Fall is a great time of year to hit the road and embark on an outdoor adventure. If nature is calling you, consider these stunning national parks across the country that offer scenic views, plenty of nature and wildlife, and an escape from your daily hustle.
Head up the northeast coast to Acadia National Park that protects the natural beauty of the highest rocky headlands along the Atlantic coastline of the United States, an abundance of habitats, and a rich cultural heritage. At 3.5 million visits a year, it’s one of the top 10 most-visited national parks in the United States. Visitors enjoy 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of carriage roads.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/state/me/index.htm
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Make your way to the mid-south for a glimpse of this natural treasure. Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/state/tn/index.htm
If you live in the Midwest, head to Ohio to experience the Cuyahoga Valley. Though a short distance from the urban areas of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley National Park seems worlds away. The park is a refuge for native plants and wildlife, and provides routes of discovery for visitors. The winding Cuyahoga River gives way to deep forests, rolling hills, and open farmlands. Walk or ride the Towpath Trail to follow the historic route of the Ohio and Erie Canal.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/state/oh/index.htm
For those out West, visit Arches National Park to discover a landscape of contrasting colors, land forms and textures unlike any other in the world. The park has over 2,000 natural stone arches, in addition to hundreds of soaring pinnacles, massive fins and giant balanced rocks. This red-rock wonderland will amaze you with its formations, refresh you with its trails, and inspire you with its sunsets.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/state/ut/index.htm
Escape the daily hustle and head to Big Bend National Park, a place in Far West Texas where night skies are dark as coal and rivers carve temple-like canyons in ancient limestone. Here, at the end of the road, hundreds of bird species take refuge in a solitary mountain range surrounded by weather-beaten desert. Tenacious cactus bloom in sublime southwestern sun, and diversity of species is the best in the country.
Source: https://www.nps.gov/state/tx/index.htm