30 national parks you need to visit outside the U.S.
Iguazu Falls National Park, Argentina —
Although the United States established the first national park in 1872, countries throughout the world have designated areas to protect and preserve. iReporters shared photos of the best national parks they've visited across the globe. The Iguazu Falls of Argentina's Iguazu National Park are surrounded by subtropical jungle. Across the Iguazu River, you'll find the Brazilian counterpart of this national park.
Argentina's oldest national park, Nahuel Huapi National Park, lies at the foothills of the Andes. Dirkse says a "must do" at the park is traveling through the Seven Lakes Route and camping outdoors.
You can see one of the largest archaeological sites of pre-Columbian Mayan ruins at Tikal National Park in Guatemala. "Climbing to the top of several temples is permitted and gives fantastic views of the other temples peeking over the canopy," Dirkse said. "Be sure to check out pictures of the park when it was first rediscovered after being overgrown by jungle for centuries."
Courtesy Anne Dirkse
Rapa Nui National Park, Chile —
Rapa Nui National Park on Chile's remote Easter Island, known for its mysterious, centuries-old giant statues, should be on everyone's bucket list, says Katie Van Fleet, who visited in July 2013. "I was in such awe when I stepped outside the car and saw the ENTIRE Milky Way like I had never seen it before," she wrote on CNN iReport.
Courtesy Katie Van Fleet
Torres del Paine National Park, Chile —
You can see mountains, glaciers, lakes and rivers in Chilean Patagonia from Torres del Paine National Park. Dirkse says hiking through the classic W trek will take you on a sightseeing adventure. "The mountains in Torres del Paine National Park are some of the most beautiful mountains in the world," she says.
Courtesy Anne Dirkse
Canaima National Park, Venezuela —
Canaima National Park is the second largest park in Venezuela and borders Brazil and Guyana. Joe Scarangella says a highlight of visiting the park is seeing Angel Falls. "A national park needs to not only preserve nature, but also capture the imagination," he says.
Courtesy Joe Scarangella
Galapagos National Park, Ecuador —
Dirkse says the variety of animal life in Ecuador's Galapagos National Park is astounding. She advises travelers to take a multiday boat trip throughout the islands. "Be sure to explore both the land and to snorkel, where you'll have the amazing opportunity to swim with sea lions, penguins, turtles and more," she says.
Courtesy Anne Dirkse
Cairngorms National Park, Scotland —
Cairngorms National Park is the largest park in the British Isles. Kimberli Ann Yount Goodner says you can hike through the whole park. She says one thing to keep an eye out for is a large stone on the side of a hill that reads, "Take a moment to behold, as still skies or storms unfold, in sun rain sleet or snow, warm your soul before you go."
Courtesy Kimberli Ann Yount Goodner
Goreme National Park, Turkey —
A hot air balloon trip is a popular way to take in the stunning views of Central Turkey's Goreme National Park and its unusual volcanic rock formations, known as "fairy chimneys."
Courtesy Thai Dang
Tatra National Park, Poland —
A sleigh rider is carried through the Malopolska region of Tatra National Park in Poland. Adrian Lukas Smith took this photo and works closely with the park. He says his favorite part of this region is the landscape and the Tatra Mountains, which are a natural border between Poland and Slovakia.
Courtesy Adrian Lukas Smith
Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia —
Croatia's Plitvice Lakes National Park is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe. Thai Dang says the UNESCO World Heritage Site is famous for its 16 lakes, which are arranged in cascades and are connected to each other. "The color of the lakes change from azure to green or blue, depending on the sunlight, angle or the quantity of minerals and organisms," she says.
Courtesy Thai Dang
Victoria Falls National Park, Zambia —
If you're brave enough, you can jump into Devil's Pool, just above the falls on the Zambian side in Victoria Falls National Park, as Dirkse did here. "When the water is low, you can jump into the pool, where a natural rock wall stops you just at the edge of the falls," Dirkse said. "It's an exhilarating experience."
Courtesy Anne Dirkse
Kruger National Park, South Africa —
South Africa's Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa. The park has a variety of wildlife. Dirkse says taking a safari is a great way to explore this vast park. You might even be able to see lions feasting on their kill.
Courtesy Anne Dirkse
Namib-Naukluft National Park, Namibia —
"Completely otherworldly" is how Estin Yang describes his visit to Sossusvlei in Namibia's Namib-Naukluft National Park. He and his wife camped out at the gates two hours before sunrise to make sure they could reach the sand dunes in the perfect light.
Courtesy Estin Yang
Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe —
Lauren Haupt says the elephants at Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe have a reputation for being exceptionally relaxed around humans. She says elephants walk through the camp in search of tree pods on the camp floor. "At night the elephants come close enough to rub up against the tent," she said.
Courtesy Lauren Haupt
Murchison Falls National Park, Uganda —
Heidi Meadows describes Uganda's Murchison Falls National Park as unspoiled. She says a "must-do" here is taking a ride down the Nile River. "Seeing elephants, crocodiles and hippos from that vantage point is an unequaled experience," she says. The park is known for its diverse wildlife, which has started to recover from a massacre by poachers and troops under the rule of former Ugandan President Idi Amin.
Courtesy Heidi Meadows
Halgurd Sakran National Park, Iraq —
Halgurd Mountain in Halgurd Sakran National Park is the highest mountain in Iraq. Its peak is covered with snow throughout the year. The springs and lakes around the mountain attract many visitors.
Courtesy Karwan Azeez Ahmed
Ein Avdat National Park, Israel —
At Ein Avdat National Park in Israel's Negev desert, you'll find pools of cool water among a hot expanse of desert. "My favorite feature of the park is a splendid view of the pool that mirrors the sky, the rocks and the lush scenery," Joel Camaya says.
Click the double arrows below to see more of the world's best national parks.
Courtesy Joel Camaya
Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, China —
Suds Chetty says one of the most beautiful places he has visited is China's Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Located in the Hunan Province, the park's most notable feature is the pillar-like rock formations that are the result of erosion caused by the moist weather.
Courtesy Suds Chetty
Naejangsan National Park, South Korea —
South Korea's Naejangsan National Park is named after the Naejangsan Mountain. Sampa Guha Majumdar says the park is beautiful to visit in the fall when the leaves are changing colors. She also says the park's Buddhist temple attracts many visitors.
Sri Lanka's Minneriya National Park was originally a wildlife sanctuary. During the dry season, elephants are attracted to the park's grass fields. Besides elephants, which Geshan Weerasinghe says are the biggest highlights of the park, visitors can also see deers, bears, peacocks, birds and buffaloes.
Courtesy Geshan Weerasinghe
Sundarbans National Park, India —
India's Sundarbans National Park is in the Indian region of West Bengal and is adjacent to Sundarbans Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. The park is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger and in the water you'll find plenty of saltwater crocodiles.
Courtesy George Kreif
Bannerghatta National Park, India —
Speaking of crocodiles, Sujay Govindaraj photographed some basking in India's Bannerghatta National Park. A portion of the park is dedicated as a biological reserve for animals and plants in the region.
Courtesy Sujay Govindaraj
Bandhavgarh National Park, India —
Bandhavgarh National Park in India has a large leopard breeding population, and has the largest tiger population in India. Not a fan of big cats? Well, you can also say hello to the various Asian elephants roaming through the park.
Courtesy George Kreif
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia —
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia is home to one of the largest sandstone monoliths in the world. Anusha Mookherjee says the park feels incredibly spiritual. From her experience, the best time to visit is at sunrise or sunset. "It is extremely stunning at sunset when the rocks glow a deep, fiery red," she said.
Courtesy Anusha Mookherjee
Blue Mountains National Park, Australia —
Australia's Blue Mountains National Park is home to the Three Sisters sandstone peaks, towering amid the cliffs of the Jamison Valley. Take a walk from there into the rain forest, where you're surrounded by waterfalls, says Brandon Braun, who visited in 2008. "The quiet and peacefulness of the area is enchanting."
Courtesy Brandon Braun
Paparoa National Park, New Zealand —
Paparoa National Park is on the South Island of New Zealand and is known for its coastal forest, limestone cliffs and canyons. When Michael Zamecnik was visiting, a thunderstorm swept over the area. "By the time we reached the heights above the cliffs of the coastline, I finally got the opportunity to take a photo of how majestic the coast actually looked," he said.
