After months of quarantine, travel seems to be one of the things at the top of many people’s bucket lists. Blogger Hannah Hall only will go so far as to commit to travel via screen (but she does like the pictures).
By Hannah Hall
When Sara called upon us bloggers to write about our bucket lists, I was stumped. I hadn’t really thought about something that I am totally itching to do. And I honestly hadn’t cared. So, I’m not gonna sit here and boast about my complete, undying love for National Parks/Forests/Preserves/etc. But, I will share some nice pictures. Here, in my opinion, are the top 10 prettiest National Parks in our great nation. Maybe one day I will actually have the drive to go to these places, but, for now, I venture via the screen.
10) Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, Alaska
Established: 1978 National Monument; 1980 National Preserve
Size: 2.7 million acres
Features: A peek into the ultimate walkway of the ancient nomads. Includes sights of animals migrating, hot springs, and granite—such as the gigantic rock pictured.
Fun Fact: The American Lion used to prowl here.
**********
9) Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Established: 2000
Size: 32,572 acres
Features: This national park has hundreds of trails which weave through the sights of waterfalls, hills, and ravines. It’s most popular sight is Brandywine Falls, which sits at an impressive 65-feet tall.
Fun Fact: The Lenapé Nation used to inhabit this land.
**********
8) Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Established: 1975
Size: 218,200 acres
Features: Here you can find many lakes. You may even find people exploring the water by kayaking in the summer and ice fishing in the winter. My personal favorite feature is the fantastic display of the Northern Lights—as pictured above.
Fun Fact: The island in this park is called Little American Island because George Davis discovered gold in the surrounding lake, which was dubbed a little American treasure.
**********
7) Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Established: 1978 National Monument; 1980 National Park and Preserve
Size: 13.2 million acres
Features: There are many glaciers, ice fields, and shield volcanoes to be found here. You may think ice and volcanoes do not belong in the same park, but these volcanoes are not the explosive kind.
Fun Fact: The Malaspina Glacier which can be found in this park is “North America’s largest piedmont glacier” (nps.gov).
**********
6) Glacier National Park, Montana
Established: 1910
Size: 1.1 million acres
Features: Here you may find unique mountains carved out by the glaciers of the past. You can also see animals like lynx, grizzly bears, and bison—but beware because there have been attacks from wildlife.
Fun Fact: You can visit this park online through its webcams on the National Park website (or you can click this link here).
**********
5) Biscayne National Park, Florida
Established: 1980
Size: 172,971 acres
Features: Swamps, coral reefs, and fishies are the main attractions here. Speaking of fish, there are other living sights that include manatees, cacti, and sea turtles.
Fun Fact: As you can see from the photo above, you can go snorkeling. When submerged, you may explore the “the Maritime Heritage Trail, the only underwater archaeological trail in the National Park Service system” (nps.gov).
**********
4) El Yunque National Forest, Puerto Rico
Established: 1903
Size: 28,434 acres
Features: This park is special because it is the only tropical rainforest in the entire system of national forests. In the forest you can see lush trees, green mountains, and rushing waterfalls.
Fun Fact: This is the largest public land chunk in all of Puerto Rico!
**********
3) Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah
Established: 1996
Size:1 million acres
Features: This park is just larger than Delaware, and it includes many slot canyons adorned with beautiful stripes. In fact, the deepest and longest slot canyon in the US in this park; its name is the Buckskin Gulch.
Fun Fact: Many fossils of dinosaurs have been found in this park. Most notably a 30-foot long, 10-foot-tall Gryposaurus!
**********
2) Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Established: 1899
Size: 236,381 acres
Features: Mountains, wildflowers, and glaciers are the draw of this park. There are also many waterfalls and meadows surrounding the land that you can hike to visit as well.
Fun Fact (or, not so fun): One of the worst mountaineering accidents in American history happened here, where an avalanche tragically killed 10 climbers and their tour guide.
**********
1) Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, Hawai’i
Established: 1916
Size: 1.1 million acres
Features: I think it pretty obvious that this park is just volcano galore. But other than eruptions, there are hiking trails that visitors can travel through as well.
Fun Fact: This national park is very strongly associated with Pele, the volcanic deity. “She is embodied by the lava and natural forces associated with volcanic eruptions” (nps.gov).
Bucket List Editor: Sara Habibipour
Sources Referenced:
https://www.nps.gov/bela/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/cuva/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/voya/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/wrst/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/glac/index.htm
https://www.nps.gov/bisc/index.htm
https://www.fs.usda.gov/elyunque/
https://www.nps.gov/glca/planyourvisit/escalante.htm
https://www.nps.gov/mora/index.htm