The world is a beautiful place, but you might not get a chance to see a large proportion of its beauty if you fail to set aside enough time for traveling. Here are just some of the most stunning national parks across the globe.
Arches National Park, Colorado
The Arches National Park spans 120 square miles, according to WorldAtlas. Over time, wind has eroded the red sandstone, leaving an array of unique formations — including what have been referred to as the Balanced Rock, Courthouse Towers, Delicate Arch and Fiery Furnace.
Cinque Terre National Park, Italy
Italy’s Ligurian coast is dotted with five colorful seaside towns — including Monterosso al Mare and Riomaggiore. The multiple panoramic trails that snake over the Cinque Terre National Park makes it especially easy to recommend to walkers.
Jasper National Park, Canada
What animals can you expect to see at Jasper National Park? Well, coyotes, moose, Canada geese and grizzly and black bears can all be seen in what is known to be the largest national park in Canada’s Rocky Mountains.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
This glaciated mountainous region situated in north-western Wyoming is a pleasantly peaceful place for active people — who, within the park’s total area of 484 square miles, can make extensive use of climbing routes as well as 235 miles of hiking trails.
Acadia National Park, Maine
There are P&O cruises that can take passengers to Portland, the US state of Maine’s most populous municipality.
You could therefore not only reach Maine by sea but also, once on land, visit Arcadia National Park — where you would be able to take a four-mile trek up Cadillac Mountain.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Two volcanoes — located 25 miles apart — are active within this 505-square-mile coastal region, which was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. The wildlife you can enjoy looking out for here includes tropical birds, pigs, quail, pheasant and mongooses.
Galápagos National Park, Ecuador
Though the Galápagos National Park was formally established in 1959, the area had much earlier inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution and natural selection. “Around 97% of the park remains uninhabited by humans,” Condé Nast Traveller reports.
Cairngorms National Park, Scotland
This area of Scotland’s eastern Highlands is fun to explore by foot in the spring and summer and on skis in the winter.
The park is the UK’s largest overall — and is home to nine national nature reserves and three rivers as well as wildlife including red deer, osprey and capercaillie.
Göreme National Park, Turkey
Much of the fun of visiting this particular part of Turkey’s Cappadocia region comes in seeing what locals have previously carved into the rocks. This ‘what’ includes homes, shops and churches — and even ancient Byzantine underground tunnels have been left.
Simien Mountains National Park, Ethiopia
Jagged mountain peaks, sharp precipices and lush green valleys are all features of northern Ethiopia’s Simien Mountains National Park, thanks to millions of years of erosion. Meanwhile, the endangered species in the park include the Ethiopian wolf and the gelada monkey.
