A recent documentary hailed the National Park Service as America’s best idea, and few of those visiting Yellowstone or Yosemite, the Everglades or the Grand Canyon would disagree.
There are 58 National Parks from Florida to Washington State and Southern California to Maine, which make for great add-ons to a holiday or holidays in their own right.
Here are some of the highlights, together with details of what each has to offer the UK visitor.
Yosemite National Park
Sierra Nevada, Northern California
What to expect: This is the mother of all the National Parks, a mystical valley straight out of The Lord of the Rings. There’s a range of accommodation in the park, from camping and motor-homes to cabins, and even the venerable Ahwahnee Hotel, which you will need to book or clients six months in advance. The alternative is to stay in a hotel or motel just outside the park.
In winter Yosemite is buried under several feet of snow; in summer it’s heaving with visitors. The best times to visit are the shoulder seasons when the waterfalls are in full flow and most trails are open. Yosemite works well twinned with San Francisco – the drive from shore to mountains takes about four hours.
Don’t miss: The magical waterfalls; the giant sequoia trees; picture-postcard views from Glacier Point; a ranger-guided hike; more than 400 species of wildlife including foxes, deer, snakes and bears.
Sample product: Jetsave offers a 16-day Wonders of the Golden West tour this September for £1,399 per person. The tour takes in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco, as well as the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. The price includes 14 nights’ accommodation, coach travel and return flights. jetsave.com, 0871 664 0293
Yellowstone National Park
Where: Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
What to expect: Big, blue skies and wide open spaces are the essence of Yellowstone. Here, the visitor feels as it’s possible to feel from cities and civilisation.
Then there’s the history, the thundering geysers, and the wildlife – just don’t go looking for Yogi Bear! Accommodation is deliberately basic – cabins and campgrounds – to preserve the park’s atmosphere.
Silver Gate Cabins are a good in-park option, but they should be booked early. If your clients want more luxury, book the lodgings on the outskirts of Yellowstone. The park’s summer season runs from mid-April to the start of November.
Outside that period, clients can expect some roads and entrances to be closed, and plenty of snow. They might want to combine Yellowstone with a winter sports break at Jackson Hole, or rent a car to add on a visit to Grand Teton National Park.
Don’t miss: The chance to spot wildlife – bears, wolves, elk and buffalo – in the Lamar and Hayden valleys; watching Old Faithful blow his top; taking a horseback ride to savour the view; hiking, biking, camping, fishing and a variety of ranger-led programs.
Sample product: United Vacations offers a 13-night self-drive tour to Yellowstone and the Black Hills this summer from £1,435 per person, based on twin-share. The price includes round-trip flights from Denver, room-only accommodation and car hire. uv4agents.co.uk, 0844 499 0222
Grand Canyon National Park
Where: Arizona
What to expect: The canyon is 18 miles wide and more than one mile deep. If standing on its rim doesn’t take your breath away, you should probably check your pulse. Everyone has seen it on television but nothing matches the thrill of being there.
Most see the canyon from the south rim; the north rim is higher and harder to access, especially in winter. As with all the great Western parks, accommodation is at a premium, especially in summer. In-park lodging includes seven lodges on the south rim.
All are connected to restaurants, shopping and great viewpoints by free shuttle buses. Tusayan, seven miles south of Grand Canyon village, has more hotels and inns.
Don’t miss: If your clients can’t work out what not to miss, they’re probably beyond help. Having said that, there’s a variety of ways to experience the canyon. They could take a helicopter tour (from Vegas), hike or ride a mule down into the canyon, paddle a boat along the mighty Colorado River, or hop aboard for the two-hour trip on the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, Arizona.
Sample product: Jetsave offers a 12-day escorted tour this September from £1,599 per person. The itinerary takes in the Rocky Mountain National Park, Mount Rushmore, the Grand Canyon and Utah parks. The price includes return flights from Denver, 10 nights’ hotel accommodation and coach travel. jetsave.com, 0871 664 0293
Acadia National Park
Where: Maine
What to expect: A rocky coastline, Atlantic breakers, granite mountains and spruce-fir forests are the keynotes of Acadia. This rugged East Coast park makes a striking contrasts to the wonders out West. Home to a diversity of plants and animals, Acadia also has the highest peak on America’s East Coast.
A system of carriage roads throughout the park makes for excellent walking or biking. Acadia is very much a four-season park, with mists and brilliant foliage in the autumn, and precipitation likely in any month of the year, so advise clients to pack accordingly.
There’s no lodging in the park, except for two campgrounds on Mount Desert Island and one on Isle au Haut. Nearby Bar Harbor has a variety of accommodation,
however, including the Bar Harbor Inn and new Grand Hotel. Acadia works well as part of a New England flydrive itinerary.
Don’t miss: The 20-mile Park Loop Road with stunning views of mountains, ocean and forests (the drive takes three to four hours with stops); a horse-drawn carriage tour; a ranger-led boat cruise.
Sample product: Funway Holidays has a new seven-night coach tour of New England from £1,567 per person, based on two adults sharing, departing September 22 to October 10. The price includes return flights to Boston, seven nights’ bed-and-breakfast accommodation, and most dinners. The itinerary takes in Acadia National Park, Boston, Woodstock (Vermont), and Lake Placid (New York state). funway.co.uk, 0844 557 0626
Olympic National Park
Where: Washington
What to expect: West of Seattle on the Olympic Peninsula, this park offers the perfect Pacific Northwestern blend of ocean beaches, rainforest valleys, and glacier-capped peaks, plus a host of plant and animal life.
Remind any vampire-loving clients that this was the setting for the Twilight movies. They can combine a few days in the park with time spent in Seattle or Vancouver. It’s worth reminding them, however, to pack carefully – where the Pacific Northwest meets rainforest, a brief shower is never far away.
Within the park, Log Cabin Resort on the shore of Lake Crescent has various lodging options, as well as camping and hook-ups for motorhomes. Lake Crescent Lodge has cabins, a motel and rooms in the historic lodge. Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort and the Kalaloch Lodge are other good options.
Don’t miss: Hurricane Ridge, for its mile-high visitor centre and nature trails; Hoh Rain Forest, with its subtropical trails beneath the forest canopy; rocky Rialto Beach for offshore islands and a Pacific sunset to remember.
Sample product: Bon Voyage offers an 11-night itinerary this summer from £1,445 per person. The price includes flights to Seattle, accommodation in lodges
or four-star hotels and car hire. bon-voyage.co.uk, 0800 316 0191
