Paradise Found in America: A Guide to the National Parks of the USA
What brings the 270 million visitors to National Parks in United States every year, is it the beautiful scenic lookouts, the chance to spot unique wildlife, clean, fresh air, or just the opportunity to get away from it all? Ask anyone and they'll likely check off all of the above. 58 National Parks are located within the United States, each with their own distinct look, personality, flora, and inhabitants. Here is an overview of some of the most popular National Parks in the United States, along with some of the lesser known (but equally impressive) parks, and why you should make it a point to visit them in your lifetime.
Big Bend National Park
The protected area along the Mexican-USA border of the Rio Grande River
Big Bend National Park is a land of extremes...extremely dry weather in the spring and summer months, extremely isolated from populated areas, and an extreme abundance of unique desert wildlife and stunning scenery. Approximately 120 miles away from the nearest large town, Fort Stockton, the relative isolation has helped preserve this park's beauty, while still having to face some uphill battles being sharing the park's main attraction, the Rio Grande River, with adjoining Mexico.
Golden eagles, cacti, black bears, and 600 other animal species (along with 1200 plant species) and wildlife, can be found within the parks boundaries at times.
Yellowstone National Park
Perhaps the most famous of all National Parks, Yellowstone has something for everyone, from the once near extinct American Bison to the explosive geothermal activity taking place just inches below the surface.
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Yellowstone National Park
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First established as a National Park in 1872, Yellowstone remains America's best-known National Park for its geothermal features, array of wildlife and stunning scenery. It covers three states--Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana--however, most of the park l...
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Where to Stay In and Near Yellowstone National Park
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It's one of the most beautiful places on the planet. The Shoshone Native Americans lived there first, Presidents like Ulysses S. Grant fought to protect it, and famous painters like Thomas Moran left Yellowstone etched in our mind forever. Bubbling g...
Grand Teton National Park
The pristine park of northwest Wyoming
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Grand Teton National Park
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Of all the places I have personally visited, Grand Teton National Park was the most dramatic and beautiful place -- next to Yellowstone, which is only a few miles away in Wyoming. Weather can change in an instant, from hot to cold in a matter of minu...
Which Came First?
Yellowstone National Park was the first established park in 1872, while the actual National Park Service was created in 1916.
A National Parks Poll...
Sturdy, Trusted Hiking Gear for your National Parks Visits
Point Reyes National Seashore
Point Reyes National Seashore, just miles north of San Francisco, is a beautiful peninsula containing tranquil beaches, abundant hiking, and great Pacific scenery on the coast of California. It's also located on a major faultline and experienced a shift 17 feet northward during one of the earthquakes in the last century!
Yosemite National Park
You'd be pressed to find a view in California more jaw dropping than the view from outside the mountain tunnel view of Yosemite National Park's Valley.-
Where to Stay In and Near Yosemite National Park
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Yosemite National Park is one of America's premier National Parks, known for its majestic granite cliffs like Half Dome, the rushing Merced River, and the stunning valley view. Yosemite is relatively far from any major city, the closest being Fresno....
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Yosemite National Park
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The Crown Jewel of the Sierra Nevada There are over 3.5 million visitors yearly that come to take in the awe-inspiring panorama of Yosemite National Park. The California National Park of the High Sierras is one of the best places to camp, kayak, sig...
What's your Favorite National Park?
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Southwestern Colorado's crystaline vertical Black Canyon
Black Canyon of the Gunnison has been carved from the Gunnison River over the past 1.7 billion years into the massive vertical drop that stands today in southern Colorado!-
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
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A recent addition to America's National Park system, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park was designated so in 1999. In southwest of Colorado, the surrounding area has beautiful mountains, hills and spectacular wildlife. The canyon itself an ex...
Mesa Verde National Park
Ancient culture found at the Four Corners region
Mesa Verde of Colorado is one of the best examples of Native American culture dating back more than 1,000 years.-
Mesa Verde National Park
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Nowhere else in America can there be found such an intricate and telling glimpse into the past of the Ancestral Puebloan people than at Mesa Verde National Park. With hundreds of ancient cliff dwellings, the Puebloans found an ideal mesa that had pro...
Death Valley National Park
The largest park in the lower 48 states
Can you stand the heat? Death Valley's extreme temperatures sure haven't stopped many other visitors from paying visit during the hot summer months, where daytime temperatures regularly hit the 120's!-
Death Valley National Park
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For over a hundred years, visitors have been flocking to the strange, secluded desert of fascinating Death Valley. Sharing sections of California and Nevada, this massive National Park is the largest in the lower 48 states by far, covering 3.4 millio...
Great Basin National Park
Caves and mammoth peaks in Eastern Nevada
Nevada's own Great Basin National Park is almost like two National Parks in one, with the stunning Mount Wheeler and underground Lehman Caves.-
Great Basin National Park
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There aren't many places in the world quite like Great Basin National Park that offer such drastic differences in scenery, nature and wildlife. The hot desert valley is contrasted with the conifer lined mountain peaks high above, along with the enigm...
Zion National Park
Stunning canyon views and water hiking in southern Utah
Zion is an incredible 15 mile long canyon in southwest Utah, and only around 70 miles or so from Bryce Canyon.-
Zion National Park
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Zion National Park sits right at the top of my most favorite National Parks. The unbelievable canyon that has been carved by the flowing Virgin River is one of the most tranquil, serene, and visited places in the United States National Park System. R...
Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah's strange and majestic desert landscape
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Bryce Canyon National Park
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Dark Reds, vibrant oranges, warm earth toned browns and whites combine like an artist's palette at southwestern Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park. The ampitheater area contains large geological rock formations called hoodos. A unique combination of w...
Canyonlands National Park
Eastern Utah's canyon gem
Right near Arches, you'll find the beautiful park of Canyonlands. With stunningly huge canyon expanses, this is a photographer's paradise.-
Canyonlands National Park
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Over millions of years, the Colorado River and Green River have been have been busy at work creating the wonderous Canyonlands National Park of southern Utah. Deep canyon crevices, high mesas, and winding rivers make for excellent photography, mounta...
Denali National Park
Denali: North America's largest mountain or the world's largest mountain? Denali is one of Alaska's most prized possessions. Stay long enough and you might even spot a snowy owl or two.-
Tour the Wilderness of Denali National Park, Alaska
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Over 9,000 square miles of pristine wilderness in the middle of Alaska have been left relatively untouched and free to explore in Denali National Park. The remoteness of the region, along with the challenging terrain, make it virtually free of any in...
St. Mary Lake of Glacier National Park
Recommended National Parks DVDs and Books
![Scenic National Parks: Crown Jewels Collection [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51KSnw0JklL._SL75_.jpg)
Canvas National Parks Tote Bags
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK Tote Bag
Price: 15.99 
Don't Feed Grizzly Bears They Tote Bag
Price: 19.49
Mt. Rainier #2 Tote Bag
Price: 21.99
Everglades NP (Pelican) Tote Bag
Price: 16.99
Glacier National Park Tote Bag
Price: 17.99
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park contains some amazing sites in the state of Colorado. The high elevations result in near year-round snow, except for the summer months when it usually doesn't snow. Fishing, camping, rock climbing, hiking and skiing are all huge attractions for the famous park. Close to the park is the beautiful town of Estes Park, and not too far away at the foothills of the Rockies, the the artsy town of Boulder, Colorado.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park
Perhaps America's most exciting and vibrant National Park, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park lies on the big island, Hawaii. As recent as March, 2008, there has been major volcanic activity on the big island. The island is constantly undergoing changes as evidenced by the steam plumes and black sand beaches. New islands are added to and even created with each lava explosion. It's truly unlike anywhere else on earth, and an unforgettable experience.
National Parks Links...
- NPS.gov
- Experience America through this website and get a better understanding of what this country has to offer. A great interactive website that you should visit before your real life visit.
- National Parks Foundation
- The official National charitable partner of America's National Parks.
- National Parks on Wikipedia
- A history of America's National Parks and the creation of the NPS.
- 30 of the Most Popular National Parks in America
- Discover 30 of America's most popular and underrated (and least visited) National Parks through photos, video and information.
The Creation of the National Park Service
Over 154,000 volunteers and over 20,000 paid employees make up the dedicated staff of the NPS, ensuring your visit to any of the National Parks of the United States are safe, fun, and memorable ones. Created on August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson passed a bill that enabled the NPS..."...to conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein, and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."
Unique National Parks Apparel!
Why not memorialize your National Park trip with that souvenir you forgot to purchase? Or, if you an outdoor enthusiast who'd appreciate the gesture, here's some of the best National Parks gear you can find around.-
National Parks T-Shirts
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Looking for some unique, cool National Parks apparel? A retro style National Parks t-shirt? A vintage feeling shirt from Yellowstone? A trendy new design featuring the Everglades? Here you'll find all of that, plus cool gift National Parks gift ideas...
The National Parks Group
View the best National Parks lenses that Squidoo has to offer at the National Parks Group!-
The National Parks Group
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Come browse all of the National Parks lenses that Squidoo has to offer! From the splendor of the Grand Canyon to the majestic Grand Teton range, from the Everglades to pristine Voyageurs National Park, there's an abundance of helpful information...
Guestbook
* Kiwi T-Shirts
* Italian Heritage Gifts
* Political Apparel
* The Holiday Store
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- TheWhistler TheWhistler Apr 16, 2009 @ 1:24 pm
- Great lens, thanks.
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- jessicahoward jessicahoward Mar 12, 2009 @ 10:53 pm
- wow really the great photos...excellent job...i think 5* is not enough for this one...great, amazing, marevellus.thanx for sharing such a great lens.
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- Ramkitten Ramkitten Mar 1, 2009 @ 10:07 am
- Hey, I didn't know you had a bunch of National Park lenses. Great stuff! I'm lensrolling ya back to Hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim and will go through your others as well. It's a desire of mine to visit all the National Parks in the U.S. and not just visit, but backpack in them. These lenses are great help in planning a trip.
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- AndyPo AndyPo Feb 25, 2009 @ 11:37 am
- Absolutely wonderful lens. I love the National Parks in the USA. I shall lensrolled to my National Parks, USA (in an RV) lens and some of my other travel lenses.
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- JohannTheDog JohannTheDog Nov 26, 2008 @ 5:55 am
- Fabulous lens!!!One of my dreams is to go on a long, wonderful hiking and camping trip with my Mum. Thanks for all the great info! Woofs, Johann
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- naturegirl7 naturegirl7 Nov 24, 2008 @ 6:57 pm
- Great lens. Welcome to the Naturally Native Squids group. Don't forget to add your lens link to the appropriate plexo and vote for it.
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- Tiddledeewinks Tiddledeewinks Nov 2, 2008 @ 2:17 am
- WOW! What pictures! I've never been to the most visited park in the U.S., but I think it is my favorite-in the Smokey Mountains of Tn and NC.
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- anthropos anthropos Oct 25, 2008 @ 11:05 pm
- Great job! Thanks for joining "Anything and Everything Travel" Group. We look forward to seeing your other travel related lenses in our group. Keep up the good work. For a categorized list of my travel lenses and other lenses see my Lensography..
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- OhMe OhMe Oct 20, 2008 @ 9:28 am
- This is wonderful. I love the waterfall picture. This lens will be featured on my squidlit.
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- KimGiancaterino KimGiancaterino Oct 15, 2008 @ 5:08 pm
- Beautifully done! Welcome to All Things Travel. Squid Angel Blessed.
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- beeobrien beeobrien Oct 14, 2008 @ 3:10 pm
- Incredible images!
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- spirituality spirituality Oct 14, 2008 @ 9:26 am
- Well done overview of the national parks in the USA.
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- Rajays Rajays Oct 13, 2008 @ 1:28 am
- Love the pics. 5*
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