You can see wonderful things inside a museum or an art gallery, but some of this country’s greatest and most iconic symbols can’t be contained by four walls. National Parks represent the diverse natural beauty that can be found in America. While we feel you should visit all 63 of them, here are four parks from the four continental corners of our country and what makes them so special.

Acadia

Located on the coast of Maine, Acadia National Park features the tallest rocky headlands of the US Atlantic coast. Featuring one of the most diverse selections of landscapes of any park - including mountains, coastline, forests, lakes, ponds, wetlands, swamps, and marshes - Acadia has something for everyone. The more than 150 miles of hiking trails offers adventurers of all experience levels a chance to witness this park’s beauty first hand. Whether a challenging sea-to-summit mountain climb or a leisurely oceanside stroll is your cup of tea, you won’t run out of things to check off your list. If you’d like to be one of the over 3 million people who visit Acadia National Park every year, visit here for more information.

Mount Rainier

Moving towards the opposite coast, make sure to visit Mount Rainier National Park in the Cascades of Washington State. It’s namesake mountain, a nearly 4,440 meter high active stratovolcano, is the highest peak in the Cascade range. Mount Rainier is surrounded by meadows, valleys, forests, waterfalls, and over 20 glaciers. If you’re up for a real challenge, the best way to witness many of these features is on the Wonderland Trail, a 93-mile hiking trail that encircles the mountain. Characterized by long bridges over rivers and an almost lack of flat ground, Wonderland Trail is a great way to push yourself physically in one of the most idyllic and majestic landscapes you can find. Plan for your trip to Mount Rainier National Park here. 

Joshua Tree

Let’s head down the Pacific coast towards one of the more well known parks in the country, at least by name. Joshua Tree National Park, named after the Mojave Desert native tree that grows there, is located in southern California. Slightly larger than the state of Rhode Island in area, Joshua Tree encompasses not only the Mojave, but the Colorado Desert, as well as the Little San Bernardino Mountains. As the relatively cooler regions of the Mojave reach south, the Colorado is much more arid, offering views of cactus forests and palm tree studded oases. Framing all of it’s beauty are the numerous rock formations, some of which are 1.7 billion years old. To get in on all the hiking, camping, and rock climbing in one of the Southwest’s premier parks, find more info on Joshua Tree National Park here.

The Everglades

After starting our tour in the remote Northeast, our last stop brings us to the southernmost tip of Florida and the Everglades National Park. Originally created to protect the region’s fragile ecosystem, the Everglades features not only the largest tropical wilderness in the US, but the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River - it’s the third largest park in the country as well. Consisting of a wetland and forest network fed by Lake Okeechobee and bleeding into oceanic waters, it is both a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Biosphere Reserve, providing a home to over 30 threatened or protected species. A great way to catch a glimpse of this diverse wildlife is the bike or hike the many trails that lead to campgrounds across the park. December to March is the best time to visit the Everglades, as the park’s most dubious resident, the mosquito, is more likely to leave you and your party alone. Find out more about the Everglades National Park, here.