10 Most Beautiful National Parks Of The World

A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently, an international organization, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its World Commission on Protected Areas, has defined National Parks as its category II type of protected areas. While ideas for this type of national park had been suggested previously, the United States established the first such one, Yellowstone National Park, in 1872. According to the IUCN, there were 6,555 national parks worldwide.

Yosemite National Park, United States

Yosemite National Park  is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in the central eastern portion of California, United States. The park covers an area of 761,268 acres (3,080.74 km2) and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness.

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Japan

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park  is a national park in  Japan. It consists of Mount Fuji, Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, the Izu Peninsula, and the Izu Islands. Rather than being a specific spot, the park is a collection of dispersed tourist sites that dot the region. The farthest point south, the isle of Hachijojima, is several hundred kilometers from Mount Fuji. Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park was established on February 2, 1936 as Fuji-Hakone National Park, and is one of the first four national parks established in Japan. In 1950, the Izu islands were added to the park, and its name changed to its present designation. Due to its proximity to the Tokyo metropolis and ease of transportation, it is the most visited national park in all Japan, with the number of visitors per year exceeding 100 million.

Grand Canyon National Park, United States

Grand Canyon National Park is the United States’ 15th oldest national park. Named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, the park is located in Arizona. The park’s central feature is the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, which is often considered one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World. The park covers 1,217,262 acres (1,902 sq mi; 4,926 km2) of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.

Guilin and Lijiang River National Park, China

The Lijiang River is the cream of Guilin also the pearl in Chinese natural scenery. Meanwhile, Lijiang River scenery spot is the biggest in scale and most beautiful karst area, which intoxicate the numerous poets and literary men and renowned in the country. The Lijiang River located at the eastern of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. Its rises in Mt. Maoer – the First Peak of South China, where is a fairy land with thick forest, fresh air and wonderful ecological environment. In 1982, Guilin-Lijiang River Scenic Area was listed into National Park of China initiatively, and the same time was authorized the national 5A level tourist scenic zone by national tourism administration.

Banff National Park, Canada

Banff National Park  is Canada’s oldest national park, established in 1885 in the Rocky Mountains. The park, located 110–180 km (68–110 mi) west of Calgary in the province of Alberta, encompasses 6,641 km2 (2,564 sq mi) of mountainous terrain, with numerous glaciers and ice fields, dense coniferous forest, and alpine landscapes. The Icefields Parkway extends from Lake Louise, connecting to Jasper National Park in the north.  The main commercial center of the park is the town of Banff, in the Bow River valley.

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Source: junglemagazine.com