Top 5 National Parks to visit in America this summer!
By Camp America on 14/05/2019
With 50 states on offer, there is SO much to see and do in the USA that your 30-days of post-camp travel are guaranteed to be jam packed with adventure!
It’s likely that you’re drawn to visit the likes of New York City, Orlando, Los Angeles and San Francisco and we don’t blame you HOWEVER, we highly recommend you make a stop off to some of America’s National Parks, particularly if you want incomparable photo opportunities combined with the most breath-taking scenery and eye-catching wildlife.
There are 60 National Parks in the USA but we have handpicked our top 5 that we think you should visit this summer!
1.Yosemite National Park
Located in California, Yosemite is an iconic National Park known for its plunging waterfalls, colossal granite cliffs and deep valleys. There is so much to do here that we recommend at least an overnight visit; take one of many hikes through the park’s trails (800 miles to be precise), raft down the Merced river, hire a bike through the Valley or explore the Valley by foot and enjoy its restaurants, shops and galleries. We guarantee you won’t be short of things to do - the landscape alone will leave you speechless throughout your time in the park, and beyond.
2. Grand Canyon National Park
Playing home to miles of red rock and river, the Grand Canyon boasts millions of years of geological history and offers spectacular panoramic views of the canyon and Colorado river from various viewpoints. The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited sites in the world and we totally understand why. The South Rim is the most popular rim of the Canyon - we recommend you making a trip to this side of the Canyon if you’re going to visit the park. The South Rim is situated closest to the Colorado river, meaning not only do you get to see the dramatic canyon views, but also the best water views (you can even white-water raft on the Colorado river) – winning! If you’re coming from the Las Vegas area, make the most of your visit by driving along part of the iconic Route 66 on your journey to the park and make a stop off at Hoover Dam; another famous sight on the West coast!
3. Monument Valley
Run Forrest, Run! Monument Valley provides you with the perfect opportunity to recreate an iconic movie scene; Forrest ending his cross country run.
Known for its towering sandstone formations, it is practically impossible to get a bad photo here. How? Because the landscape forever changes colour as the sun moves throughout the day – pretty cool! This is an incredible place to just stop off on route somewhere, however if you get the chance to stay overnight, we 100% recommend it! You can choose to join the locals, over 200,000 Navajo Indians call this place home and you can choose to spend the night in their traditional huts made of logs and earth, experience an authentic Navajo dinner around the campfire, hear their songs and stories, enjoy a guided jeep tour through the valley and relax under the stars!
4. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is America’s first national park, so you can be guaranteed to be blown away by its geology, natural beauty and incredible wildlife. When visiting this park, expect to witness an erupting geyser at the iconic Old Faithful, enjoy the fantastic colours and eruptions of the Grand Prismatic Spring and view the glorious falls of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. Our best advice when visiting the park is always to keep your eyes open. Yellowstone is home to the largest collection of mammals in North America from grey wolves, grizzly/black bears, moose (we can’t guarantee he’ll be drinking juice) and bison, so if you didn’t see a bear at camp, Yellowstone could be your chance!
5. Zion National Park
If you are keen for adventure, a visit to Zion national park is a definite must-do! Zion plays home to incredible hiking trails and climbing opportunities for all abilities – best known for the bucket list hike, Angels Landing. It’s fair to say, with hiking trails of various levels and terrain, Zion provides some of the most unbeatable views of natural arches, narrow canyons and clear pools, whilst also portraying incredible geology and adventure opportunities.
and that’s it, our top 5 national parks to visit this summer! National parks can be quite tricky to get to without a car and you’ll need to do your research on permits required. However, if you don’t want to worry about all of that, the great news is Camp America treks can take you to these places (and many more), hassle free. Oh, and don’t forget, as a Camp America participant you get a 15% discount for yourself, your family and your friends – book now!
5 of our treks visit 2 or more of the above National Parks, check them out;
Best of America – visits 3/5 of the above
Wild Western – visits 2/5 of the above
Utah, Nevada and California – visits 3/5 of the above
Utah Parks circuit – visits 2/5 of the above
Southern USA road trip – visits 2/5 of the above
