Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire.
Today: Top 10 most beautiful National Parks in the USA
The United States of America is fortunate to have an abundance of gorgeous places to visit, with the majestic National Parks featuring on the bucket list of most travelers. Whether you are enjoying the shorelines of the East Coast, traveling along the magnificent West Coast, or hiking in the majestic Rockies, there are more than enough opportunities to explore the great outdoors in one of these spectacular parks. Altogether, there are 429 national park sites in the USA, though just 63 have the "National Park" designation in their names. All National Parks, 63 in total, represent an extraordinary variety of pristine natural environments and ranking them would be unfair since they all offer different experiences. Nonetheless, I hereby present you my ten favorite National Parks in the USA, with my ranking based on overall scenery, wildlife viewing, and hiking opportunities.
There is more information below the slide show. Think I missed one? Share your favorite National Park in the USA in the comments section.
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A powerful and inspiring landscape, Grand Canyon National Park is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the USA (so be prepared to deal with huge crowds). Unique combinations of geologic color and erosional forms carved by the Colorado River decorate a canyon that is 277 river miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, and a mile (1.6 km) deep. The Grand Canyon reveals nature's sheer force with its towering buttes, pinnacles and mesas, and its immense size leaves many visitors weak in the knees. Another way to weaken your knees is to hike to the canyon's floor, an incredible adventure not to be undertaken lightly (especially not in a single day).
Denali is six million acres of wild land, bisected by one ribbon of road, where solitude, tranquility and wilderness await, despite being the most visited National Park in Alaska. Travelers to Denali will see the relatively low-elevation taiga forest give way to high alpine tundra and snowy mountains, culminating in North America's tallest peak, 20,237 feet or 6,168 m high Mount McKinley (unfortunately obscured by clouds 4 out of 5 days). Wild animals, large and small, roam unfenced lands, living as they have for ages, creating outstanding opportunities for spotting them, like the occasional grizzly bear along the road, herds of caribou on the plains and dall sheep high on the cliffs.
- Official website: Denali NP
- Highlights: Park Road, Mount McKinley, Alpine tundra scenery, and wildlife viewing.
- Other accolades: Denali NP also features in my top 10 list of the best things to see & do in Alaska.
Yellowstone was established in 1872 as America's first National Park - an idea that spread worldwide - to protect the majority of the earth's geysers, as well as other thermal wonders that make up an otherworldly landscape composed of steam, bubble, and boiling mud. Besides thermal features, Yellowstone's vast wilderness includes mountain ranges, lakes, waterfalls and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The main reason of most tourists for visiting Yellowstone is observing the amazing wildlife: grizzly and black bear, bison, bighorn sheep, elk and moose roam the plans and valleys. Unfortunately, you will have to share Yellowstone's wonders with many other visitors.
- Official website: Yellowstone NP
- Highlights: Old Faithful geyser and other thermal features, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Mammoth Hot Springs, and wildlife viewing in the Lamaar Valley.
- Other accolades: Yellowstone NP also features in my top 10 list of the most epic wildlife holidays in the world.
Atop this volcano, located on Hawaii's second largest island Maui, you can hike above the clouds across an otherworldly desert (is this the planet Mars?) with incredible vistas towards the Pacific Ocean. The National Park also cares for endangered species, some of which exist nowhere else, such as the Nene (Hawaiian goose). Perhaps just as spectacular are Haleakala's world-famous sunsets are the bright, starry skies revealed at night. As the park stretches out towards the sea, the desolate volcanic landscape gives way to lush bamboo forests and thundering waterfalls.
At Zion National Park, forces of nature have come together to create one of the USA's most dramatic cliff-and-canyon scenery, offering almost unlimited opportunities for hiking, camping, canyoning, and other wilderness experiences. The main valley boasts some of the most iconic hikes in the National Park system, such as the (in)famous Angels Landing hike along a frighteningly narrow ridge, from where you can gaze up at massive sandstone cliffs of cream, pink, and red that soar into a brilliant blue sky. Wildlife such as mule deer, golden eagles, and mountain lions, also inhabit the Park.
- Official website: Zion NP
- Highlights: Angel's Landing day hike, The Great White Throne monolith, and the Narrows Slot Canyon.
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