America’s Great Outdoors

America is big and beautiful. And we’re not referring to those world-famous cities. This is your reminder that America’s natural beauty rivals anywhere in the world. These four national parks are worth making a pilgrimage for.

Yellowstone

Yellowstone is the world’s very first national park, officially named so in 1872. It was so beautiful, someone had the great idea to try preserving it by making the land official. They certainly started a positive trend. Now it remains in its crystalline natural beauty, boasting hot springs, mudpots, mountains, forests, lakes, endless wildlife, and those amazing geysers. Perhaps learning about the history in this case will be just as fascinating since it goes back so long. When the entrance’s arch was completed in 1903, inscribed atop it were the words “For the Benefit and Enjoyment of the People.” We think the sentiment still stands. Enjoy, people!

Where is it? Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

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Grand Teton

Perhaps known most for the high peaks Middle Teton, Grand Teton, and Mount Owen, this park offers a lot more than just those majestic mountains. But they are pretty amazing. Towering over the Snake River, they overlook the valley known as Jackson Hole. At its peak, the Grand Teton rises about 7,000 feet above the valley floor.

With incredible wildlife, immaculate lakes, and alpine landscapes, the national park is a great place to camp and take in the great outdoors through a range of activities.

Where is it? Wyoming

Bryce Canyon

We all know about the Grand Canyon, of course. And though that canyon is absolutely a must-visit and a major spectacle, Bryce Canyon deserves mentioning because it’s equally fascinating, breathtaking, and totally unique.

This otherworldly national park is best known for those hoodoos. Yes, that’s spelled correctly. Hoodoos are these crazy-shaped spires of rock that stick out within the canyon. Several viewpoints allow visitors to see them up close. Nowhere in the world are they more prominent than in this very park, so this is the place to take a good look at them. Though they are spire-like, the hoodoo is different and a specific kind of rock formation, much thicker and having more of a totem-pole shape. In other words, they are incredibly unique and a must-see.

Hiking here, obviously, is an unforgettable experience, as well as camping.

Where is it? Utah

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Badlands

Another location with spire-like miracles is the Badlands National Park. Made up of half geological formations and half mixed-grass prairie, the Badlands are 244,000 acres of striking beauty. Deep canyons, rising buttes and pinnacles create an almost fantastical image resembling something out of a dream or George R.R Martin’s imagination. Though this half of the park will wow at first glance, the prairie will also astound.

Great walking trails and boardwalks make soaking it all in easy. Wildlife thrives here, from bison, bighorn sheep, prairie dogs, to black-footed ferrets. Plus, to add to the fantastical nature of the land, the ancient saber-toothed cat once roamed here long ago. 

Where is it? South Dakota