Top 5 US National Parks

There are a lot of national parks in the United States so you would think that coming up with a list of the top five would be difficult. In reality it wasn't, the parks on this list really stand out even amongst the other parks. That being said we are sure that there will be people who disagree with our choices since these things are by definition subjective.

1. Yellowstone National Park: This is a huge park that is located in the corner where Montana, Wyoming and Idaho meet. It was the first of the national parks and it remains the most famous. The best known tourist attraction is of course Old Faithful but there are plenty of other things to see and do. The park has a very diverse landscape with everything from lava flows to forests and lakes.

2. Grand Canyon National Park: Located in Arizona this would probably supplant Yellowstone as the most famous national park if more people were aware that it is in fact a national park. The Grand Canyon is a site to behold and it attracts millions of visitors each year. However the vast majority of those visitors will only view the canyon from above. In order to get the true experience you need to hike down into the canyon.

3. Denali National Park: This is a large park located in Alaska that is best known for being home to the tallest mountain in North America. However the park encompasses a lot more than just the mountain. There is a huge amount of wildlife in the park which is really the main attraction for most people. Mountain climbing and hiking are also popular activities. A surprising number of people visit Denali each year given how remote it is.

4. Yosemite National Park: Located in California this is a large park that is best known for its granite formations, it is also home to North America's tallest water fall. The park attracts a lot of visitors each year which is one of the downsides. This is mainly because the park is so easily accessible. While the park can be crowded most people tend to stick to certain areas so if you make an effort to get away from the crowds the park is large enough that you can avoid most other people.

5. Acadia National Park: Located in Maine this is the only park on the list that is in the eastern US. The reason for this is largely that the parks in the east tend to be quite small. While this is true of Acadia it still makes the list because of the spectacular scenery that it offers. The park offers both mountains and beaches and is a very popular destination for whale watching. In fact it is probably the best place in the US for seeing whales.