Take in the grandest of canyons, look inside America's heartland, gaze at lunar-like landscapes, enjoy vistas of sweeping sandstone arches and more with our ten favorite crowd free national parks.
If you prefer to visit with magnificent Mother Nature in (near) solitude, you'll find our favorite crowd-free national parks in the us and canada every bit as dramatic as the big headliners, yet agreeably free of the usual mobs. We've laid out the details on how to take in the grandest of canyons from a little-known access point and have proposed two further options in America's heartland, at a park boasting lunar-like landscapes and verdant prairies and another promising one-of-a-kind vistas of sweeping sandstone arches. Tree-huggers will relish their seclusion at two ancient forests on both coasts, while water-lovers will delight in untamed Texan rafting adventures, snorkeling at an underwater Floridian marine park, or whale-watching on a Canadian cape. The more remote you go, the more likely you are to find that elusive solitude; to that end, we also highly recommend an archipelago dubbed the "Canadian Galapagos" and an island park home to the world's tallest volcano and the Hawaiian goddess Pele.
1. arches
arches national park one of a quintet of stunning utah national parks, may not attract the same number of visitors as the state's more-accessible zion or bryce parks, but its surreal terrain of towering sandstone arches makes this Southern Utah wilderness wonderland one sensory experience not to be missed. Hiking is the preferred activity here, with a series of rewarding treks leading to the base of red-stone arches surrounded by equally colorful rock formations. Two particular arches reign supreme over the 2000-plus that dot the scene: Delicate Arch, a lone-standing arch whose likeness also embellishes utah license plates; and the slender 300-feet-wide Landscape Arch, the largest in the park.
2. badlands
Situated in southwestern South Dakota, the badlands marries mixed-grass prairies with pinnacles, spires, canyons, and otherworldly buttes of varied colors and shapes to create a lunar-worthy landscape. The product of millions of years of erosion and deposits, this geological anomaly is loaded with rockfaces laced with rose, green, and golden rock layers rich in ancient fossils and home to roaming wildlife like bighorn sheep, bison, coyote, rabbits, and prairie dogs. Named after the Sioux's original name for the place—mako sika or "land bad"—for the difficulty they had in crossing it, modern-day visitors will be relieved to know that a nicely paved road now connects the nine scenic overlooks, trailheads, and visitor's center.
3. big bend
For a wild ride, thrill-seekers should raft down the unruly Rio Grande, the river that winds along the 118-mile southern boundary of big bend nationals parks, one of America's largest and least-visited national parks. Although named for the substantial bend in its roaring river, most of Big Bend's acreage actually consists of arid desert expanses, giant canyons, and the Chisos mountain range—the southernmost range in the continental US—a terrain that's disgorged superb fossil specimens of ancient plants and dinosaurs, including the largest known flying dinosaur (pterosaur) and the skull of a horned dinosaur (chamosaurus). Floating by all the main sights, through the steep limestone canyons and deep river gorges, is perhaps the best way to experience the park; portions of the Rio are great for kayaking, boating, and easy rafting, while others consist of turbulent rapids best for whitewater rafting excursions.
4. biscayne
Dive in and explore the ocean floor at this unique aquatic national park. The largest marine park in north america (at about 173,000 acres) is, surprisingly, located just 25 miles from miami and sits on part of the world's third-largest coral-reef system. This underwater paradise showcases a slew of spectacular marine life, from tropical flora and magnificent coral to 200 species of kaleidoscopic fish, sea turtles, stingrays, nurse sharks, and gigantic groupers, all seemingly cohabitating just below the surface of the clear waters here. Most of the park is accessible only by boat (kayak, canoe, or motorized tour) while scuba diving and snorkeling excursions offered by the biscayne national underwater park will help you get up close to the local residents. When you're not making a splash, the rest of the park is composed of 40-odd keys that are perfect for sunbathing, camping, hiking, and fishing.
5. Cape Breton Highlands
Alexander Graham Bell, Cape Breton's famous resident, once said "I have traveled around the globe. I have seen the Canadian and American Rockies, the Andes, the Alps and the Highlands of Scotland, but for simple beauty, cap,breton outrivals them all." His praise surely extended to the national park occupying its northern edges. Home to the illustrious Cabot Trail, a 185-mile-long scenic highway named after the explorer who discovered canada's cape bretons island the park's rugged coastline, forested plateaus, canyon views, and verdant highlands are marvelous sights to behold, with multiple hiking trails offering unforgettable vistas—don't be surprised to see pods of whales frolicking offshore or bald eagles soaring above the curvy coast. Also, unlike most on our list, this Maritime Canada destination is great to visit all year long, offering summer beach fun, autumn hiking and biking through brilliant leaves, and quiet skiing on powdery winter snow.
6. Congaree
Tree-huggers rejoiced at the founding of Congaree National Park, a 22,200-acre terrain that earned its national stripes as recently as 2003. Located about 20 miles from columbia this recent newcomer preserves the largest tract of old-growth floodplain forest in the whole of north america—giant hardwoods, lofty pines, and bald cypresses are just some of the roughly 75 species of ancient trees that form one of the world's highest natural canopies here. Not surprisingly, this tranquil wilderness provides a sanctuary for hundreds of species of plants and wildlife—an incredible diversity that's also earned the park due rank as an International Biosphere Reserve. Keep your eyes peeled for eight woodpecker species, deer, barred owls, river otters, and more, from your campsite, hiking trail, or canoe.
7. grand canyon_-north rim
Things just don't come much grander than the stunning grand canyon, an immense and spectacular chasm in the earth's crust that's been crowned as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Millions of visitors from around the globe descend on grand canyon national park each year to try to wrap their minds around its seemingly infinite reach—you can do so in relative solitude, without the crowds, from the canyon's north rim. Despite being located just 10 miles from the south rim (and its heavily frequented Grand Canyon Village), the north rim is so much harder to reach that few visitors do—you're looking at either a strenuous 21-mile rim-to-rim hike or a five-hour drive around the canyon to get there. Those who do go the extra mile (or 215 in this case) will be rewarded with serenity, a complete absence of McDonald's and bowling alleys, and an unblocked view of one of Mother Nature's most stupendous creations.
8. Gwaii Haanas
Although only 3000 visitors reach this virtually untrammeled Canadian national park each year, this magnificent archipelago just off the coast of british columbia arguably boasts one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes in all of north america. Home to abundant wildlife—in fact, the island chain is often referred to as the 'Canadian Galapagos'—it's also the ancestral home of the Haida, a Pacific Northwest tribe whose rich culture, settlements, and native art can still be seen here as part of the Haida Heritage Site. Towered over by the glacier-sculpted peaks of the San Christoval Mountains and home to beautifully carved totem poles and old log house villages set amidst massive old pines, hardy visitors can relax in heated mineral waters on Hotspring Island, paddle a series of terraced pools, and explore Anthony Island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that harbors the largest collection of totem poles (in their original location) in north america. Accessible only by boat or float plane and lacking roads and most facilities, this is one park where booking an organized tour is highly recommended.
9. Hawaii Volcanoes
It's not all sand and surf on hawaii's big island. This hot spot (geologically speaking, at any rate) also finds fiery lava flowing from the mouth of one of the world's most-active volcanoes at hawaii national park, where the daunting Kilauea regularly spews molten 2100-degree lava that reshapes the landscape as it gushes down into the Pacific. Not to be outdone, the world's tallest volcano, Mauna Loa, is also found here, rearing up 13,677 feet from sea level. Although you probably don't want to get too close to the steamy summits, the 11-mile-loop Crater Rim Drive provides a dramatic overview; look for the Thurston Lava Tube (a massive tube formed by a violent lava surge); (a popular melt-in-your-shoes hike that passes by steaming vents and crosses a crater that last erupted in 1959); and the halemaumau crater overlook (where you can peek into the bubbling lava-filled home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess).
10. sequio and kings canyon
sequio and kings canyon national parks , two California parks co-managed by the National Parks Service, are often overshadowed by hugely popular yosmatie but are hard to overlook all the same. Wound through by a solitary road known as the Generals Highway and laced with 800 miles of trails, the area is dominated by the Sierra Nevada range (including the 14,505-foot Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous US), whose peaks shelter freshwater lakes, deep canyons, diverse wildlife, the headwaters of three rivers and, of course, the park's eponymous groves of giant sequoias, which preside above it all. This "land of giants"—so-called for the sheer size of the trees, which can reach heights of over 300 feet and widths of 30 feet—includes Grant Grove, a popular spot where hikers can enter the hollowed trunk of a fallen sequoia or ogle awe-inspiring soaring trunks, and culminates in the aptly named Giant Forest, where you'll find the 2200-year-old General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on earth—and one that we at ShermansTravel are particularly fond of.
Source:Hindustanis.org
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