Brad Pitt wrestling a grizzly bear in Legends of the Fall; the Lone Ranger galloping away into the terra cotta mountains shouting "Hi-yo Silver": America’s vast and diverse national parks provide the setting for some quintessential Hollywood images. For years the stunning parks have drawn millions of visitors from around the world, but with more than a dozen national parks in the US, choosing just one to visit can be difficult. It’s best to narrow down your search to what kind of experience you’re after - whether it’s an adventurous rock climbing trip to Yosemite or a relaxing weekend of bird-watching in Bryce Canyon.
Many travellers combine visits to more than one park. Some of the most popular are: Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in Wyoming, Yosemite and Sequoia in California and Zion and Bryce Canyon in Utah. Go to our Insider Information section below for a detailed look at these parks.
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The weather in the US tends to vary from one area to the next but generally the Eastern United States experiences cold winters and warm summers while most parts of the Western United States hardly experience cold winters. In general, the best times to visit any part of the country is late spring or early fall.
Peak season
Yellowstone and Grand Teton: Summer is the best time to visit Wyoming’s parks. Days are usually quite warm and nights are cooler with temperatures dropping below freezing at higher elevations. And rainfall is not uncommon in summer.
Off season
Unless you’re going skiing, winters are bitterly cold with temperatures ranging from -20 to -5 degrees Celsius throughout the day to sub-zero temperatures at night.
Peak season
Yosemite and Sequoia:The ideal time to visit California’s parks is in summer when the weather’s warm, although at higher elevations there could be the occasional rain spell. Yosemite can get very crowded in summer so if you want to avoid the crowds you’d be better off visiting between mid-April and late May.
Off season
Winter unless you’re planning to ski. The snow falls can be legendary, more like harsh Canadian winters.
Peak season
Zionand Bryce Canyon:The best months to visit Utah’s parks are July and August when the days are warm and nights are cool. It does tend to get quite hot so if you’re not prepared to brave the heat then you’re better off going after September.
Off season
The winters can be long and cold, with snow falling from November through March.
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It’s easy to fly to the national parks and many commercial airlines operate daily to airports close-by. Once you arrive the best way to get around is to rent a car and most car rental agencies are present at the airport you’ll be flying into.
Another way to explore the parks is by RV (a motor home, truck camper or camper trailer). You can rent one through Cruise America, check their Web site: www.cruiseamerica.com for more information.
Yellowstone:
Shuttle/taxi service: Phidippides offers shuttle and taxi services from Cody Airport.
Grand Teton:
Shuttle service: The Jackson Hole Airport Shuttle Service is available at Salt Lake City and Idaho Falls airports.
Yosemite:
Train: If you prefer to travel by train, Amtrak provides a train and bus services to Yosemite Valley.
Shuttle: A shuttle bus service is available within some areas of the park.
Sequoia:
At present there is no regularly scheduled public transportation to or within the parks but you could either rent a car or take the train from Fresno Airport.
Zion:
The best way to get to Zion is by car since there is no public transportation to the park. You’ll find most major car rental agencies at the airport.
Bryce Canyon:
Shuttle: A new shuttle service is available to take you around the park and after paying the entrance fee you’re entitled to free unlimited use of the shuttle.
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Yellowstone National Park: Yellowstone is the first national park in the US and is located in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. The terrain is diverse with rugged mountains, lush meadows, pine forests, free-flowing rivers, and natural wonders of geyser basins and hot springs. Its wildlife is just as diverse with black bears, coyotes, foxes, hawks, eagles, elks and songbirds.
Grand Teton National Park: Grand Teton in Wyoming, with its spectacular peaks rising out of Jackson Hole and diverse wildlife, is truly breathtaking. It’s a great place for anyone interested in outdoor activities and has some of the finest cross-country skiing in the country.
Yosemite: California’s most popular park, Yosemite, is renowned for its exquisite waterfalls and lakes. The main attraction of the park is Yosemite Valley where you’ll find the famous cascading Yosemite Falls. There’s also a 914 metre granite cliff - El Capitan used by rock climbers.
Sequoia: A short drive from Yosemite is Sequoia National Park with its towering sequoia trees scattered along the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains and home to Mount Whitney, a popular hiking trail.
Zion Canyon: Elegant in appearance and bold in character, Zion Canyon’s sandstone walls soar more than 762 metres above the valley and its hues of pink and red seduce any visitor. The canyon was carved by the Virgin River located in the centre of Zion. Animals including mountain lions and ringtail cats can be spotted wandering the rocks.
Bryce Canyon National Park: The colourful rock formations or “hoodoos” that make Bryce Canyon so unique are the result of erosion that occurred 60 million years old. In geological terms the canyon is in fact an amphitheatre, not a canyon because of the way it is shaped. There’s also a good mix of flora and fauna including 100 species of birds and more than a thousand plant species.
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