Looking for that moment where you would say “wow! I am speechless, what an amazing planet this is!”?
Discover the planet’s best national parks where you may wonder whether you’ve lived on another planet only to realize how much you’ve missed in your own home planet.
We call these the best national parks since some of them are the largest and most visited national parks (top travel destinations) with exceptional diversity in terms of beauty, landscape and ecosystems.
These parks can be your best getaways when you’re looking to add breathe to your life with fresh air and be immersed in beauty, and tranquility separating yourself from your usual and rather hectic routines.
They also provide a great opportunity to observe wildlife closely and broaden one’s knowledge on the behavior & sentience of our fellow species to appreciate them more, understand their rights to live on this planet as much as we do, while strengthening our bond with nature & wildlife in general.
Read on to get a feel of the most famous national parks before you actually get there!
New Zealand
1) Fiordland National Park
Breathtaking mountain peaks, pristine lakes with mirror reflections, enchanting ancient forests, and captivating wildlife. That’s a bit of Fiordland National Park for you!
The scenic pleasure you would experience in this national park would have taken millions of years shaped by glaciers to be what it is today and it’s built with deep valleys, volcanic rocks, snow-covered hills, and tall waterfalls.
One of the park’s mindblowing fiords and a top travel destination, the Milford Sound has been called ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’ by Rudyard Kipling.
Another aspect of Fiordland National Park is its unique experience visitors get which is quite different than many other world’s national parks.
The park may not have many large terrestrial animals, unlike in North America or Africa, but its variety of flora and fauna endemic to New Zealand and the vast collection of exotic birds more than makes up for this. It gives you some of the best bird-watching opportunities in the world!
- Area: 12,607 km²
- Annual visitors: 600,000 approx.
- Landscape: fiords, mountains, rainforests, waterfalls, lakes, coastal area
- Major animal species: kiwi, red deer, kea, kaka, kakapo, takahe, northern chamois, seals, bush robin, crested penguins, kereru, dolphins, blue ducks, crested grebe, morepork (Tasmanian spotted owl), stoat
- Major plant species: red mountain beech, silver beech, fern, Hall’s tōtara, rimu, miro alpine daisies, buttercups
- Activities: cruising, kayaking, jet boat trips, rafting, multi-day hikes, cycling, scenic road trips, trip to glow-worm caves, scuba diving, flyovers, and photography tours
- Location map: click here
South Africa
2) Kruger National Park
Synonymous with the word “safari”, Kruger National Park is the habitat for almost 150 mammals, more than 500 bird species, 100 reptiles, 33 amphibians, 50 fish species, 219 species of native butterflies, along with its vast savannah and diverse landscape.
Kruger is South Africa’s first national park, established in 1926 and is also its flagship national park.
The park being host to some of the largest animals (African elephants, rhinos, hippos, Cape buffalos, giraffes) that are abundant, it is well known to give one of the best African wildlife viewing experiences.
No surprise why it’s one of the largest and most popular national parks!
- Area: 19,485 km²
- Annual visitors: 1,800,000 approx.
- Landscape: savannah, rivers, hills & mountains
- Major animal species: elephants, giraffes, rhinos, lions, hyenas, cheetahs, hippos, crocodiles, leopards, wildebeest. zebras, impala, wild dogs, bushbucks, Cape buffalos, elands, antelope, warthog, African rock pythons, birds
- Major plant species: red bush-willow, acacia, marula, knob-thorn, leadwood, red grass, buffalo grass
- Activities: guided wilderness trails, tours & safaris, 4×4 adventure trails, mountain bike trails, eco-trails camping, birdwatching, visit rock art sites
- Location map: click here
USA
3) Yellowstone National Park
Being the first national park established in the United States, and possibly in the world, it is one of the most spectacular natural beauties found in North America.
It’s quite vast spreading over almost 9000 km² and parts of it extend to Montana and Idaho where the whole area is greater than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
A unique feature of the park is its geothermal activity and the famous cone geyser the “Old Faithful” erupts every 44 to 125 minutes approx. everyday shooting 14,000 – 32,000 liters of boiling water to a height of 106 to 185 feet.
There are also many other geysers you can observe scattered all over the place. Another sensational feature of the park is its natural hot springs that have formed some of the most beautiful & vivid colors due to various minerals in the water.
Other than the hot springs, it is also said that a large supervolcano that’s commonly referred to as the ‘Yellowstone Caldera’ is located in the park.
When all its natural features are combined the hot springs, the geysers, the rivers, the lakes, and the forests you will see a diverse ecosystem and a force of nature that no other national park has.
- Area: 8,983 km²
- Annual visitors: 4,115,000 approx.
- Landscape: geysers, colorful hot springs, lakes, rivers, forests, petrified forests, grassland, mountains, calderas, waterfalls, canyons
- Major animal species: timber wolf, coyote, Canadian lynx, grizzly bears, bison, black bear, elk, moose, mule deer, white-tailed deer, mountain goat, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, and cougar
- Major plant species: lodgepole pine, subalpine fir, Engelmann spruce, rocky mountain douglas-fir, whitebark pine, quaking aspen, willows
- Activities: watch geysers erupt and see giant colorful hot springs, watch wildlife, hiking, photography, cycling, camping, have a picnic, explore & gain scientific knowledge, boating, camping, and during winter: ski, and ride snowmobiles
- Location map: click here
4) Grand Canyon National Park
Regarded as a “World Wonder” and a “World Heritage Site” by UNESCO, President Teddy Roosevelt announced “one of the great sights every American should see” while standing on the South Rim in 1903.
It personifies the magnitude and splendor of the American West, represented in dramatic sights which include the colorful & layered rocks with great size & depth forged over 2 billion years, and dusty trails.
You may have seen the images of the canyon in print or in video, but nothing compares to the feeling of gazing over that great expanse with goosebumps taking it all in– your feeling of connection to the spirit of nature and our planet earth would be completely different from anywhere else.
Even though both rims can provide you with majestic views, the South Rim is known to provide many more breathtaking vistas.
All in all, the Grand Canyon is a unique testimony to our planet’s history and an icon of the American adventure, and we hope you will not miss this grand experience!
- Area: 4,926.08 km²
- Annual visitors: 6,380,495 approx.
- Landscape: Grand Canyon, plateaus, pine forests, meadows, rivers
- Major animal species: mountain lions, rattlesnakes, scorpions, black widow spider, bald eagle, California condor, coyotes, elk & mule deer, bats
- Major plant species: coyote willow, arrowweed, California barrel, Utah agave, seep willow, catclaw acacia, blackbrush, banana yucca, creosote bush, pinyon pine, ponderosa pine Activities: participate in free ranger programs, visit museums and information centers, watch the park film at the visitor center, walk the trail of time, guided bicycle tours, climb the stone watchtower, hiking, driving tours, raft trips, flyovers
- Location map: click here
Canada
5) Banff National Park
With turquoise lakes, stark mountains, abundant wildlife, colorful meadows, and breathtaking glaciers, no doubt, this is one of the most beautiful national parks!
All these fascinating & engaging sights provide one of the best nature experiences you can find in North America making it an adventurer’s dream come true and a photographer’s paradise. It’s an all in one package!
Banff National Park is the first in Canada to be designated as a national park in 1885 making it the oldest in Canada and with an area of 6,641 km² there is ample space for you to get away and relish nature in its raw state sighting bears and moose roaming within the park.
- Area: 6,641 km²
- Annual visitors: 4,180,000 approx.
- Landscape: Canadian rocky mountains, canyons, glaciers, ice fields, dense forests, alpine landscapes, lakes, rivers, waterfalls, meadows
- Major animal species: grizzly bears, black bears, cougar, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, moose, wolves, coyote, lynx, wolverine, elk, mule, deers, red fox, weasel, river otter, beavers, snowshoe hare
- Major plant species: pine, balsam, Douglas fir, white spruce, larch, aspens, Indian paintbrush, common harebell, shooting star, early blue violet, toadflax, Canada thistle, tansy
- Activities: wildlife viewing, bird watching, hiking, camping, mountaineering, and alpine climbing, boat tour, canoeing, swimming, scuba diving, cycling, theatre programs, skiing, ice skating, visit the Banff park museum, professional & amateur photography, golf
- Location map: click here
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