The 10 most beautiful national parks in Western American

To explore the American West, it is essential to visit the national parks, which are listed here the 10 most beautiful!

Did you know that Yellowstone National Park was the oldest national park in the world? His birth in 1872 triggered a wave of national park creations across the country and then across the world. The idea was to avoid the phenomenon of the Niagara Falls which, at the turn of the 1860s, was already ravaged by civilization and mercantilism. No other park was to suffer the same fate.

The U.S. has 59 national parks, and today we present 10 that, in our view, are the most beautiful in the U.S. West . To visit them, nothing like a road trip. Are you following us? Here we go!

1. Yosemite National Park, California

In the heart of the Yosemite Valley, you will see more natural wonders in a minute than in any other place in a day. The Yosemite National Park in California is like the jewel of the crown of the national parks, offering not only beautiful glaciers, but also and above all a wide range of superlatives: one of the highest waterfalls in North America (Yosemite Rivers), the world’s highest cliff (El Capitan) and impressive mountains.

The Tioga Road takes you to the heights of the park, where you will walk in the Tuolumne meadows and its fabulous hiking trails. The route that leads to Glacier Point may offer you the most spectacular view of the national park, which dominates the Yosemite valley of 975 meters. Wawona, a locality located near the southern entrance, is the ideal place to explore the famous Mariposa Grove a giant sequoia forest.

Hiking, rafting, fishing, climbing and camping are on the programme.

2. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Almost everyone has seen pictures of the famous gorge of Arizona, measuring an average of 1.3 km deep and up to 30 km wide. But nothing prepares you for its immensity, or its intense beauty, when you stand by, looking at the Colorado River down.

Grand Canyon is the second most visited national park in the United States, with a few five million people each year, mainly along the south shore. Avoid them by hiking on one of the many trails in the park. The Rim Trail is the easiest route along the canyon that is 30 km to Hermits Rest. However, you can start from any observation point, walk the canyon over the distance that suits you and come back by the shuttle. The Bright Angel Trail of 14.8 km is very difficult (although disappointed and weakly shaded) but is worth the detour.

You can also see the Grand Canyon from the North Shore (North Rim), which receives only 10% of the park’s visitors, since it is only open from mid-May to mid-October given the altitude (2438 m) and the climate. You can also kayak and admire the canyon from below, or sleep along the shore under the starry sky for an experience you will never forget.

3. Arches National Park, Utah

You may already know the National Park of Arches in Utah, without having been there, because with its 2000 sandstone arches, this beautiful park served as a backdrop to countless Hollywood films, including Indiana Jones , Thelma and Louise and several John Wayne movies.

Nowhere else in the world you will find such a wide range of natural arches, patiently carved through time by water and wind. The most famous, proudly displayed on the Utah registration plates, is Delicate Arch (photo), a sublime rock at sunset. But the park’s natural curiosities do not just stop at its arches. One can quote Park Avenue (cliffs similar to the skyscrapers of the famous New York Avenue), Petrified dunes (old petified dunes, fossilized), Balanced Rock (a rock of a volume equivalent to three buses stands in balance on a base) and many more.

4. Zion National Park, Utah

In a state with a profusion of national parks, Zion National Park is the first Utah National Park and its most popular. On its territory stretches from the sandstone walls with a vertiginous height above the Zion Canyon, domes with bright red or orange colours, or the Narrows Virgin River.

Angels Landing ("Piste des Anges") is the best known peak of the park (1763 m) and the hiking trail Angels landing trail allows you to access it for a breathtaking panorama. For less adventurous, there are many other choices, such as short hiking on the Emerald Pools trail , and Weeping Rock, with water flowing from the cliff like tears. It goes without saying that with all this rock, Zion is appreciated for its climbing paths, hikes and canyoning. Just make sure you know what you're engaging in.

5. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Large volcanic playground in the north-west of Wyoming, Yellowstone National Park has the most amazing concentration of the world of geothermal phenomena (more than 10,000) including mud mares, hot springs, smokers and, of course, geysers. The Old Faithful is the most famous site, a "cone" geyser, which cannot be predicted too much of its springing frequency of water, which takes place every 35 to 120 minutes.

But we find more than that here. The magnificent V-shaped Yellowstone Grand Canyon, the great peaks of the Rocky Mountains, Yellowstone Lake (highest North American lake), and large forests, including one of the world’s largest petrified forests, are added to its unique majesty. And then there's fauna. Named the American Serengeti, Yellowstone has the largest concentration of mammals in the continental United States, with excellent chances to see them all: grizzlis and black bears, hemione deer, moose, wapiti, bison... In all there are 67 species.

6. Death Valley National Park, California

The Valley of Death is one of the largest parks in the United States, and unlike the idea that we do at first glance, it is not only a huge desert area. Wildlife and flora are particularly rich.

The landscapes are extremely varied: there are huge sand dunes, breathtaking views, and many canyons on foot. Only hic, infernal temperatures in the summer prevent the full appreciation of this park...

7. Redwood National Park, California

About 300,000 visitors come to Redwood National Park every year to discover the greatness of giant sequoias, which create the coastal forest of sequoias. These trees can exceed 100 metres high and live more than 2000 years, the highest and most impressive in the world. Marine and terrestrial fauna is also remarkable, with in particular the sea lion, the bald eagle and the brown pelican of California, a threatened species.

8. Pinnacles National Park, California

Redesigned National Monument to National Park in 2013 due to its important reintroduction programme condor , the Pinnacle National Park is not known, and it is one of the best reasons to visit it. Its small size (107 km2) with ancient volcanic remains makes it possible in one day. With about 50 kilometers of trails for all levels, you will have the choice to hike through the fairy forests and green valleys, the many rocky arrows and rocks in balance.

Without too many tourists in the park, keep your eye open for condors, these prehistoric raptors with wings up to 2.90 metres wide. Their favorite dens are the "High Peaks" in the early morning or early evening, or along the crest just southeast of the campground.

9. Channel Islands National Park, California

Although the Channel Islands are only 18 km off the southern coast of California (less than an hour by boat), few people venture on this rosary of eight islands (five of which are the national park). What they miss: a sublime return to ancient California, where steep arches, thorny arrows and green hills overlook the Pacific, without a car or a phone in sight.

What makes the Channel Islands even more special is its fauna and flora: more than 150 endemic or unique species have earned it the nickname of "Gerapagos of North America". This is the only place in the world where you will see, for example, the Sylvester Smile, the Spotted Mouffette and the Channel Islands Fox. Equally incredible is life in the surrounding waters: more than 30 species of marine animals (sea lions, sea elephants, whales...) populate the surroundings.

The largest concentration of blue whales in the world meets here every summer. You can imagine all the outdoor activities available: kayaking through the sea caves, camping on the lonely cliffs, hiking to a colony of pinnipèdes, scuba diving to explore the populated funds of giant varech...

10. Saguaro, Arizona National Park

Saguaro National Park, a large 370 km2, is recognized for its many cactus, including the one that gave it its name, the Saguaro. An unstoppable hero of the westerns, Lucky Luke’s booth, he only grows here in the desert of Sonora. The most impressive are over 15 m and weigh between 8 and 10 tons.

By visiting Saguaro National Park, you will learn a lot about this cactus. According to the legend of the Papago Indians, we must respect the saguaros as a human being. The fruits of these cactus were the survival of Indians in this environment where the climate is so hostile. The fruit was of such importance to the Papagos that the harvest time marked the beginning of their new year.