who we strive to be as happy as, don’t just eat bugs; they also eat fish, frogs, snails, and insects. Learning is fun.

What Does the Fox Say? That’s Interesting

Do you know what is just as contagious as laughter? Yawns! The National Park Service has a simple but clever trick to determine if someone is staring at you: yawn like this fox here, and if they yawn, you know they were staring. We have to say to them, “You sly old fox, you.”

According to Time Magazine, catching yawns may unconsciously indicate empathy. This theory is backed up by a 2010 University of Connecticut study showing children typically start contagious yawning around age four when empathy skills begin to emerge. An assortment of creatures are also known to mirror yawns. What does the fox say? “That’s interesting.”

No TGIF Here

TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Friday) is in most people’s vocabulary. You know who doesn’t care about the weekend? Otters. The National Park Service is here to remind us that they live life oblivious of time. We should take a leaf “otter” their book.

We’ve got a new motto thanks to this tweet: live life like an otter – they live every day like it’s a Friday afternoon. These creatures often kick back their flippers and eat while floating on their back. Doesn’t that sound otterly relaxing?

The More You Know

Here is the National Park Services take on the caption “Felt cute might delete later.” “Felt cute might shoot blood out of my eyes later” is a hilarious reference to how the short-horned lizard shoots blood out of its eye sockets to scare predators away or when it has something in its eye. They’ve got peepers that terrorize.

Dr. Seuss once said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.” It’s true, we read this tweet, and now we know that short-horned lizards have a unique party trick. Isn’t nature just as amazing as the NPS’s ability to be funny and educational simultaneously?

National Fossil Day

You know you are getting old when the National Park Service tweets a photo of park rangers using smartphones to snap pics of the phone people used ages ago, which required coins to operate. These people look like they have just stumbled upon an ancient fossil – it’s hilarious. #NationalFossilDay

National Fossil Day is, to quote the National Park Service, “An annual celebration to highlight the scientific and educational value of Palaeontology and the importance of preserving fossils for future generations.” A lot of people would agree that payphones should be preserved.

Hike in Pairs or Groups

Calling all nature lovers out there, this is your big chance to show nature and the animals how much you care for them. How? By hiking in groups! Take this PSA from the National Park Service seriously. We all know how boring it can get when you always go for the same thing.

Seriously, though, hiking in groups is safer. You get enhanced safety. When emergencies and accidents arise, more people will assist you and call for help. Plus, when you get lost, you can blame others, something you can’t do when you’re alone.

I’ll Never Let Go

The National Park Service has plenty of jokes; their X account proves that. They posted a turtle on a large branch and one in the water with a caption referencing a Titanic scene. It’s their way of saying that Rose actually could’ve made room for Jack on that infamous door.

The NPS posted a follow-up tweet saying Rose could’ve swapped places periodically with Jack as turtles do to regulate body temperature. If they asked what could be more cold-blooded than these reptiles, we would have answered Rose! How could you let Jack die?!

Here’s to Fat Bear Week

This is Grazer, a mama bear that the NPS nicknamed Ursa (Latin for bear) Chonkus – love it. They also hilariously labeled her “Thicker than a bowl of oatmeal” in another tweet. She is the bear that won the title of Fat Bear Week Champion.

If you’re wondering, Fat Bear Week is a celebration of the season when bears in Katmai National Park and Preserve get chunky to survive the winter hibernation. During that time, the public can vote online for which bear should be crowned the Fat Bear Week Champion. Ursa Chonkus over here definitely deserved to win.

Perfect Response

The National Park had the perfect response to someone online asking if they could ride the moose; they sent a GIF of April Ludgate from the popular TV show Parks and Recreation dunking a tea bag and looking less than impressed. Guess that sums up the experience.

The NPS screenshotted the conversation and tweeted it with the caption, “Ask us again.” If anyone did, even if they said pretty please with some sugar on top, the answer would always be to quote a GIF, “That’s gonna be a no from me dawg.”

Sploot Game Strong

Aww, look at this bear splooting! It looks totes adorbs. We wish to ask the National Park Service to quote that meme, “Can I pet that dawg?” We already know what they’ll tell us, though. It’s a no, for sure. If you pet bears, they’ll pet you back.

You might have seen that sploot happens to many animals, including squirrels, cats, dogs, and rabbits. According to the NPS, animals do it to stretch their bodies or lower body temperature on a hot day. They might look cute when they do this but don’t go near unless you want to be ripped apart.

Fresh Bison of Yellowstone

This post is about a bison that took inspiration from the theme song of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. There’s no better way to get people talking about animals than through a fun rap. Never change National Park Service Twitter account.

We loved the first half so much, we just had to share the rest, “When a couple of humans were up to no good. Started making trouble in the bison neighborhood. I got in a scuffle and the others got scared. Mama said, “You’re movin’ with the herd, you need more space and fresh air.” Good luck getting this out of your head.

Spirit Animal

Have you ever read a tweet about a bear and said, “That’s my spirit animal”? Yes, yes, we have. Bears retreat to their dens to sleep and don’t see the outside or anyone for several months– that is so relatable, no? Sometimes, that’s the only thing we want to do.

Wanna hear something interesting? According to the National Park Service, bears will bed down for winter until late spring, emerging thin and hungry. Sounds familiar. Teens also hunker down in their rooms and only emerge when hungry. There is no judgment here.

Scaramoose, Scaramoose

Friend: What are you laughing at? Me: Nothing. My brain: Scaramoose, Scaramoose, will you do the Fandango? Even the moose is laughing at this play on words of the Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics by Queen—good one, National Park Service. We’re gonna be hearing the song even in our sleep.

This tweet made us crack up, but what isn’t funny? The fact that moose can run up to 35mph. So, don’t ever get too close; you might spook it, and it will charge at full speed. That sounds frightening because there’s no way to outrun it.

Cheers to the Weekend

Ninety percent of people who see this post say, “This bear is me. I am the bear.” The National Park Service knows many folks spend their weekend chilling like this creature. For most, watching Netflix and lying in bed is as wild as their weekend gets.

We appreciate a relatable post, especially one with animals in it. The NPS gets two thumbs up from us and two claws up from the bear. Remember, there is no shame in “bearly” moving a muscle on a weekend. You deserve it when you’ve been working hard throughout the week.

Happy National Trails Day

In National Park Service fashion, they tweeted a joke about trails for National Trails Day; “Trails often look more flat on the map.” Well, they’re not wrong. They forgot to mention that trails also look shorter on a map because maps can be deceiving.

We look forward to their next post for National Trails Day, the day that celebrates all the advantages that trails provide for leisure and immersion in the natural environment. Stay tuned for the first Saturday in June; we’re confident their tweet will be just as trail-mendously funny as this one.

Dino-Mite Post

Welcome to Dinosaur National Monument, where “It’s not the heat that gets you, it’s the dinosaurs.” Even though the NPS playfully tweeted this, they want you to know that it is definitely the heat that’s one way or another going to get you, so stay hydrated and wear sunscreen!

The National Park Service has some other good tips to beat the heat from a follow-up tweet: If shade is available, plonk yourself there and wear a hat and sunglasses. One more thing, don’t mess with wildlife; we’ve all seen Jurassic Park. Having to run away from wildlife equals sweating, which leads to dehydration. Stay safe out there, kids.

No Egrets

Have you seen that meme, “Ever take a nap so good that you thought you missed the school bus? But it’s Sunday. And you’re 32”? Well, this right here is the bird version. We love it. We’re sure the NPS has no egrets about posting it.

An egret was the perfect choice to use for this meme. Why? Because it looks like it woke up from a nap; it looks confused, and it’s got bed “hair.” We can say it’s got messy feathers, but we don’t care because as they said, it’s an egret.

On my way!

This tweet is gold. We will listen to the National Park Service and use this image of bison running full speed ahead to let people know we’re on our way. Words are so last season – people use GIFS and pics to communicate now.

Did you know that bison can run up to 35 miles per hour? Forget the gingerbread man; we’ll change the lines to “Run, run as fast as you can, you can’t catch me, I’m a bison.” If you send a pic of the creature running, people will know you’re rushing to get to them.

Watch Out for Bison

Oops!.. I did it again – I created another engaging tweet about bison; we are speaking on behalf of the National Park Service. This one is about how to share the road with them carefully – remember safety first. Take a look-see.

Please note: Don’t let your intrusive thoughts win; don’t get out of your car to pet the bison. So, remember, don’t pet the fluffy cows unless you want to get hurt, or even worse, have them try to sell you an extended warranty, like the NPS said. 

Born With It

We don’t know if our humor is broken because we just spent a minute laughing at this tweet. Just kidding, it’s not – this post didn’t get over thirty thousand likes and counting for being unfunny. It’s pure genius that the NPS took the 1991 tagline from Maybelline and changed it to neighbelline.

These horses look like the “mane” characters with their stunning hair (which they are born with, by the way – it’s not the work of neighbelline, LOL.) They’re not just pretty; horse’s manes protect them from insect bites and keep them warm when it gets cold. Cool Beans.

Scary Doll Alert

Annabelle from The Conjuring, is that you, girl? The National Park Service doesn’t just post animals; they post scary dolls, too. This tweet is quite comical, but is it just us, or is anyone else also getting the chills? We remember that movie vividly.

This doll that is “Feeling cute, might move across the room and scare you to death later” is one of Thomas Edison’s early inventions and is on display at the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. We’re happy to look at it through a screen.

Grumpy Animal Alert

Ayo, grumpy animal check! This American mink looks like it has the case of the Mondays, don’t you agree? The National Park Service could not have picked a better caption. Take our likes and all our money NPS; this is great!

You gotta love American minks – they are super relatable. When someone annoys you, don’t you also hiss, discharge a musky scent, or send a passive-aggressive email to them? Issa joke! This is by far one of our favorite tweets.

All Ears

What big ears you have. Deer: “The better to hear you with, my dear.” Mule deers are all ears, as you can see. We want to thank the National Park Service for sharing this with us; we laughed at their caption, not the deer’s ears. There is no body shaming here.

Since we’re here, let us share some fun facts about mule deers. They are indigenous to western North America, and their diet is mainly made up of plants, leaves, and twigs of woody plants. Besides their large ears, they can be identified by the coloring on their face and backside.

Cat on a Cactus = Catctus

Why did the bobcat sit on a cactus? It wanted a purr-fectly prickly place to sit, or as the National Park Service cutely said, “If it fits, I sits.” These Bobcats, or to use their full name, Robertcats, actually climb and sit on cacti to escape predators.

We are guessing that most people reacted similarly to this pic: ouchie, that has gotta hurt. Don’t worry, though – bobcats don’t get injured because they are strong climbers blessed with tough, thickly padded paws. We don’t even want to imagine what would happen if we tried this cat’s antics.

Message from a Bobcat

The NPS has a message from a bobcat “Slow down right meow!” We’re laughing out loud, but seriously, don’t be a fool; follow all the traffic rules. Just know the bobcat is always watchin’, well, except when it’s out there stalking prey.

Before we move on, just a friendly reminder from the National Park Service to respect the speed limit and slow down should you come across an animal when visiting national parks. Make them and the bobcats proud, and do as they say.

May the Fourth Be with You

Star Wars fans will love this one – it’s a May the Fourth Be With You tweet featuring a skunk with the caption of the onomatopoeia of what skunks do best, but stormtroopers do worst, firing their weapons. As Yoda would say, funny this is. 

May the force be with you if you ever encounter a skunk that perceives you as a threat. They will resort to spraying, and let us tell you that their pew, pew, pew skills are top-notch – they can spray their powerful odor up to 15 feet. If you find yourself face-to-face with one, just back away slowly. 

Introverted but Willing to Discuss Bobcats

Attention all cat lovers; if you didn’t love the National Park service before, which we don’t see how that would be possible, you definitely will now after seeing this tweet. The NPS is introverted but willing to discuss cats, well, more specifically, bobcats. Let’s talk about them now!

Bobcats are quite introverted and tend to dislike being around anyone – don’t we all relate to that? If they do come across someone, they are quick as a cat; they can run away at up to 30 miles per hour. They are amazing animals, and we can talk about them all day.

What’s Stuck in Your Head? Me:

You know that song I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor – The lyrics inspired the National Park Service to create a banger about petrified wood. If anyone asks what’s on our mind for the next week, the answer will be this tweet from NPS.

Now that you’ve got this stuck in your head, you might wonder where you can see this petrified wood. You can head down to northeast Arizona, where the Petrified Forest National Park is. The Triassic-aged rocks and other wonders will leave you flabbergasted.

Shower Thoughts

When life gives you a pic of mountains, post it to Twitter with a hilarious caption – that’s what the National Park Service did. We love how their mind works. Some might not find this funny because “Mountains aren’t funny; they’re hill-areas.” Gotcha!

If you want to visit mountains that are “like flat land but at an angle,” you can check out Denali National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, or Sierra Nevada National Park, to name a few places. As the NPS said in a follow-up tweet, “The mountains are calling!” 

No Kidding

When it comes to posting humorous content, National Park Services is the GOAT (greatest of all time) – goat a load of this. They changed the title of the song I’m on a Boat by the comedy trio The Lonely Island to “I’m on a goat” with a pic of a goat standing on another.

After seeing this tweet, you might wonder where these adorable goats are. You can visit this silly billy and other dairy goats at Connemara Farms. They have three breeds of dairy goats, Toggenburg, Saanen, and Nubian, descended from Mrs. Sandburg’s famous herd.

Whaled It

Whale, whale, whale, look what we have here. It has been quite a whale since we have seen a post about whales. Ok, we promise we’re done with the puns – there’s just one more from the National Park Service – have a look.

We had a whale of a good time reading the NPS’s caption and looking at this pic, but now it’s fact time! According to the National Park Service, “Humpbacks use breaching (what it’s doing here) to communicate with other whales. It’s also an opportunity for the whales to see what’s happening above the water.” Interesting!

Kung Fu Bear

When there is a picture of a bear, you better bear-leave that the National Park Service will come up with a funny caption for it. “Crouching bear, hidden salmon” is a playful twist on the 2000s martial arts film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon title. Brilliant.

This is chucklesome. Apparently, this bear at Katmai Park and Preserve habitually sits on rocks. We’re guessing it does this because it’s either meditating, trying to imitate a frog, or it’s the bear’s favorite spot to daydream about salmon. We’ve all got to pass the time somehow.

Eating for Two for One

Earlier, we had a #FatBearWeek tweet, remember Ursa Chonkus, and now we’ve got, in DJ Khalid’s words, another one, ‘cause why not? This one is for all the single ladies, all the single ladies, and guys out there- it’s super relatable.

Fun fact time! Did you know that bears are usually solitary creatures that eat dinner for two during the summer months to bulk up for winter? Now, that’s what we call a hot girl summer. They’re now our favorite creatures, thanks to all these tweets. #WeLoveFatBearWeek

A Whole Mood

This post is a whole mood. People enjoy humorous, relatable content, and the National Park Service knows this – they always understand the assignment. Who doesn’t sit on their bed after a shower and stare into space like this prairie dog before the workday begins?

The National Park Service has a short message for everyone saying samesies to this tweet, “You got this!” If you feel like you don’t, you can always, like a prairie dog, return to your burrow around sunset and have a self-care evening.

Speaking Facts

On Wednesdays, we wear black to mourn the fact that it’s actually not Friday yet. The National Park Service knows that people get hit with the midweek blues, so they posted this amusing tweet. There’s nothing like a rib-tickling meme to cheer one up.

Everyone looking at this tweet probably thinks, “I feel you, Marmot.” But similar to what the NPS said in a previous post, hearing it’s Wednesday actually means nothing to the marmot because it’s a marmot. It doesn’t have to worry about working a 9-to-5. How does it feel to live the dream?

Warning: Don’t Go Chasing Waterfalls

Another Tweet, another slay for the National Park Service. They got 25 thousand likes and counting for using the lyrics from TLC’s 1994 hit song Waterfalls to warn people to be careful around waterfalls during winter. This is too funny, but seriously, don’t go chasing waterfalls unless you want to slip.

Give yourself some TLC (Tender Loving Care) and listen to the NPS and TLC when they say to stick to the rivers and lakes that you’re used to. We all know that they’re going to have it their way or nothing at all – get it?

National Park Service’s Declassified Wilderness Survival Guide

What is the spookiest day of the year? Yes, it’s Halloween, but don’t forget Friday the 13th. Well, it’s spooky for superstitious people, not for others who are a little stitious (The Office joke). On that day, some watch scary movies, and others commemorate it by posting 13 rules for survival – we’re talking about the NPS.

We think all these rules are great, but our fave has to be rule 5: Don’t feed the squirrels after midnight – great Gremlins reference. If we ever go into the wild, we’ll keep all 13 of these tips in mind. We want to live until we’re at least 60.

It’s a Bear Trap!

And the best bear tweet goes to The National Park Service for their post; “It’s a trap!” – Admiral Ackbear. We’re sure they would like to thank this bear for waiting on the other side of an emergency exit – without it, they wouldn’t have been able to post this with their caption that includes a play on the character’s name from Star Wars.

We think it’s important to include the NPS’s advice when visiting a park: “Always be aware of your surroundings and make good choices.” A good choice would be not to use an exit if a bear is waiting there for you – it certainly is a bear trap! You will bearly make it out alive if you do. Too dark?

Surprise Shawty!

What do people do when others disappear from their lives for several months? They grin and bear it, pun intended, because they know the folks who left them will appear again one day out of nowhere like this bear. This tweet is bear-rific.

Do you know what pairs nicely with a meme? A fact. Bears disappear for several months because they are in their dens for the winter. They reappear in the summertime to constantly eat and gain up to four pounds in just one day to prepare for the next winter – that’s called hyperphagia. Color us impressed.

Frodoe

“Yo bro, who got you smilin’ like that?” This tweet from the National Park Service. You’ll appreciate this if you’re a fan of The Lord of the Rings. Even if you haven’t seen the movies, you will still laugh at this.

Did you know that “Frodoe” here, that play on Frodo is so clever by the way, isn’t the only animal that doesn’t hibernate? Elk, chipmunks, and snowshoe hares can all be spotted in a winter wonderland. Should we ask them if they want to build a snowman?

Bear Necessities

We’re ending this post with a beary, beary witty tweet about a bear’s necessities. Let us tell you, we wouldn’t mind being a bear for a day – they eat a lot of salmon and sleep on a beach. Sounds nice.

We enjoy learning about bears, like how they are on a seefood diet. When they see food, they eat it. But seriously, it’s impressive how they can eat so much salmon. We heart bears, and we heart the NPS for educating us about them in a fun way.

Draw me, Jack

The fact that Titanic is referenced twice on this list speaks volumes about its popularity, decades after the movie was released. Who can forget Kate Winslet in all her naked glory, asking Jack to draw her wearing only a necklace? The NPS clearly can’t get over that scene.

This scandalously sultry, seductive, sensuous, sexy starfish has one of the nicest colors we’ve ever seen. Fun fact: The starfish is actually not a fish but marine invertebrates, which belong to the same family as sea cucumbers. They don’t have blood or brains!