The USA and its territories are home to more than 60 stunning national parks. Offering an extremely diverse variety of landscapes, these gorgeous national treasures attract millions of visitors each year looking to immerse themselves in natural beauty. From the East Coast to the West and everywhere in between, here are some of the most beautiful areas in the USA.
We are quite 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. 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.
I'm counting down the country's most popular & beautiful National Parks in the United States.
GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK (ARIZONA)
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 NATIONAL PARK (ALASKA)
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.
HALEAKALA NATIONAL PARK (HAWAII)
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.
ZION NATIONAL PARK (UTAH)
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.
OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK (WASHINGTON)
Olympic National Park is a land of such variety in climate and terrain that it’s hard to believe it’s just one Park; it’s more like many magical Parks in one. A day’s exploration can take you from spectacular Pacific Ocean beaches with colorful tide pools to inspiring mountain scenery dotted with massive glaciers and alpine meadows of wildflowers. In addition, in the heart of Olympic National Park, you can hike through some of the largest remnants of ancient sopping-wet rainforests left in the USA. I suggest to take some time to explore Olympic’s different faces, and to escape from the outside world in the largely untouched forests, the beautiful mountains, and desolate, wild beaches.
GLACIER NATIONAL PARK (MONTANA)
The one million acre Glacier National Park wilderness area is located in the state of Montana and the Canadian provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. The Park, not to be confused with Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park (cf above), was established in 1910 to preserve its pristine forests, alpine meadows, rugged mountains, glacially-carved valleys, and spectacular lakes. Its diverse habitats support healthy populations of grizzly & black bears, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, moose, wolverines, wolves and mountain lions. With over 740 miles (1200 km) of trails, Glacier is a hiker’s paradise for adventurous visitors seeking wilderness and solitude.