In 2019, America celebrates the 103rd anniversary of its National Park Service. The United States is made up of endless destinations to explore, the vast expanse of its national parks possibly being the most interesting of them all. A whopping 318 million people visited these parks in 2018 alone, says an article on Trip Savvy.
Here’s a look at the top 5 National Parks that are a must visit.
1. Great Smokey Mountains National Park
Renowned for its diversity in wildlife, this park is located on the borders of North Carolina and Tennessee. During mid-May to mid-June, a synchronous firefly viewing event takes place. Along with this, other activities like hiking, nature viewing, visiting historic churches, exploring the Appalachian trail are a few other popular things to do at this park, says an article by US Local Guide.
2. Grand Canyon National Park
This is the second most visited national park in the nation and, with most people visiting it for white water rafting. The mighty Colorado River stretches up to 277 river miles and offers the most mesmerizing scenic views for people from all across the globe. It has also been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Grand Canyon witnesses about 6 million visitors every year.
3. Yellowstone National Park
Bison, elk, antelope and a large population of wolves are the major wildlife attractions of Yellowstone National Park. In 1872, this became the first park to experience hydrothermal wonders. Here, you can hike for miles and miles, take out your binoculars and check out wild animals, ride a horse, light a campfire and much more. The various ways in which the park has maintained its natural wilderness is something worth experiencing.
4. Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park welcomes nearly 4 million visitors every year. Vernal Falls, Cathedral Lakes, Mariposa Grove, Yosemite Falls, Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp and Olmsted Point are the major tourist attractions here. California’s first national park, Yosemite proudly offers its visitors the best waterfalls, lush green meadows, vast valleys and more.
5. Glacier National Park
Forests, meadows, mountains and lakes, along with a sprawling 700 hiking trails offer quite some adventure to visitors every year. Glacier National Park is also a peace park, apart from being a biosphere and world heritage site. It also flaunts about 130 lakes and thousands of plant and animal species.
The National Parks of the US alone cater to 330 million visitors every year, according to an article by the National Park Service. Just make sure to check out the local listings while planning your trip for the most memorable experience.