While wildlife encounters when hiking are absolutely unforgettable, sometimes it’s better—or best—to see animals from the safety of your car. Although I’m a huge advocate for leaving your vehicle and exploring a park on foot, more often than not, you simply have to drive to see a park properly. Luckily, there are several epic wildlife drives in the national parks.
One of the largest animals in North America, the massive moose is an imposing sight, especially when you see one while hiking. Many of America’s northern national parks are home to moose; these parks offer the best chances to spot them in the wild.
The Pacific Northwest is home to roaring waterfalls, verdant wildflower-filled valleys and moss-covered rain forests, but also shimmering alpine lakes, enormous glaciers and massive volcanoes. Mount Rainier National Park combines all of that, making it a hiker’s dream destination.
Home to giant glaciers, countless cascades, stunning lakes, jagged peaks and lots of wildlife, the North Cascades are a camper’s, hiker’s, backpacker’s and kayaker’s dream destination. These are the best things to do in this magnificent mountain wilderness in northern Washington State.
When hiking in Saguaro National Park, you get to see iconic saguaro cacti, the “sentinels of the desert”, from up close. You’ll walk among them, underneath them and past them, on the way admiring multi-armed saguaros, baby saguaros hiding in the shade of a nurse tree, and other regional desert flora.
A sprawling area of forests, volcanoes, mountains and lakes south(west) of Bend, Oregon, Deschutes National Forest is a dream destination for hikers, kayakers, rock climbers, campers and other adventurists. Check out the top attractions in this spectacular national forest here.
Watching a sunrise in Shenandoah National Park is one of the five absolute highlights in this magnificent park in central Virginia. It’s incredibly easy to do, too. Skyline Drive winds its way across the crest of the Blue Ridge, cutting across the park from north to south, lined with more than 70 overlooks. These are the best viewpoints and mountaintops to see the sunrise in Shenandoah.
One of the most iconic marine animals in the world, orcas (or killer whales) live in every ocean on the planet. In the United States, they’re a common sight along the West Coast, especially in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Check out these top national parks to see orcas in the wild.
On a scenic road trip from Seattle to Sacramento, you can see, explore—and even climb—more than a dozen mighty Cascade Range Volcanoes in nine separate parks, from Mount Rainier and Mount St. Helens to Mount Hood, Newberry Volcano, Crater Lake and Lassen Peak.
Lassen Volcanic National Park is a hiker’s paradise, offering everything from lakeshore strolls to summit hikes to backcountry adventures. On our visit, we did nearly a dozen hikes in this spectacular park. These are our favorites!
Their range extending from the north Rocky Mountains to the Cascade Range and into southeastern Alaska, mountain goats are an iconic species in the national park system. You can see them in their native habitat in these national parks.
While popular year-round, Cuyahoga Valley National Park becomes a real tourist magnet in the fall. Through the month of October, its lowland and upland broadleaf forests are illuminated by spectacular fall colors. Check out these fun fall activities in Cuyahoga Valley.
Fall is by far my favorite season in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia. Bringing crisp air, stunning sunsets, great wildlife watching and breathtaking colors, fall is a great time to get outside in Shenandoah. This blog post tells you the best way to spend a day in Shenandoah in the fall.
Home to all four volcano types in the world, Lassen Volcanic National Park is a remote wilderness of volcanoes, cinder cones, hydrothermal areas, lakes, meadows and forests. This post highlights our favorite things to do in this underrated Northern California park.