Welcome to this new blog post! The topic this time: National Parks in the USA. This country has a lot to offer and is full of national parks. In this blog post I present three national parks that you have to see once in your life.
My personal experience
I have been lucky enough to visit many national parks in the United States. Each park is unique in its own way. It was difficult to choose which ones to feature in this blog post. In the future there will be more posts where I will show some other national parks that I have visited. So stay tuned!
National Parks – general information
There are 63 national parks in the USA. In total, these parks cover about the size of Great Britain and have over 33,000 kilometers of hiking trails. National parks help to protect endangered animals and plants. In addition, numerous visitors come every year to see those beautiful natural landscapes with their own eyes. Let us now turn to three highly recommended national parks.
Bryce Canyon
Located in Utah, this park was founded 1928. There are a number of viewpoints. Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point, Ponderosa Canyon and Rainbow Point offer the best views of the canyon. In summer there is also a shuttle route and you can find many campgrounds, as well as hiking trails. The national park is located at an altitude of 2400 to 2700 meters and attracts over a million visitors every year.
By the way, Bryce Canyon was not formed by a river. It is therefore not actually a canyon like the Grand Canyon. The rock needles (hoodoos) were formed by ice, wind and water. These hoodoos reach a heigh of up to 60 meters. The Bryce Canyon is in total 5km wide, 19km long and drops more than 240 meters from the plateau.
Nonetheless, it is a beautiful landscape that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Especially at sunrise or sunset, the surroundings are bathed in a magical light and you can take some great photos.
Acadia
Acadia Nation Park is located in Maine and was founded in 1929. The largest part of the park is on Mount Desert Island. This island is connected to the mainland by a causeway. Along the southeast coast you will find the characteristic rugged, rocky coastline. Cadillac Mountain, the highest mountain on the island, offers a wide view of the park. At the southwest tip of the park is the Bass Harbor Lighthouse, which is also definitely worth a visit. Acadia is one of the most visited national parks in the United States.
There is also a park loop road, campgrounds and picnic areas. Ferries run regularly to the smaller islands and peninsulas. As with the other national parks, there are also many beautiful hiking trails. Detailed hiking maps can be purchased at the Visitor Center.
Acadia National Park is a great contrast to many other parks, such as Bryce Canyon. If you like hiking, enjoying the view of the sea or want to experience pleasant picnics in the beautiful natural landscape, Acadia National Park is just the right place for you.
Joshua Tree
Joshua Tree National Park is a desert landscape located in southeastern California. The region was declared a national park in 1994 and takes its name from the Joshua trees, which can be found in countless numbers in the park. In addition to these plants, you can also find very interesting rock formations. Hidden Valley, Cap Rock, Skull Rock and Arch Rock are some of the most famous places in the park. Groups of tourists often gather at Skull Rock in particular, and it can therefore sometimes take a while before you can take a good photo of the rock formation in the shape of a skull.
There is a route in the park that you can drive trough. However, it is forbidden to stray from the path with your car. Many rock formations are a little further from the road, so you have to hike there. Due to the very warm and dry climate, it is important to drink enough water. There are also many hiking trails and picnic areas. The park has several entrance areas, where you can also find visitor centers.
Joshua Tree is an absolutely unique national park and should definitely be on your list for a road trip.
Map
As a little additional overview, I have made a map with some hikes, campgrounds and sights that I can highly recommend in these three national parks. Feel free to take a look:
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Thank you for reading this blog post! I wish you a nice day and see you soon!
Zsofia
Alpinia Travel 
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