The Top Five Experiences for your USA Adventure

We’ve been crisscrossing North America for over twenty years so we thought we let you in on a little wisdom with our unmissable experiences. if this is your first time to the States then make it the trip of a lifetime or if you’ve been before, see how many bucket list experiences you have under your belt!

No.1 – The Grand Canyon, Arizona

Grand Canyon National Park, in Arizona, is home to much of the immense Grand Canyon, with its layered bands of red rock revealing millions of years geological history. Viewpoints include Mather Point, Yavapai Observation Station and architect Mary Colter’s Lookout Studio and her desert view watchtower. Lipan Point with wide views of the canyon and Colorado River is popular, especially at sunrise and sunset.

Both breathtaking and overwhelming at the same time, the 1.6-kilometer deep and 16-kilometer wide Grand Canyon is a testament to 2,000 million years of geological history. Nearly as alluring as the canyon is the powerful Colorado River snaking its way through Grand Canyon National Park, beckoning visitors to take short guided boat trips or a multiday adventure. Sign up for a ranger-led program to learn about geologic history, majestic birds of prey, animals living in the extreme environment and the area’s early inhabitants. Continuing a tradition that began with the ancestral Puebloan people, several tribes still call the Grand Canyon home.

Powerful and inspiring, Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona is no doubt on every traveller’s must-see list. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is arguably one of the USA’s most famous landmarks and encompasses nearly 5,000 square kilometres of plummeting canyons, multicoloured rocks, dramatic cliffs and stunning ravines.

There are plenty of overlooks from which you can admire the view, including Mather Point and the Toroweap Overlook. Even though the favourite activity at Grand Canyon is to stand on the edge and overlook the beautiful landscape, there are many other ways to enjoy the park’s natural splendour. Take a mule ride along the South Rim trail or take a white-water rafting trip down the Colorado River.

No.2 Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

The 134,795-hectare park was created around the worlds most active volcanoes- Kīlauea, which has been a continuous eruption since 1983, and Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984. Recognised as a World Heritage Site, plants and animals populate seven ecological zones here. Stop in Kīlauea Visitor Center or Jaggar Museum to learn more about the land and the indigenous people who once thrived amid such mighty forces.

Volcanoes are living proof that the Earth hasn’t finished forming. You can witness it with your own eyes in Hawaii’s National Park, located on the southeastern shore of the Big Island. Here, hot, molten lava craves pathways through the stark landscape, steaming as it meets the Ocean.

If you have only a few hours to spend in the park, hop in the car and follow Crater Rim Drive to explore the summit of Kīlauea volcano. This scenic drive traces the summit caldera, passing through desert and lush tropical rain forests. The route then crosses the caldera floor, guiding you to many amazing views. Along the way, you’ll find a number of short hiking trails that allow you a closer look at the unique landscape.

No.3 Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

World-famous Yellowstone, established in 1872, is the oldest national park in the United States and one of the most popular parks in the country. Sprawling across a basalt plateau in the north-west corner of Wyoming, this magnificent wilderness area spills into neighbouring Idaho and Montana and forms the heart of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, one of the largest and best-preserved temperate-zone ecosystems on the planet.

The park is famous for its spectacular scenery, diverse flora and fauna, and fascinating geothermal wonders. Yellowstone boasts the world’s largest number of active geysers and offers a window into the powerful forces deep beneath the earth’s crust, the same forces that shaped this park and its dazzling and dramatic landscapes. The scenery ranges from snaking rivers and sweeping green valleys to canyons, vast lakes, thundering waterfalls, and hissing lunar-like landscapes.

Yellowstone is a land of contrasts. Each season paints a dramatically different scene – from the lush greens and sparkling blues of spring and summer when herds of bison and elk graze along the river banks; to fall’s fiery reds, oranges, and golds when grizzlies and black bears bulk up on berries; to the white wonderland of the freezing winter. At any time of year, Yellowstone is a reminder of the awe-inspiring wilderness and abundant wildlife that once covered much of the planet, and it offers an unforgettable safari adventure in the wild American West.

No.4 The Everglades, Florida

With more than 607,028 hectares of wild and scenic landscape inhabited by a cluster of plant and animal species, plan ahead to get the most out of a visit to the subtropical wilderness of Everglades National Park, which is a World Heritage Site. Learn about the park’s history and different ecosystems at the Ernest F. Coe Visitor Center Gallery. From the top of the 20-meter observation town in Shark Valley, gaze at points near and far, then decide how to best experience the park. Self-explorers can rent a bicycle or canoe. Others might want to join a tram or boat tour narrated by a naturalist. Just over 80 kilometers southwest of Miami, Florida, Everglades National Park features one of the most diverse ecosystems in the USA. The park protects an unparalleled landscape of swamps, marshes, tall grass prairies and mangroves that are home to rare and endangered species such as manatee, alligator and the elusive Florida panther.

One of the best ways to see and experience this unique ecosystem is to hop on an airboat and tour the many rivers, streams and small islands. These boats are designed to quickly transport you across the wetlands without disturbing the plants and animals living there. Speeding through the swamplands is as educational as it is thrilling, with knowledgeable guides pointing out what makes the Everglades special. You can also tour the many boardwalk trails, wade through the waters, bike along the Snake Bight and Long Pine Key Nature trails and canoe or kayak along the 159-kilometer Wilderness Waterway Trail.

No.5 Sequoia National Park, California

Adjacent to mighty Yosemite National Park, but no less majestic, the twin parks of Sequoia and Kings Canyon are a study in superlatives: Nature is at its deepest, tallest, strongest and widest here. Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental U.S., is found in Sequoia. Whether you limit yourself to one park or the other or try to tackle both, you’ll need a couple of days minimum to take in the splendour and you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find half as many visitors as at Yosemite.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie side-by-side in the southern Sierra Nevada region of California, east of the San Joaquin Valley. This landscape testifies to nature’s size, beauty, and diversity — huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns and towering sequoia trees.

Only one road, the Generals Highway, loops through the parks. Don’t stay in your car because you’ll miss the grandeur of the experience, feeling yourself to be a small and humble creature at the ankles of the giant sequoias. To experience their magnificence, plan to hike along the Redwood Canyon trail or the Big Trees trail. The park also offers opportunities to horseback ride, rock climb and picnic.

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