Microsoft Flight Simulator Releases World Update 22: United States National Parks

Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is celebrating America's 250th birthday by giving virtual pilots a fresh look at some of the country's most spectacular national parks, monuments and natural landmarks.




Microsoft has released World Update 22: United States National Parks, a free scenery expansion for all owners of Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024.




Released on July 2, the update enhances protected landscapes across the United States using updated photogrammetry, triangulated surface texturing and digital elevation data. It also adds new guided tours, discovery flights and dozens of detailed landmarks for pilots to explore.




America From a New Perspective



World Update 22 was developed in partnership with Bing Places, Vexcel, Gaya and Asobo Studio. The update includes 31 enhanced areas of interest spread across the United States.




Featured locations include:

• Arches National Park





• Badlands National Park





• Big Bend National Park





• Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park





• Bryce Canyon National Park





• Canyonlands National Park





• Crater Lake National Park





• Death Valley National Park





• Grand Teton National Park





• Great Sand Dunes National Park





• Joshua Tree National Park





• Mesa Verde National Park





• Olympic National Park





• Redwood National Park





• Rocky Mountain National Park





• Zion National Park

Colorado sim pilots receive several familiar landscapes, including Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde and Rocky Mountain National Park.




That means Sky Blue Radio listeners can depart Denver, point the nose toward the mountains and begin sightseeing before the virtual passengers have finished arguing over the armrest.




New Guided Tours



World Update 22 introduces a new Guided Tour mission type, combining flying with narrated information about the natural and human history of each location.




Three guided tours are included:




Bryce Canyon National Park



Pilots fly an Airbus Helicopters H125 over Bryce Canyon while visiting locations including Sunrise Point and the Pink Cliffs.




Grand Canyon National Park



This tour begins along the South Rim and takes pilots over famous formations including Point Imperial, Buddha Temple and The Dragon. The aircraft used for the tour is the Draco X.




Grand Teton National Park



Pilots explore the Grand Tetons and Jackson Hole region in a Diamond DA62. The route includes Moran Canyon and the Cathedral Group, home to some of the area's tallest peaks.




The Grand Teton tour also includes a handcrafted version of Jackson Hole Airport, KJAC, created by Gaya.




Nine Discovery Flights



The update adds nine discovery flights covering a wide range of American landscapes:

• Acadia National Park





• Arches National Park





• Crater Lake National Park





• Dry Tortugas National Park





• Everglades National Park





• Great Smoky Mountains National Park





• Olympic National Park





• Zion National Park

These flights range from rugged mountain terrain and desert rock formations to coastal islands, wetlands and forests.




More Landmarks to Explore



In addition to the enhanced parks, World Update 22 adds 46 points of interest, including visitor centers, resorts, lodges and lookout locations.




Natural landmarks such as Shiprock in New Mexico, the Totem Pole formation in Arizona and Delicate Arch in Utah are also included.




The update provides plenty of opportunities for low-and-slow flying, helicopter sightseeing and scenic cross-country routes. Just remember that attempting to fly through Delicate Arch is probably not part of the official tour.




Available Now for Free



World Update 22 is available free of charge to all Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 owners.




Pilots should first make sure the simulator is updated to the latest version and then download World Update 22 through the in-game Marketplace.




Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5, along with supported devices through Xbox Cloud Gaming.




With enhanced scenery, new missions and some of America's most recognizable landscapes, World Update 22 gives virtual pilots a fitting way to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday.




No park entrance fee, no crowded parking lot and no bear attempting to steal lunch from the back seat. That alone may make this the safest national park trip of the holiday weekend.



via: https://news.skyblueradio.com/2026/07/03/microsoft-flight-simulator-releases-world-update-22-united-states-national-parks/