Are you tired of work and need a break? It is not enough going out clubbing or exploring my city during the weekend. Sometimes you need to go out in nature for that dopamine rush, to clear your head so that you can go back to work without any residual feelings like a brand new person. I have the perfect getaway planned for exploring national parks. They are perfect because they’re a mixture of mountains, oceans, hikes etc…
The US is filled with national parks, state parks, monuments, and an infinitely long list of places to travel to but there’s a reason why so many people flock to the national parks they’re amazing and I mean a lot of people. The national parks get roughly 300 million visits annually. I have personally curated a list of 7 National Parks to guide you.
The list of the 7 best national parks for holiday gateway includes Zion National park, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone national park, Yosemite National Park, Acadia National Park, Grand Canyon National Park , Arches National park.
Zion national park: Zion National Park is famous for its canyon pinkish-red sandstone that makes it one of the most picturesque National Parks in the Southwest.
Glacier National park: Glacier Bay is on the coast. 3.3 million acres of unspoiled glaciers, mountains, temperate rainforest and deep fjords. Part of Alaska’s inside passage is one of the last places where you can actually see a tidewater glacier; that’s a glacier that goes all the way down to the tideline, pretty exciting right?
Yellowstone National Park: Established in 1872, Yellowstone was the first natural park in the entire world and certainly one of the greatest national parks in the United States. Combination of alpine lakes and rivers with wildlife such as bears, bison and wolves. It also sits on top of the geothermal hot spot, making it the world’s largest concentration of geysers including Old Faithful.
Yosemite National Park : Not long after Yellowstone, California’s Yosemite Valley became a National Park, thanks to the efforts of the legendary naturalist John Muir. You might recognize Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome from the wallpaper of your Macintosh, and it’s actually a mecca for rock climbers.
Acadia National Park: Maine’s only National Park is the oldest national park east of the Mississippi and is supposedly one of the best on the East Coast. It’s home to Cadillac Mountain, the tallest mountain on the eastern seaboard, but it’s famous for its trail system, which is the oldest trail system in any national park and has recently restored historic carriageways that are now great for hiking and walking. Plus, it’s in Maine which means there’s going to be great craft beer and incredible seafood. While you’re out there, go try that lobster!
Grand Canyon National Park : Grand Canyon National Park which is over a mile deep. It is so wide that at no point can you see its entirety. The views are incredible, especially from Horseshoe Bend where you’ve got to take that obligatory Selfie. But if you really want a full experience, get up close by hiking down.
Arches National park: Arches National Park has the world’s largest concentration of sandstone arches, over 2,000 of them, resulting from the salt left over from a 300 million-year-old sea. It’s just north of Moab, Utah, which is the birthplace of slick rock mountain biking.
Zion National Park:
Location:- Washington Kane and Utah
Best time to visit:- Spring (March and April)
Zion National Park is my favourite nature vacation spot and it is also one of Utah’s Mighty 5 national parks. It’s located in Springdale just under an hour from St George in southwest Utah. Zion Scenic Drive Cuts right through the centre of its beautiful steep Red Cliffs.
Places to visit- This place is filled with a handful of some of my favourite hikes and even a hike that’s dubbed the scariest hike in North America and that is Angel’s Landing which is 4.3 Miles with roughly 1,800 ft of elevation gain and after the switchbacks you have the famous change section which is a narrow strip of trail with that Cliff drops on both sides of you and a few other classic hikes to do here in include the Narrows Zion Canyon Overlook Emerald pools, Court of the Patriarchs and the Watchmen Trail.
Glacier National Park
Location:- Northwestern Montana
Best time to visit:- Summers (Late June to mid-September)
Glacier National Park is one of my all-time favourite holiday getaway destinations. This Park is filled with beautiful aqua-blue Alpine Lakes towering mountain peaks, glaciers and all sorts of wildlife. Glacier is located in Northern Montana just under the Canadian border.
Places to visit:- This park also has a handful of family-friendly options and places to just hang out like Lake McDonald Logan past Jackson Glacier and St Mary’s Lake but there’s also a never-ending amount of insanely beautiful hikes like Cracker Lake, Iceberg Lake, renal Glacier and the Highline Trail and so much more it’s a great place for climbing Peaks but the rock is loose and the Peaks are technical.
Yellowstone National Park
Location- Located mostly in Wyoming, Yellowstone spans the Rocky Mountains into neighboring Idaho and Montana.
Best time to visit:- June to September
Yellowstone National Park is one of the most touristy parks in the country but also one of the most unique and amazing ones.
Places to visit:- Yellowstone is home to the famous Old Faithful Geyser which erupts at predictable intervals every single day. It’s also home to a grand prismatic spring which to me looks like it could quite possibly be the heart of our planet. The colours are just so rich and beautiful but there’s also so much more to Yellowstone than these iconic places. While you’re here you also need to check out Norris Geyser Basin, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and the black sand Basin.
Yosemite National Park
Location:- Sierra Nevada Mountains in California
Best time to visit:- May and September
This National Park might be the most famous in the country especially now after the documentary Free Solo came out, amazing documentary isn’t it? Yosemite Valley boasts some of the most impressive Granite Cliffs in the country.
Places to visit:- The notable Peaks and walls here are El Capitan and Half Dome. However, for Half Dome, you will need a permit because the hiking route is via the cables which have a permit system set in place. If you’re not looking to hike some great places to visit are Glacier Point where you’ll have stunning views of Half Dome, which’s a great spot for Sunset and then also Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls Taff Point is another great destination and course, bridal veil Falls and Tunnel view. Everything you’re going to do here is incredible and even just the drive through the park and through the valley is awesome.
Grand Canyon National Park
Location:- North West Arizona
Best time to visit:- March to May
I feel like this list wouldn’t be complete without including this bucket list location. The Grand Canyon is one of the most special places in the world. It’s no wonder millions of people travel here every single year. The Grand Canyon has an unfathomable amount of layered bands of red rock that showcase millions of years of geological history over millions of years water carved out the canyon through water’s tremendous erosive power and while the Colorado River flows through seven states as it flows through the Grand Canyon it’s home mostly to Arizona.
Places to visit:- There are tons of roadside pull-offs to enjoy the Grand Canyon but if you’re looking for something a little bit more intense and adventurous you can check out the Bright Angel Trail or North Kaibab Trail which will take you all the way to a white sand beach at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Oh man, this is such an amazing experience! .
The Grand Canyon is also home to the Hopi Salt Trail which is a place that much fewer people know about it is outside of the national park boundary but the Hopi Salt Trail is a very long and difficult hike it takes you to the bottom of the little Colorado River and the Colorado River where they meet for the Confluence while this hike is just a few miles outside of the park it’s still very much a part of the Grand Canyon so I thought it was worth noting and it’s a part that few people make it to might I add because it is very remote. It is the perfect getaway location if you find yourself on a very crowded day!
Acadia National Park
Location:- Maine
Best time to visit:- Winter, Spring or late fall
This national park is quite possibly home to the most beautiful Fall Foliage in the world but this park has so much more to see like Cadillac Mountain where from October to March you are the first person in the entire country to see the sunrise which is pretty cool if you ask me. There’s also a handful of places along the Park Drive that have beautiful Coastline viewpoints where you can just hang out and watch the waves and the tide come good stops for this are Schooner Overlook sand beach and Thunder Hole.
Places to visit:- Just to name a few my all-time favourite hikes in the park are the Precipice Trail and the Beehive Trail. You can hike these separately if you like but if you’re up for a few additional miles you can hike them together as one big point-to-point hike. These hikes Ascend the mountains of Acadia and you’re climbing the rock with the assistance of iron rungs in the Rock. It’s pretty exhilarating and maybe not for those that have a fear of heights but if you like Adventure like me then this Trail is for you.
Arches National Park
Location:- Eastern Utah
Best time to visit:- April to May, September to October
Arches National Park is such a unique place, there are more than 2,000 documented arches in the Park Plus Pinnacles balance rocks and other kinds of geological formations. It’s beautiful but the best time of day here is a golden hour when the entire Park lights up pink and orange. Arches is great for landscape photography and hikers but it’s also an extremely family-friendly Park and you don’t need more than a weekend here to see the best places this park has to offer you could even see quite a bit if you only had one day
Places to visit:- One hike you have to do while visiting here is Delicate Arch, a 3.2 Miles hike with 600 ft of elevation gain you’ll also have to do Double Arch Which is less than a mile round trip from the car and if you’re looking for other great places to see and Hikes to do you should check out the Turret Arch and Park Avenue.
I hope you enjoyed this blog and hopefully, this gave you a few ideas for your next trip. Remember all the above-mentioned national parks are spectacular, so don’t stress and just go with the flow. Of course, you will need a little bit of planning but that’s about it. Enjoy and have fun on your next trip!
What is a famous park in the USA?
Yosemite National Park in California and Yellowstone National Park are the most famous National Parks in the USA.
Which U.S. national park is known for its geysers?
Yellowstone National Park has approx. half of
the world’s geysers, including some of the most spectacular and popular ones like Old Faithful.
How many National parks are there in the US?
Although there are 433 national park sites in the USA. Out of which 63 have “national parks” designated to their particular name.
