Top 10 National Parks Around the World
There is no better way to explore some of the Earth’s most beautiful landscapes than by visiting the hundreds of national parks around the world. From famous parks like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon, to places more obscure, but no less awe-inspiring, like Etosha National Park in Namibia.
Nearly 100 countries around the world have put aside land and designated it as a national parks — helping ensure that some of the prettiest places will always stay just that.
Here is a list of some of the best national parks around the world:
Arenal Volcano National Park, Costa Rica
With an active volcano (you can actually see lava running down its sides), and numerous waterfalls, Arenal Volcano National Park in the Costa Rican jungle is often classified simply as a paradise.
Fun Fact: Of the 850 bird species identified in the country, almost all can be found in the park.
Banff National Park, Canada
The crown jewel of the entire Canadian Rockies. This park is perfect for people wanting to explore some seemingly untouched wilderness. Banff was the first designated national park in Canada, and today it sits at over 1.6 million acres. It encompasses many famous landmarks, including beautiful Lake Louise, Castleguard Caves and over 1,000 glaciers.
Fun Fact: Banff is a UNESCO’s Canadian Rocky Mountain Heritage site, thanks to many of the park’s mountains dating back over 100 million years.
Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park, China
With five stunningly colorful lakes, surrounded by forests of evergreens, Jiuzhaigou Valley National Park in southwestern China is sure to make any travelers jaw drop. Nestled on the edge of the Tibetan Plateau, the park doesn’t just have pretty lakes, but also numerous waterfalls, snow capped peaks and is also home to the endangered giant pandas.
Fun Fact: Besides being home to the endangered giant panda (many scientists believe only 20 live in the park), it is also only one of three places the threatened Duke of Bedford’s vole, a small rodent about the size of a mouse, can be found.
Goreme National Park, Turkey
Many will recognize this national park from many Instagram photos, often with multiple hot air balloons in tow, but Goreme is famous for more than just that. The national park also includes the rock site of Cappadocia, famous for its hoodoos or “fairy chimneys.” There are also ancient Byzantine dwellings, including churches, monasteries, and other cave structures.
Fun Fact: The first signs of monasticism in the park date back to the 4th century!
Snowdonia National Park, Wales
Located in northern Wales, this national park is most famous for its massive mountain biking trail system and classic castles. Unlike most other national parks, over half of Snowdonia is private land (with over 25,000 people living inside the park). The most famous landmark is Mount Snowdon, sitting at 3,560 feet, and the Snowdon train that goes all the way to the top.
Fun Fact: Snowdonia National Park was recently designated a Dark Skies Reserve, meaning its night sky is perfect for stargazing.
Los Roques Archipelago, Venezuela
Made up of over 350 cays, islets and mostly uninhabited islands, Los Roques Archipelago is the perfect place to get away from it all. Located in the Caribbean Sea, it is a prime spot for snorkeling and exploring colorful coral reefs. Other activities include wind surfing, kite surfing and even exploring a sea turtle rescue on one of the bigger islands.
Fun Fact: Before Los Roques became a national park it was a big fishing port, including producing almost 90% of all lobster eaten in the capital, Caracas.
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile
The Chilean side of Patagonia, Torres del Paine National Park is meant to be seen on foot. The views of the snow-capped peaks, including the iconic Cuernos del Paine peaks, will amaze you in their beauty; while, the immense glaciers in the Southern Patagonia ice field might make you feel quite small (the ice field spans 13,000 km, or just over 8,000 miles).
Fun Fact: The park is a biological wonderland, including being the home of the Steamer duck, a bird that weighs around 33 pounds and is completely flightless. Instead it gets around by spinning its small wings around in the water, similar to a Mississippi steamer boat (hence the name).
Chitwan National Park, Nepal
Home to some of the most reclusive animals on the planet, including rhinos and cloud leopards, Chitwan National Park is a animal lovers dream (there are 68 different mammal species within the park’s boundaries). But the most famous animal, and the “king of the jungle” is the Bengal tiger. The park’s floodplain ecosystem is perfect for tigers, and studies that have been carried out within the park suggest around five tigers for every 39 sq miles.
Fun Fact: While elephants are not often found in the park, an occasional bull will wonder in looking for a female to mate with.
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia
Made up of 16 emerald hued lakes with hundreds of waterfalls running between them, Plitvice Lakes might be one of the prettiest places on the planet. Surrounded by rocky karsts, the park is made up of hundreds of tiny rivers, both on the surface and from below. Because of this, there are high levels of different minerals, and depending on the mineral makeup, the color of the lakes will change.
Fun Fact: Within the park, you can find 55 different species of orchids.
Kruger National Park, South Africa
One of the largest parks in all of Africa — sitting at a whopping 7,000 sq. miles — Kruger is home to more big mammals than anywhere else on the continent (147 total). This is the first designated national park in South Africa and is now also designated as an International Man and Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Some of the most popular animals found within the park are, lions, cheetahs, hippos, hyenas and elephants.
Fun Fact: The park also is home to some interesting reptiles and amphibians, including the extremely poisonous black mamba snake and the Zambesi shark, one of the few sharks that can survive in freshwater.
With so many amazing national parks out there it was hard to narrow it down to just ten. But all of the ones listed here are special and definitely worth a visit. Bring your walking shoes and a camera, and get ready to see all the amazing things Mother Nature has to offer.
