Some of the most famous natural parks in the world are in the United States: Yellowstone, the house of the Yogi bear, or the cinematographic Grand Canyon of Colorado, for example. But it has not been only the cinema and television that have made these places famous, but also their landscapes and exuberant nature, and it is that if we could see this area of ​​the planet from space we would see that both the United States and its neighboring country, Canada, are mostly green.

That is why visiting natural parks is part of any trip to these countries. To help you decide, we've put together a list of the top 10 natural parks in the United States and Canada.

Banff National Park (Canada)

 

It is one of the most popular natural parks in Canada and is integrated into the Rocky Mountains National Park of Canada, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984. Despite its majestic landscapes, its origin as a protected area is quite humble: Three workers who were building the Canadian railway network, found hot springs when drilling a cave. And so, almost by chance, humanity entered Banff National Park, making it one of the most visited in the world. This is not surprising considering the large number of lakes that open turquoise glades amidst snow-capped mountains.

If you have the chance to go, get your camera ready for breathtaking views of Lake Louis.

Great Smoky Mountains Park (North Carolina)

Clouds cover the highest part of the Great Smoky Mountains Park in North Carolina (USA) with a grayscale. Perhaps it is this phenomenon that attracts nine million tourists a year, or could it be the following numbers? More than 100 species of trees, around 200 types of birds, 1,500 bears, and a viewpoint at more than 2,000 meters high are located on the highest peak in the entire park.

For a complete experience, you can camp (in an authorized area and for a limited number of days) and take guided excursions by bicycle or on horseback.

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 Yosemite National Park (California)

Imagine entering a forest of redwoods, the largest trees in the world, space where nature explodes wherever you look and where you can remember what silence is. In Yosemite National Park, which covers almost 3,100 square kilometers, 95% of the territory is considered "wilderness."

Its history as a protected natural area began in 1864 when Abraham Lincoln signed a decree to preserve the giant redwood forests. For years, it has been overshadowed by other parks in the United States, but today Yosemite is one of the largest in the country.

Yosemite can be visited at any time of the year, taking into account that during the winter months the landscapes are covered in snow. There are plenty of activities to keep you entertained, from camping to hiking, not forgetting the incredible views of the Glacier Point lookout.

Zion National Park (Utah)

Visiting Zion National Park, in the state of Utah, is traveling through the history of the United States. Several tribes have passed through these lands that have left their mark on cave paintings and rituals that are still practiced today. The main attraction of this park is the  Zion Canyon, a hollow of up to 800 meters deep formed by the Virgin River and that extends up to 24 km. For the more experienced (and without vertigo), a good route is the one that crosses the Kolob Arch, a rocky bridge formed by erosion.

Jasper National Park (Canada)

You have in front of you a long road lined with trees of all the shades you can imagine between green and yellow. This is one of the snapshots that can remain in your retina after visiting Jasper National Park, in the region of Alberta, Canada. Integrated into the Great Rocky Mountains, Jasper is one of the least visited parks (at the moment), but not for lack of attractions: turquoise rivers that break into white waterfalls, caribou, and elk strolling freely, and an incredible sunset from the cable car.

Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

In 2013 a group of researchers at the University of Utah discovered that the volcano under Yellowstone Park was much larger than previously thought: it contains between 200 and 600 cubic km of molten rock. But this is just one of the surprising facts that are hidden in the interior and exterior part of this jewel of nature. The bison strolling through the park, the craters that over the years have become lakes and that look great in Instagram photos, the limestone formations of Mammoth Hot Springs that look like natural pools ... Without a doubt, Yellowstone Park is worthy to be visited.

Wood Buffalo National Park (Canada)

It is the largest natural park in Canada (it is the size of Switzerland ) which makes it incredible the great variety of plants and animals that live in this territory: black bears, foxes, cranes, wolves, moose, beavers ... In the southern part from Wood Buffalo is the delta of the Peace and Athabasca rivers, it is one of the largest freshwater deltas in the world and where the migratory flows of various bird species converge.

Another surprising fact about this park is that it accommodates the largest beaver dam: it is 850 meters long, which is equivalent to 8 football fields. It was discovered from aerial photographs of the park.

Grand Canyon of Colorado (Arizona)

The famous canyon of Colorado is a must-see if you pass through Las Vegas. It is one of the first National Parks in the United States and one of the most photographed. It is so touristy that it can be seen in many ways: by plane, helicopter, guided by the Hualapai tribe, by bus, on horseback ...

If you don't have vertigo, you have to look out at the Skywalk, a viewpoint with a glass floor located on a 1,300-meter-deep cliff.

Wapusk National Park (Canada)

Wapusk means "white bear" in the Cree language, originally from the Canadian Indians. Around 900 polar bears live in this park, which makes it the largest natural reserve for these precious animals in danger of extinction. Here, mother bears can give birth and raise their cubs in their burrows with complete peace of mind.

Access to the park is limited, due to its remote location, but dreaming of getting inside and seeing polar bears and white foxes up close is accessible to everyone.

Olympic National Park (Washington)

This park in the state of Washington bathed by the Pacific encompasses 3 different ecosystems and, being located on a peninsula separated from the rest of the country by a mountain range, some of its landscapes have little to do with other National Parks in the United States. Due to this and that the land is practically virgin, UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site.

Several roads lead to the park, although if you want to get to the interior you will have to take one of the trails and dedicate several days to the excursion.

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