The 17 Most Beautiful National Parks in the World, From Yellowstone to the Serengeti

These diverse landscapes serve as a beautiful reminder of why our planet is worth protecting.GettySome places are beautiful for one specific reason: a beach at sunset, a mountain perfectly reflected in a lake, a rainforest humming with wildlife. But national parks offer something broader. By definition, they protect entire landscapes and ecosystems—drawing a line around expanses we’ve collectively decided are too precious to lose.For travelers, having a list of designated wonders is also an easy way to know exactly where (and how) to see some of the world’s most incredible forces of nature. That could mean rafting under waterfalls in Argentina, ballooning over fairy chimneys in Türkiye, ice caving in Iceland, or hiking for three days to reach a wildflower-filled valley in India.There are many thousands of national parks around the world, so the trickiest part is narrowing down the list—but these 17, spanning six continents and encompassing an extraordinary range of scenery, are a good place to start.GettyLençóis Maranhenses National Park, BrazilAt first glance, Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an enormous white desert—but this vast expanse contains multitudes. The park’s sand dunes are striped with turquoise and emerald lagoons (which accumulate during the rainy season), creating the effect of infinitely repeating oases. Book a five-hour bus ride from São Luís for a surreal swim break.Iguazú National Park, ArgentinaThis park protects the Argentine side of the enormous Iguazú Falls (Iguaçu National Park is a hop over the border in Brazil), a system of some 275 roaring cascades deep in the rainforest. The bombastically—but fittingly—named Devil’s Throat is the standout waterfall here. Admire it from one of the walkways, or ride a speedboat right into the spray.A powered paraglider with a colorful canopy navigates through a narrow desert canyon at Cabo Pulmo National Park, Baja California Sur, Mexico. The aerial perspective shows the pilot threading between eroded rock walls.GettyCabo Pulmo National Park, MexicoWho says national parks have to be in the mountains—or even on land at all? Located on the tip of Mexico’s Baja California Sur peninsula, Cabo Pulmo is a coastal wonderland of quiet beaches and rock formations—but its true appeal lies under the surface. Just offshore, the brilliant Pacific waters protect a vast coral reef system teeming with sea turtles and swirling schools of zooming jacks.Yellowstone National Park, United StatesChoosing just one US park is a near-impossible task, but Yellowstone takes the narrow lead. Not only was it the first designated national park in the country (and, by most accounts, the entire world), but its geological diversity can’t be beat—within its 2.2 million acres, you’ll find mountains, canyons, geysers, rainbow-gradient hot springs, and more.GettyBanff National Park, CanadaThis one’s no surprise. Banff National Park is one of Canada’s shining stars, beloved for its staggering views of the Rockies and glacial, almost impossibly blue lakes. Lake Louise, Moraine Lake, and Lake Minnewanka are all standouts, equally lovely when reflecting sunshine in summer and frozen over in winter.Namib-Naukluft National Park, NamibiaNamib-Naukluft is the Namibia you came for: burnt-orange sand dunes, blindingly white salt pans, and the eerie skeleton trees of Deadvlei. It’s a little bit Mars, a little bit Fury Road, but an absolute original that has no peer.GettyTsingy de Bemaraha National Park, MadagascarMadagascar is one of the world’s hardest-to-reach countries, which makes its landscapes feel even more immaculate. Case in point: the Tsingy de Bemaraha National Park. Famous for its forest of limestone needles jutting into the sky, the park is almost terrifying in its beauty—though lightened by the fact that the Malagasy word “tsingy” roughly translates to “where one cannot walk barefoot.” Noted!Serengeti National Park, TanzaniaThe Serengeti occupies an almost mythical space in our collective mind. The Great Migration, in which millions of wildebeest move across the plains, is one of Earth’s greatest natural shows. But even in stillness, the region is magnificent—golden grasslands rolling beneath the open sky, with acacia trees punctuating the otherwise endless horizon.GettyVatnajökull National Park, IcelandIceland is known as the land of fire and ice, and no place better encapsulates that dramatic epithet than Vatnajökull National Park. Its eponymous glacier and accompanying ice caves dominate the scene, but active volcanoes simmer beneath the freeze, and rivers of meltwater cut through the terrain. It’s a true study in contrasts, both elemental and chromatic—brilliant blue ice, inky black rocks.Las Salinas de Torrevieja National Park, SpainYes, it really is that pink. Torrevieja’s salt lagoon gets its hue from microorganisms that release red pigments in saline conditions—an imperceptible process that yields magnificent results. It’s an Instagram darling, sure, but it’s also a place to appreciate nature’s inner workings and see the world through bubblegum-colored glasses.GettyPlitvice Lakes National Park, CroatiaPlitvice Lakes National Park may not be hidden, but it sure is a gem. Sixteen interconnected lakes cascade through the forest, linked by a series of waterfalls and natural travertine barriers, and ranging in hue from brilliant turquoise to deep blue and green. Make your way through the selfie-snapping crowds, find an empty spot on one of the wooden walkways, and just stand in awe.Valley of Flowers National Park, IndiaThe name pretty much says it all: During the summer blooming season, Uttarakhand’s Valley of Flowers transforms into a huge natural garden, with wildflowers blanketing the alpine meadows in a riot of color. Getting here requires a lengthy trek (we’re talking several days) through the Himalayas, but the effort just makes the visual payoff that much sweeter.Top down view of the hiking trail in the famous Love Valley between Goreme and Uchisar in the Cappadocia region of TurkeyGettyGöreme National Park, TürkiyeGöreme is defined by Cappadocia’s fairy chimneys, which are about as magical as they sound. The mushroom-shaped rock structures, carved over millennia by volcanic activity and erosion, are best viewed from above—namely in the basket of a hot-air balloon. Set your alarm and time your ride to sunrise, so you can be the first to watch the landscapes awaken for the day.Kelimutu National Park, IndonesiaThree lakes, three wildly different colors. Kelimutu National Park’s bodies of water shift at the whims of the minerals and gases beneath the craters, so you never know exactly what shade you’ll see when you arrive—red, blue, green, or black. It’s as if Mother Nature is wearing a trio of mood rings.GettyZhangjiajie National Forest Park, ChinaLocated in China’s Wulingyuan Scenic Area, Zhangjiajie boasts thousands of jagged sandstone peaks that rise dramatically over lush treetops—and when mist shrouds the valley below, they almost seem to float above the clouds. (Look familiar? The park famously inspired the Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar.)Fiordland National Park, New ZealandFiordland National Park showcases some of New Zealand’s most striking features, all in one space: mountains, rainforests, waterfalls, and deep glacial fjords. Many visitors zero in on Milford Sound, the undeniable star attraction; but there truly are no bad views here.Tourism & Events NTUluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, AustraliaFew landmarks are as recognizable as Uluṟu, a sandstone monolith rising from an otherwise flat and open desert. The rockface changes color depending on the sun’s position—ochre during the day, blazing orange and pink at sunset, and purple at twilight.Caitlin Morton has been writing about travel for a decade, with bylines in Vogue, Travel + Leisure, AFAR, TripSavvy, Real Simple, and more. She enjoys baked goods, Ireland, orange nail polish, and horror movies. One time she held the door open for Ian McKellen, which is as close to fame ... Read More