There is a lot to be said for doing something out of the ordinary on a vacation and instead of heading to a popular city, a glamorous beach destination, or luxurious ocean cruise, choosing to vacation in the great outdoors. Vacationing at one of the many world famous great outdoors locations in the United States allows a traveler to experience the wilderness areas of the country, sometimes for the very first time in their life. Many of the great outdoors areas worth vacationing at are areas that are actually protected natural park lands. Some of those that lend themselves to vacationers of all backgrounds, experience, and interests are the national parks of the United States.
The United States has an incredible selection of natural parks to visit. Some offer close up looks at areas where historically significant happenings occurred, some offer one of the few ways to see protected and preserved wild lands as they still are, and some offer great access to a wealth of outdoor recreation possibilities. There are national parks spread throughout the country and in all regions. Nearly each and every national park offers a great vacation opportunity, but here are just five American national parks that should not be missed by anyone thinking they want to experience the country's great outdoors.
Yellowstone National Park
The first ever national park in the United States was Yellowstone National Park which rests mainly in Wyoming, but also extends into the neighboring states of Idaho and Montana too. Yellowstone National Park consists of more than two million acres of land and is one of the largest protected natural areas in the world. This is one of the best places to head to for any couple or family looking to spend an unforgettable time in the great outdoors. There are a number of specific things worth seeing within the park including the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone Lake, Upper Geyser Basin, Grand Loop Road, Mount Washburn, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Lower Geyser Basin, Lower Yellowstone River Falls, Canyon Village, Artist Point, Fairy Falls, the Museum of the National Park Ranger, Snake River, Tower Fall, Steamboat Geyser, and the Old Faithful Inn.
The park is home to an incredible number of examples of great natural wildlife, including towering trees as well as some very interesting animals. Some of the wildlife that can be viewed in the park include wolves, grizzly bears, bison, elk, deer, and more. There are a number of outdoor recreational opportunities that can be participated in too including boating, fishing, hiking, and camping. A visit to Yellowstone National Park will stay with a vacationer for the rest of their lives.
Mount Rainier National Park
Located in Washington State in the great Pacific Northwest, Mount Rainier National Park is a popular destination for both those from within the state as well as those that come there from outside the area. The key feature of Mount Rainier National Park is of course Mount Rainier itself. The mountain towers over the surrounding Cascade Mountains as it rises to more than 14,000 feet high, the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. The mountain is a popular destinations for climbers who attempt to reach its summit each and every year. Another of the popular attractions in the park is the Wonderland Trail which stretches 35 miles in length and circles all the way around Mount Rainier.
Mount Rainier National Park is home to a great deal of protected old growth forest land. There are two main visitors areas in the park, Paradise on the southern slopes of the mountain and Sunrise on the northern slopes. Both of these locations, along with the visitor areas at Longmire, Ohanapecosh, and Carbon, add to the experience that the vacationer can have there. Camping is a popular activity in the park, along with hiking and mountain climbing, and the area offers a great chance to enjoy the outdoors as only the Pacific Northwest can present it to its visitors.
Mammoth Cave National Park
One of the most popular national parks in the eastern region of the United States, and with god reason, is Mammoth Cave National Park which is located in central Kentucky. A good portion of the Mammoth Cave system is contained within the park. This is the longest known cave system in the entire world. Unbelievably, there are more than 360 miles of passageways to explore inside Mammoth Cave. Some of this area is open to the public and available to tour, much of it even featuring improved access to handle the wide variety of visitors that come there. Other areas of the cave system can be explored by permit only. The accessible areas of the cave are fascinating whether a visitor has been there before or not.
The incredible magnitude of the cave system is quickly delivered to the vacationer as they walk along the handrail lined underground trails. Some rooms in the cave are quite large and impressive, while other areas are cramped and tight. Tours of the cave are done with the assistance of a guide and can take anywhere from one to six hours depending on which tour is requested. The guides enhance the tour experience by relaying some great information related to the history of the cave system, both from a scientific angle as well as the history of its discovery and development. A vacation to Mammoth Cave National Park can be a truly unforgettable experience.
Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
Located in the southern portion of the state of Colorado, the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is a popular vacation destination for those traveling to or through the area. The park consists of more than 84,000 acres and though most people don't consider Colorado as a location where sand dunes would be plentiful, the tallest sand dunes in North America can be found there. Many of the tallest dunes in the park rise more than 750 feet up from the floor of the valley below.
Hiking is a popular activity in Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, and with very little visual obstructions, it is possible for the traveler to just set out climbing the dunes and setting their own course. In the higher elevation areas of the park there are alpine lakes, tundra, and even six mountain peaks that reach a height of 13,000 feet or more. There is a great diversity in the types of plant life and wild animals that can be seen in the area. Any visitor lucky enough to visit this truly unique protected area should be sure to bring along their camera to capture images of this ever changing and very significant landscape.
Sequoia National Park
There are a number of popular tourist attractions in the great state of California, but some of the ones that often get overlooked by the visitors going there are the many protected natural areas found there. One of the best in the state is Sequoia National Park which is located in the southern Sierra Nevada mountain range. This beautiful area has a long history as a valued natural area as it was the second national park ever established in the United States. Mount Whitney is one of the key features of the park and at 14,505 feet high is a popular destination for hikers and climbers.
The number one attraction in the park are the Giant Sequoia trees located throughout the area known as the Giant Forest. This forest amazingly contains five of the ten largest trees known to exist in the entire world. A number of great examples of wildlife can be seen in the park including mountain lions, bobcats, foxes, mule deer, rattlesnakes, and American black bears. Hiking, camping, fishing, and backpacking are the most popular activities to participate in within the park. Along with the Giant Forest, some of the other popular attractions in the park include Tunnel Log, Crystal Cave, Crescent Meadow, and Moro Rock. Sequoia National Park is not only a great vacation destination in it's own right, for a day trip or a long weekend it also offers a welcome relief to the busier tourist attractions in California.
