~ Top 10 World's Most Beautiful National Parks ~

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Top 10 World's Most Beautiful National Parks


1. Kakadu National Park, Australia   



Located 257 km east of Darwin, which is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia, Kakadu National Park is a World Heritage site covering almost 20,000 sq. km of unique beauty and exceptional biodiversity. It is also a rich Aboriginal cultural site as the Aboriginal people have lived in the area for at least 40,000 years. Almost half of the Kakadu land is aboriginal and there are 5,000 recorded art sites in the park illustrating traditional Aboriginal culture. The landscape is dominated by 1700 plant species, 68 mammals, more than 120 reptiles, 280 species of birds, 10,000 species of insects, 25 frog species, as the park is also one of the most weeds free national parks with only 5,7% being weeds. The abundant wildlife of Kakadu National Park attracts many visitors annually, who appreciate the wide range of flora and fauna and enjoy activities such as fishing and wildlife-watching.

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2. Grand Canyon National Park, USA   



One of the Wonders of the World is situated in Arizona, USA. It is an opened book with recorded history of the world dating back to millions of years ago. Grand Canyon National Park is named after the Grand Canyon, which is a 1.5 km deep and 445.8 km long gorge, ranging in width from 500 m to 30 km, formed by the erosion by the Colorado River during 6 million years. The gorge divides the Grand Canyon National Park into the North Rim and South Rim. The park, established in February 1919, encompasses a diverse landscape, from plateaus and plains to forests, waterfalls and deserts. It is home to over 1,000 plant species, 76 mammal, 299 bird and 41 reptile and amphibian species, and 16 fish species. The Native Americans inhabited the region for thousands of years and it was considered a sacred site by the Pueblo people. UNESCO declared the park as a World Heritage Site in 1979.

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3. Kruger National Park, South Africa   



With over 2 million hectares of thriving wildlife, Kruger National Park is a game paradise and one of the biggest game reserves in Africa. Encompassing the Northern South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga, it offers the rare chance of seeing all the Big Five game animals, which include lion, African elephant, Cape buffalo, leopard, and rhinoceros. The park is home to 147 species of large mammals (more than any other African Game Reserve), 517 species of birds, 114 species of reptile, 33 species of amphibians and 50 fish species. It is one of the best places for safari and there are also many facilities, accommodation and game lodges available within the borders of the park. Along with the Limpopo National Park in Mozambique and the Gonarezhou National Park in Zimbabwe, it is part of the peace park, Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park.

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4. Banff National Park, Canada   



Canada's oldest national park consists of 6,641 square kilometres located in the Canadian Rockies. Its mountainous terrain includes numerous glaciers and ice fields, lakes, canyons, dense coniferous forest, limestone caves and alpine landscapes. Due to its terrain, which is perfect for winter sports tourism, development began in the beginning of the 20th century. Located 110 km away from Calgary, the park is named after the town of Banff, which is the main commercial and cultural centre of Banff National Park. Ecological integrity became priority number one since 1988, as in 1984 Banff was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The hamlet of Lake Louise, Lake Minnewanka, Sulphur Mountain, Tunnel Mountain are some of the tip hikers choices. The abundant wildlife includes grizzly and black bears, Cougar, lynx, wolves, wolverine, elk, deer, moose, and others.

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5. Fiordland National Park, New Zealand   



Covering 1.2 million hectares in size, Fiordland National Park is located on the southwest corner of the South Island, the larger of the two major islands of New Zealand. It is established in 1952 and was recognised by the United Nations in 1986. Its most notable fiords are Milford Sound, Doubtful Sound and Dusky Sound, formed during a period of 100,000 years, by glacial action producing u-shaped valleys. The wildlife in Fiordland National Park includes dolphins, seals and birds, as the most prominent species are the only flightless parrot, the Kakapo, and a rare bird called Takahe. Three of New Zealand's 'Great Walks' can be found in the park: the Milford Track, the Kepler Track and the Routeburn Track. It boasts 500 kilometre network of walking tracks and is a popular destination for many climbers and trampers.

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6. Yellowstone National Park, USA   



Holding the title of the first national park in the world, Yellowstone National Park stretches over 3,468.4 square miles (8,983 km2) of area in the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It has been inhabited as long as 11,000 years by the Native Americans. Today its unique combination of geysers and hot springs, lakes, canyons, rivers, mountain ranges and a variety of wildlife attracts many visitors and researchers. Created in 1872, this park features prominent landmarks such as Old Faithful geyser, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Hayden Valley, Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone Lake (centred over the largest supervolcano on the continent, the Yellowstone Caldera), and Norris Geyser Basin. The park is home to hundreds of 60 species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, 1,700 species of trees, many types of ecosystems, and is ideal for activities such as camping, hiking, fishing, wildlife viewing, boating and more.

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7. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, USA   



Great Smoky Mountains National Parks history began with the prehistoric Paleo-Indians and today it preserves rich cultural and historical heritage. The parks covers 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains as almost 80% of the park is comprised of deciduous forests. The region is home to rich diversity of wildlife and ecosystems offering the visitors beautiful mountain scenery with panoramic views, mountain streams, and hardwood forests. There are 66 species of mammals, 200 varieties of birds, 50 native fish species, 80 types of reptiles and amphibians. Great Smoky Mountains National park is also known as the "wildflower national park", with its 1,400 flowering plant species, as well as over 4,000 species of non-flowering plants. It is a popular destination among hikers due to the 800 miles of trails in the park. The most visited areas for hiking are Mount Le Conte and Alum Cave Trail. There are also opportunities for backpacking, camping and fishing. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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8. Lake District National Park, England   



Englands largest national park encompasses 885 square miles (2,292 square kilometres) in North West England. Its lakes and over two hundred fells (mountains or hills) offer stunning scenery formed by erosion. The network of paths and routes attracts many visitors fond of the long tradition of recreational walking that had notable followers such as the famous poets and writers like Wordsworth, Coleridge and De Quincey. The park is the most visited place in the mountainous region of Lakeland, known for its lakes. The park includes the largest English lake, Windermere, and the highest English mountains, as Scafell Pike is the highest one with its 3,210 feet (978 meters). The Lake District region became a national park in 1951 in order to protect its natural beauty, and since then tourist industry is the major development factor. The park is visited by 15.8 million visitors annually.

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9. Sagarmatha National Park, Nepal   



The name of Sagarmatha National Park is derived from a Sanskrit word combining "sky" and "forehead", which is the Nepali name for Mount Everest, whose southern half part is within the boundaries of the park raising at 8,848 m above sea level. The whole park is located above 3000 meters and is home to more than 118 species of birds, 26 species of butterflies and rare species, such as the snow leopard, the lesser panda and musk deer. Cultural heritage is kept in the monasteries of Namche and Pangboche, as well as the holy place of the Thyangboche. The park is the homeland of the Sherpa people, who usually work as guides for mountaineering expeditions. The park centre is located at Mendalphu, in the village of Namche Bazaar, which is a main trading centre for the Khumbu region. Sagarmatha National Park was established as a national park in July 1976 and inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.

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10. Tikal National Park, Guatemala   



Established as a national park in May 1955, Tikal National Park in Guatemala was one of the major sites of Mayan civilization, once a home to 90,000 Mayan Indians, who inhabited the area from the 6th century BC to the 10th century AD. Tikal was not the ancient name for the site but adopted after its discovery in the 1840s. The place was referred to as Yax Mutal or Yax Mutul, meaning "First Mutal", according to hieroglyphic inscriptions at the ruins. Its monumental architecture comprising of about 3000 structures including temples and royal palaces makes it one of the greatest archaeological sites on Earth. Its most prominent buildings are The Great Plaza, The Central Acropolis, The Plaza of the Seven Temples, The Mundo Perdido. It also contains the largest area of tropical rainforest both in Guatemala and Central America with some 22,100 hectares of rainforest. Tikal National Park covers an area of 575.83 square kilometres (222.33 sq. miles) and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.