How to Explore America's Best National Parks
- 1). Arizona's Grand Canyon National Park is probably the most eye-opening natural wonder in America, an unforgettable gorge nearly 300 miles long and up to a mile deep at points. Nearly five million visitors enjoy this amazing attraction every year, for everything from simple sightseeing to river trips to mule rides.
- 2). While not quite as heralded, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws even more people each year and is actually the most popular of America's national parks. The park is nestled on the border between North Carolina and Tennessee and is known for its staggering diversity of plant life; make sure to check out the observation tower at Clingman's Dome for a vista that really puts the locale's sprawling size into perspective.
- 3). Acadia National Park in Maine is a collision of rocky oceanfront and forested mountains set on Mount Desert Island and some nearby islets. Aside from the staggering scenery, visitors will enjoy the island's charming town, Bar Harbor, and the park's wildlife is also impressive; be on the lookout for everything from moose to muskrats.
- 4). Yosemite National Park in Eastern California boasts fantastic waterfalls, iconic cliff faces like Half Dome and El Capitan and inviting hiking trails. For the brave-of-heart, rock climbing is huge here, and more sedate fun runs the gamut from open-air tram tours to winter snowshoe walks.
- 5). Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park is a smaller Grand Canyon and showcases a wealth of natural limestone formations formed into spires known as "hoodoos." Actually more of a naturally formed amphitheater than a canyon, Bryce is famed for its great hiking, horseback riding and dramatic photo ops.
- 6). Yellowstone National Park is a one-of-a-kind enclave of natural geysers, hot springs and waterfalls. Camping and fishing are big activities at this famous park set mostly in Wyoming, and the wildlife-watching is cool too-but don't feed the bears!
- 7). The Everglades National Park, making up a good chunk of Southern Florida, is a unique wonder as well-a flat marsh-like expanse of rivers, estuaries and lowlands that boasts such creatures as manatees, panthers and alligators. Camping and hiking are the main activities here, though some kitschy roadside attractions nearby are worth exploring too.
- 8). Montana's Glacier National Park is a simply beautiful oasis of alpine wonders-glaciers, peaks, hiking trails and wildlife. Some wonderful Swiss-style lodges offer great hospitality, and interested parties should check out the amazing glaciers before climate change eliminates them altogether.
- 9). Redwood National Park in Northern California is actually two areas sprawling across nearly 132,000 acres within Del Norte and Humboldt Counties. The big attraction of course are the gigantic redwoods, many taller than 300 feet, and the park also offers kayaking, mountain biking, guided nature tours and excellent camping areas.