By / MOOK Travel Life Network Editorial Team
The U.S. National Park Service celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2016. To protect precious natural resources and preserve wildlife habitats, it is dedicated to maintaining the most pristine appearance of these ecological areas and opening some sections for the public to closely appreciate these beautiful and spectacular landscapes. The U.S. National Park Service especially recommends six stunning natural national parks that are absolutely not to be missed in a lifetime.
North Cascades National Park (Image source / Condé Nast Traveler)
1. Washington – North Cascades National Park
North Cascades National Park is one of the most biologically diverse national parks in the U.S. and a renowned hiking destination. Summer is the best time to visit this area. When the snow on the mountains melts in summer, large amounts of snowmelt flow downhill, forming various sized waterfalls, which is also the origin of its name.
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve (Image source / Condé Nast Traveler)
2. Alaska – Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is the largest national park in the U.S., covering 53,321 square kilometers—larger even than Switzerland. The park contains vast wilderness, glaciers, rivers, and volcanic terrain. Along with Canada’s Kluane National Park across the border, it has been jointly designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (Image source / Condé Nast Traveler)
3. Idaho – Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve
Located in central Idaho, the park features a landscape resembling the moon’s surface—formed about 10,000 years ago from massive lava and volcanic ash eruptions that cooled into rugged, cratered ground. The park’s basalt formations are among the best-preserved in the North American continent.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Image source / Condé Nast Traveler)
4. Texas – Guadalupe Mountains National Park
In Guadalupe Mountains National Park, you can look up at night and see over 10,000 stars—a favorite spot for nature lovers. Originally an ocean floor, tectonic movements later pushed the rock layers upward, so visitors can find fossils of marine life within these rock walls.
Mount Rainier National Park (Image source / Condé Nast Traveler)
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