Stunning national parks and wilderness areas
Stunning national parks and wilderness areas
National parks and wilderness areas to visit
National parks exist because someone decided that certain landscapes were too important to lose. The best of them protect ecosystems, wildlife and natural processes that would otherwise be gone, and offer something increasingly rare in a crowded world: places where the natural environment is still largely running on its own terms. Visiting them well means engaging with that seriously rather than treating them as scenery.
The parks on this list span an extraordinary range of environments, from tropical rainforest and high altitude desert to Arctic tundra and ancient temperate woodland. Some are vast and require real planning to explore properly. Others are compact enough to cover on foot in a day or two. What they share is a quality of natural experience that justifies the journey, whatever that journey involves.
Timing, permits, and preparation matter more for national park visits than for most types of travel. Popular parks can be significantly overcrowded at peak times, and some of the best experiences require advance booking months ahead. Going outside peak season, arriving early, and moving away from the main trails usually makes for a better visit. Those who plan carefully and take the time to go beyond the obvious tend to get the most out of them.
Lists by region
National Park in Japan
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
Fuji, Hakone, Izu and volcanic islands
Mount Fuji rises as Japan's tallest peak within this sprawling national park. Five lakes near the mountain's base offer classic reflection views on calm days. Visitors can climb the volcano during its short official summer climbing season. The park also protects hot spring towns and a stretch of Pacific coastline.
National Park in Japan
Setonaikai National Park
Island seascapes, bridges and art islands
Setonaikai protects Japan's Inland Sea, dotted with hundreds of small islands. Naoshima, one island within the park, has become known for large scale outdoor art. Visitors can island hop by ferry between contemporary art museums and quiet fishing villages. Cherry blossoms and citrus groves line many of the smaller islands each spring.
National Park in Japan
Kamikochi
Clear river valley beneath the Hotaka Range
Kamikochi stays closed to private vehicles, accessible only by shuttle bus or on foot. The Azusa River runs clear beneath the towering Hodaka mountain range. Visitors can walk flat riverside trails suited to casual hikers of any level. Japanese macaques are occasionally spotted along the valley's forested edges.
National Park in Japan
Chūbu-Sangaku National Park
Northern Alps peaks, snow walls and onsen
Chubu Sangaku protects the Japanese Alps, home to peaks rising above 3,000 meters. Kamikochi, a valley within the park, offers flat trails suited to casual hikers. Visitors can hike more demanding routes toward Yarigatake's sharp summit. Japanese macaques are occasionally spotted bathing in the park's hot springs.
National Park in Japan
Aso-Kuju National Park
Giant caldera, active volcano and highlands
Aso-Kuju protects Mount Aso, whose caldera ranks among the largest volcanic craters on Earth. Grassland stretches across much of the caldera floor between smoking peaks. Visitors can drive across the caldera or ride a cable car toward the crater rim. Controlled burns each spring help maintain the park's open grassland habitat.
National Park in Germany
Harz National Park
Brocken peak, steam trains and wild forests
Harz protects Germany's northernmost mountain range, long associated with witch folklore. Brocken, the range's tallest peak, inspired legends of witches' gatherings on its summit. Visitors can ride a historic steam train to the mountain's rocky top. Dense spruce forest covers much of the park's lower elevations.
National Park in Japan
Akiyoshidai Quasi-National Park
Japan's largest karst plateau with caves
Akiyoshidai protects Japan's largest karst plateau, dotted with limestone pinnacles across open grassland. Beneath the surface, Akiyoshido cave stretches for over ten kilometers through the rock. Visitors can walk lit pathways past underground pools and towering stalactites. Controlled burns each spring keep the plateau's grassland from turning to forest.
National Park in Japan
Shiretoko National Park
Brown bears and drift ice in Hokkaido
Shiretoko protects a remote peninsula where brown bears roam largely undisturbed. Drift ice from the Sea of Okhotsk reaches this coastline each winter. Visitors can cruise the shoreline to spot bears fishing along the rocky edge. The park earned recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005.
National Park in Japan
Kerama Shoto National Park
Kerama blue seas, coral and whales
Kerama Shoto protects a cluster of islands known for exceptionally clear surrounding water. Coral reefs here support one of Japan's healthiest marine ecosystems. Visitors can snorkel or dive among sea turtles in the shallow reef waters. Humpback whales pass through nearby channels during the winter breeding season.
National Park in Japan
Daisetsuzan National Park
Japan's largest national park, in Hokkaido
Daisetsuzan spans Hokkaido's largest national park, centered on a cluster of volcanic peaks. Autumn color here arrives earlier than almost anywhere else in Japan. Visitors can soak in remote hot springs reachable only by hiking trail. Brown bears roam freely through much of the park's dense forest.
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