The United States is an awe-inspiring country, and while famous around the world for its iconic cities and concrete jungles, there are just as many natural wonders to explore. Some so beautiful you would think they were from another planet!
With a huge range of inspiring landscapes, and powerful panoramas, we recommend visiting America’s many National Parks, preserves and protected wildlife sanctuaries if you’re seeking a natural experience.
But if you’re not sure where to start, the following 5 are natural wonders which will blow your mind!
The Grand Canyon, Arizona
The Grand Canyon is an iconic destination, which features at the top of almost every list. It is one of the great wonders of the world, and one of earths most powerful and inspiring landscapes.
The size of the Grand Canyon is overwhelming – it has been formed over 16 million years, and is an average of 4,000 feet deep, and 277 miles across. When you’re standing on the edge of this vast canyon, the only way to describe it is “immense”.
This is one of the most phenomenal encounters with nature you could ever hope for, though if you can’t make it to Arizona you can take a helicopter tour as a day trip from Las Vegas. Those who can make it to Arizona have 4 rims to choose from.
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
One of the most unbelievable places on earth, Antelope Canyon is a slot canyon which is so beautiful you’ll think you’ve landed on a different planet.
Created over many thousands of years, wind and water have carved the firey sandstone into the temple it is today. It has an unearthly beauty, and is a favorite among photographers, who travel from all over the world to capture the stunning light show.
The views here are forever changing as the sun moves across the sky – the light filters across the stone walls, and different angles from the sun make it bounce back and forth across the canyon walls. This is a popular slot canyon, only open to visitors who join a tour.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Yellowstone National Park was the first National Park in the world, and is a hugely popular tourist destination for those looking to discover the wonder of nature in the United States.
This is an incredible region of natural diversity – there are volcanoes, hot springs, mud pots, and geysers. And in such high concentration, that most of the world’s geysers are actually located here.
You can hike through mountains, forests, and visit lakes to spot native wildlife, with the park home to an abundance of wolves, grizzly bears, and hoards of elk and bison.
As a visitor, you can hike, camp, boat, fish, and explore. There is a lot of infrastructure, and many paved pathways which take you to attractions such as waterfalls. Yellowstone is a national treasure, and one of the best places in the USA to watch the drama of nature unfold.
Sequoia National Park, California
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are located in the southern Sierra Nevada Mountains; a region of California known for its huge sequoia trees. Home to some of the world’s largest trees, this is known as the land of the giants, and it’s largest, the General Sherman Tree, is 2,500 years old, reaching 275 feet into the sky.
But there’s a lot more nature to explore than craning your neck at the world’s largest trees. You can hike through mountains, deep canyons, rugged foothills, and vast underground caves and caverns. You can drive through the Tunnel Tree, which is a toppled tree which has been cut to allow traffic to continue down the road.
This is one of the most beautiful areas of wilderness in the United States.
Crater Lake, Oregon
Crater Lake in Oregon is like no other place on earth. It is a deep blue lake, the deepest in the United States, which rests in the belly of a dormant volcano. And it’s so pure in color that scientists consider it to be the cleanest and clearest body of water in the world.
It is immeasurably beautiful, and one of the most stunning lakes you’ll see in your life. It is surrounded by cliffs almost 2,000 feet high, with old-growth forests in the landscape behind.
When you’re getting around these amazing places in America, make sure it is protected by good travel insurance.
