1. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island (the Big Island)
The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is a very unique place where lush green jungles meet the ever-changing volcanic structure of the Big Island, at the heart of which you will find the Kīlauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes, both of which remain active to this day. Visitors, both virtual and not, will be able to witness flows of lava, volcanic craters, and lava tubes - all of which are explained and showcased in the audio guide accompanying this interactive online tour.
2. Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia National Park is one of the most picturesque parks in the United States and protects a large area along the coast of Maine where the rocky Atlantic seaside is juxtaposed with the tall forests and even taller mountain peaks like Cadillac Mountain - the highest peak in the park. With that picture in mind, no wonder Acadia is one of the most beloved national parks in the United States!
3. Dry Tortugas National Park, Key West, Florida
A former location of the largest fortress in North America, Dry Tortugas National Park has been abandoned for over a century. Still, the abandoned island and Fort Jefferson is an excellent place to learn about history, as well as go diving to admire many shipwrecks and unique marine life, such as corals, sea turtles, countless species of fish and birds.
4. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
On the opposite northwesternmost part of the United States is the location of the stunning Kenai Fjords National Park. This Alaskan national park is a place where you can view glaciers, admire rocky cliffs rising out of icy cold waters and enjoy the general picturesque mountainous scenery. The location is also the place where visitors can watch countless marine mammals, such as seals, sea otters, porpoises, orcas and whales in their natural habitat.
5. Arches National Park, Utah
The thousands of strange, arch-like red rock formations at Arches National Park in Utah are among the lesser-known wonders of nature, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve your attention at all. Apart from over 2.000 differently-shaped arches present on the territory of the park, there are also many other noteworthy sandstone formations there, such as Balanced Rock - an enormous boulder equal to the size of 27 blue whales resting atop of a tall, thin rock.
6. Cliffs of Moher, Ireland
To change things up, we added this famous natural sight in Ireland to this list. While not a natural park per se, the Cliffs of Moher are among the most-visited sea cliffs in Ireland. The history of the cliffs have legends and folklore stories surrounding them, and the place has a special significance for the local population. Apart from that, the Cliffs of Moher are just a beautiful natural sight to explore, as well as the filming location of many films, particularly the movie The Princess Bride (1987) and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009).
7. Glacier National Park, Montana
Simply admiring the photo above is like a breath of fresh air to us! And that's exactly what Glacier National Park feels like - a breath of fresh air, a piece of pure untainted nature with crystal blue waters, tall mountains and green centuries-old forests in the midst of the Rocky Mountains. As the name suggests, you can also view and explore glaciers there, but the secret gem of the park is Hidden Lake - a freshwater lake surrounded by numerous tall mountain peaks, which lends itself to especially beautiful pictures.
8. Joshua Tree National Park, California
The national park is essentially a reserve of a unique tree species endemic to southern California - the Joshua Tree, named thusly after the Old Testament prophet Joshua by the first Mormon settlers, as the branches of the tree reminded them of the prophet raising his arms in prayer. The national park itself has a large population of these peculiar trees, as well as a unique ecosystem and a number of rugged rock formations.
9. Channel Islands National Park, California
The Channel Islands National Park is a collection of 5 separate islands, each having its own appeal to visitors. The most famous sights in the park include a system of complex and stunning sea caves on Santa Cruz Island, such as the Painted Cave that contains ancient cave drawings. Two other islands are the habitat of large populations of seals and nesting seabirds.
10. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Another national park in Utah known for its red rock formations is the Bryce Canyon National Park. Unlike the geological formation you'll find at the Arches National Park, this park features crimson hoodoos - tall spire-shaped rock formations. In fact, there is an enormous collection of these tall, weirdly-shaped rocks along one of the hiking trails called the Bryce Amphitheater, which is a dried-out valley filled with thousands of tightly-packed hoodoos - an unbelievable sight!
11. Yellowstone National Park, in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana
Need we introduce this world-famous national park, known far and wide for its incredible nature? A true volcanic hot spot, Yellowstone National Park contains pretty much everything a nature-lover's heart desires, including steep mountains and deep canyons, tall waterfalls, green forests, unusual rivers, springs, and lakes, as wells as many geysers, the most famous one probably being Old Faithful.
12. Mt. Rainier National Park, Washington
Mount Rainier, also known as Tahoma or Tacoma, is a 14,411-foot (4,392 m) active volcano, the highest point of the Cascade Mountain Range. The beautiful mountain is covered 25 glaciers descending along the flanks of the mountain and surrounded by waterfalls, valleys, subalpine meadows, and old forests. All in all, the beautiful national park is a must-see sight!
13. Everglades National Park, Florida
Everglades National Park is a region of unparalleled nature - tropical grassy wetlands that are a unique ecosystem that is home for a huge number of endangered species, such as the American crocodile, the Florida panther, and the West Indian manatee. Everglades is also one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the world, making it a must-see location.
14. Sequoia National Park, California
Redwood trees, and giant sequoias, in particular, are the tallest trees on the planet, and the tallest of them - the General Sherman Tree, 276 ft (84 m) tall - lives in the Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada in California. Admittedly, it's best to see and understand the scale of these magnificent trees live, but this tour will give you a general sense of what these gentle giants look like and allow you to walk through this truly special forest.
15. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
This world-famous national park is a geological marvel and just a massive beauty, and so it's hardly surprising that millions of people visit the national park every year. This virtual guide will take through the Bright Angel Trailhead - the park's premier trail, considered the best to observe both the geological marvels of the canyon and its wildlife.
