By protecting a range of natural landscapes, various countries around the world are both acknowledging their importance and beauty. We live in a world that is prone to change and every singular aspect of it – be it manmade or natural – is a subject to temporal flux. Thankfully, for a singular lifetime this flux often appears to be frozen, which means that you have a golden opportunity to visit some of these captivating sites. If you are a type of person that would like to savor the most gorgeous places this world has to offer, here are the best national for every type of traveler.
Zion, Utah
Zion National park in Utah is not your typical orange-tinged landscape that looks like a surface of Mars (not that this sort of national park doesn’t look spectacular). Zion is an amazing hotspot for family adventures and cross-generational hiking. It is a slightly more nuanced biome with dashes of greenery in the form of twirling pine trees. Mountain goats and bighorn sheep are not an uncommon sight, which can be a point of fascination for kids. The most opportune time to visit this park is during the summer months when a park shuttle service is active. They can drive you (and your troop or a family) around different interesting destinations throughout the park.
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
The Grand Canyon is one of the premier topographical hotspots in the US, but have you heard of the Grand Canyon of Texas known as Palo Duro? If you are a seasoned traveler who has already visited some of the highlights of the US – including the Grand Canyon – or if you are simply a type of person that likes to go “against the grain,” head straight to Palo Duro Canyon State Park. It is an absolutely wonderful canyon system that also boasts some truly captivating geographical curiosities. The park itself was opened in 1934 and the canyon covers an area that is about 120 miles long and 20 miles wide. The natural attraction is quite close to the charming city of Amarillo – which is an attraction in and of itself. Extend your stay in this “town” to find out why that particular brand of Texan hospitality is so renowned throughout the world.
Yellowstone National Park
There is a good reason Yellowstone National Park is the subject of so many documentaries, videos and TV series – its utterly arresting natural beauty. The enormous national park spreads across the territory of three states – Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. Naturally, since it covers so much land, anyone who visits it is up for an adventure through a surprising amount of distinct regions and habitats. Since the biosphere of the region is protected by the US law, the tourists get a chance to see some truly rare or downright endangered species up close. Still, this goes without mentioning the geysers, fumaroles, geothermal ponds, limestone terraces, canyons, lakes and many more.
Yosemite, California
Yosemite is one of those “celebrity” national parks everyone has heard about, not unlike Yellowstone. This is probably due to the fact that it has been mentioned so many times in movies throughout the history of Hollywood. However, Yosemite National Park is also appreciated around the globe as the premier rock-climbing destination. This beautiful gem of the Sierra Nevada mountains is as popular among the novices as it is among the prolific mountain climbers and hikers, so if you own a pair of sturdy hiking sneakers or boots, knock yourself out!
Haleakala, Hawaii
If you want to mix things up a bit and try something utterly different from what you typically might imagine a protected natural landscape looks like, head to Haleakala National Park on the glorious island of Maui. It is a mysterious assembly of volcanic rock formations that has an allure of the primordial, but there are also patches of lush, green mountainside and thick baboon forest. The pièce de résistance is, of course, the spectacular summit of Haleakala Volcano. If, by any chance, you visit this national park, you simply cannot miss the grand sunset from the top of this 10,000 feet tall volcano.
The amazing aspect of these fragments of natural beauty is that they can serve as a backdrop for any sort of vacation. Be it a lonesome journey or a family occasion, a grand adventure or a relaxing holiday, these picturesque national parks are there to keep you delighted. If you ever get a chance to visit at least one of the parks suggested here, let alone all of them, you can truly consider yourself a privileged person.
