Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but from our perspective, there are many factors to consider when choosing the best parks in the US. For some, it’s color, wildlife, weather, water views, night sky viewing, and hiking. We have made our top list based on these factors.
- Acadia Park. We have selected this as the best park to visit because of its ocean view, great mountains, forests, and lakes. Located in Maine, this destination is great for ocean viewing, biking, and climbing up its mountains. There are a few places you can’t skip if you visit this destination:
- Cadillac Mountain. Offers a great view, if you want to enjoy it fully, you can climb it up, but you can still drive it up.
- Gorham mountain. If you’re in less-than-stellar shape, you might still be able to hike this mountain, as this is a short hike.
- Bubble Mountains. The same applies to these mountains, and the view awaiting is wonderful.
- Bowl pond hike by Beehive. You can swim in this beautiful pond.
- Climb up to Sargent Mountain Pond (another awesome mountain top pond to swim in), starting at the Asticou, then coming down Penobscot to Jordan pond. Easy trail to walk back to Asticou. Bus also available from Jordan Pond to the Asticou.
- Pemetic Mountain. Great views. Start at Jordan Pond, go up, come down by the bubbles, loop back around to Jordan Pond.
- Dorr Mountain. Enjoy the wonderful waterfalls.
- Day Mountain. No cars allow, it is recommended to bike this up.
2. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana. If you’re looking to see great wildlife, spring is the best time of the year to visit this wonderful park. Not only the weather is great, but there are more chances to view animals from a very short distance (even a few feet away from your car). Don’t miss out on the chance to view the dawn from Old Faithful.
3. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington. The best time to visit this park is July and August, but make sure to visit it during the week, since this is the most visited season in the year, chances are you won’t find available parking during the weekends. This is the best time for wildflowers viewing. For hiking, October is the best month. If you visit it during June, you might be impressed to see great piles of snow. If you don’t mind the rain, fall is great for camping. But if you’re more adventurous and into cross-country skiing, winter is the best time to visit this incredible park.
4. Yosemite National Park, California. Best known for its waterfalls, with a great granite monolith named El Capitan, and stellar weather. Climbers from all over the world come to train on the 3,000-foot walls of El Capitan, because of its high quality rocks, excellent weather, and the rivers roar with youthful exuberance
5. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. Well known for the 5000 ft/1500 m gouge in the earth’s crust, Grand Canyon Park is a beautiful, mind-blowing destination for your senses. However, don’t let your adrenaline misguide you, be aware of the Canyon’s magnitude, and don’t hike more than 100 yards down the trail. Drink lots of water, and don’t attempt to hike an iffy trail.
6. Haleakala National Park, Hawaii. World’s tallest dormant volcano, superb coastal and night view, and of course, you can’t skip the great sunset view.
7. Redwood National Park. Such an underrated destination, visiting this place is a must. The majority of ancient Redwoods were cut down to build the cities and towns of California. Redwood is a destination to behold.