Sponsored Post: 7 Of The Most Iconic National Parks to Put On Your Bucket List
Wondering which parks to add to your must-see list?
This year marks the centennial of the National Park Service, and there’s no better way to help celebrate than to pay a visit to some of America’s national treasures. Wondering which parks to add to your must-see list? Collette, a guided tour operator with 99 years’ experience, has the key parks on any traveler’s list.
Instead of a road trip, why not let Collette arrange your tour, with meals, hotels, sightseeing and a Professional Tour Manager included. Let them show you the best of America, including these seven magnificent National Parks.
Upon visiting the Grand Canyon, Theodore Roosevelt declared “This is one of the great sights which every American, if he can travel at all, must see.” His advice has been well followed as the Grand Canyon gets about 5 million visitors per year. Considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the canyon is 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide.
Behold the true meaning of the word “panoramic.” This is one of the largest parks in the United States with massive peaks and rugged canyons. Trail Ridge Road crests over 12,000 feet with many different overlooks from which to view the magnificent landscape. The park is split by the Continental Divide which gives each half of the park different qualities that range from alpine tundra to deep lush forest.
Created by Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, this park is best known as the home of the ancient Native American Ancestral Puebloan civilization. The Spruce Tree Cliff Dwelling, built around 1211-1278 is one of the largest and best preserved cliff dwellings in the world. It’s a treat to explore and imagine what life would have been like there.
Bryce Canyon in southern Utah is one of the most spectacular scenic wonders you’ll ever see. The park’s rock formations, called hoodoos are the creation of eons of wind and water erosion. Iron oxidizing the rock causes it to tint beautiful glowing shades of orange and red.
This is truly one of the most awe-inspiring parks in the world due to its magnitude and colorful red and white sandstone cliffs. There’s an open-air tram that takes visitors around to experience the magnificent scenery as it winds along beside the Virgin River and through the Zion Canyon, which is 2,400 feet deep and one-half-mile wide.
The Grand Teton is the biggest of 12 Teton peaks in the park. While the other peaks reach up to around 12,000 feet, the Grand Teton reaches up an incredible 13,770 feet and towers over a mile above the valley of Jackson Hole. A national park since 1929, this park is as picturesque and majestic as they come.
Home to the world famous Old Faithful Geyser, Yellowstone National Park is a delight to visit. It sprawls across 3,470 miles and is known for hot springs and free roaming herds of buffalo in addition to other incredible wildlife. A scenic drive reveals the park’s unspoiled natural grandeur, but don’t miss out on seeing old faithful when it predictably erupts a fountain of steam 60 feet in the air.
Ready to plan your visit? Collette offers a variety of tours to U.S. National Parks, included in their collection of over 160 tours worldwide. Let Collette take the hassle out of planning your trip, so you are free to enjoy the adventure. Visit gocollette.com or call 800.528.0351.
