There are countless parks in the world, which contain many national parks.
What are some of the most popular national parks in the world?
1. Torres del Paine, Chile
There's an iconic picture in Patagonia of ice-covered granite towers reflected in a gleaming blue lake that you may be familiar with - even if you've never heard of it.
The unique Cordillera del Paine, worn into steep fragments by glacial erosion, is the central landscape of the park.
2. Wadi Rum, Jordan
The lunar-like terrain of the Wadi Rum Desert is so transcendent that the reserve has been the setting for Hollywood science fiction films, including The Martian, Prometheus, and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Many visitors come here just to experience what it's like to be among the dunes, but the park is also full of history, with people having inhabited the area since prehistoric times.
You can visit campsites in rocky canyons and peruse ancient petroglyph inscriptions.
3. Gunung Mulu, Malaysia
Temporarily closed to visitors
This is the longest cave in Southeast Asia and the largest cave chamber in the world, large enough to swallow a giant combat plane.
The only way to get in here is by plane, and you'll learn from above just how big and pristine this tropical jungle is.
4. Australia Kakadu
Although the Blue Mountains are Australia's most visited national park, Kakadu is the largest.
It covers more than 20,000 square kilometers, with high cliffs juxtaposed with endless plains, waterfalls cascading down to form natural waterfall pools, swampy wetlands, and wildlife-filled bushland.
Saltwater crocodile viewing is a highlight, but the biggest draw of Kakadu is one of the highest concentrations of rock art sites in the world. There are some 15,000 galleries, some of which are 20,000 years old.
5. Iceland Vatnajokull
Here you'll find this remote island famous for all its natural wonders: glowing ice caves, bubbling waterfalls, and glaciers you can hike.
Most of these attractions are relatively easy to reach from Iceland's ring road. Created in 2008, this park has an oversized area of over 12,000 square kilometers, making it the largest national park in Europe.
6. Tongariro, New Zealand
Home to the real-life Mount Doom from The Lord of the Rings, Tongariro National Park has dual World Heritage status for its cultural and natural significance.
The park offers the opportunity to summit an active volcano, where three volcanic cones and a series of sulfur pools can be seen.
7. U.S. National Parks
There are ancient giant redwoods, Yosemite Falls (one of the highest waterfalls in North America) with a 2,425-foot drop, and sheer granite cliffs that tower like skyscrapers over the meadows of the Gosiera Valley.
All of these national parks have unmissable scenery and are worth a visit.
