Discover America's 30 most stunning national parks

America’s first national park, Yellowstone, was established in 1872. Forty-four years later, the National Park Service was created to “conserve the scenery and the natural and historic objects and wildlife therein."

Today, there are 59 national parks scattered across the nation, each encompassing its own special habitats. They afford visitors fantastic opportunities to explore the great outdoors, and discover nature in all its incredible variety.

Here are 30 US national parks that will get you heading for the great outdoors.

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Yellowstone, Wyoming - Yellowstone was established in 1872 and is the oldest national park in the US. A thermal wonderland of burping mud pots, bubbling fumaroles and explosive geysers, the park’s boundaries also embrace craggy peaks, pristine alpine lakes and verdant forests. Equally spectacular is the wildlife: bears, bison, moose, sheep and wolves.

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Arches, Utah - Shaped by wind and water over millions of years, over 2,000 sandstone arches decorate the weatherworn landscape. Resembling rusty horseshoes, these amazing geological anomalies are the showstoppers, however look out for balancing boulders, bridges, and towers during one of your hikes.

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Denali, Alaska - Located in the Alaskan interior, the park is centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. Six million acres of beautifully stark wilderness is accessed by a single road, which snakes its way up through high alpine tundra to snow-capped peaks. The dramatic landscape is home to Denali’s very own “big five” – moose, caribou, sheep, wolf and grizzly.

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Grand Canyon, Arizona - The Grand Canyon’s awesome gorge – a mile deep and up to 18 miles wide in places – is one of the most photographed natural wonders in the world. No wonder then Grand Canyon is the second most visited park in the country. Visitors tend to congregate along the South Rim, so head for the tree-textured North Rim for a more exclusive experience. Rafting the churning Colorado River below is on every adventure tourist’s wish list.

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Bryce Canyon, Utah - Described as a forest of stone, the park’s so-called 'canyon,' is in fact a collection of giant natural amphitheaters. Many feature odd-shaped pillars called hoodoos, in striking hues of rust-red and burnt ocher. Spectacular in its remote beauty, hiking this ancient landscape is to follow little-trodden trails through forests and meadows, traversing magnificently eroded plateaus.

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Zion, Utah - Peppered with cream-pink rock towers, Zion astounds with its contoured, vertical relief. Textured with yawning sandstone canyons, sharp peaks and hanging valleys, the park’s high plateau is carved by the Virgin River that snakes along the valley floor. A river trip would bring this scenic canvas into jaw-dropping perspective.

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Great Smokey Mountains, North Carolina/Tennessee - Welcoming around 11 million outdoor enthusiasts a year, this is the nation’s number one visited national park. Amble through this undulating landscape in spring, and you’ll witness a spectacular display of flowering plants that carpet the valleys with flecks of color. Arrive in fall, and the gold and copper canopy simply shimmers. For the best views head for Clingsmans Dome, which at 6,643 ft, is the park’s highest point.

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Arcadia, Maine - Much of the park lies on Mount Desert Island, where sea and mountain meet. As one of the first places in the US to see the sunrise each morning, summer sees early bird crowds gathering before dawn on Cadillac Mountain to witness this romantic event. Hike the park’s many trails, or take to the water for an equally rewarding excursion by kayak.

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Crater Lake, Oregon - The lake in question is the deepest in the United States, sunk into the cup of an 8,000-year-old dormant volcano. Fed by rain and snow, the lake’s crystal blue waters mirror the Cascade Mountain Range, a favorite winter sports playground. The park itself is the fifth oldest in the nation, and features well-established walking and hiking trails. Rim Drive is the most popular road in the park, following a scenic route around the caldera rim.

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Kenai Fjords, Alaska - Complementing the glacial splendor of the enormous Harding Icefield, there is an extraordinary wealth of marine life that call this pristine park home. Jump on a sightseeing boat to explore Resurrection Bay, and a grandstand view of majestic humpback whales, orcas and playful harbor seals. If you're looking for something more active, try kayaking through Northwestern Lagoon or hiking Harding Icefield Trail, which offers outstanding views across this icy wonderland.

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Saguaro, Arizona - Named after the nation’s largest cacti, Saguaro is the Old West personified. Besides these majestic plants (some reach over 50 feet tall and last nearly 200 years), the park is home to plenty of other cacti, including the tiny mammillaria. Wildlife enthusiasts should look out for roadrunner, the vermilion flycatcher, and the whiskered screech owl.

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Hawai’i Volcanoes, Hawaii -

The earth literally bubbles under your feet in this national park. Two active volcanoes, Kilauea and Mauna Loa, belch lava through a network of subterranean tubes and caverns towards the sea, where it’s spat out in spectacularly angry fashion. This is one of the world’s most volcanically active spots, and the steaming, billowing landscape is truly impressive.

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Pinnacles, California - Only upgraded from a national monument to a national park in 2013, the park is named after the serrated red-rock spires that rise out of the boulder strewn valleys. The park is also famous for its abundance of condors. Take an early morning trek through High Peaks Trail, and you’ll spot these huge raptors spiraling lazily in the sky.

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Olympic, Washington - Three distinct ecosystems (mountain, rainforest and coastline) characterize the landscape here. Standing in the shadow of Mount Olympus, it is frequently visited for the ancient Hoh and Quinault rainforests. The unspoiled terrain is also celebrated for its resident Roosevelt elk and, along the coastline, sea lions and bald eagles.

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Glacier, Montana - Another hugely popular outdoors escape, the park showcases 25 glaciers surrounded by ice blue lakes. Of these, the accessible Grinnell Glacier provides hikers with splendid peak-and-valley views. If warmer weather’s more your scene, arrive in late spring for a technicolor wildflower extravaganza.

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Rocky Mountain, Colorado - Easy access to 150 lakes and 450 miles of streams, the 'roof of the world is among the ten most visited parks in the US. The park’s eye-popping vistas are accessible by foot, horseback and snowshoe, depending on the time of year. The Trail Ridge Road is 48 miles of pure magic.

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Everglades, Florida - More than a million acres of subtropical wilderness harbors numerous rare and endangered species, such as the manatee, American crocodile, and the elusive Florida panther. Take an airboat tour of the river or drive into the dank, gloomy interior.

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Channel Islands, California - Off the southern California coast, five of the islands in this eight-island chain comprise the national park. The flora and fauna are astounding throughout the islands. Point Bennett (San Miguel Island) for example, has over 50,000 northern elephant seals. The summer months see the largest concentration of blue whales on the planet!

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Theodore Roosevelt, North Dakota - The park is named in honor of the 26th president who retreated to the remote and seemingly empty Badlands to hunt bison. Roosevelt’s affinity with the land would help shape his conservation policy as president – a vision the nation still benefits from today.

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Shenandoah, Virginia - With Washington, D.C. an hour’s drive away, this park is a haven for the capital’s residents and city-based tourists. Over 500 miles of designated footpaths weave their way through a landscape of rolling hills and deep-sided valleys, encompassing part of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The famous Skyline Drive offers a truly dramatic perspective over the region, especially during the 'leaf-peeping season.'

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Isle Royale, Michigan - There are two ways of reaching this remote splinter of an island: boat or seaplane. After landing, expect absolute solitude. This is a rugged and untamed wilderness prowled by moose and wolves, and surrounded by the ice blue waters of Lake Superior. Wreck diving is a favorite pastime, but this blissful environment also draws canoeists and kayakers.

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Redwood, California - This is where the tallest trees in the world grow: the mighty redwoods. The loftiest measures an impressive 379 ft. However, this land of giants also preserves other indigenous flora, fauna and a vast area of grassland prairie.

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Mammoth Cave, Kentucky -

Set deep under Kentucky is this five-level labyrinth of hanger-sized chambers studded with crooked, finger-like columns. Mammoth is believed to be the world’s longest cave system, but to date only 400 miles of passageways have been mapped out. Take the themed Historic Tour, and along the way you’ll wander into Chief City, a cathedral-sized space that’s explored by lantern-light.

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Grand Teton, Wyoming - The grandeur of the Teton Range is simply overwhelming. Standing nearly 7,000 feet above the Wyoming valley floor, these peaks rear over a necklace of lakes, their snow-capped summits reflected in still waters. The range can be backpacked during the summer months, and in winter, the blue and white glaciers sparkle.

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Yosemite, California - The Yosemite Valley is one of the standout locations in this spectacular glacier-carved wilderness. Jaw-dropping natural wonders include Yosemite Falls, North America’s highest waterfall, and the precipitous El Capitan, the world’s tallest granite rock formation. Hiking, fishing, rafting and rock climbing provide outdoor enthusiasts with their adrenaline shots.

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Sequoia, California - Home to General Sherman, the largest known living single stem tree on Earth, the park is known for its sequoia trees. Sequoia is combined with Kings Canyon National Park, and nowhere else are canyon walls so precipitous. The dramatic scenery is enlivened by coyote, black bear and bighorn sheep, among other wildlife.

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Mount Rainier, Washington - Showstopper Mount Rainier rises 14,000 ft in the Cascade Range. The extinct volcano is the park’s main attraction, and a popular peak for mountaineering. A spectacular sight any time of year, Rainier is particularly evocative in winter, surrounded as it is by more than 25 glaciers. To best appreciate this ice-coated habitat, follow the Wonderland Trail.

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Badlands, South Dakota - Some of the world’s richest fossil beds are located in the Badlands, located in the foothills of spectacularly corrugated cliffs. Among those unearthed are the skeletons of an ancient camel and a saber-toothed cat. These days, the plains are the realm of bison, and the grass often trembles under their charging hooves in scenes straight out of the Old West.

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Grand Sand Dunes, Colorado - The tallest dunes in North America give this park its name, and form the centerpiece of an ecosystem characterized by diverse landscapes. Sand sledding is a novel addition to the more conventional outdoor pursuits enjoyed in the area.

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Death Valley, California/Nevada - The hottest, driest and lowest of America’s national parks, Death Valley is truly a land of extremes. Most of the park is designated as wilderness, an often inhospitable environment encompassing arid salt-flats, shifting sand dunes, deep valleys, wide canyons and mountainous peaks.