Thirteen of the most beautiful National Parks in the USA.
1. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is the world’s first-ever od all national parks in the USA and needs little introduction. You will find a beautiful collection of geysers and hot springs, while moose, wolves and bears cross the high mountain ridges. The most eye-catching source in Yellowstone National Park is the Grand Prismatic Spring, located in the Midway Geyser Basin. With a diameter of 113 meters and a depth of 49 meters, it is one of the largest hot springs in the world.
2. Yosemite National Park
The impressive Yosemite National Park lays in the state of California, known for its waterfalls and granite rocks. But the valleys, green meadows, giant sequoia, lakes and rivers are also a feast for the eyes. Hundreds of animal species even live there, including black bears, pumas, pikas and bats. Must-see attractions in the park include Half Dome and El Capitan, two important Yosemite symbols.
3. Grand Canyon
With nearly five million visitors a year, Arizona’s Grand Canyon is one of the world’s most famous natural attractions. The main feature of this park is the vast gorge that is an average of 1.6 kilometres deep and extends for almost 30 kilometres. The two billion-year-old rock here turns vibrant red and orange during sunrise or before sunset and provides a breathtaking view that will make you quiet.
4. Bryce Canyon National Park
Despite its name, southwestern Utah’s Bryce Canyon National Park is not a canyon. In reality, it is a series of bizarrely shaped, giant stone amphitheatres consisting of red, orange and yellow rocks. The park has several viewpoints from where you can admire this extraordinary and fiery landscape, which is exceptionally beautiful during sunrise.
5. Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is a lovely area in northwestern Montana. With nearly half a million acres of protected land, including majestic peaks, lakes, alpine meadows and glaciers, this park is the place to be for outdoor enthusiasts. You can also spot wildlife such as moose, grizzly bears, wolves and mountain goats.
6. Grand Teton National Park
Just south of Yellowstone National Park in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. The park offers a pristine ecosystem of alpine peaks, clear blue lakes, shady forests, and a myriad of black and grizzly bears. Fishers, who fish for trout love The Snake River in the park very much who.
7. Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado attracts ambitious and energetic hikers who want to climb the spiky mountain peaks in the park. The favourite is Longs Peak, which is more than 4,267 meters high. The view from the top there is magnificent, looking out over glittering blue lakes, forests and snow-capped peaks.
8. Zion National Park
A red labyrinth of canyons, mountains, and monoliths, Utah’s Zion National Park is a popular destination for rock climbing or hiking. There are many notable routes in the park, which differ in difficulty. In the heart of the park, you will find the Zion Canyon, a spectacular gorge that is 800 meters deep and 24 km long.
9. Arches National Park
Further in Utah is Arches National Park, with over 2,000 naturally formed arches. The most famous arch of all is the Delicate Arch, which can be found on the Utah license plate. This arch, and its lesser-known siblings, are all made of living red and orange sandstone and are beautiful to see, especially at dawn and dusk.
10. Kenai Fjords National Park
Although you can reach Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska by car (via Seward), it is also a popular pit stop on Alaskan cruises. The park is home to the world’s largest ice field, the Harding Icefield, as well as beautiful fjords and colossal glaciers. Animals that you can spot here include sea lions, porpoises and killer whales.
11. Sequoia National Park
In the Sierra Nevada, just south of Yosemite, is the Sequoia National Park where you will find the most famous trees in North America: the giant redwoods. The park is also home to the most massive tree in the world by volume: the General Sherman tree. Most of the park is still an impassable wilderness and still represents the time before the first Europeans arrived in America.
12. Big Bend National Park
One of the largest, most remote and least visited parks in America is the Big Bend National Park in Texas. It is the place for quiet walks, boat trips and bird watching. Here you will find many types of plates and animals, both living and dead: archaeologists have even excavated fossils here that are more than 9,000 years old.
13. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park contains some of the oldest mountains in the world and is the most visited national park in America. Spanning across the states of Tennessee and North Carolina, the park consists of some 250,000 acres of dense forests, home to over 1,600 plants and animal species including bears and deer. You will also find more than 1,000 km of hiking trails over the pointed mountain peaks.
Source: 27vakantiedagen.nl
