{"id":23205,"date":"2018-01-22T08:30:00","date_gmt":"2018-01-21T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures?p=23205&preview=true&preview_id=23205"},"modified":"2025-07-17T22:45:34","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T12:45:34","slug":"our-favourite-usa-national-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intrepidtravel.com\/adventures\/our-favourite-usa-national-parks\/","title":{"rendered":"Canyons, yuccas & salt flats: 4 of our favourite national parks in the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"

With buttes and prairies, canyons and deserts, forested groves and waterfalls, hiking, camping and kayaking opportunities aplenty, the USA\u2019s 59 national parks contain more bizarre geological properties, unique ecosystems and adrenaline-inducing outdoor activities than you can poke a stick at.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Covering some 211,000 square kilometres, it can be hard to know where to start. Well, we\u2019ve done the research for you. If you\u2019re keen to visit some great national parks on your next trip to the States<\/a>, here are four of our favourites:<\/p>\n

1. The Grand Canyon<\/h3>\n
\"The<\/a>

The Grand Canyon<\/p><\/div>\n

The Grand Canyon was carved by the mighty Colorado River approximately six million years ago. At 450 kilometres long, nearly 30 kilometres wide, and just under two kilometres deep, you certainly don\u2019t want to \u2018get off the beaten track\u2019 here. While there are many hiking trails, including a camp ground at the base, there are numerous<\/em> signs warning you not to partake in one of these unless you are physically at your best. And remember: going down is much harder than hiking back up!<\/p>\n

Fun fact: The Grand Canyon National Park contains multiple major ecosystems. There are said to be seven life zones on Planet Earth, of which the Grand Canyon has five; it even boasts three of the four desert types.<\/p>\n

Feeling lazy? Skip the hiking trails and take a helicopter ride over the canyon. It\u2019ll be the best 45 minutes of your life.<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: 5 UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF A US ROAD TRIP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

2. Joshua Tree National Park<\/h3>\n
\"Huge<\/a>

Boulders at Joshua Tree NP<\/p><\/div>\n

Feast your eyes on giant prehistoric boulders, jagged mountain ranges and lonesome desert flats, freckled with solitary but fascinating Joshua Trees. With their thick, twisting limbs, and spiky leaves, the Joshua Tree looks a bit like a child\u2019s unfinished art project. Neither a tree nor a cactus (though it looks strangely like both), it\u2019s part of the yucca genus, native to the arid deserts of southwestern USA.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

Joshua trees<\/p><\/div>\n

Even though Joshua Tree wasn\u2019t officially given national park status until 1994, its fame began back in 1987 when U2 famously named their fifth album after it. Legend has it that it was the Mormons who named it Joshua Tree after making their way across the Mojave Desert in the 19th<\/sup> century; the tree\u2019s strange shape looked a little like Joshua reaching up to the heavens in prayer. Whichever way it reached its notable status, the scenery in the park is like no other, and, at 3200 square kilometres in size, it\u2019s to be taken seriously. The two most popular hikes are Warren Peak and Hidden Valley<\/a> (they both take around 3 hours to complete).<\/p>\n

3. Death Valley<\/h4>\n
\"Travellers<\/a>

Badwater Basin, 82 metres below sea level<\/p><\/div>\n

Have you landed on Mars? It certainly feels like it here. Death Valley<\/a>, almost 14,000 square kilometres in size, is a geological and mineral wonderland, with streaks of iron, magnesium and sulphur running through the valleys, as well as salt flats, volcanic craters and \u2013 strangely \u2013 an outdoor art museum. And unlike the name suggests, there\u2019s quite a bit of life flourishing here: bobcats, desert mice and coyotes to name a few. Temperatures here can get up into the mid-50s, so make sure you\u2019ve got plenty of water (take twice as much as you\u2019d normally expect to drink) and a vehicle with good air conditioning.<\/p>\n

\"Badwater<\/a>

Walking out over the salt flats<\/p><\/div>\n

Be sure to check out the Badwater Basin Salt Flats and the Goldwell Open Air Museum.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

RELATED: 6 WAYS TO GET OFF THE STRIP IN LAS VEGAS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

4. Yosemite National Park<\/h3>\n
\"Yosemite<\/a>

Yosemite National Park<\/p><\/div>\n

Anyone with a MacBook will be familiar with Yosemite\u2019s most famous vista; El Capitan was the computer\u2019s default wallpaper on its 2015 iOS update. But the granite monolith is even more incredible when you see it in real life, so be prepared to jostle alongside fellow nature lovers for the perfect photo (especially in summer).<\/p>\n

Yosemite is one of the U.S.A\u2019s biggest tourist hotspots, attracting around 4 million visitors a year. And it\u2019s no wonder; the national park is famous for its biological diversity including lakes, mountains, glaciers and forests. Pair the natural wonder of towering grey granite cliffs and dramatic waterfalls with the chance to encounter deer, squirrels and (if you\u2019re lucky) a black bear or two, and you\u2019re in outdoor heaven.<\/p>\n

\"Stunning<\/a>

Yosemite National Park<\/p><\/div>\n

Fun fact: Twenty percent of California\u2019s 7000 plant species live and thrive in Yosemite, including the magnificent giant sequoia. Giant sequoias are the largest trees in the world, growing to around 80 metres tall.<\/p>\n

In the mood for an active adventure? The Half Dome hike is incredible (but challenging); the Valley Floor loop is also great (and much easier!).\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Stretch your legs in a few of our favourite US national parks<\/a> on a small group adventure with Intrepid.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

All images C\/O Phoebe Escott-Kenny, Kaptain Kenny Travel.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

With so many bizarre geological properties, unique ecosystems and adrenaline-inducing outdoor activities, choosing which national park to start in can be a tough decision. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16029,"featured_media":24871,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1313],"tags":[1530,1321,874,423,69],"class_list":["post-23205","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-guides","tag-death-valley","tag-grand-canyon","tag-national-parks","tag-north-america","tag-united-states","ipf_region-united-states"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n4 of our Favourite National Parks in the USA | Intrepid Travel Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"With buttes and prairies, canyons and deserts, forested groves and waterfalls, and hiking trails aplenty, it can be hard to choose which USA national parks to visit. 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