America’s vast and diverse national parks provide the setting for some quintessential Hollywood images. Who could forget Brad Pitt wrestling a grizzly in Legends of the Fall or the Lone Ranger galloping away into the terracotta mountains shouting "Hi-yo Silver”. For years the stunning parks have drawn millions of visitors from around the world, but with more than a dozen national parks in the US, choosing just one to visit can be difficult. It’s best to narrow down your search to what kind of experience you’re after- whether it’s an adventurous rock climbing trip to Yosemite or a relaxing weekend of bird-watching in Bryce Canyon.
Many travellers combine visits to more than one park. Some of the most popular are: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming, Yosemite and Sequoia in California and Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah. Read on to find out which park - or parks - will provide the perfect backdrop for your next big adventure....
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is the first national park in the US and is located in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The terrain is diverse with rugged mountains, lush meadows, pine forests, free-flowing rivers, and natural wonders of geyser basins and hot springs. Its wildlife is just as diverse with a selection of black bears, coyotes, foxes, hawks, eagles, elks and songbirds.
Search and compare: cheap flights to Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton in Wyoming, with its spectacular peaks rising out of Jackson Hole and diverse wildlife, is truly breathtaking. It’s a great place for anyone interested in outdoor activities including great hiking and has some of the finest cross-country skiing in the country. Beginners should head to the Jenny Lake Trail while advanced skiers can tackle the three-mile Taggart Lake-Beaver Creek Loop.
Search and compare: cheap flights to Wyoming
Yosemite
California's most popular park, Yosemite, is renowned for its exquisite waterfalls and lakes. The main attraction of the park is Yosemite Valley where you’ll find the famous cascading Yosemite Falls. There’s also a 3,000 foot granite cliff - El Capitan used by rock climbers. Avid fishermen can partake in fly-fishing trips on the streams and lakes to catch Golden or Rainbow trout.
Search and compare: cheap flights to California
Sequoia
A short drive from Yosemite is Sequoia National Park with its towering sequoia trees scattered along the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and home to the 14,494-foot Mount Whitney, a popular hiking trail. More than 300 animal and mammal species including the Black bear and California kingsnake call the park home.
Search and compare: cheap flights to California
Zion Canyon
Elegant in appearance and bold in character, Zion Canyon’s sandstone walls soar more than 2,500 feet above the valley and its hues of pink and red seduce any visitor. The canyon was carved by the Virgin River located in the centre of Zion. Timid animals including mountain lions and ringtail cats can be spotted wandering the rocks.
Search and compare: cheap flights to Las Vegas
Bryce Canyon National Park
Located in southern Utah, Bryce Canyon is best known for its colourful rock formations or “hoodoos”, the result of erosion that occurred 60 million years old. In geological terms the canyon is in fact an amphitheatre, not a canyon because of the way it’s shaped. There’s also a good mix of flora and fauna including 100 species of birds and more than a thousand plant species.
Search and compare: cheap flights to Las Vegas
Seema Salaam
© Cheapflights Ltd
Updated September 2008
