15 Breathtaking Views You'll See In America's National Parks

National Parks, often referred to as "America's best idea," have become a popular escape in nature. They bring a unique variety of gorgeous landscapes, various wildlife, adventure sports, and incredible scenery. Sometimes people are lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time, to see unique natural color combinations that can blow their minds.

This gorgeous national park is one of the least visited in the country, even though it's America's largest. It rises from the ocean all the way up to 18,008 ft. Mount St. Elias. It's bigger than Switzerland as it stretches from one of the tallest peaks in North America to the ocean. The park's remote backcountry is pure wilderness. You will find some of the largest volcanoes in North America in Wrangell St. Elias. Glaciers cover over 25 percent, or approximately 5,000 square miles, of the park.

Contrasting colors are just one reason why people are drawn to the park's beauty. Another is the more than 2,000 natural stone formations unlike anywhere else in the world. Visitors love the 3-mile round-trip trek to Delicate Arch and the Fiery Furnace Walks, which are a real gem. The Arches is also one of the best parks for camping, with 50 campsites in the park's Devils Garden Campground area.

Cyclists will find themselves right at home in this park full of routes, leaves and a festival dedicated to fall biking. The more than 500 miles of trails will keep you entertained. Even if the roads are closed, Shenandoah National Park is always open. Visitors can enter on foot for backcountry camping or expansive hiking trails. Winter brings a better chance to spot all of the woodland creatures including foxes, bobcats, deer, and even turkeys.

This "hiker's paradise" has more than 700 miles of trails, which are even more serene in the fall, when the crowds of summer have left. Pristine forests, incredible mountains, stunning lakes and spectacular hikes, are just some of the many views you can enjoy. Hike Grinnell Glacier for views of beautiful waterfalls and make sure you take a ride along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, one of the most scenic roads in the country.

The spring is the best time to visit Death Valley Park because it's comfortably warm. Enjoy the beautiful borders and out-of-this-world sand dunes and peaks. Go to Dante's View for sunrises and Zabriskie Point for sunsets. This is a great park for biking. It feels like they are in a 3.3-million-acre Wild West. As you can imagine, such a huge place has hundreds of dirt and paved roads for every kind of cyclist.

Did you know that Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah is  not actually a canyon? Rather, it is a spectacular series of more than a dozen amphitheaters, each of which is carved at least 1,000 feet into the chromatic limestone. Imagine waking up and the first thing you see are the hoodoos, tall rocky spires. It's a stunning view. But this is not all the park has to offer. Hike the Fairyland Loop, the famous Rim Trail and Mossy Cave.

This is a stunning view of the rising sun over Half Dome taken from the Glacier Point. The variety of activities in Yellowstone during the winter that don't include skis is so big, can even be overwhelming. Take a sleigh ride through an elk herd in Jackson Hole or watch wolves in Lamar Valley. If you don't have a Christmas tree yet, why not cut it there? If you feel a bit chilly, then dip in a hot spring inside the park. Camping at Mammoth Campground is another great idea; it is the only one open year-round.

You should definitely add Acadia to your bucket list. More than 2.5 million people visit every year. The park has long been known for its stunningly rugged natural coastline and the best way to take it all in is from the water, making it a perfect location for paddling. Hike the famous and tough Precipice Trail. Trek to Isle au Haut and see why it's perfect for isolated camping. Cadillac Mountain is another attraction worth your time – you will see the sunrise before anyone else from there.

Yellowstone national park is one of the most famous recreational areas in the U.S. The 3,500 miles stretching from Wyoming to Montana and Idaho are the very first national park established in the world. Founded to preserve the magnificent geysers and other geothermal wonders abundant in the area, the park is also haven for threatened and endangered species.

This is the most visited national park in the U.S. for several years in a row. This park has it all—more than 800 miles of hiking trails, world class diversity of animal and plant life and a rich history that dates back several centuries. While any of those would be a great reason to visit the 522,419-acre park, most people take in the view from the scenic highway that runs along the mountains. This is also one of the most gorgeous parks.

From snow-capped mountain peaks to sea stacks on the Pacific coast, the vast expanse of protected land known as Olympic National Park has a lot to offer visitors. One such treasure can be found along the 73 miles of coastline, in the form of beaches. Even though there are no roads to spoil the natural beauty, many people make the trip into the wilderness.

The Grand Canyon is on a lot of people's "Places to visit before I die" list. If you just want to visit the park once, do in the wintertime. The soft white snow in contrast with the rocks makes one of the most incredible sunsets you'll ever see. The south rim is open year-round and not a lot of people go. Take a cell-phone audio tour. You can be anywhere on the rim and learn a lot about the canyon.

Six million acres of wild land in Alaska is cut by only a single road and is home to the tallest peak in North America—Mount McKinley. The 20,320-foot-tall mountain is just one of the park's amazing features; people come from around the world to experience the array of wildlife and America's last wilderness. Moose, wolf and grizzly bears are just three of the 39 documented species of mammals in the park; there are also 169 species of birds and 14 species of fish.

The Everglades made the Top 4 in the best national parks ranking this year. And there is a good reason for it – the wildlife is incredible; you can't just take a boat tour to see crocodiles and dolphins anywhere, or go hiking with the chance to see turtles and alligators along the way. The park, which is a World Heritage Site and an International Biosphere Reserve, protects an unparalleled landscape that provides an important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species.

The 40-mile long mountain range and rivers won't disappoint if you are looking for a unique display of stunning colors year-round. Seven morainal lakes run along the base of the range, and more than 100 alpine lakes can be found in the backcountry. Set just 10 miles south from Yellowstone, Grand Teton National Park provides ample opportunity for taking photos of large wildlife and dramatic landscapes.