US NPS Units

my first visit as a child was less than memorable, but as an adult, and a professional photographer who loves geology I can truly appreciate this wonder of nature!! as a friend of mine says -- "Geology Rocks!"

North Rim is the best - approaching you see nothing - get to the lodge and the sudden view of it is breathtaking

You must visit all four sides the of the Grand Canyon, south most popular best view, east you will find a beach and the west you will find yourself on top the Grand Canyon viewing down from glass bottom

We rode the mules down to Phantom Ranch stayed in a cabin and rode back up the next day !!! One of the greatest times of my life !!!

My favorite place - happy I went there before it was so crowded or restricted...

Beautiful place, but was SO disappointed when we were there if fall, Yosemite Falls was actually dried up! Go when the snow melts! Beauty everywhere, despite the falls.

The valley floor is just the gateway to wonderment! Get out and explore the wilderness

A crown jewel! Yosemite is amazing and yes, if you go during the summer and on a weekend it will be crowded but still amazing and breathtaking. This is a place everyone should visit. Aim for may-early July when the waterfalls are flowing heaviest. Once you see the valley don't be afraid to escape the other first timers and hit some trails. Hikes for all types. A true must see. Worth the detour if necessary.

Ferry is ok, no need to climb up the stairs

Our family went in 2000. My son had a walking cast on his leg, but still was able to climb to the top with us - a memory for a lifetime.

If you do not want to go to the Island, take the Staten Island Ferry for a fantastic view. It's also a great view to go at night.

A must see but kind of disappointing. 22 stories up spiral staircases to get a view of New Jersey. Ellis Island is a must though. Fun and interesting. If you had family come through there you can track them down.

Check the local tourist magazines. There is a small boat operator that takes parties of 6 right up to where the lava hits the water. It was amazing to see the lava explode and feel the heat up close!

The best way to see the park is to go to the visitor canter...a fantastic museum and information center. Once there ask the park rangers for their opinion of what to do based on what is happening then. They conduct daily walks and naturalist programs..all free which are outstanding...

First time I was at a volcanoe. Landscape reminds you of another planet

The National Park service is an invaluable resource at Gettysburg. Go to the Visitor's Center the first day your are there and visit the Electric Map. It will help give you an idea of the scope of the battles.

It's my second home!

Wonderful park for spotting wildlife!

Truly a beautiful place spent 5 days there !!

This is one amazing place! What is going on under your feet at all times? Water bubbling, and spewing, mudpots boiling, A stay at Old Faithful Inn is a must! Lots of buffalo and elk. Go, if you can!

YELLOWSTONE! Have been there more times I can count on my fingers. LOVE it! Sort of scary to think this is a place where the earth is still forming... Will go there again and again... go there everytime we get visitors from overseas.

This was a fun place to visit with my children. We hiked around it and climbed on the rocks. The highlight for our boys was finding a dead deer and couldn't wait to tell the park ranger so it could be removed. The junior ranger program was fun too. Learning about this monument was fun!

Wonderful hiking trails and amazing views

Wrecked my car on the way to see this and never quite made it!

Loved this place - birdwatching at its peak!

Went with a friend and her family in late 60's would love to go back someday !!

Took an airboat ride through. Awesome place!

Brief visit there... made me realize that Florida is not all about Disney World!

Breathtaking!

This was our first camping trip once we moved to Oregon. I couldn't stop looking at the turquoise water. Our camper didn't fair very well with the rain, but we loved the scenery, the hikes and the animal life.

We just returned from cruising to several locations in Alaska including Glacier Bay which was absolutely the highlight of the cruise. The views were breathtaking. As we left the bay, we saw Orca whales jumping in the water. The day was cold and a bit drizzly which gave the whole a bay a misty quality. We truly felt we had entered into a magical kingdom.

I've been to Alaska and Glacier Bay twice. I feel very fortunate because for most people Alaska is a once in a lifetime trip. This site is absolutely, 100%, breathtakingly Beautiful!

Were at Dante's View... SO amazing. Made me think of how must have been when the earth were young...

I spent a day at Death Valley. Definitely not enough time to see all I wanted to see. It is truly an amazing place to visit. I will definitely visit again.

Excellent park Artists drive is a must do! Stayed at Stovepipe wells in the park. Great place

Death Valley is very underrated as a National Park. I didn't know Death Valley would be so beautiful. I think the name itself intimidates people. Death Valley is at its most gorgeous at sunrise and sunset, so when you plan your trip remember to schedule outings around those times. If you only see the sights in the light of the midday sun, you will miss a lot of what is spectacular in the scenery. Also, you will do a LOT of driving in this park...the various hikes and sights are quite a distance from each other, with no real shuttle system to speak of, so try to group your outings by location to save on driving time, and make sure to enter the park with a full tank of gas.

Been here twice. Love this place. Beautiful.

Maine... so, so LOVELY!

See Egg Rock Light, (Acadia Loop Road, south of Bar Harbor.). This 1875 lighthouse is located on a barren ledge in the middle of Frenchman Bay, east of Mount Desert Island. It can be viewed from the Acadia NP Loop Road.

Beautiful at sunset!

Arches are what you will see. Each one different than the other. The hike to Delicate Arch is not easy, but SO SO worth it!

Just so, so amazing! There's something spiritual about the red rock formations. LOVE going there. Have been there so many times.

This has to one of the most beautiful places on earth. Terrific hikes of many different lengths.

This particular monument is not compelling enough to make a special trip to visit. There are other hikes you can make in the area, so if you go primarily for the hikes then the trip may be worthwhile.

The road to Devil's Postpile is closed in the winter.

In the park Lodging options The only lodging available in the park is found in our campgrounds and Wilderness Cabins. The Kīpahulu Area has a drive-up campground available, while the Summit Area has a drive-up campground and is your access point to the trails leading to our Wilderness campgrounds and Wilderness cabins. Kula provides the closest hotels and bed-and-breakfast lodging to the Summit Area. The nearest to the Kīpahulu Area is in the Hāna area. Please contact the Maui Visitor Bureau for more information on the lodging available outside of Haleakalā National Park.

We drove up to Haleakala to see the sunrise and can easily say that it was the best thing we did on Maui. It is so beautiful and amazing to see the world awaken

It's a long day getting to Haleakala but worth it. I've hiked into the crater and done the bike ride down to the beach - both well worth it.

Never been there. Would love to go. How's access for someone like me, with bad knees. Lot's of walking?

The park is open all year except December 25.

On of my favorite caves in the park system

Went there once, would like to go again and spend some time. Trees, especially Redwoods... are so peaceful and inspring.

Loved squeezing my arms around the beautiful trees!

Massive redwood trees are amazing to see

Any time you have a chance to stand in a redwood grove and feel the peace and silence washing over you like a healing balm, you need to do it! Crescent City has great redwood groves and is well worth the visit!

A wonderful place for the family.

I was in awe. We took a picture with our kids in the same place where my husband took a pix with his family when he was their age. We had fun driving our car through the mountains and stopped to let our kids see wolves up close. Beautiful area!

Mount Rushmore and the Black Hills is a wonderful place to take a family vacation! Be sure to take in the lighting ceremony at Rushmore, which is done every night of the week.

Plan to stay for the evening program. Its really dramatic.

This National Park is the closest to me, so have been there many times. I always see something new, and never tire of its beauty. Of course, fall is when it is in all its glory.

So lovely! While there I could hear the old folk song... in my head! Was sort of sad in a way.

you can get your nature fix here and then roll out to the wineries and bed and breakfasts then head back to the city all in one day

lots of deer and even bear!

That looks amazing - really want to go.

We have been to the Pictured Rocks before and done the boat ride which is great. But this trip was just past season and we still enjoyed all the beautiful hike to the gorgeous waterfalls around the area. Worth a visit when the leaves are changing.

If you are on your way to Carslad Caverns via Las Cruces, you must stop and see White Sands. It is just an amazing place. The sand is as white as snow, and it goes on for miles and miles

A Must See,Where It All Started

Cliff dwellings are all amazing, but this place is amazing and magical. It is a must see for sure.

Mesa Verde National Park is AMAZING! As the only national park dedicated to preserving something manmade, this place is a real treasure. Mesa Verde was truly awe inspiring! The views on the drive up the mesa are great but nothing beats climbing down and exploring the cliff dwellings firsthand. I loved going here and would love to go back. This is a must see!

This site was amazing. for those who could climb, you got an up close view of the ancient housing units.

We booked in advance which was smart as when we got there it was sold out. Our tour started with the guide's speech before we boarded on the buses taking us to the new entrance. Our guide was great, he provided a lot of useful historic information while keeping it light and funny

Beautiful caves

This TRULY is God's country! The gorgeous seascapes, the thickly ferned rain forests, huge, HUGE trees, Hurricane Ridge, The depth of the color GREEN...ALL AMAZING and beautiful. I would return in a heart beat to this most awesome region. My only regret was not to have planned for more time when there.

Elk and Eagles galore

Many, many, times over my childhood years !!!

Beautiful park.

LOVED this. We spend a wonderful time at a motel on the Blue Ridge Parkway... Could not decide if we wanted to stay there because it was bit expensive but then we learned that dinner and breafast were included! The lady who signed us in said her husband were right then busy fishing for trout for dinner! Wow! Dinner was amazing! The trout outstanding and then the chef (owner) came by with a pan with trout and asked if we wanted more!!! Later we were served a wonderful fruit pie for desert and again, the chef came buy and asked if we wanted anotherp piece! And the view in the photo above, was our view from our little cabin and the flankets were turned down with chocolates on the pillow! So, yes, the trip and amazing scenery, Gatlanberg, Tennessee in general, the mountains and all were breath-taking but our little motel put the cherry on top. Wish I can remember the name of it???

Saw bear while i was here.

The dirt roads into the park are rough and rattle your teeth, but this place is worth the effort. Come in on north side, Nageezi, for least amount of rough road driving. Pueblo Alto loop is a great hike. Challenge of climbing up the ‘stairs’ at start of trail that opens to splendid views of the canyon. If visiting April – October pick a Tuesday, Friday or Saturday night to camp at Chaco and check out the Chaco Night Sky Program. Rangers explain the importance of astronomy in Chaco Culture and allow visitors to view the stars through one of several telescopes at the center.

Want to go there! But probably won't. major knee problems :-(