North America National Parks & Wilderness Map

Yellowstone National Park

Geysers, wildlife and untamed wilderness

8.8

In 1872 Congress created this park as the first national park in the world. Old Faithful erupts about every 90 minutes. You can sit on a bench and watch hot water shoot over 100 feet high. Bison, wolves and elk roam the Lamar and Hayden valleys.

Highlights:

🐃 Spot bison, elk, and bears roaming in Lamar Valley
🌈 Walk the boardwalks of the Grand Prismatic Spring and admire its vivid colors
🌋 Watch Old Faithful erupt and feel the geothermal power of Yellowstone

Yosemite National Park

Nature's Grand Cathedral

8.5

The roar of Yosemite Falls fills the valley in late spring. Melting snow sends water down 2,425 feet in three drops. You can walk an easy path to the base of the Lower Fall. El Capitan rises 3,000 feet above the valley floor nearby. Mist cools your face on warm days.

Highlights:

💦 Marvel at Yosemite Falls, one of the tallest in North America
🏞️ Hike to Glacier Point for one of Yosemite’s best views
🧗‍♂️ Stand before the towering granite face of El Capitan

Grand Canyon National Park

Epic Vistas, Timeless Adventure

8.1

Standing on the rim feels like looking at a giant painted wall. The canyon is 277 miles long and up to a mile deep. You can walk the Bright Angel Trail for a short way below the rim. Mather Point is a popular lookout for sunrise and sunset.

Highlights:

🏘️ Explore the historic Grand Canyon Village and lodges
🌅 Enjoy sunrise views at Mather Point overlook
🥾 Hike the iconic Bright Angel Trail into the canyon

Banff National Park

Majestic Peaks and Turquoise Lakes

9.2

Fine rock powder from glaciers turns Lake Louise a glowing turquoise. Peaks and a wide glacier fill the view above the far shore. You can paddle a canoe across the water or hike a trail along the lake. Moraine Lake nearby sits in a ring of ten sharp peaks.

Highlights:

🌊 Explore the scenic Johnston Canyon waterfalls trail
🏞️ Hike to Lake Louise and admire turquoise waters
🚡 Ride the Banff Gondola for spectacular mountain views

Zion National Park

Red rocks, epic hikes and nature's beauty

8.2

A deep red canyon cuts through southwestern Utah. Walls rise over 2,000 feet above the Virgin River. Hikers can wade up the river itself on the Narrows trail. The water is knee deep and cold so dress for it. Shuttle buses carry travellers along the main canyon road.

Highlights:

🚌 Drive or shuttle along the scenic Zion Canyon Road
🌊 Wade through the Virgin River Narrows slot canyon
🧗‍♂️ Hike Angel’s Landing for breathtaking canyon views

Death Valley National Park

Otherworldly Extremes and Silent Beauty

6.4

Heat shimmers over the white salt flats at Badwater Basin. It is 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America. You can walk out onto the crunchy salt and look up at the mountains. Zabriskie Point at sunrise glows gold over folded badlands.

Highlights:

🎨 Explore colorful rock formations at Artists Palette
🦶 Walk across the vast salt flats of Badwater Basin
🌅 Watch sunrise from panoramic Zabriskie Point

Mount Rainier National Park

A Majestic Volcano and Wild Beauty

8.2

Rainier stands so tall that it looks like a white island floating over Seattle on clear days. It is an active volcano covered by 25 named glaciers. You can walk loop trails at Paradise with wildflowers at your feet. The peak rises about 14,400 feet above sea level.

Highlights:

🌼 Explore Spray Park’s wildflower meadows and Spray Falls
🌊 Visit scenic Reflection Lakes and admire Rainier’s reflection
🌄 Hike the Skyline Trail for iconic Mount Rainier views

Grand Teton National Park

Stunning Peaks and Wildlife Wonders

8.6

At dawn, photographers gather at Mormon Row to shoot old barns beneath the peaks. Homesteaders built these wooden barns in the early 1900s. You can drive Teton Park Road and stop at Jenny Lake for a boat ride. The Grand Teton peak rises 13,775 feet above sea level.

Highlights:

🏞️ Trek through Cascade Canyon for breathtaking views
💧 Explore Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point nearby
🚶‍♂️ Hike the scenic Jenny Lake Loop Trail

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Home of the Giant Sequoias

8.0

Go in late spring or autumn for mild days and fewer cars. The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree on Earth by volume. A paved trail leads down to its trunk, which is about 36 feet wide. Kings Canyon nearby is more than a mile deep in places.

Highlights:

🕳️ Explore Crystal Cave on a guided tour
🧗‍♂️ Climb Moro Rock for breathtaking panoramic views
🌲 Visit the General Sherman Tree, largest on Earth

Canyonlands National Park

Epic Canyons and Untamed Wilderness

8.3

The Island in the Sky mesa feels like the deck of a ship above the canyons. Cliffs drop more than 1,000 feet to the White Rim bench below. You can drive to Grand View Point and look out over rivers and red rock. The Green and Colorado rivers meet far below in the park.

Highlights:

🥾 Hike the easy trail to Grand View Point overlook
🚗 Drive scenic Grand View Point Road and stops
🌅 Watch sunrise at Mesa Arch for breathtaking views

Bryce Canyon National Park

Hoodoo Wonderland and Starry Nights

8.2

Paiute legend says the stone spires were once people turned to rock by Coyote. Thousands of these hoodoos fill the bowl called Bryce Amphitheater. You can hike the Navajo Loop Trail down among the orange towers. Skies here are dark, so the Milky Way is easy to see at night.

Highlights:

🧱 Explore Bryce Amphitheater for stunning rock formations
🌅 Watch sunrise from inspiring viewpoints at Inspiration Point
🥾 Hike the iconic Navajo Loop Trail among hoodoos

Rocky Mountain National Park

Majestic Peaks and Untamed Wilderness

8.7

This park straddles the Continental Divide in northern Colorado. Trail Ridge Road climbs above 12,000 feet across open tundra. You can pull over at overlooks to watch marmots and pikas. Elk bugle in the meadows of Moraine Park each September. Snow often closes the road by mid October.

Highlights:

💧 Explore Alberta Falls, a short and beautiful hiking route
🏞️ Climb to Sky Pond for dramatic mountain and waterfall views
🥾 Hike to Emerald Lake via scenic Bear Lake Trail

Olympic National Park

Untamed Wilderness, All in One

8.5

The Hoh Rain Forest has maples and spruces draped in thick green moss. It gets about 12 feet of rain each year. You can walk the Hall of Mosses trail in under an hour. Then drive to Ruby Beach to see sea stacks off the shore.

Highlights:

💧 Visit Sol Duc Falls and enjoy the tranquil waterfall
🌲 Explore the lush trails of the Hoh Rainforest
🏞️ Hike to Hurricane Hill for breathtaking panoramic views

Arenal Volcano National Park

Lava Trails, Rainforest and Epic Views

8.4

A near perfect cone rises above Lake Arenal in northern Costa Rica. The volcano erupted almost nonstop for decades until it went quiet in 2010. You can hike old lava flow trails and cross hanging bridges. Hot springs near La Fortuna warm the evenings after a long hike.

Highlights:

🌄 Enjoy spectacular volcano views from multiple lookout points
🌿 Explore rainforest biodiversity on the El Ceibo circuit
🌋 Hike the Las Coladas trail over old lava flows

Arches National Park

A Desert Wonderland of Stone Arches

8.2

A deep salt bed under the park buckled the rock above it. Wind and water then carved more than 2,000 stone arches. You can hike three miles round trip to stand beneath Delicate Arch at sunset. The arch is 52 feet tall and glows deep red in evening light.

Highlights:

🌉 Visit Double Arch and climb beneath its massive spans
🥾 Explore Devils Garden Trail with multiple arches
🧗‍♂️ Hike to Delicate Arch, the park’s iconic symbol

Jasper National Park

Untamed Wilderness and Starry Skies

8.8

Spirit Island is a tiny wooded island near the far end of Maligne Lake. Boat tours cross the long blue lake to reach the view. Mountains and glaciers ring the water on every side. Jasper is also a Dark Sky Preserve where stars shine over town.

Highlights:

🧊 Walk on the Athabasca Glacier with a guided tour
🐻 Spot elk, moose, and bears along Icefields Parkway
🛶 Cruise Maligne Lake and marvel at Spirit Island

Denali National Park

Wild Alaska’s peaks and wildlife

8.8

North America's tallest peak, at 20,310 feet, rises in the centre of this park. A single road runs 92 miles through tundra and river valleys. Buses carry you in past grizzlies, caribou and Dall sheep. Clouds often hide the summit so a clear view is a treat.

Highlights:

🛩️ Take a flightseeing tour above Denali’s snowy peak
🥾 Hike the Savage River Trail for rugged alpine views
🐻 Spot grizzly bears and moose in their wild habitat

Tikal National Park

Lost Mayan City in the Jungle

7.8

Maya builders raised stone temples here over more than a thousand years. Temple IV rises about 230 feet above the jungle floor. You can climb a wooden stair to the top before sunrise. Toucans, parrots and howler monkeys call from the trees at dawn. Tikal became a World Heritage Site in 1979.

Highlights:

🐒 Discover wildlife including monkeys and colorful toucans
🏛️ Explore the Great Plaza surrounded by towering pyramids
🌳 Climb Temple IV for a breathtaking jungle canopy view

Manuel Antonio National Park

Jungle, Wildlife and Stunning Beaches

7.2

This small park sits on Costa Rica's Pacific coast near the town of Quepos. Short trails lead through rain forest to white sand beaches. White faced capuchin monkeys and sloths often rest in the trees above. Playa Manuel Antonio has calm water for swimming and snorkelling.

Highlights:

🦜 Spot toucans, iguanas, and colorful tropical birds
🏖️ Relax on the white sands of Playa Manuel Antonio
🐒 Hike jungle trails filled with monkeys and sloths

Tortuguero National Park

Wildlife and Waterways Adventure

7.8

Local rangers guide small groups onto the beach at night in turtle season. Green turtles come ashore to lay eggs from July to October. Guides use red lights so the turtles are not scared. Lights and cameras are not allowed on the beach. The black sand beach stretches for about 22 miles.

Highlights:

🦜 Spot monkeys and toucans in the dense jungle canopy
🛶 Glide through rainforest canals on a guided canoe tour
🐢 Watch green sea turtles nest on the beach at night

Valley of Fire State Park

Fiery Red Rocks and Ancient Art

7.4

Red Aztec sandstone formed from shifting dunes about 150 million years ago fills this park. It covers about 45,938 acres and is 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Atlatl Rock has petroglyphs that are easy to reach. The park opened in 1934 and is the oldest state park in Nevada.

Highlights:

🐘 Visit Elephant Rock natural arch near East Entrance
🪨 Climb Atlatl Rock staircase to view ancient petroglyphs
🌈 Hike Fire Wave trail to see swirling sandstone colors

Mesa Verde National Park

Ancient Cliff Dwellings and Rich History

7.5

Visit from late spring to early autumn, when ranger tours of the cliff dwellings run. Cliff Palace is the largest dwelling with about 150 rooms. Ancestral Pueblo families built it in the rock alcoves more than 700 years ago. Tours climb tall wooden ladders into the old rooms.

Highlights:

🧗 Tour Balcony House with its ladders and narrow passages
🥾 Hike the scenic Soda Canyon Overlook Trail
🏛️ Explore the ancient cliff dwellings of Cliff Palace

Monteverde and Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserves

Mist, Wildlife and Cloudy Magic

8.4

Local guides lead night walks through the forest with soft red torches. Tarantulas, sleeping birds and tiny frogs show up in the beam. By day, you can cross hanging bridges high in the treetops. Resplendent quetzals, bright green birds with long tail feathers, nest here each spring.

Highlights:

🦜 Spot rare resplendent quetzals among misty trees
🌉 Walk the hanging bridges for canopy views
🥾 Hike through Monteverde Cloud Forest's biodiversity-rich trails

Glacier National Park

Crown of the Continent

8.9

Cold wind and the smell of pine drift over Lake McDonald. Its clear water shows rocks in red, green and blue. You can drive the Going to the Sun Road past waterfalls and cliffs. The road crosses Logan Pass at 6,646 feet above sea level. Mountain goats often graze near the visitor centre.

Highlights:

🌲 Explore Avalanche Lake’s serene hiking trails
🚗 Drive the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road for views
🥾 Hike to Grinnell Glacier and stunning turquoise lakes

Acadia National Park

Rugged Shores, Sunrise Peaks, Wild Beauty

8.4

Thunder Hole is a narrow rock inlet where waves slam in with a loud boom. Spray can shoot up to 40 feet in rough seas. Drive the Park Loop Road to stop at pink granite cliffs and forested ridges. John D. Rockefeller Jr. paid for 45 miles of carriage roads that bikers now use.

Highlights:

🚗 Drive the Park Loop Road for coastal and forest views
🥾 Hike the scenic Jordan Pond Path surrounded by nature
🌅 Watch sunrise from the top of Cadillac Mountain

Corcovado National Park

Costa Rica’s Wildest Rainforest Frontier

8.2

The Sirena ranger station is a remote base deep in the Osa jungle. Tapirs, scarlet macaws and four kinds of monkeys live in the surrounding forest. You can hike in along the beach or fly to a small airstrip. Jaguars also roam the park but are rarely seen.

Highlights:

🐢 Watch endangered sea turtles nesting on remote beaches
🌌 Camp under the stars at La Sirena Ranger Station
🥾 Hike Corcovado’s diverse trails through rainforest and coastline

Redwood National Park

Home of the World’s Tallest Trees

8.3

Coast redwoods once covered about two million acres along the Pacific. Logging cut down most of them before parks were created. You can walk quiet paths beneath trunks wider than a small car. Roosevelt elk graze in open meadows near Prairie Creek. These coast redwoods are the tallest trees on Earth.

Highlights:

🥾 Walk the scenic Karl Knapp Trail near Big Tree Wayside
🍃 Explore Fern Canyon’s prehistoric fern-covered walls
🌲 Hike the Tall Trees Grove, home to towering redwoods

El Yunque National Forest

Tropical rainforest paradise in Caribbean

7.7

Come in spring, when rain falls a little less often in this rain forest. La Mina Trail follows a stream to a 35 foot waterfall with a plunge pool. You can swim in the cool pool at the base. Tiny coquí frogs sing loudly all night in the forest.

Highlights:

🥾 Explore El Yunque Peak trail, a challenging rainforest hike
🌄 Climb Mt. Britton Tower for panoramic rainforest views
🌊 Hike to the stunning La Mina Falls and swim

Big Cypress National Preserve

Florida's wild swamp wilderness experience

7.5

This freshwater swamp sits just north of Everglades National Park and covers over 700,000 acres. Dwarf cypress trees and sawgrass prairies spread across the flat wet ground. You can drive Loop Road and spot alligators and wading birds from your car. Panthers still roam the preserve but few people ever see one.

Highlights:

🛶 Paddle through mangrove tunnels on a guided kayak trip
🐊 Spot alligators and wading birds along the Loop Road
🛻 Take a swamp buggy tour through the cypress landscape

Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Pristine lakes, untouched wilderness paradise

8.4

Come between late May and September, when the lakes are free of ice. More than 1,000 lakes link together through short trails called portages. You can paddle a canoe for days and never cross a road. Loons call across the quiet water at dusk. Moose wade the shallows.

Highlights:

💧 Discover waterfalls like Devil’s Cascade and Johnson Falls
🥾 Hike to Eagle Mountain, Minnesota’s highest point
🛶 Go on an overnight canoe camping trip through lakes

Calakmul Biosphere Reserve

Ancient Maya Ruins in Pristine Jungle

7.7

Howler monkeys roar through the damp jungle at dawn, a sound that carries for miles. Toucans and ocellated turkeys move among the trees. You can climb the pyramid called Structure II and see forest to the horizon. It rises about 148 feet above the ruins of an ancient Maya city.

Highlights:

🐦 Join birdwatching tours for over 300 species
🌳 Explore dense jungle trails with diverse wildlife sightings
🗿 Climb ancient Mayan pyramids in Calakmul ruins

Craters of the Moon National Monument

Otherworldly volcanic landscape on Earth

7.7

Lava poured from a long crack in the ground over the past 15,000 years. The last eruption came about 2,000 years ago. You can walk black lava fields and crawl through cool lava tube caves. Apollo 14 astronauts trained here in 1969 to practice for the moon.

Highlights:

🚗 Drive and stop along the 7-mile scenic Loop Road
🦇 Explore lava tube caves with a free permit
⛰️ Hike to the top of Inferno Cone for panoramic views

Great Basin National Park

Ancient trees, caves and starry skies

7.8

Nevada's desert surrounds this park like a sea around an island. Wheeler Peak rises to 13,065 feet above the sagebrush and juniper. You can walk among bristlecone pines that have stood for thousands of years. Lehman Caves has cool limestone rooms with rare shield formations.

Highlights:

🌌 Stargaze under one of America’s darkest skies
🕳️ Explore the stunning Lehman Caves with a guided tour
🥾 Hike to the summit of Wheeler Peak

Katmai National Park

Bears, salmon and volcanic wonders

7.2

In 1912 the Novarupta volcano had the largest eruption of the 20th century. Ash filled a nearby valley now called the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Brown bears gather each July at Brooks Falls to catch leaping salmon. You can watch from wooden platforms right above the river.

Highlights:

🌋 Explore volcanic landscapes shaped by past eruptions
🚁 Fly over the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
🐻 Watch brown bears catch salmon at Brooks Falls

Mammoth Cave National Park

World's Longest Known Cave System

7.6

Cool damp air and deep darkness fill the passages underground. More than 420 miles of the cave have been mapped, the longest known on Earth. You can join a ranger guided tour past huge domes and tight canyons. The air stays near 54 degrees all year, so bring a light jacket.

Highlights:

🛶 Paddle the Green River through forested limestone valleys
🕯️ Take a guided lantern tour through historic cave routes
🕳️ Explore the vast underground chambers of Mammoth Cave

Voyageurs National Park

Watery wilderness of northern Minnesota

8.0

More than a third of this park is water, like a maze of lakes. Fur traders called voyageurs once paddled these lakes in birchbark canoes. You can rent a houseboat or paddle a canoe to quiet islands. Northern lights sometimes glow over the dark water in winter.

Highlights:

🛶 Paddle a canoe through the peaceful waterways and explore wildlife
🌌 Witness the breathtaking northern lights over pristine lakes
🚣‍♂️ Explore hidden islands by boat and camp overnight

Waterton Glacier International Peace Park

Where two nations preserve wilderness

8.9

A long blue lake crosses the border between Alberta and Montana. Boat tours cross the line and stop at a ranger station. You can then hike back to the village on the Waterton Lakeshore Trail. Rotary clubs from both sides pushed to create this peace park in 1932.

Highlights:

🛶 Canoe or kayak on serene Waterton Lake
🚗 Drive the scenic Red Rock Canyon Road
🥾 Hike the challenging Crypt Lake Trail with stunning views

Morne Trois Pitons National Park

Volcanic wonders in pristine rainforest

8.0

Go in the drier months from February to April for better trail conditions. The hike to Boiling Lake takes six to eight hours round trip. It crosses the Valley of Desolation with steam vents and yellow streams. Emerald Pool nearby is a short walk to a small waterfall.

Highlights:

💦 Explore the twin Trafalgar Falls and natural hot springs
🏞️ Swim beneath the 50-foot cascading Emerald Pool waterfall
🌋 Hike the challenging trail to the Boiling Lake

Stunning national parks and wilderness areas in North America