Bryce has the largest concentration of hoodoos on earth, with a fairytale landscape of rock cathedrals and hideaways in gorgeous shades of red, pink, orange, and gold. Look for bristlecone pine trees, the longest living tree on earth.
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Want an easy way to discover more without the hassle of having to plan? Trying to figure out the details on your own can sometimes be challenging and even overwhelming. Lodging and campgrounds fill up fast; it takes time and research to plan a perfect itinerary that hits all the marks. So why not leave all the details to us? We'll help you find the right trip to see everything you want and stay within your budget. Wake up right in the park without booking your lodging months in advance, renting an RV, or figuring out the whole car camping game. Plus, instead of focusing on navigating, driving, and finding the next gas station, you sit back and enjoy the view, totally stress-free.
Our National Park experiences take you from the most incredible natural wonders to the hidden gems. You'll explore the parks with experienced and knowledgeable Travel Directors and go beyond the tourist sites with Local Specialists. They'll share stories of the flora, fauna, geology, and history, making your visit more memorable. Plus, the variety of climates and landscapes—from deserts and canyons to glaciers —means that there's truly a national park out there for any traveler.
We offer lots of options for easy, stress-free visits to many national parks. From A to Z, check out our ten favorite USA National Parks.
Bryce Canyon National Park’s signature eerie landscape results from repeated freezes and thaws eroding soft sandstone and limestone over millions of years, creating bizarre organic formations. The resulting hoodoos, irregular monoliths of rock, are curious and captivating geological wonders. Plus, the ultra-dark night skies here offer superb stargazing.
Bryce has the largest concentration of hoodoos on earth, with a fairytale landscape of rock cathedrals and hideaways in gorgeous shades of red, pink, orange, and gold. Look for bristlecone pine trees, the longest living tree on earth.
Few places are more awe-inspiring than the Grand Canyon, one of the world's seven natural wonders and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Watch the sun set or rise over this mile-deep canyon, igniting its walls of red and ochre into a mesmerizing tableau. The corrugated canyon walls tell a story that grows more ancient as they descend. The oldest rocks, formed almost two billion years ago, were uncovered as the mighty Colorado River carved a gorge starting 5-6 million years ago. The uppermost rock layer, Kaibab limestone, was formed at the bottom of the sea - learn how it traveled to its present elevation of 9,000 feet. Animals here include elk, grey foxes, bobcats, mountain lions, bighorn sheep, javelina, and Gila monsters.
Journey deep into the Rockies, weaving through spectacular glacial landscapes and mountain scenery. Cross the Continental Divide, winding along the Going-to-the-Sun Road past such iconic sites as Rising Sun and Logan Pass.
Grand Teton National Park embodies the romance of American wilderness, with alpine landscapes flanking 12 glacier-carved, snow-capped summits. Spring wildflowers and fall leaves accent beautiful trails ascending over rocky terrain, with creeks splashing past. The excellent trout fishing attracts anglers seeking the famous native Snake River cutthroat trout.
Learn the fascinating history of the many tribes that called the area home at the Colter Bay Visitor’s Center. Listen for the whistle of the marmot, and keep an eye out for bison, moose, grizzly bears, black bears, ospreys, and bald eagles.
Located in Colorado, this UNESCO-listed national park is filled with centuries-old history. Drive the Mesa Top Loop Road past archaeological sites and lookouts, and see the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people, that are chiseled out of the sandstone canyon walls.
See some of the best-preserved Ancestral Puebloan archaeological sites, visit the Chapin Mesa Archaeological Museum to see the park's third-largest cliff dwelling, Spruce Tree House, from above.
Most of the 2.2 million acres of Yellowstone National Park lie in Wyoming. America’s legislation to protect this geothermal wonderland inspired national park systems around the world. Old Faithful geyser is just one of a myriad strange phenomenon, along with bubbling mud pots, steaming rainbow hot springs, steam vents, and the multi-colored travertine terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. A truly wild place, Yellowstone’s valleys, passes, and canyons are home to bison, wolves, grizzlies, beavers, and elk.Â
Visit the soaring lobby and massive fireplace of the Old Faithful Inn, an icon of rustic national park architecture.
Soaring sculpted cliffs of pink, cream, and red make Zion National Park a memorable destination. Hike along the Virgin River or to the three Emerald Pools. Zion is rich in biodiversity: look for California condors, Peregrine falcons, bald eagles, kangaroo rats, bighorn sheep, mule deer, foxes, and bats. Very lucky visitors may spot the rare desert tortoise.
Hiking through the surreal slot canyons, where channels of water have eroded sandstone, is a magical immersion in curving surfaces of gold and red, bathed in amber sunlight. The rippling colorful cliffs contrast with brilliant blue skies above and wooded flanks below.
Spring 30-70 °F Summer 45-90 °F Fall 30-70 °F Winter 14-35 °F
Spring 50-75 °F Summer 70-80 °F Fall 35-60 °F Winter 35-45 °F
Spring 50-75 °F Summer 70-80 °F Fall 35-60 °F Winter 35-45 °F
Spring 20-40 °F Summer 48-62 °F Fall 30-70 °F Winter 10-20 °F
Spring 55-72 °F Summer 68-80 °F Fall 29-52 °F Winter 31-45 °F
Spring 41-51 °F Summer 60-81 °F Fall 76-84 °F Winter 43-65 °F
Spring 26-39 °F Summer 49-70 °F Fall 69-81 °F Winter 26-52 °F
Spring 80-98 °F Summer 95-103 °F Fall 60-83 °F Winter 52-72 °F
Spring 40-74 °F Summer 52-86 °F Fall 45-65 °F Winter 16-40 °F
Spring 30-60 °F Summer 70-80 °F Fall 30-60 °F Winter 0-20 °F
Spring 64-81 °F Summer 82-89 °F Fall 47-71 °F Winter 48-58 °F
Spring 70-95 °F Summer 90-100 °F Fall 55-80 °F Winter 50-65 °F
The National Park system was launched when Congress established Yellowstone National Park in the Territories of Wyoming and Montana. Since this preceded statehood for both territories, they were placed under federal management within the Department of the Interior.
In subsequent years, the government protected many more areas, many of which were also in federal land. The system was piecemeal: designations included National Parks, National Monuments, Historic Monuments, Natural Areas, and Historic Areas. The administration was spread among the Department of the Interior, the War Department, and the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture.
By 1916, there were 35 national parks and monuments managed by the Department of the Interior. That year, President Woodrow Wilson established the National Park Service to protect and administer these and future national parks.
However, there was still some confusion as no single agency provided unified management of the varied federal parklands. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order consolidating all National Parks and National Monuments, National Military Parks, National Cemeteries, National Memorials, and National Capital Parks into a single National Park System. Today a single system embraces places of scenic, natural, historic, and scientific importance.
The National Park System administers 419 parks! Today’s National Park system includes such diverse properties as Buck Island National Monument, which is largely underwater; the Manhattan Project National Historical Park commemorating the atomic bomb, with locations in Tennessee, Washington, and New Mexico; and such historic landmarks as Alcatraz Island, part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. There are even parks in Guam, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, Saipan, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource conservation and outdoor recreation throughout this country and the world.
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