On Monday I started my list of my favorite National Parks and today I continue with my Greatest Hits List. In recent years, my husband and I have spent a great deal of time in Colorado and have grown to love it. Of course, Yellowstone Park in our home-away-from-home, Wyoming, is our yearly go-to (along with the oft overlooked Grand Teton National Park, which really deserves its own post).
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
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| Visit Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado for incredible alpine scenery |
Just 1.5 hours north of Denver, Rocky Mountain attracts more than four million visitors each year for its incredible alpine scenery. It’s home to 72 peaks taller than 12,000 feet.
You can’t miss a drive up the 48-mile Trail Ridge Road, a winding path across the Continental Divide. It’s the highest continuous paved road in the country. You’ll see valleys, spruce and fir forests, snowcapped peaks and glaciers on your way up to 12,183 feet. An early summer treat are the wildflower meadows.
Another popular drive is Old Fall River Road, opened in 1920. It’s a slow trip along a narrow, curving, largely gravel road to its highest point, 11,796 feet above sea level.
Wildlife abound over the park’s 415 square miles. Be on the lookout for moose, bighorn sheep, mule deer and elk. The park also boasts 141 species of butterflies. Black bears, mountain lions and bobcats are much harder to spot, but they’re park residents as well.
Get out on some of the park’s 355 miles of hiking trails. They range from an easy lakeside walk to the challenging journey up the 14,259-foot Longs Peak.
The first national park in the world, Yellowstone was designated in 1872. Mainly located in northwest Wyoming (with small portions in Idaho and Montana), the park attracts more than four million visitors a year.
Over its 2.2 million acres, Yellowstone houses the world’s most impressive concentration of hydrothermal features. There are more than 10,000 of them, including mud pots, hot springs and 300 of its famed geysers. The park’s icon is Old Faithful, a cone geyser that erupts every 35 to 120 minutes.
Of course, Yellowstone offers other types of magnificent scenery. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone is 4,000 feet wide and 1,200 feet deep. The grand peaks of the Rockies tower above the park. Boat around Yellowstone Lake, North America’s highest lake. Explore vast forests, including one of the world’s largest petrified forests formed by volcanic eruptions about 50 million years ago.
Yellowstone also has the largest concentration of mammals in the Lower 48. They include grizzly and black bears, deer, moose, elk, bison, bighorn sheep, wild horses, grey wolves, coyotes and pronghorn.
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Yosemite National Park, California
A shining star among the U.S.’s top national parks, Yosemite covers more than 1,000 square miles in east central California, on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. It’s blessed with an abundance of natural wonders, particularly in the commonly visited Yosemite Valley. Every year more than four million visitors here take in its dramatic sights like the granite hills of Sentinel Dome (3,000 feet above the valley floor) and Half Dome (4,800 feet). Another granite landmark: El Capitan, a 3,000-foot cliff that’s one of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the world. Its Dawn Wall may be the hardest rock climb on Earth.
Yosemite’s natural wonders don’t stop there. Its incredible waterfalls change character along with the four seasons. They include Yosemite Falls, North America’s highest waterfall at 2,425 feet. Visitors also delight in the groves of ancient giant sequoia trees and the glaciers, such as Lyell Glacier, covering 160 acres. The park offers plentiful hiking, rafting, fishing, climbing, camping and wildlife viewing opportunities. Deer are common sights, and bears and coyotes also inhabit the park.
Zion National Park, Utah
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| Utah is packed border to border with spectacular scenery. |
Utah is a national park wonderland, but even so, Zion stands out. It’s the state’s first national park and its most popular, with 3.6 million visitors a year.
Located in southwestern Utah, the park’s 232 square miles include some of the country’s most scenic canyons, created thanks to a million years of flowing water. Massive sandstone cliffs in shades of beige, pink, orange and red surround you. Narrow slot canyons make for interesting hiking, including the narrowest gorge. It’s appropriately named the Narrows – up to 1,000 feet tall and only 20 to 30 feet wide at places. Waterfalls and springs maintain colorful hanging gardens. One thousand species of vegetation flourish – everything from pine and juniper trees to desert plants such as prickly pears and yucca.
Three park superstars are breathtaking. Zion Canyon, carved by the Virgin River, is nearly 3,000 feet deep at spots. The 287-foot-long Kolob Arch, perched high on a canyon wall, is one of the world’s largest freestanding arches. Angels Landing provides an incredible view if you can make it up 5,785 feet along a intimidating trail.
Planning Your National Park Adventure
You have heard of From Good to Great, right? The concept of transitioning from a good vacation to a great one that you feel is time and money well invested is a challenge. The execution of a fantastic National Parks vacation is more than packing up the kids in the station wagon and heading west. As a professional travel advisor, I can help you build the perfect trip that takes into account the park's highlights during specific times of the year. I will also provide insight on where to stay, how to make the most of each day in the park, and what to do in the vicinity of each park. No more hangry arguing as you search for the closest McDonalds!
Ready? Set! Let's start planning!
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