National Parks in the United States

A mile-deep chasm carved by the Colorado River exposes nearly two billion years of rock in bands of ochre, rust, and rose. Rim viewpoints, mule trails winding into the depths, and multi-day rafting expeditions reveal one of the planet’s most staggering and humbling geological spectacles.

The world’s first national park sits atop a restless supervolcano, feeding geysers, steaming hot springs, and bubbling mudpots across a vast high plateau. Herds of bison, packs of wolves, and grizzly bears roam its valleys and forests, making the wildlife watching every bit as thrilling as the geothermal shows.

Sheer granite cliffs, thundering waterfalls, and groves of ancient giant sequoias define this beloved Sierra Nevada icon. The soaring faces of Half Dome and El Capitan lure climbers from around the world, while meadow trails and glacier-polished high country reward hikers with breathtaking scenery at every turn.

Crimson sandstone cliffs rise dramatically above a lush canyon floor threaded by the Virgin River. Adventurous routes like the Narrows wade upstream through a slot canyon, while Angels Landing scales an exposed rocky spine, together delivering some of the most exhilarating and unforgettable day hikes in the country.

Alpine peaks, turquoise glacial lakes, and remnant ice fields crown this rugged Montana wilderness straddling the Continental Divide. The famed Going-to-the-Sun Road climbs past hanging valleys and wildflower meadows, while remote backcountry trails cross prime habitat for grizzlies, mountain goats, and bighorn sheep.

A Colorado high country of alpine tundra, sparkling glacial lakes, and jagged summits topping fourteen thousand feet. Trail Ridge Road climbs above the treeline into a fragile alpine world, and each autumn bull elk bugle across the meadows beneath snow-dusted, cloud-wreathed peaks.

Thousands of glowing orange and pink hoodoos crowd a series of natural amphitheaters carved into a high Utah plateau rim. Short rim walks and switchbacking trails weave among the delicate spires, while the lofty elevation delivers crisp mountain air and some of the darkest night skies found anywhere.

The most visited national park in the country drapes the southern Appalachians in mist-shrouded ridges and old-growth forest. Spring wildflower coves, weathered historic cabins, and the summer glow of synchronous fireflies enrich a landscape prized above all for its truly staggering biological diversity.

A single sprawling park spans glaciated mountain peaks, dripping temperate rainforest, and wild Pacific coastline on Washington’s remote peninsula. Moss-draped valleys, teeming tide pools, and isolated alpine meadows make it feel like several entirely distinct worlds stitched improbably together into one wilderness.

The Teton Range erupts abruptly from the Wyoming valley floor with no foothills to soften its jagged, snow-capped skyline. Mirror-still glacial lakes reflect the peaks, while moose, elk, and bears frequent the sagebrush flats and cottonwood-lined riverbanks below the mountains.

More than two thousand natural stone arches punctuate this fiery red-rock Utah landscape, patiently sculpted by wind and water over eons. Delicate Arch and the balanced rocks, fins, and towers surrounding it blaze a vivid orange at sunset beneath enormous, star-filled desert skies.

Home to the largest living trees on Earth, including the colossal General Sherman, alongside deep canyons and rugged Sierra high country. Groves of ancient giant sequoias tower silently overhead while trails climb toward granite domes and the highest peak in the contiguous United States.

Six million acres of pristine Alaskan wilderness surround North America’s tallest peak, rising above tundra and braided glacial rivers. A single winding road pierces the vast interior, where grizzlies, caribou, wolves, and Dall sheep range freely across a landscape of raw, subarctic grandeur.

Rounded granite headlands, fragrant spruce forest, and rocky shoreline meet the crashing Atlantic along Maine’s rugged Mount Desert Island. Carriage roads wind past ponds, and the summit of Cadillac Mountain, among the first spots in the nation to catch the sunrise, rewards every kind of visitor.

A vast subtropical wetland of sawgrass prairie, tangled mangrove, and slow-moving water often called the River of Grass. Alligators, wading birds, and elusive manatees thrive across an ecosystem found nowhere else on Earth, best explored by raised boardwalk, gliding canoe, or kayak.

Twisted namesake trees, sculpted boulder piles, and two converging deserts create an otherworldly California landscape. Rock climbers, stargazers, and desert hikers gather where the high Mojave meets the low Colorado desert, all beneath enormous, crystal-clear skies famed for their brilliant nighttime displays.

The hottest, driest, and lowest place in North America unfolds across blinding salt flats, wind-sculpted dunes, and painted badlands. Despite its harsh extremes, spectacular spring wildflower blooms and vast star-filled night skies reveal surprising, resilient life and haunting beauty throughout this desert.

An immense glaciated volcano towers majestically over wildflower meadows, ancient forest, and rushing rivers in Washington State. A network of trails circles the peak past subalpine parkland that erupts into a riot of color each summer beneath its permanent, gleaming cap of ice and snow.

The tallest trees on Earth soar skyward above fern-filled canyons along California’s foggy, wild northern coast. Protected old-growth groves, rugged shoreline, and roaming herds of Roosevelt elk together create a hushed, cathedral-like wilderness of towering ancient coast redwoods that dwarfs every visitor.

The Green and Colorado rivers have carved an intricate maze of mesas, buttes, and plunging gorges across this rugged, remote Utah park. Dramatic overlooks, white-knuckle backcountry roads, and multi-day river trips reward all those drawn to profound solitude within a vast red-rock labyrinth.