If these 25 astounding vistas tell us anything, it's that America's beauty is a fierce kind. There are the alien landscapes of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and the trickling glacial promontories of Denali and Glacier National Park.
Legends, too, inform these lands, from Dead Horse Point's cowboy past to the cliff-side Puebloan abodes of Mesa Verde. That's to say nothing of the swooping peregrine falcons, majestic moose, and gigantic Californian redwoods that call these parks home.
Check out our picks for the 25 most stunning vistas in America's National Parks—but these are merely a sliver of the wonders you'll find when you actually visit.
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
The Grand Canyon astounds with its statistics—clocking at an average width of 10 miles and depth of 1 mile, coupled with a length of 277 river miles—but nothing compares to the view itself. Year-round outdoor adventures beckon, like biking, boating, camping, fishing, hiking, mule riding, white-water rafting, cross-country skiing, and more. But stand still to take in the surreal vistas including the awesome sunsets and sunrises at Point Sublime and Yavapai Point; waterfalls, streams, and rivers; and sandstone canyon walls juxtaposed with velvet green forests and jutting mesas, plateaus, and volcanic features.
Insider Tip: To truly commune with nature, make sure to consult our tips for avoiding the crowds.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee/North Carolina
With miles of mountains and verdant wilderness, it's no wonder this ranks as the most-visited national park in the U.S. Explore the many historic buildings in Cades Cove, whose history is as rich as the Smokies' abundance of wildlife. For lunch, picnic atChimneys while the kids wade in the rocky streams.
Insider Tip: "Bald" mountains lack trees on top, making for spectacular unobstructed views in the midst of a high-elevation meadow—Great Smoky Mountains National Park has plenty.
Olympic National Park - Washington
Circling the snow-capped Olympic Mountainsis this remote, enchanted gem of Pacific Northwestern beauty. Coastal boulders sculpted by waves top hot springs and tidal pools teeming with sea life, while pine trees crown foggy sea stacks. Get a panoramic view of it all from the 5,200-foot-highHurricane Ridge, which encompasses the Olympic range, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Vancouver Island.
Insider Tip: Bring a raincoat: the region gets 140 inches or more per year. Enjoy the precipitation in the lush Hoh River Rain Forest, where elk peer from beneath mossy maples upwards of 200 feet high.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider