Take a closer look at America's National Parks

Mother Nature certainly worked wonders when she sculpted the sights you’ll discover in the USA’s great outdoors. From Yellowstone, the first National Park to be established over 150 years ago in 1872, to the most well-known, the Grand Canyon, each boasts its own features. From spouting geysers, mile-high vertical cliffs to plunging valleys and trees that tower over 350 feet above you – prepare to be amazed.

We take a look at some of the incredible landscapes you could witness on a solos tour to Americas National Parks.

Yellowstone National Park

Visit Yellowstone and you’ll be experiencing the beauty of the world’s first national park. Sitting atop one of the world’s largest volcanoes, it is home to more than 290 waterfalls, 10,000 thermal features and 300 geysers. These include ‘Old Faithful’, which erupts on average every 92 minutes, shooting up to 32,000 litres of boiling water almost 150ft into the air. The National Park also has its own version of the Grand Canyon, carved by the Yellowstone River it sits at 1,000 feet deep and 20 miles long - it’s certainly smaller than its Arizona counterpart but impressive nonetheless.

Arches National Park

Perched high above the Colorado River, Arches National Park displays more than 2,000 red sandstone arches carved by the elements. More are being created as the extreme environmental conditions create holes and fractures in rocks that will eventually form new arches through wind and water erosion. Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch and Landscape Arch are some of the most photographed sites in this geological masterpiece. The park’s distinctive red colour comes from iron minerals within the sandstone, while millions of years of erosion have helped shape its arches, pinnacles and other unusual rock formations.

Badlands National Park

The Oglala Lakota people first named the site “Mako Sica”, which translates to “Land Bad”, based on its harsh rocky terrain, extreme temperatures and lack of water. But today, from tiny shrews to colossal bison, many wildlife species thrive among Badlands National Park’s mixed-grass prairie, which blends with sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles and spires. Its past is just as exciting – its fossil beds provide evidence that dates back to a time when rhinos, horses and sabre-toothed cats once roamed.

Grand Canyon

We’ve all seen photographs of this famous site but nothing quite prepares you for its sheer size and the spectacular panoramas that can be seen as you stand on the South Rim. Carved out by the Colorado River, this gorge sits at around a mile deep, up to 18 miles wide and 277 miles long… In short, the Grand Canyon is bigger than the state of Rhode Island! Its exposed rock layers reveal an extraordinary geological story, with some of the oldest rocks at the bottom of the canyon dating back almost two billion years. On a solo tour to western America, you can also enjoy a helicopter flight for thrilling birds-eye view.

Yosemite National Park

It’s unsurprising that this National Park is perhaps best known for its waterfalls – it is home to America’s tallest falls after all, Yosemite Falls. But there is more… this great valley is also home to giant sequoia trees, a species that can live for more than 3,000 years. Explore Yosemite – and you’ll discover more impressive sights – Half Dome is perhaps the most recognised symbol of the park, but you can’t miss El Capitan – try to spot experienced rock climbers as they scale the mammoth 3,300ft monolith. Both Half Dome and El Capitan are formed from the granite that characterises much of Yosemite, while ancient glaciers helped carve the steep-sided valley and dramatic landscape visitors see today.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Despite its name, Bryce Canyon is not an actual canyon; instead, its landscape is dotted with giant natural amphitheatres and the world’s largest collection of hoodoos – formations of rock that resemble tall, thin spires. The hoodoos have been shaped by erosion and repeated freezing and thawing of water within cracks in the rock, gradually creating the extraordinary pillars seen across the park today. Standing at 150ft tall, one of the more famous sandstone hoodoos is Thor’s Hammer, so named for its resemblance to the Norse God’s weapon. Wherever you stand in Bryce Canyon National Park, rest assured you’ll have incredible vistas from every angle.

Grand Teton National Park

For an altogether different National Park, Grand Teton is famed for its beautiful landscapes that are dominated by the snow-capped peaks of the Teton Range, peaceful lakes and incredible glaciers. Unlike many mountain ranges, the Tetons rise sharply from the surrounding valley with few foothills, helping to create the dramatic mountain views for which the park is famous. There is an impressive array of wildlife to be spotted in the park including buffalo, bears, coyotes, wolves and bald eagles. 

Why not enjoy a solo holiday to America to explore these incredible National Parks and even more!