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National Parks: the new world's answer to the old world's man-made architectural gems and culturally significant historical sites. Yellowstone is the official OG established in 1872, but the Yosemite Valley Grant of 1864 marked the first time that land was set aside by the federal government specifically for preservation, protection, and public enjoyment -- incredible foresight that was signed into law by Abraham Lincoln in the middle of a bloody civil war.
Do you have any personal favorites or planned bucket list destinations? I'm privileged to have one of the below practically in my "backyard" that I get to enjoy on a regular basis; have been fortunate enough to experience another on more than one extended visit, and have yet another coming up later this May.
BANFF (Alberta, Canada)
Canada's first national park is also one of the oldest in the world - established in 1885 - and undoubtedly remains one of the best. It's like Mother Nature put in overtime hours when going to work on the formation of the Canadian Rockies. Indeed, Jasper located just north of Banff could just as well be listed in the OP of this thread and actually seems to be a little more raw. I think I'm only slightly less enthralled and inclined to make my way up due to already having experienced the likes of Glacier and Grand Teton on the American side of the Rockies.
GRAND CANYON (Arizona, USA)
My local park, and while I guess I've 'gotten used to it' to a degree, I could certainly never tire of it. The sheer size, scale, and scenic beauty is one of the planet's greatest spectacles with over two billion years of geological history on display along the horizontal strata of the canyon. The least anyone can do for themselves is hike partially down into the canyon through one of the corridor trails - either Bright Angel (moderate) or South Kaibab (steep) - that switchback and zig-zag down to the river and its bridge crossings. The change in perspective that it provides from the rim overlooks is significant and represents the fundamental difference between merely seeing and experiencing.
RANTHAMBORE (Rajasthan, India)
If I ever travel to India, the illustrious Taj Mahal won't be my first priority stop. Africa tends to grab the lion's share of clout when it comes to wildlife safaris, but India is nothing to sneeze at for the simple fact that India possesses tigers. And if you love tigers - they happen to be my personal favorite animal - then that's a big deal. The site of notable UNESCO world heritage medieval forts and ruins dispersed throughout the wilderness, Ranthambore is one of the smaller tiger reserve parks in the country, and that actually tends to work to its advantage here.
SERENGETI (Mara, Tanzania)
The African continent is home to a handful of the world's greatest natural attractions, and the Serengeti might just be tops among them. Along with Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve - which the Serengeti is continguous and shares an unfenced border with - it is a primary source of the wildlife videos that @MXZT and other Sherbros watch and often create threads about, because it is unparalleled. A rough estimate of the park's present day fauna population accounts for 500 hippos, 600 cheetahs, 1,000 leopards, 3,000 crocodiles, 3,500 giraffes, 4,000 lions, 7,500 hyenas, 8,000 elephants, 50,000 cape buffalo, 200,000 zebra, 500,000 gazelle, and up to 1,500,000 wildebeest. It famously plays host to the Great Migration, which has been dubbed the greatest show on earth. Serengeti Shall Never Die.
TORRES DEL PAINE (Magallanes, Chile)
The crown jewel amongst a plethora of other national parks established in South America's surreal Patagonia region of the Andes mountain range and southern ice field; one of the premier bucket list destinations for trekking enthusiasts the world over for its challenging famed circuits. The park's name is derived from three distinctive and iconic granite towers, but several other features - Los Cuernos, Grey Glacier, Lake Pehoé - are just as if not even more visually striking and noteworthy. It's a supermodel, and all too fitting that it has an official working partnership with Yosemite.
VICTORIA FALLS (Hwange, Zimbabwe)
It's far from the tallest (Angel Falls in Venezuela) and it doesn't constitute the largest overall waterfall system (Iguazú Falls along the Brazil and Argentina border), but it is recognized as the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. You'd almost tend to think of it as an extraordinary natural landmark rather than a full-blown national park, but that isn't the case because Zambezi NP is directly connected to it and in fact, was previously officially part of it until they were administered separately. 'Zambezi' is one of the world's top-tier wildlife safari destinations in its own right, featuring all of Africa's 'Big Five' game animals and more.
YELLOWSTONE (Wyoming, USA)
It possesses half the entire planet's active hydrothermal features of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, steamvents, and travertine terraces; the geothermal activity alone makes it objectively one of the most amazing and unique places in the world. And that's still only half the draw for many because its expansive pine forests, hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers provide not only a beautiful natural setting for outdoor recreation but an immaculately well preserved ecosystem for what is often called the North American Serengeti for wildlife: from soaring bald eagles and peregrine falcons blazing through the skies to massive elk, moose, and herds of bison to bobcats, wolverines, gray wolves, and grizzly bears. In a lot of ways, it represents the epitome of the American Frontier and Old West. Yellowstone Forever.
YOSEMITE (California, USA)
On the whole, Yosemite NP encompasses over 750,000 acres of California's spectacular Sierra Nevada mountain range, which claims no fewer than three national parks, ten national forests, and twenty-six wilderness areas. And yet the valley at the heart of it is only 7.5 miles long and less than a mile wide, possessing arguably more jaw-dropping scenery per square foot than any other place on Earth. Carved by glaciers, it's a straight-up wonderland of sheer granite rock-star formations, majestic waterfalls, lush evergreen forest cover, and pristine meadows. El Capitan is the tallest exposed vertical face of granite in the world, while the namesake Yosemite Falls has the longest total drop of any waterfall on the North American continent at 2,425 feet. It's one of Mother Nature's all-time flexes.
ZHANGJIAJIE (Hunan, China)
Serving as the direct inspiration and template for James Cameron's cinematic Avatar world-building, Zhangjiajie looks downright mystifying. It's almost kind of reminiscent of Bryce Canyon's sprawl of rising orange hoodoos in a way but these are quartz-sandstone pillars, and the immense vegetation surrounding them along with the fog create an otherworldly landscape.
Do you have any personal favorites or planned bucket list destinations? I'm privileged to have one of the below practically in my "backyard" that I get to enjoy on a regular basis; have been fortunate enough to experience another on more than one extended visit, and have yet another coming up later this May.
BANFF (Alberta, Canada)
Canada's first national park is also one of the oldest in the world - established in 1885 - and undoubtedly remains one of the best. It's like Mother Nature put in overtime hours when going to work on the formation of the Canadian Rockies. Indeed, Jasper located just north of Banff could just as well be listed in the OP of this thread and actually seems to be a little more raw. I think I'm only slightly less enthralled and inclined to make my way up due to already having experienced the likes of Glacier and Grand Teton on the American side of the Rockies.
GRAND CANYON (Arizona, USA)
My local park, and while I guess I've 'gotten used to it' to a degree, I could certainly never tire of it. The sheer size, scale, and scenic beauty is one of the planet's greatest spectacles with over two billion years of geological history on display along the horizontal strata of the canyon. The least anyone can do for themselves is hike partially down into the canyon through one of the corridor trails - either Bright Angel (moderate) or South Kaibab (steep) - that switchback and zig-zag down to the river and its bridge crossings. The change in perspective that it provides from the rim overlooks is significant and represents the fundamental difference between merely seeing and experiencing.
RANTHAMBORE (Rajasthan, India)
If I ever travel to India, the illustrious Taj Mahal won't be my first priority stop. Africa tends to grab the lion's share of clout when it comes to wildlife safaris, but India is nothing to sneeze at for the simple fact that India possesses tigers. And if you love tigers - they happen to be my personal favorite animal - then that's a big deal. The site of notable UNESCO world heritage medieval forts and ruins dispersed throughout the wilderness, Ranthambore is one of the smaller tiger reserve parks in the country, and that actually tends to work to its advantage here.
SERENGETI (Mara, Tanzania)
The African continent is home to a handful of the world's greatest natural attractions, and the Serengeti might just be tops among them. Along with Kenya's Maasai Mara Reserve - which the Serengeti is continguous and shares an unfenced border with - it is a primary source of the wildlife videos that @MXZT and other Sherbros watch and often create threads about, because it is unparalleled. A rough estimate of the park's present day fauna population accounts for 500 hippos, 600 cheetahs, 1,000 leopards, 3,000 crocodiles, 3,500 giraffes, 4,000 lions, 7,500 hyenas, 8,000 elephants, 50,000 cape buffalo, 200,000 zebra, 500,000 gazelle, and up to 1,500,000 wildebeest. It famously plays host to the Great Migration, which has been dubbed the greatest show on earth. Serengeti Shall Never Die.
TORRES DEL PAINE (Magallanes, Chile)
The crown jewel amongst a plethora of other national parks established in South America's surreal Patagonia region of the Andes mountain range and southern ice field; one of the premier bucket list destinations for trekking enthusiasts the world over for its challenging famed circuits. The park's name is derived from three distinctive and iconic granite towers, but several other features - Los Cuernos, Grey Glacier, Lake Pehoé - are just as if not even more visually striking and noteworthy. It's a supermodel, and all too fitting that it has an official working partnership with Yosemite.
VICTORIA FALLS (Hwange, Zimbabwe)
It's far from the tallest (Angel Falls in Venezuela) and it doesn't constitute the largest overall waterfall system (Iguazú Falls along the Brazil and Argentina border), but it is recognized as the largest sheet of falling water on Earth. You'd almost tend to think of it as an extraordinary natural landmark rather than a full-blown national park, but that isn't the case because Zambezi NP is directly connected to it and in fact, was previously officially part of it until they were administered separately. 'Zambezi' is one of the world's top-tier wildlife safari destinations in its own right, featuring all of Africa's 'Big Five' game animals and more.
YELLOWSTONE (Wyoming, USA)
It possesses half the entire planet's active hydrothermal features of geysers, hot springs, mudpots, steamvents, and travertine terraces; the geothermal activity alone makes it objectively one of the most amazing and unique places in the world. And that's still only half the draw for many because its expansive pine forests, hills, valleys, lakes, and rivers provide not only a beautiful natural setting for outdoor recreation but an immaculately well preserved ecosystem for what is often called the North American Serengeti for wildlife: from soaring bald eagles and peregrine falcons blazing through the skies to massive elk, moose, and herds of bison to bobcats, wolverines, gray wolves, and grizzly bears. In a lot of ways, it represents the epitome of the American Frontier and Old West. Yellowstone Forever.
YOSEMITE (California, USA)
On the whole, Yosemite NP encompasses over 750,000 acres of California's spectacular Sierra Nevada mountain range, which claims no fewer than three national parks, ten national forests, and twenty-six wilderness areas. And yet the valley at the heart of it is only 7.5 miles long and less than a mile wide, possessing arguably more jaw-dropping scenery per square foot than any other place on Earth. Carved by glaciers, it's a straight-up wonderland of sheer granite rock-star formations, majestic waterfalls, lush evergreen forest cover, and pristine meadows. El Capitan is the tallest exposed vertical face of granite in the world, while the namesake Yosemite Falls has the longest total drop of any waterfall on the North American continent at 2,425 feet. It's one of Mother Nature's all-time flexes.
ZHANGJIAJIE (Hunan, China)
Serving as the direct inspiration and template for James Cameron's cinematic Avatar world-building, Zhangjiajie looks downright mystifying. It's almost kind of reminiscent of Bryce Canyon's sprawl of rising orange hoodoos in a way but these are quartz-sandstone pillars, and the immense vegetation surrounding them along with the fog create an otherworldly landscape.
