Trifter

The National park system in the U.S comprises more than 370 areas of special importance – a system that includes exceptional natural, historical, scientific, and recreational sites, including lakeshores, battlefields, monuments, and seashores. Here are what I feel are the ten best of the system.

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, California

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While both of these parks have groves of giant sequoias, Sequoia – the southernmost of the two – is more accessible for casual visitors. To appreciate the rugged splendor, you should hike a trail; I recommend Congress, River, Zumwalt Meadow, and the Moro Rock Trails. If you have time only to drive, then follow the Generals Highway for 27 kilometers from the Ash Mountain Entrance to the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest Sequoia.

Gettysburg National Military Park, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

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Only cannon, stone walls, and countless monuments recall the horrors that unfolded on these bucolic fields on July 1, 1863. Here Union and Confederate soldiers fought the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. Three days later, 51,000 men were dead, wounded, or missing. Don’t miss seeing Evergreen Cemetery, where President Abraham Lincoln gave his stirring Gettysburg address on November 19, 1863.

Alagnak Wild and Scenic River, King Salmon, Alaska

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This pristine river begins within the Katmai National Preserve at the head of the Aleutian Peninsula. From there, it rushes along for 108 kilometers past boreal forests and wet sedge tundra before joining the Pacific Ocean. Otters, moose, brown bears, and ospreys are just a few of the creatures that call this wilderness home.

Santa Fe National Historic Trail, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico and Oklahoma

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Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was the main link between St. Louis, the gateway to the West, and Santa Fe, one of the West’s most prosperous cities. Families in covered wagons, soldiers, and prospectors bound for glorious gold all took the trail.

Statue of Liberty National Monument, New York

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The 46 meter tall green woman who stands as a graceful sentinel of Upper New York Bay has become an international symbol of freedom. Given to the United States in 1886 from the people of France, Lady Liberty has been one of the first – and certainly the most welcoming – sites in the United States for millions of immigrants. Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi sculpted her, perhaps in the image of his mother, and Gustave Eiffel devised an iron frame for the enormous copper sheets.

Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina, Virginia

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Showcasing the age old beauty of the southern Appalachians, the Blue Ridge Parkway is the most visited unit within the National Park System. The 755 kilometer, two lane road connects Shenandoah National Park in the north to Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the south. You will ride along the crest of the Blue Ridge, as well as other mountains, dipping into deep hollows then rising up above the trees as high as 1,829 meters.

New Orleans Jazz Historical Park

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When Congress passed legislation that created the park in 1994, the intention was ‘to preserve the origins, early history, development, and progression of jazz.’ And what better place to do this than New Orleans, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta, where the uniquely American art form was born. This young park is evolving, and how it will emerge from 2005’s devastating Hurricane Katrina remains to be seen. According to the original plans, the park eventually will consist of four buildings in Louis Armstrong Memorial Park.

Yosemite National Park

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The work of giant glaciers during the ice age, Yosemite is a famous natural wonderland in the Sierra Nevada showcasing waterfalls, meadows, and forests of giant sequoia. Half Dome and El Capitan, rock formations towering above Yosemite Valley, are virtually American icons. Try to visit Yosemite Falls, the tallest in North America; hike to Mirror Lake, kayak along the Merced River; visit the giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove, then relax at the Ahwahnee, the parks’ grand old arts and Crafts-style lodge.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

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This is the place for anyone eager to get close to an active volcano. Located on the Big Island, Kilauea and Mauna Loa are two of the most active volcanoes in the world. The first is more than 1,219 meters high and still growing. It abuts the second, a monster mountain that towers some 4,169 meters above the sea. The park stretches from sea level to Mauna Loa’s snowy summit.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

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Stand on the edge of this immense gorge – more than 1.5 kilometers deep and up to 29 kilometers wide – and you will experience nature’s grandeur. The Colorado River carved the chasm over millennia. Hiking, rafting, and driving opportunities are outstanding.