National parks are the “spacious skies” and “mountain majesties” of elementary school choirs. They’re living postcards from adventurers who had the foresight to preserve natural wonders for those who followed.

The 59 U.S. parks are stark and arid, elevated and lush, watery and forbidding. They’re wild. And perhaps most important, they’re common ground. The vast acreage managed by the National Park Service may be the only place where chasms unite us. Park Service lands are as diverse as the visitors they serve and the flora, fauna, ground and water they protect.

National parks are an American superlative – beautiful to the extreme.

ALASKA

Denali

“In the stillness of Denali, two sounds dominate the landscape: the river (and its tributaries) and the wind.”

- Justin Ralls, composer and conductor

This subarctic wilderness is home to North America’s tallest mountain (Denali, formerly McKinley), as well as glaciers, wildflowers, caribou, moose and Dall sheep. The park’s 92-mile road takes visitors into a place where the summer solstice brings 20 hours of daylight and the winter solstice yields less than five. Park rangers say weather is fickle; average summer temperatures can range from 33 to 75 degrees. Despite the inherent extremes of its remote location, this park is home to 166 species of birds and hundreds of mosses. In addition to viewing the rugged landscape and large mammals, activities include various bus tours and ranger walks. (Cars are limited to the first 15 miles of paved road.) Popular walks include hiking to the kennels, where sled-dog demonstrations are staged. Scenes of the Sean Penn-directed “Into the Wild” were filmed here.

Size: 6,075,029 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: As Mount McKinley Park, 1917; renamed Denali Park and Preserve (and roughly tripled in size), 1980

Annual attendance: 560,757

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Gates of the Arctic

“It seemed as if time had dropped away a million years and we were back in a primordial world.”

- Robert Marshall, forester and wilderness activist, who coined the park’s name

Visitors walk or fly into this northernmost park, which is as much sanctuary as it is vacationland. It offers no established trails or visitor facilities; solitude is listed as one of its many assets. The Park Service describes it as a “gaunt beauty” and “a place of profound quiet.” Self-sufficient outdoor enthusiasts who venture into this remote land 240 miles north of Fairbanks are treated to Brooks Range peaks, six wild rivers and tundra (vast, flat and treeless land with permanently frozen subsoil).

Visitors are encouraged to leave the territory as untouched as they found it. This is a place buffered from change. An indigenous community, Anaktuvuk Pass, lies within park boundaries, and traditional human subsistence uses of the land are allowed. Also at home here are grizzly and black bears, moose, Dall sheep, wolverines, musk oxen and red foxes. The western Arctic caribou herd uses ancient migration routes through this area’s mountains. Humans who venture here are somewhat less mobile, with backpackers often achieving only six miles a day.

Size: 8,472,506 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: National monument, 1978; national park, 1980

Attendance: 10,745 (2015; least-visited park)

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Glacier Bay, Alaska

“It gives you the feeling that you are a part of this magical world.”

- Bertha Franulovich, Glacier Bay cultural heritage guide, at Alaskanativevoices.com

No roads lead to Glacier Bay. And the closest town, Gustavus, has no stoplight or fast food. However, camping and accommodations at the Glacier Bay Lodge, as well as bed-and-breakfasts, are available in and near the park. Many tourists simply take in the view from the deck of a cruise ship. The true luxury here, fans might say, is the chance to hear or see glaciers as they crash, along with humpback whales, sea otters, sea lions, bald eagles and harbor porpoise.

Although remote by lower-48 standards - access is via sea or air - the maritime climate here is somewhat more temperate than in other northern parks. Summer highs average from 50 to 60 degrees. That said, rangers suggest being prepared for changes in weather. (Think gloves and fleece.) As one Park Service ranger put it: “XtraTuf boots are considered Southeast Alaskan sneakers.”

Newcomers here may gain an expanded vocabulary. “Calving” is the term for great blocks of ice breaking loose from glaciers and crashing into the water. Also, the end of a glacier is a “snout.”

Size: 3,281,789 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: National monument, 1925; national park, 1980

Attendance: 551,353 (2015)

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Katmai

“The whole valley as far as the eye could reach was full of hundreds, no thousands - literally, tens of thousands - of smokes curling up from its fissured floor.”

- Robert F. Griggs, botanist and explorer, in his 1922 book “The Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes”

This site of the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century (1912) has 14-plus volcanoes. In the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes (the eruption site), volcanic ash is eroding into an “intricately carved badlands,” the Park Service says.

Visitors arrive via boat or float plane to observe the impressive population of brown bears. (The park is home to about 2,200 of them. They can grow to weigh more than 1,000 pounds.)

There are other natural assets in this park, which filmmaker John Grabowska described as a “cloud-cloaked landscape.” Katmai (pronounced “cat-my”) supports moose, caribou, wolves, lynxes, wolverines, river otters, minks, martens, porcupines, snowshoe hares and beavers, as well as sea lions, sea otters and whales.

Here, 290 air miles from Anchorage, the Brooks Lodge offers food, lodging and ranger programs. Other lodgings also are available. Popular park activities include bus tours, fishing, hiking and backcountry adventures.

Size: 4,093,067 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: National monument, 1918; national park, 1980

Attendance: 37,818 (2015)

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Kenai Fjords

“It is spectacular.”

- President Barack Obama

The smallest national park in Alaska, it has the largest ice field that is contained totally within the United States. Slightly more than half the land here is covered in ice that is thousands of feet thick.

In this frozen territory with more than 30 glaciers, mountain peaks that pierce the ice are called nunataks. Mountaineering visitors seek out that rugged vista by crossing the ice field. (April is considered the best time for that effort; expertise is a necessity because, as the Park Service advises on its website, there is “the possibility of being pinned down by winds and whiteout for days at a time.”)

Also thrilling, but less grueling, are sightseeing-boat excursions that depart Resurrection Bay. They offer views of wildlife and glaciers. Look for pillow-shaped basalt, spires, cliffs and coves in the various surfaces.

Sightseeing from a kayak also is popular. (A guide is strongly recommended.)

Kenai Fjords is reachable via rail, plane, cruise ship and car. The Seward Highway, which is a National Scenic Byway and All-American Road, makes driving there half the pleasure.

Size: 669,650 acres

Founded: National monument, 1978; national park, 1980

Attendance: 296,697 (2015)

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Kobuk Valley

“Where Alaska meets ‘Lawrence of Arabia.’ “

- Anchorage Museum, in its promotion of the exhibition “Arctic Desert: Kobuk Valley National Park”

National parks have the ability to shatter our assumptions. Here, 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle, where the sun does not set from early June to early July, sand dunes reach as high as 100 feet and summer temperatures can reach 100 degrees.

The dunes (Great Kobuk, Little Kobuk and Hunt River) are Ice Age relics that wouldn’t, as the Park Service says on its website, “look out of place in the Sahara.”

The views provide a glimpse into the planet’s past via the ecosystem of Beringia, the 1,000-mile-wide expanse of grassland that once connected Asia and North America during the last Ice Age. Here, 15,000 years ago, woolly mammoths and saber-toothed cats roamed the valley.

Enjoying Kobuk Valley’s vistas doesn’t come easily. There are no roads or visitor facilities here. Plan to fly via a commercial airline from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Authorized air taxis fly into the park, offering the less-arduous option of “flightseeing.” Summer visitors to this park, named for the Inupiat Eskimos’ word for “big river,” may bring their own packable boats and have pilots drop them off for a float through the park.

Size: 1,750,716 acres

Founded: National monument, 1978; national park, 1980

Attendance: 16,875 (2015)

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Lake Clark

“Silence closed in around me and it was a good feeling.”

- Richard L. Proenneke, naturalist, in “One Man’s Wilderness”

Majestic volcanoes and a humble, hand-hewn cabin are among the features that draw visitors to this wilderness park.

Its two active volcanoes are registered as National Natural Landmarks. And the cabin? That was built and occupied by naturalist Richard L. Proenneke, who first came to the upper of the Twin Lakes here in 1962 to visit friends. Six years later, on his own building site, he harvested spruce trees and began construction of the cabin where he lived for 30 years. He became known for his advocacy and journals (available in book form).

The cabin is in a roadless wilderness reachable by backpacking from other areas of the park or via small planes that land on the upper lake. The flight from Anchorage is less than an hour; flying time from Port Alsworth is about 30 minutes.

This park has been continuously inhabited since early prehistoric times and remains sparsely populated. Activities for visitors include hiking, bear watching, kayaking, fishing, rafting and winter biking on fat-tired cycles.

Size: 4,030,130 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: National monument, 1978; national park, 1980

Attendance: 17,818 (2015)

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Wrangell-St. Elias

“A little-known Alaska full of names that ring with romance. . . . The Mile High Cliffs. Disenchantment Bay.”

- John Grabowska, filmmaker, in “Crown of the Continent”

The wild character of this vast region is due, in part, to its sheer size. This, the country’s largest contiguous wilderness, is the size of Yellowstone and Yosemite combined with an entire country - Switzerland. It has a glacier that is larger than Rhode Island. It’s also vertically impressive. Mount Saint Elias is the country’s second-highest peak; it also claims nine of the 16 highest mountains in the United States. Within its boundaries are the ghost town of Kennecott, a remnant of copper-mining days; and the town of Yakutat, which is a traditional fishing village of the indigenous Tlingit people. It is reachable by boat or plane. Two roads travel into the park, and they are not regularly maintained during winter months. Drivers should be aware that fuel options are limited. Because the words “rugged” and “remote” define this park, visiting motorists are advised to check road conditions on the Alaska state website.

Size: 13,175,791 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: National monument, 1978; national park, 1980

Attendance: 80,366 (2015)

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AMERICAN SAMOA

National Park of American Samoa, Territory of American Samoa

“[Its] super-corals may hold clues to saving coral reefs everywhere.”

- National Parks Conservation Association

“Samoa” means sacred earth, and visitors to this Polynesian paradise are encouraged to exhibit the implied respect. Here, in the only national park south of the equator, beaches are among the world’s most beautiful. But this is not a cabana-style destination. Those who fly from California to Honolulu to Pago Pago International Airport typically are seeking something more rare.

The effort of traveling 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii is rewarded by rain forests and extensive coral reefs. (Bring your own snorkel or diving gear; air tanks may be rented.)

In contrast to most U.S. parks, the only land mammals here are three types of bats, and the fruit bats have three-foot wingspans. Much more diverse is the underwater population of at least 800 native fish and 200 coral species, as well as rare and endangered sea turtles and humpback whales. In addition to snorkeling and swimming, bird watching and hiking are popular activities.

Visitors are encouraged to learn about the 3,000-year-old Samoan culture in advance. Modesty and humility are advised.

Size: 13,500 acres (9,500 land; 4,000 marine - primarily coral reefs)

Founded: Authorized, 1988; established, 1993

Attendance: 13,892 (2015)

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ARIZONA

Grand Canyon

“It became an obsession. . . . I was determined to put it all to music.”

- Ferde Grofé, composer of “The Grand Canyon Suite”

The Colorado River gorge is notable for its depth (one mile, on average), as well as its variegated colors. It’s regarded as one of the seven wonders of the natural world and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The organization describes it on its website as “the most spectacular gorge in the world.”

Its dramatic beauty draws visitors from around the world. In a 2005 tourism study, 17 percent of Grand Canyon visitors needed a passport to get to it.

Vistas here have moods. Hues change by time of day and season, and canyon views vary by the perspective from all four directions (rims).

The South Rim (open all year) is the most accessible and offers classic views most associated with the canyon. Wheelchair-accessible bus tours are available. (Reservations are a must.) The Bright Angel Trail is smooth and easy to navigate. The North Rim is smaller, less visited and typically is cooler.

Those who hike to the bottom pass, geologically speaking, through a third of the Earth’s existence. At the base of this naturally carved spectacle is the Colorado River, which draws water from seven states and travels 1,450 miles from its Rocky Mountains source to the Gulf of California.

Size: 1,201,647 acres

Founded: National monument, 1908; national park, 1919

Attendance: 5,520,736 (2015)

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Saguaro

“It ranks with the great redwoods.”

- Homer L. Shantz, botanist and president of the University of Arizona in the early 1900s

In addition to the famed giant cactuses, much of the park is a vast, federally designated wilderness that includes a desert ecosystem, mountains and Native-American cultural traditions.

Among its natural wonders is this: It can take the saguaro 10 years to reach a height of one inch. After a century, it can hit 15 feet and display the beginning of its first arm. After 200 years, a saguaro reaches its full average height of 45 feet. Fully hydrated examples can weigh up to 4,800 pounds.

The park has two separate districts: Tucson Mountain (west) and Rincon Mountain (east), each with its own entry center. The west side has the largest stands of saguaro and the east has sky islands (mountains rising from the desert) with diverse animal life.

Highlights may be viewed via accessible trails, picnic areas and interpretive centers.

Size: 91,442 acres

Founded: National monument, 1933; national park, 1994

Attendance: 678,261 (2015)

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Petri?ed Forest

“A kaleidoscope fashioned by God’s hand.”

- John Muir, naturalist

A faded remnant of the historic Route 66 unpaved roadbed here is a mere newcomer within the surrounding context of ancient fossils going back more than 200 million years, Pueblo structures and petroglyphs, which are visible on Newspaper Rock.

The park is best known for having the world’s largest and most colorful collection of petrified wood. The brilliant hues - blue, purple, red, yellow, black and brown - come from the elements that replaced the organic materials. The petrified wood, which weighs about 160 to 200 pounds per cubic foot, was deposited in the park’s various forests more than 200 million years ago.

Although the terrain is challenging, the main park road runs 28 miles, with spurs and viewpoints along the way. Bicycles are permitted in paved and public areas. Among the sites of interest is the 1920s-era Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark, two miles from the north entrance. The former Route 66 accommodation, now restored as a museum, overlooks the Painted Desert, the multicolored badlands that stretch nearly to the Grand Canyon.

Size: 218,533 acres

Founded: National monument, 1906; national park, 1962

Attendance: 793,225 (2015)

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ARKANSAS

Hot Springs

“After Hot Springs Reservation was reestablished as government property, the area rapidly changed from a rough frontier town to an elegant spa city.”

- Sharon Shugart, museum specialist, Hot Springs National Park

The smallest park and oldest designated area protected by the Park Service is also one of the most colorful. Hot Springs’ therapeutic waters have attracted people since Native Americans called this the “Valley of the Vapors” and bathed here for the reputed healing powers. In 1541, Hernando de Soto became the first European explorer to visit Hot Springs.

Centuries later, Hot Springs became a hotbed of gambling and outlaws. Jesse and Frank James, Al Capone and Charles “Lucky” Luciano all found their way here. Luciano met his not-so-lucky downfall in Hot Springs when a New York City police detective spotted him.

Eight bathhouses, constructed between 1892 and 1923, still stand. They and the brick Grand Promenade were declared a National Historic Landmark district in 1987. The park visitor center and museum are inside the Fordyce Bathhouse.

Nature paths also were laid down early in the park’s history; hiking is a popular pastime.

The water continues to flow at a rate of 700,000 gallons a day, at a temperature of 143 degrees, and may be experienced by visitors at spas and elsewhere. Here, about an hour southwest of Little Rock, tourists may take a traditional thermal bath at Buckstaff Bathhouse, Quapaw Baths and Spa or the Arlington Hotel.

Park visitors may use the fountains to fill bottles with drinking water.

Size: 5,549 acres

Founded: Federal protection, 1832; national park, 1921

Attendance: 1,418,162 (2015)

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CALIFORNIA

Channel Islands

“Fifteen million people lived only 20 miles away, but here, we couldn’t have known it.”

- Cole and Elizabeth on Switchbackkids.com

Although this park is just off the coast of Southern California, it remains remote. The archipelago, often called the “Galapagos of North America,” enjoys solitude because it’s reachable only by air or sea. (Mainland visitor centers are in Ventura and Santa Barbara.) Once there, sightseers may explore on foot or with boats and kayaks. And they must bring food and water. There are no concessions. Campground facilities are primitive, fires are not allowed and advance planning is recommended.

Such limitations emphasize and maintain the wild beauty and deep history. The park and marine sanctuary comprise five (of the eight) islands and the surrounding waters. The marine sanctuary spans 1,470 square miles surrounding the islands.

The sea life there sustained and protected native dwellers, whose ancestry dates back to some of the oldest-documented inhabitants of North America. Chumash and Tongva people built cultures based on the sea, which they navigated in redwood-plank canoes.

The islands’ past also includes sheep-and-cattle ranching. Hikers may see remaining historic ranch buildings as well as forests, ocean vistas and such sea life as common dolphins, migrating Pacific gray whales, California sea lions and northern elephant seals.

Size: 249,561 acres

Founded: National monument (two islands, Anacapa and Santa Barbara), 1938; national park (all five islands and surrounding waters), 1980

Attendance: 324,816 (2015)

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Joshua Tree

“I speak for the trees.”

- The eponymous main character of “The Lorax,” Dr. Seuss’s famous children’s book, in a quote often used in the park’s publications

The tranquility, rocks and sculpturelike trees of this arid landscape have attracted recording artists (perhaps most notably the Eagles and U2), prospectors, Native Americans, Mormon settlers and a determined California socialite.

Well before Mormons allegedly named the Yucca brevifolia after biblical figure Joshua because its limbs resembled arms outstretched in supplication, Native Americans used the tree’s tough leaves for making baskets and sandals, and ate its flower buds and seeds.

Settlers, ranchers and miners saw the territory as ripe for raising cattle and digging for gold. They used the Joshua tree’s limbs and trunks for fencing and corrals. Perhaps they should have named it the “giving tree.” But among those who wanted to give back was Pasadena socialite Minerva Hamilton Hoyt, who advocated for the area’s protection.

Today, this park draws rock climbers, hikers, geologic sightseers and stargazers. Although its land includes two deserts, it is highly accessible via roads (including an 18-mile tour), campgrounds and thousands of climbing routes.

Near Palm Springs and just 140 miles east of Los Angeles, some of the darkest night skies in Southern California are found here. Joshua Tree offers many visitors their first clear view of the Milky Way.

Size: 790,635 acres

Founded: National monument, 1936; national park, 1994

Attendance: 2,025,756 (20015)

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Death Valley, Calif.

“It’s my favorite place on Earth. I feel at home there, which is bizarre because it’s so arid. . . . The beauty is in its starkness.”

- T.J. Scott, director of “Valley of Death”

The hottest, driest place in North America is surprisingly vibrant. It is the largest national park in the lower 48 states, and within its boundaries are wildflowers, waterfalls, oases, geological color, fish, migrating birds and the human comforts of food, lodging and swimming - even a saloon.

It remains best known, however, for its extremes, including the highest accurate temperature so far recorded on Earth (134 degrees, in 1913). Although its reputation is forbidding, Death Valley is highly accessible by car, mountain bike, on foot or horseback (seasons and weather permitting). This park, which lies primarily in California and partly in Nevada, has more than 785 miles of roads.

Here, there are evolutionary sights as well as wildlife and cultural history. The Timbisha Shoshone Tribe, for example, lived in the region, and the village of Timbisha at Furnace Creek is within the park’s boundaries.

Visitors should expect multi-colored rocks, ghost towns, petroglyphs, bighorn sheep, a spring-fed waterfall and dunes. Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America (282 feet below sea level) is a vast array of salt flats. Another area of stark beauty is the Devil’s Golf Course, where rock salt has been eroded into jagged spires.

Its otherworldly landscape has appeared in several films. Among the best known is the first “Star Wars” movie, in which Death Valley poses as the planet Tatooine.

Size: 3,373,063 acres

Founded: National monument, 1933; national park, 1994

Attendance: 1,154,843 (2015)

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Kings Canyon

“As close to heaven as you can possibly get on this Earth.”

- Betty White, actress, for the Wilderness Society

Here, 60 miles from Fresno (California’s fifth-largest city), trees tower and canyons plunge. Nearly 150 years ago, naturalist John Muir called this area a “rival to Yosemite.” Today, that observation applies to Kings Canyon and Sequoia, the national park next door.

Among the highlights here is the 268-feet-tall General Grant tree, the second-largest tree in the world (the largest is in Sequoia, by the way). In 1926, President Calvin Coolidge named it the Nation’s Christmas Tree. Three decades later, President Dwight D. Eisenhower designated it a national shrine (the only living thing to be so named) in memory of the fallen men and women of the armed forces. Redwood Canyon shelters the world’s largest remaining grove of giant sequoia trees.

Kings Canyon is a wide glacial valley with hundreds of miles of trails that range from easy to strenuous. The Wilderness Society lists the park’s Rae Lakes among its 30 prettiest lakes in wild lands. They note that Rae Lakes is actress Betty White’s “soul place.”

Hiking opportunities here include paved trails that accommodate wheelchair users and strollers. Lodging and food, as well as ranger-led tours and an in-park shuttle, are available. Other activities in this landscape of dramatically disparate elevations include rock climbing and, in winter, snowshoeing.

Size: 461,901 acres

Founded: 1940

Attendance: 468,106 (2015)

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Lassen Volcanic

“This park has everything that a geologist could wish for.”

- Scott Burns, geologist at Portland State University, on the website of the Geological Society of the Oregon Country

Devastation is part of the natural beauty here; Lassen Peak erupted in 1915. The volcanic explosion had been the last in the Cascade Range until Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980.

Today, Lassen visitors can easily view fumaroles (steam vents) and gurgling, boiling mud pots.

The Devastated Area interpretive trail is a short, easy walk that highlights the effects of the eruptions. Sights include pink and gray lava rocks.

Touring by car also is easy. The park, 50 miles east of Redding, has vehicle entrances.

The Wilderness Society lists this, probably California’s snowiest place, among its 20 prettiest national parks in winter, citing the vistas of snow-topped volcanoes and smoky steam vents, as well as such activities as sledding (with mountain views), snowshoeing to suit a range of experience levels and backcountry skiing. This park gets double billing from the Wilderness Society, which also puts Helen Lake, formed by a crater at Mount Lassen, among its 30 prettiest lakes in wild lands.

Size: 106,589 acres

Founded: National monument, 1907; national park, 1916

Attendance: 468,092 (2015)

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Pinnacles

“It served as the backdrop for John Steinbeck’s ‘Of Mice and Men’ and ‘East of Eden.’ “

- Rep. Sam Farr, D-Calif., in the Congressional Record in 2012

The newest national park (No. 59), located just outside today’s epicenter of modern technology, has a landscape created by volcanic eruption 23 million years ago.

In his letter of support, documentarian Ken Burns called this area, about 120 miles south of San Francisco, a “critical record of geological time” that helps visitors “understand the vast tectonic forces that shaped - and still shape - our continent.”

Remarkable on their own, the rocky spires and caves also serve as a setting for hiking trails and as a backdrop for nature. Among the notable inhabitants here are the California condors, which have wingspans as wide as 10 feet. Early-morning visitors to the High Peaks area of the park may see condors roosting in the rock formations or in gray pines before they begin soaring on currents of warm air, the Park Service says. Pinnacles also is home to North America’s greatest concentration of bees, which may be due to the wide variety of wildflowers that bloom here in March and April.

Other sights include views of the San Andreas Fault, which may be seen from some of the 32 miles of trails.

Size: 26,686 acres

Founded: National monument, 1908; national park 2013

Attendance: 206,533 (2015)

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Redwood

“They are not like any trees we know. . . . They are ambassadors from another time.”

- John Steinbeck in “Travels with Charley: In Search of America”

Like factors known to contribute to human longevity, there are ingredients that contribute to the life span of redwoods. Fog and tannin are two elements. Here, a six-hour drive north of San Francisco on the Pacific Coast, a quarter of the moisture that sustains the giant redwoods and other plants comes in the form of fog. Winter (October to April) also brings 60 to 80 inches of precipitation.

Tannin in redwood bark makes it resistant to insects. The official status (one national park and three state parks are combined, here) also helps by sheltering the trees from human threats.

One way to experience this area is via bicycle. Although most national parks prohibit backcountry biking, Redwood offers some opportunity on rehabilitated logging roads. Hiking and camping also are popular. More than 200 miles of trails weave through prairies, old-growth redwood forests and beaches.

Size: 138,999 acres

Founded: 1968

Attendance: 527,143 (2015)

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Sequoia

“The big tree is nature’s forest masterpiece and, so far as I know, the greatest of living things.”

- John Muir, naturalist, in “Our National Parks”

This second-oldest national park (after Yellowstone) was the first dedicated to protecting a living organism, the giant sequoia. Here stands the largest (by volume) tree on Earth: The General Sherman tree. It stands at 275 feet, weighs nearly 4.2 million pounds and is estimated to be between 2,300 and 2,700 years old.

Sequoia is connected to neighboring Kings Canyon by the Generals Highway. Together, they are estimated to possess a third of all naturally occurring giant sequoias.

Although visitors here spend much of their time looking up, one of the park highlights is below ground. The Crystal Cave is a cavern of marble polished by subterranean streams. A tour with a cave naturalist will showcase rare minerals and dramatic formations. Summer visitors may appreciate the cave’s constant temperature of 48 degrees.

Hiking is a popular activity in the park and the Mineral King area offers several days hikes that offer panoramic views of the southern Sierras.

Size: 404,062 acres

Founded: 1890

Attendance: 1,097,464 (2015)

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Yosemite

“None can escape its charms. . . . You will be willing to stay forever in one place like a tree.”

- John Muir, naturalist, in “John of the Mountains”

Yosemite evokes an immediate mental image of Ansel Adams’s famed black-and-white photographs - his “Moon and Half Dome,” among many others. It’s also the focus of much modern-day fascination - think last year’s first free climb of El Capitan’s difficult Dawn Wall and popular culture (cartoon character Yosemite Sam and the setting of “Star Trek V: The Final Frontier,” for example).

That said, man and this Sierra Nevada landscape have been linked for 3,000 years. There is a deep history of indigenous people here.

Today, this glacier-carved parkland less than three hours from Sacramento is a tourism magnet for recreation, photography, sightseeing, geology and culture.

Many visitors head to the picturesque Yosemite Valley, but that section makes up only 1 percent of the park. This protected land is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site and a BirdLife International Important Bird Area. More than 60 Yosemite properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They include the Wawona Covered Bridge, the Yosemite Valley Chapel, the Tioga Pass Entrance, the Ahwahnee Hotel (now Majestic Yosemite Hotel) and the Rangers’ Club.

Buildings here reflect the Park Service’s rustic architecture style, which is said to have been born in Yosemite. The Rangers’ Club, which still houses seasonal crew, is one example.

The club building, which opened in 1920, was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1985. The style, influenced by architecture of the era, was designed to blend seamlessly with the surrounding natural setting.

Size: 761,348 acres

Founded: Grant protection, 1864; national park, 1890

Attendance: 4,150,217 (2015)

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COLORADO

Black Canyon of the Gunnison

“An eye-popping chasm.”

- J. Carlson and D. Noe, in the Colorado Geological Survey’s Rock Talk newsletter

Because this canyon is so deep and narrow, it’s often described as a gash or slit in the earth that allows sunlight to fully reach the bottom only at midday.

The Park Service calls this protected area of Southwest Colorado (264 miles from Denver) a “vertical wilderness,” with some of the steepest cliffs, oldest rocks and craggiest spires in North America. The Park Service says the gorge reaches a depth of 2,722 feet. Its narrowest point is 40 feet.

Park visitors may hike, drive and camp. Trails range from easy to strenuous. However, climbing here is for highly experienced experts only.

Driving routes also provide access to views of the chasm.

The seven-mile South Rim Drive has 12 overlooks, most reached by walking a short trail. North Rim access is via a gravel road that includes six overlooks and some of the park’s most impressive views. The East Portal Road into the Curecanti National Recreation Area provides river access.

Size: 30,750 acres

Founded: National monument, 1933; national park, 1999

Attendance: 209,166 (2015)

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Great Sand Dunes

“A sandbox of epic proportions.”

- Colorado.com

The tallest sand dunes in North America don’t border an ocean or lake, although the 30-square-mile sand-dune field here was once a lake. Instead of the expected beach and surf, these massive, windswept mounds are surrounded by alpine peaks, a desert valley, creeks, mountains and rural range land in Southern Colorado. Atop the tallest dune (755 feet from base to crest), the nearest city, Albuquerque, feels more distant than 246 miles.

Today, on land once roamed by Stone Age people hunting with large stone spears or dart points, park visitors may hike, sand board, sled, splash in Medano Creek or simply wander. (Just note that summertime sand surface temperatures can top 150 degrees.)

Tourists here also may do what the early nomads likely did in this place: look at the night sky.

During a full moon, sky watchers may experience the view and move about without need for a flashlight.

Size: 148,988 acres (park and preserve)

Founded: National monument, 1932; national park and preserve, 2004

Attendance:299,513 (2015)

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Mesa Verde

“From the rim of the [canyon] we had our first view of Cliff Palace. . . . To me, this is the grandest view of all among the ancient ruins of the Southwest.”

- Charlie Mason, co-discoverer, in “Mesa Verde National Park: Shadows of the Centuries,” by Duane A. Smith

Ancient Pueblos built dense and intricate dwellings on this plateau near the modern-day Four Corners junction, where the states of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico meet. Just the name Cliff Palace is intriguing enough to inspire interest in this largest archeological preserve in the country.

Protected in this park - also a UNESCO World Heritage site, established by President Theodore Roosevelt as the first to “preserve the works of man” - are 600 cliff dwellings and 4,300 archeological sites from ancestral Pueblo culture, which endured from A.D. 600 to 1300.

Cliff Palace, the most famous of the structures, has 150 rooms and 23 kivas, which are rooms dedicated to ritual and cultural activities. Park visitors may take guided and self-guided tours.

A six-mile driving tour of the park takes in a dozen easily accessible sites.

Size: 52,485

Founded: 1906

Attendance: 547,325 (2015)

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Rocky Mountain

“The raw beauty of the rugged mountains contrasts with the calm loveliness of wildflower gardens growing nearby.”

- The Park Service’s “Natural History Handbook Number Three” (1954)

It’s no surprise that the Who’s “I Can See for Miles” was on the “Easy Rider” movie soundtrack. It’s an apt road-trip song about the vistas travelers seek. Here, park visitors can appreciate those lyrics by driving the highest paved road in the Park Service. Trail Ridge Road crests at 12,183 feet. It’s designated as an American Byway and All-American Road.

The park’s panoramas also include two bodies of water named on the Wilderness Society’s list of prettiest lakes in wild lands: Mills Lake, which offers high-elevation views of Longs Peak and the Keyboard of the Winds (spires that channel wind into unearthly sounds); and Loch Lake, with views of mountain peaks and Glacier Gorge.

Here in north-central Colorado, vacationers may access 350 miles of trails designed for all levels of ability. Hikers can walk valleys and meadows that were trod by native Utes until the late 1700s. Its later visitors included gold miners, followed by homesteaders and sightseers drawn to the lush environment. Today, the Park Service says the landscape is home to a large variety of animal dwellers, including 60 species of mammals and 270 bird species. The park, which straddles the Western Continental Divide, also has 141 confirmed species of butterflies.

Size: 265,795 acres

Founded: 1915

Attendance: 4,155,916 (2015)

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FLORIDA

Biscayne

“No sea-lover could look unmoved on the blue rollers of the Gulf Stream and the crystal-clear waters of the Reef.”

- Ralph Middleton Munroe, an early Floridian, in his autobiography, “The Commodore’s Story”

This park, explorable only by watercraft, is 95-percent underwater.

Here, in the shallow bay one hour from Miami, is a world of shipwrecks, manatees, coral, sea grass, sea turtles and 500 species of fish.

Its protected, in some cases endangered, assets may be discovered via a boat cruise or snorkeling, scuba diving, canoeing or kayaking. Camping also is allowed on two Florida Keys: Boca Chita and Elliott.

On Elliott Key, the park’s largest, hiking is available.

The wrecks of six ships that sank between 1878 and 1966 have been mapped and are part of the Maritime Heritage Trail, where snorkelers may view them.

Canoeing and kayaking also afford exploration of the park’s mangrove-edged shorelines.

Visitors may want to learn about the park’s best-known resident: Lancelot Jones, a man of African-American and Bahamian-American descent whose family became wealthy as the country’s largest independent supplier of Key limes. He eventually became a sought-after guide to southern Biscayne Bay. He sold his island properties to the Park Service to ensure their protection.

Stiltsville, a part of Biscayne Bay’s history, is within the park. Seven shacks built atop stilts remain from a onetime colorful community of 27 structures. Today, they are protected and preserved by the Stiltsville Trust. Access is by permit only.

Size: 172,971 acres

Founded: National monument, 1968; national park, 1980

Attendance: 508,164 (2015)

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Dry Tortugas

“Here, you may find a ruby-throated hummingbird, broad-winged hawk and white-eyed vireo all in one tree.”

- The Park Service’s Dry Tortugas National Park News

The name Tortugas (sea turtles in Spanish) dates from 1513, when explorer Juan Ponce de Leon arrived here. “Dry” refers to the lack of fresh water on the seven Florida Keys. Those who come (by water or seaplane) should tote their own food and drink.

Although the Tortugas are far-flung, they have a rich history because of their key location along the shipping channel that links the Gulf of Mexico, the western Caribbean and the Atlantic Ocean. That history includes the construction, from 1847 to 1875, of Fort Jefferson on the park’s Garden Key. It’s the largest all-masonry fort in the United States and was positioned to protect the water gateway to heartland America. Also here are 200 sunken ships dating to the 1600s.

Novelist and fishing enthusiast Ernest Hemingway notably visited several times when he lived 70 miles away, on Key West. Activities here today include snorkeling, swimming and camping. Some of Garden Key’s largest and best-preserved coral heads grow so massive that you cannot swim over them. Visitors are advised to protect such vulnerable assets.

Size: 64,701 acres (40 acres above water)

Founded: National monument, 1935; national park, 1992

Attendance: 70,862 (2015)

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Everglades

“It is a river of grass.”

- Marjory Stoneman Douglas, journalist and environmentalist, in “The Everglades: River of Grass”

This park is a prairie, although not in the “Little House” sense. Sharp-edged sawgrass stretches for acres of marshland. It’s a landscape Native Americans called Pa-hay-okee (grassy waters). “Everglades” was the name early European explorers applied to the expanse. Following thousands of years of use by indigenous people, newcomers came to grow sugar cane, as well as hunt and fish. Bird populations were decimated for their plumes to festoon women’s hats. Developers dredged, drained and diverted the wetlands. They cleared mangroves to open up ocean views.

Quickly vanishing resources prompted the creation of the park to protect its ecosystem. Today, it’s a designated by UNESCO as both a biosphere reserve (along with Dry Tortugas) and World Heritage site, and also is a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention.

This third-largest park in the lower 48 states is home to at least 30 rare, threatened and endangered species, including the Florida panther. It claims the largest mangrove (coastal vegetation) ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. Among the plants and animals protected here is the manatee (176 adults and seven calves were observed in 2005).

Despite being a protected environment, Everglades is a remarkably accessible park. Three car entrances include the main entry in Homestead. Boaters and paddlers can enter via its coastal boundaries and waterways.

Ranger-led programs include a meteor-shower bike ride, sightseeing by tram and various birding excursions.

Size: 1,400,539 acres

Founded: Authorized as a reserve in 1934; national park, 1947

Attendance: 1,077,427 (2015)

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HAWAII

Hawai’i Volcanoes

“An unique example of significant island building through ongoing volcanic processes. The volcano Mauna Loa, measured from the ocean floor, is the greatest volcanic mass on Earth.”

- Statement of Significance, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

Here on the big island of Hawaii, 30 miles from Hilo, are two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Kilauea, whose name means spreading, much spewing; and Mauna Loa, which translates to long mountain. Mauna Loa last erupted in 1984; Kilauea has been erupting since early in 1983, with its ongoing activity at Halema’uma’u Crater in the park. After dark, it produces a vivid glow that illuminates the clouds and its plume.

Although flowing lava, craters and steam are undeniable draws, this park is also home to historic sites and endangered flora and fauna. Hiking and biking are popular ways to take in the scene. Driving routes also offer a dramatic overview. Crater Rim Drive and Chain of Craters Road include a number of vantage points. Fumes and glow from the lava lake within the vent at Kilauea’s summit may be seen along Crater Rim Drive. Other stops on the driving route include the Thurston Lava Tube (which Hawaiians call Nahuku), a walk-in tube that ends in a tropical rain forest. Tubes are formed when an underground channel of molten lava creates a hollow chamber.

In-park lodging is available at the Volcano House hotel, which overlooks Halema’uma’u Crater. It has been operating since 1846, when it began as a grass shack.

Size: 323,431 acres

Founded: 1916

Attendance: 1,832,660 (2015)

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Haleakala

“I felt like the Last Man . . . left pinnacled in mid-heaven.”

- Mark Twain, as quoted by John F. Stone in the Mid-Pacific Magazine (1920)

In a park whose name means “house of the sun” in Hawaiian, it’s appropriate that visitors’ eyes are often drawn skyward. Rapidly changing cloudscapes, rainbows, moonbows and nighttime celestial bodies are highlights. Views can reach as far as 115 miles out to sea.

On land, there are rare plants and animals with memorable names. This is one of the last sanctuaries of the vibrant honeycreeper bird. And the protected silversword plant, which lives up to 90 years, flowers just once and then dies.

Botanists also call this the geranium capital of the world, which hardly sounds exotic. But, species of the flower here appear nowhere else.

Two sections - the summit and coast - make up this park on the island of Maui. They are not connected by road. Above, is a crater formed by erosion. It’s a 19-square-mile wilderness area that’s popular with backpackers. Visitors flock to the summit for spectacular sunrise and sunset views. Below, in a lush landscape of forest, waterfalls, meadows and ocean, visitors watch for sea turtles, monk seals, dolphins, seabirds and humpback whales.

Overnighters may reserve wilderness cabins, which are accessible by hiking. Two car-accessible campgrounds also are options. All visitors are advised that the wild environment here includes the weather, which can be changeable.

Size: 33,265 acres

Founded: 1916 (separated from Volcanoes Park in 1961)

Attendance: 1,216,772 (2015)

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KENTUCKY

Mammoth Cave

“No changes of seasons, no sound of storm or thunder penetrate here; winter and summer, day and night, peace or war, it is all one; a world beyond the reach of change, because beyond the reach of life.”

- John Burroughs, naturalist, “In Mammoth Cave” (1887)

In a state known for its elevated landscape in the form of the Appalachian and Cumberland mountains, it is an inverse topography - the world’s longest known cave system - that is Kentucky’s lone national park. This underground wonder, whose dimensions suit its name, is mapped at 400 miles - a length that increases with ongoing exploration.

Here, midway between Louisville and Nashville, this limestone labyrinth with a colorful and contentious (land-ownership) past fascinates visitors.

The deep history goes back 10 million years in time and 379 feet into the earth, where ancient human remains and artifacts are legally protected. The modern story includes African-American history, such as the legacy of Stephen Bishop, who ventured into unexplored areas and became a guide. He is buried at the park’s Old Guides’ Cemetery.

In popular culture, Mammoth has inspired a short story, an early computer game, poetry and rock-music lyrics.

Today, park rangers continue to guide cave visitors through tours of varying length, style and level of physical demand - from easy to extremely strenuous. Tours include Gothic Avenue, which has historically significant passageways where 19th-century signatures are preserved.

Interior temperatures average about 54 degrees. Bring a jacket or sweater and wear shoes suitable for walking. Aboveground activities include hiking and fishing.

Size: 52,830 acres

Founded: 1941

Attendance: 2 million entire park; 566,895 cave tours (2015)

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MAINE

Acadia

“The beauty of Maine is such that you can’t really see it clearly while you live there. But now that I’ve moved away, with each return it all becomes almost hallucinatory. “

- Alexander Chee, novelist, in the New York Times

The oldest national park east of the Mississippi is one of the first places in the country to see the sunrise (about 50 minutes before dawn in the D.C. area). Park visitors trek to Cadillac Mountain, the highest peak on the Eastern Seaboard, to greet the day.

Early visionaries who sought to protect this carved granite, coastal landscape included John D. Rockefeller Jr. He is responsible for carriage roads and trails that meander for use by hikers, horseback riders and bicyclists.

Acadia lies primarily on Mount Desert Island, which owes its name to explorer Samuel de Champlain, who called it “Isles des Monts Déserts” (island of barren mountains). Despite that early observation, the park’s glacially carved landscape is quite rich in nature and scenic panoramas, with many pine forests, ocean views and nine birding areas. Avian occupants include peregrine falcons and sharp-shinned hawks.

Moviemakers have flocked here, as well. Scenes in “The Cider House Rules” and “Pet Sematary” (adapted by Maine native Stephen King from his own book) were filmed on park grounds.

This is a shoreline park next door to the seaside resort town of Bar Harbor. Two beaches (one ocean with water temperatures for thick-skinned swimmers and one warmer, freshwater site) are available.

Size: 49,055 acres

Founded: National monument, 1916; national park, 1919 (originally named Lafayette National Park)

Attendance: 2,811,184 (2015)

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MICHIGAN

Isle Royale

“Solitude is its central ingredient.”

- Napier Shelton in “The Life of Isle Royale”

Rugged, remote and relatively untouched, this park possesses the ingredients for rare 21st-century solitude. It’s a designated U.S. Wilderness and UNESCO biosphere reserve. To the moose and the dwindling population of wolves, it’s home. They’re among the animals that have shared this Lake Superior island with sporadic humans for thousands of years. Today, visitors arrive by ferry from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula or Minnesota. The Ranger III ferry is the largest piece of moving equipment owned and operated by the Park Service. It carries 128 passengers and offers interpretive programs, dining and lounges on indoor and outdoor decks.

Isle Royale is the least-visited of the national parks in the lower 48 states, and the only one completely closed in winter.

In season, it attracts hikers and campers, who pluck and eat the wild blueberries and thimbleberries in late July and August. Scuba divers explore shipwrecks that date to as early as 1877. The sunken vessels are protected by the Park Service. (Licensed scuba charters serve the area, where a wet suit is necessary and a dry suit recommended due to water temperatures of about 35 degrees at depths below 50 feet in the world’s largest freshwater lake.

Island comforts include rustic cabins and the Rock Harbor Lodge, which has accommodations and a restaurant that serves fresh lake trout.

Size: 571,790 acres

Founded: 1940

Attendance: 18,684 (2015)

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MINNESOTA

Voyageurs

“We have so much to learn from Indians and no better place to learn it today than portages worn smooth by our Indian predecessors.”

- Ernest Oberholtzer, explorer and writer

This park comprises 30 lakes and 900 islands that once were traversed by the Native Americans, European explorers, fur trappers and gold miners who navigated the U.S.-Canada border in birch-bark canoes. Today, much of the park remains reachable only by water. Sightseeing boats staffed by park naturalists depart from visitor centers.

Hiking trails (some reached by water) also meander the wilderness. They range from easy to strenuous. Some trails are groomed for snowshoeing and skiing. Trail users may see moose or a blue heron rookery, as well as aspens, pines and rock outcroppings. Loons may be seen diving for fish in deeper parts of the lakes.

In addition to camping, accommodations are available in the nearby resort communities of Kabetogama Lake, International Falls, Crane Lake and Ash River.

The storied Kettle Falls Hotel is the only lodging within the park. Built by a timber baron in 1910, it served a region where commercial fishermen sold their catch and bootleggers sold whiskey. Today, the hotel offers 12 rooms, a restaurant and the Lumberjack Saloon.

Size: 218,200 acres

Founded: 1975

Attendance: 238,313 (2015)

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MONTANA

Glacier

“Mountains that wear the dawn like yellow hats.”

- Greg Beaumont in “NPS Natural History Handbook: Glacier” (1978)

This pristine landscape does more than feed the appetite for scenic adventure. It quenches the thirst of the American continent. Here, 150 miles from Missoula, in northwestern Montana, the park and neighboring wilderness lands are called the “Crown of the Continent,” a headwaters for three rivers leading to the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, as well as the Hudson Bay.

The lush region includes 762 lakes within park boundaries, including four on the Wilderness Society’s list of the prettiest lakes in wild lands. Among them, Lake McDonald is so clear that it’s possible to see, from the surface, to 30 feet below.

The list of plant and animal species living here has remained unchanged since the time of the Lewis and Clark expedition, the Trust for Public Land notes. Not unchanged are the 25 glaciers, which are shrinking.

The panoramas remain verdant, however, and a popular way to view the vistas is by taking a two-hour drive on Going-to-the-Sun Road. (It appears in the opening of “The Shining.”) The east-west parkway, built in 1932, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Expect two tunnels, steep drop-offs, tight curves and spectacular views - including mountain goats and bighorn sheep.

Non-driving activities include hiking on 746 miles of trails, boat tours and backcountry camping. Hotel accommodations also are available.

Size: 1,013,324 acres

Founded:1910

Attendance: 2,366,056 (2015)

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NEVADA

Great Basin

“This location is one of the best remaining undeveloped sites for observing the sky in the United States.”

- David Bennum, physicist at the University of Nevada at Reno, on Greatbasinobservatory.org

Ancient trees and dramatic cave formations highlight this park, which is 286 miles from Las Vegas near the Utah border.

The trees, bristlecone pines up 4,000 years old, are contorted, as if twisted from the sheer effort to survive harsh conditions. The cavern, Lehman Caves, is a geologic remnant of an ancient, shallow inland sea - a paradoxical image in this arid setting.

Tourists can sightsee at various levels: 167 feet below ground; at the surface; at 13,159 feet in elevation (Wheeler Peak); and higher above in the night sky, which is said to provide the best visibility of the Milky Way in the continental United States.

Two guided cave tours are offered: the Lodge Room (one hour) and the Grand Palace (90 minutes). Of note among the many subterranean formations is the Parachute Shield. At least 80 U.S. caves have shields, which are circular plates. Lehman Caves has 300.

As for the park’s namesake, this region is part of a 200,000-square-mile area that drains internally, rather than into rivers that feed the Pacific Ocean or Gulf of Mexico. The Great Basin takes in most of Nevada, half of Utah and portions of Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon and California. For a wider view of the basin, visitors may hike an 8.6-mile trail to the Wheeler Peak summit, where vistas reward the effort. The Great Basin Observatory is scheduled to open there on Aug. 25, in celebration of the Park Service’s 100th anniversary.

Size: 77,180 acres

Founded: National monument (Lehman Caves), 1922; national park, 1986

Attendance: 116,123 (2015)

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NEW MEXICO

Carlsbad Caverns

“I found myself gazing into the biggest and blackest hole I had ever seen, out of which the bats seemed literally to boil . . . any hole in the ground which could house such a gigantic army of bats must be a whale of a big cave.”

- Jim White, cowboy and early Carlsbad explorer, in “Jim White’s Own Story”

Famed cowboy, humorist and actor Will Rogers once called Carlsbad Cavern the “Grand Canyon with a roof on it.”

Beneath that roof is a subterranean mansion with 119 limestone caves and a “chandelier” in the Big Room. It’s naturally air-conditioned to a constant 56 degrees, which is welcome during New Mexico summers, when July days average 95 degrees.

Self-guided tours are available to visitors. They include the Natural Entrance Trail, which begins with a steep descent from the entrance to the Big Room. It lasts one hour and is more physically demanding than the Big Room Trail, which is accessed via elevator.

Other, more strenuous tours are available, including one of Slaughter Canyon Cave. Guides lead the way into an underground wilderness. Here, darkness is broken only by the flashlights and headlamps of rangers and tour members. Sights include the 89-foot-high Monarch column, which is one of the world’s tallest, and the Christmas Tree, a sparkling, crystal-studded column.

The limestone rock that holds Carlsbad Cavern contains ocean fossils of plants and animals dating from a time when this area, 149 miles from El Paso, lay beneath an inland sea.

Size: 46,766 acres

Founded: National monument, 1923; national park, 1930

Attendance: 445,720 (2015)

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NORTH CAROLINA

Great Smoky Mountains, N.C. and Tenn.

“The dreamy blue haze . . . that ever hovers over the mountains . . . softens all outlines, and lends a mirage-like effect of great distance to objects that are but a few miles off.”

- Horace Kephart, travel writer, in The Outing magazine (1912)

Every year here, for a few weeks in late spring, there’s a twinkling light show, courtesy of synchronous fireflies. Also in spring, an annual wildflower pilgrimage showcases blooms so prolific and diverse that this landscape is nicknamed “Wildflower National Park.”

Although this is the most-visited U.S. national park, it retains an enchanted quality, a place where emerald moss carpets boulders and a dreamy, “smoky” mist recalls the region’s Cherokee name, Shaconagay, “land of the blue smoke.”

This area was part of the Cherokee homeland before the tribe was forced west. Some remained in what is now the park, either by hiding or by lobbying the government, and their descendants live in the nearby Qualla Boundary.

Today, visitors hike, bike and drive the history-steeped land. The American Hiking Society says, “Almost every trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park is eligible for your hiking bucket list.” However, the organization’s blog cites the 12-mile Baxter Creek Trail’s “4,000 feet of climbing, sweetly smelling spruce trees and a lush rainforest understory.” The Appalachian Trail also makes a 70-mile appearance here.

Visitors who arrive via Cherokee, North Carolina; Gatlinburg, Tennessee or Townsend, Tennessee, enter an area that’s 95-percent forested with the largest block of virgin red spruce on Earth. And if they visit Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Smokies, on a clear and (rare) pollution-free day, they can see for 100 miles and possibly take in seven states.

Size: 522,426 acres

Founded: 1934

Attendance: 10,712,674 (2015)

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NORTH DAKOTA

Theodore Roosevelt

“It was here that the romance of my life began.”

- President Theodore Roosevelt, whose ranch is preserved within the park, in 1903

This park is a memorial to one man’s love of the American landscape. Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th president (1901-09), established five national parks and help found the U.S. Forest Service. His first cabin (Maltese Cross) is on park grounds and open for touring. The foundation of his second, at Elkhorn Ranch, also is here in a remote area.

Three separate sections make up this park. They include a badlands area populated by bison, pronghorn, elk, wild horses and bighorn sheep.

Roosevelt, a New York native, found this land restorative and wrote extensively about his time in the West. Contemporary visitors can experience this windswept territory, due west of Bismarck, from their cars, on bicycle, on horseback, on foot or by canoe or kayak on the Little Missouri River.

Prolific wildflowers, which appear from May to September, soften the stark landscape. June and July are their peak months; later-season tourists will find sunflowers, asters and rabbitbrush. In late September, cottonwood leaves turn a brilliant gold.

Size: 70,447 acres

Founded: Memorial park, 1947; national park, 1978

Attendance: 580,033 (2015)

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OHIO

Cuyahoga Valley

“[The park] sits a short distance from the urban environments of Cleveland and Akron, yet seems worlds away.”

- National Park Foundation

Most national parks preserve and protect pristine lands. This park is an example of restoring what once was. Land and water along miles of the winding Cuyahoga River between Cleveland and Akron were reclaimed from industrial pollution and other environmental abuses.

Today, beavers have returned to the marshes. The bird activity has merited designation as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International. Animal inhabitants here include muskrats, coyotes, red and gray foxes, peregrine falcons, river otters, bald eagles and great blue herons.

Visitors hike, bike, run, snowshoe, ride horses and observe wildlife. The scenery includes waterfalls, farmland, forest and wetlands. The Wilderness Society lists this park among its 15 national parks for fall color.

History also is highlighted here. For example, there is the 19th-century Everett Covered Bridge. And it’s possible to walk or bike the same path that mules trod while towing canal boats loaded with goods and passengers. Canal locks and other structures built between 1825 and 1832 are still visible.

The Towpath Trail follows the historic route of the Ohio & Erie Canal, which opened the sparsely settled area to commerce with the Eastern states.

The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad operates here during summer and autumn months. Paralleling the history of the park, the rail was opened in 1880 as a means to transport coal, as well as passengers. In 1972, it became a scenic excursion route for leisure, as well as railroad preservation.

Size: 32,571 acres

Founded: National recreation area, 1974; national park, 20...