While the name would have you think that this park is one of the larger ones around, Rocky Mountain National Park  is actually one of the smallest covering only about 400 square miles. Don’t let the size fool you though as it offers some of the best hiking and scenery in the country. There are trails and challenges available for everyone.

If you want to take a scenic and challenging route, travel the Trail Ridge Road. This trip will require that you ride as you will be dropping down about 50 miles into the Kawuneeche Valley and end up at the Colorado River. This journey will have your lungs challenged as well as you will be hitting peaks of about 12,000 feet at times.

Do not be surprised if your feet stop moving and force you to take in some of the picturesque views along the way. Some of the mountains will literally have your jaw dropping to the ground in awe of their natural beauty. One such view is the Forest Canyon Overlook that presents you with a view of the alpine forest that cannot be seen anywhere else in the world.

Now as we said, you are going to want to be prepared for the thinner air. This is more so if you plan on taking on one of the 350 trails that the park has. You are going to be traveling anywhere from 7,500 feet to well over 14,000 feet and unless you are used to breathing in this type of air, you are going to find both your lungs and legs screaming for mercy. This may actually be a vacation that you have to train for before you take it on.

Something else to look for during your journeys is the different forms of wildlife that call this area home. The Bighorn Sheep are quite the site and elk run wild throughout the park. If you are a birdwatcher, you will not be disappointed as over 280 species call this park home. If you are lucky, you may even see a stray moose wandering around from time to time.

As with most national parks, Rocky Mountain National Park has several visitor centers and museums that you can stop in and get the full story on the areas that you are visiting. We always recommend that you check them out as you will not only have the items that you have already seen explained in detail, but will also be able to see displays of things that may no longer be in the area.

Like many of the hiking national parks, Rocky Mountain NP is a site to behold during every season. As a matter of fact, you may want to come at each and every season to see how different the areas look as the seasons change. While it is incredibly beautiful during the summer months, snowfall and autumn brings an entirely different type of beauty to the area.

If you would like to retrace the steps of some of the world’s most famous explorers, Crater Lake National Park is the trip for you. To this day, it offers some of the most incredible boating, horseback riding, biking and hiking trips in the country. As a matter of fact, to truly appreciate its beauty, all you need to do is stand still and soak everything in.

Have you ever wanted to see a spot that looks like God’s hand held the paintbrush? This is it. This is home to the deepest lake in the United States. The water itself is something to behold, but the 2000 foot high mountains around the perimeter of it will absolutely take your breath away.

As you travel around the area, you will find that the area itself was formed well over 7,000 years ago from the eruptions of Mount Mazama. It has created some incredible land formations that have only improved over the years. There may not be a place in the United States that has a better scenic view.

If you are in the mood for a challenging bike ride or want to take the easy way out and use your car, you could make no better choice than to travel the 33 miles that go around the area. Bring your camera with you as you are going to come upon over a dozen locations that you will want a memory of. The images that you will take will be worthy of hanging in a museum.

Hikers will also love this area as there are plenty of locations that are one-of-a-kind trips that you cannot come close to duplicating anywhere else. Cleetwood Cove Trail is a trail that just about anyone should be able to travel. If you are careful and walk quietly, you will probably be treated to a roadside feeding from some of the wildlife that occupies the area.

For those that are up for more of a challenge, try making the 800 foot climb to Wizard Island. The volcano that exists on the island has an opening that that you can look down into and see what makes up the inside of a volcano. Luckily, you can do this without having the danger of it erupting.

When you want something even more challenging, you can take on Mount Scott. This 9,000 foot climb is sure to test your lungs and your legs. This is not a spot for the inexperienced as it possesses some of the most challenging twists and turns in the park. However, the risk is well worth the reward as you can see all the way to California from Mount Jefferson or Mount Shasta.

With all of this riding and hiking, you are eventually going to want to take a break. You can sit back, relax and do a little fishing at Fumarole Bay. Don’t worry about packing your license for this fishing whole and catch as much as you need for dinner as there are no limits either. If all of this doesn’t make you want to get out in the wild for a few days, nothing will.

Get the traditional associations that you have in your head about parks out of your mind when you travel to the Grand Canyon National Park. The term “park” is used loosely as you are really looking at one of the most amazing naturally formed canyons that man has ever seen. With a size of over 275 miles long and about a mile deep, you have to wonder what Evil Knievel was thinking when he tried to take this monster on.

You are going to be hard pressed to find another national park that boasts the space that this park covers. All in all, it stretches about 1,900 square miles and touches on three states. It can be accessed from Arizona, Utah and Nevada. While the Southern Rim is the area that sees the most visitors, it is only a small part of what the Grand Canyon is all about.

Hiking the grand canyon is the way to see this beautiful place. There is just far too much to see to take a quick trip by car. What you will see from the car and what you will see when traveling by land are two entirely different things. So get out of the car and stop being so lazy on this one. Believe me, you will be glad that you did.

If you are looking for some alone time, leave the Southern Rim to the tourists and take a ride to the north. We will forgive you if you travel the 200 miles or so in car for this one, but once you get there, it is really time to get in touch with nature. You are actually not going to have that much of a choice here as the paved roads start to deteriorate and your feet are going to be the only way to get around.

Once you get past the Havasu Canyon, it is time to take on the Lava Falls Trail. If you take your time to look around you may be lucky enough to see wildlife that you have never seen or will never see again. Many of the species that live in this area only live in a dessert setting and unless you play on taking another hike deep into the sands, this is your one shot to see them.

Some of the animals that you will need to keep your eyes out for are the many different species of humming birds that call this home as well as condors, Stellar Jays, the Striped Skunk, Canyon Wrens and of course, the coyote.

While the birds will leave you alone for the most part, you are going to want to be careful around the coyotes and skunks. Oh yeah, did we forget to mention the rattlesnakes that live in the area?
While the animals may be a bit frightening, as long as you leave them alone, including the snakes, you should be okay. Unless you get right in their path, they will more than likely try to avoid you at all costs. If you are a little timid about the North Rim, you can always hire a guide that will show you the ins and outs of the area. If you are in this area, be sure not to bypass this park as it is truly one-of-a-kind.

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If the oldest isn’t the best, it sure is close. Yellowstone National Park is definitely one of the best national parks in the United States. This monstrous 3,500 square mile park gives you a very unique look into the history of the area.

While you will not see the infamous Yogi Bear traveling around, you will be treated to the sighting of more than one Grizzly bear roaming the area. If you want to see nature at its best, travel down to one of the many streams where the bears will bury their massive paws in the stream to catch their nightly trout dinner. It is comical and awe inspiring at the same time.

This is also the home to Old Faithful and it did not get its name for no reason. All you need to do is hang in the area for a couple of hours and you will see the regular bursts of hot water that erupt from it. It can last anywhere from one to several minutes so make sure you have a charged battery in your camera. It may not be a streaming volcanic flow, but it is incredible none the less.

Summer creates one of the best natural scenes for a national park. You can hike the trails, get on a bike and take on the challenges that are offered or take advantage of one of the many stables that are offered and let the horse do all the hard work. As you travel, you will see many of the different species of wildlife that call this home. Don’t keep looking down at ground level though as you may miss one of the hundreds of species of different birds that also live here.

Winter is also a great time to visit this area as you can actually ski amongst the geysers during that time. While everyone else is doing moguls, you are will be flying through some of the most incredible creations that nature has to offer. If skiing isn’t your thing, don’t worry. You can still enjoy the winter with a ride in one of the many snow coaches that will take you to Old Faithful Snow Lodge. She doesn’t stop her spewing for the winter and seeing this hot spray at that time of the year is incredible.

Yellowstone National Park is about as big as they come and touches on 3 different states. Because of its massive size, the different environments and wildlife that live there are like nothing that you will see in any of the other national parks. The park itself is actually larger than a couple of the states in the union!

Yellowstone National Park is a place that the whole family will love. Whether you enjoy horseback riding or whitewater rafting, hiking or fishing, there is a part of the park that will suit your needs. As we said, you won’t find Yogi Bear there, but he is about the only thing that you will not see at Yellowstone.

Everyone knows about the great beaches and wonderful luau’s that Hawaii is famous for, but many never take the time to explore everything that the island has to offer.  One such area is the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.  Covering over 500 square miles, it is a different type of beauty that only Hawaii can offer.

If you think the days of volcanoes are over, you could not be more wrong.  There are still 2 volcanoes in Hawaii that have hot lava coming out of them that can melt steel in but a few seconds.  If you get within a few yards, you will begin to feel the incredible heat that is generated.  You need only be there for a few seconds to realize how destructive it can be.

If you are looking to see volcanic activity, you have two choices.  You can go to Mauna Loa and see this impressive 13,677 foot high creation or Kilauea.  Kilauea is listed as one of the most active volcanoes in the world.  All of these volcanoes are part of the Ring of Fire that is made up of a string of volcanoes that are actually underwater.  It is something that you will never forget when you see it.

While these volcanoes are still active, the last true eruption has not happened since March of 2008.  It was at this time that the Halema’uma’u erupted and covered over 70 acres of the island with gas and ash.  The journey to see this area is still abruptly cut off where the lava continues to flow to this day.

For another look at how much damage a volcano can do, take the journey down Devastation Trail.  It is only a short walk of about 30 minutes, but it leads you past an area that saw volcanic activity about 50 years ago.  It is actually still a little difficult to breathe there and those with breathing or heart problems are advised to stay away to avoid any difficulties.

As with most of the national parks, hiking is a great activity to look forward to.  When you are trying to see these wonders, there is no better way than being on foot.  To see everything up close and in person and also to be able to have the time to really check them out is what makes it so special.

You will have your choice of many of the trails that are in the area, but one of the favorites is the Thurston Lava Tube.  This trail covers about 4 miles and will take you about 400 feet into the rainforest.  At the end of the journey, you wind up staring right down the throat of a steaming crater known as the Kilauea Iki Trail.

When your day is coming to an end or at the very beginning, you would be well served to stop off at either the Jagger Museum or the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.  Both of them will give you a little extra knowledge about the area and help you better understand everything that you are about to see or have seen during your journey.