Beyond the Cities: Discover America’s Natural Wonders

Switzerland is known for Scenic landscapes (Alps, lakes), chocolate, cheese, luxury watches and banking.

Italy is known for its Art, architecture, fashion, pasta, pizza, and wine.

What about the America? What is it known for?

America is known for Hollywood, tech innovation (Silicon Valley), fast food, national parks, and iconic cities like New York and Los Angeles. In this article we will talk about the national parks, the natural wonders of the America.

• What are national parks? How many are there?
• What are top 10? What is top one thing to do in these 10 parks?
• Other activities to do and how to plan?

What are national parks? How many are there?

The idea of national parks came from the need to save America’s special landscapes for the future. Pioneers and explorers admired places like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon for their beauty and uniqueness. National parks aim to protect nature, preserve heritage, protect wildlife, and make these areas open to everyone.

Yellowstone national park, created in 1872, started the National Park movement. The broader National Park Service was formed in 1916. Today, the system has 63 National Parks and many other protected sites.

Wallace Stegner (1909–1993), a historian, writer, and environmentalist, called National Parks "America's best idea" in a 1960 letter to Congress. This phrase became widely known after Ken Burns’ 2009 documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea.

What are top 10? What is top one things to do in these 10 parks?

While every national park is worth a visit, here are the top 10 of the 63 national parks. Also listing one top thing to do in that national park.

• Yellowstone National Park – Witness the eruption of Old Faithful Geyser.
• Grand Canyon National Park – Hike the Bright Angel Trail for breathtaking views.
• Yosemite National Park – Marvel at El Capitan and Half Dome from Tunnel View.
• Zion National Park – Hike the Narrows through the Virgin River.
• Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Enjoy wildlife spotting at Cades Cove.
• Rocky Mountain National Park – Drive the Trail Ridge Road for panoramic alpine views.
• Glacier National Park – Explore the Going-to-the-Sun Road for stunning scenery.
• Grand Teton National Park – Paddle or boat on Jackson Lake.
• Arches National Park – Visit the iconic Delicate Arch at sunset.
• Acadia National Park – Watch the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, the first in the U.S. mainland.

Other activities to do and how to plan?

National parks offer wildlife watching, camping, stargazing, photography, ranger programs, boating, kayaking, rock climbing, snow sports, biking, and cultural tours. The official mobile app for the National Park System in the United States is National Park Service App. In this app, we can find park Information, interactive Maps, trip Planning ideas, alerts, and notifications. Many features can be downloaded for offline use with no internet coverage. Make sure to use this feature and don't bet on internet coverage within the national parks.

Another resource is recreation.gov. Also have mobile app with the same name. This app/website can be used to buy park tickets, reserve campsite. Also have interactive maps and trip planning ideas.

That's a wrap this week. Happy traveling!