West

South Dakota is famous for wide-open prairies and the famous presidential faces of Mount Rushmore National Monument. The state boasts a wealth of national parks and wildlife areas such as Custer State Park, where 1,500 bison roam free, and Badlands National Park, which contains the world’s richest mammal fossil beds dating back more than 28 million years. The Missouri River bisects South Dakota and contributes to the state’s ranching and farming industries. 

Despite the many ways it has been parodied on screen from “Mars Attacks!” to Family Guy, Mount Rushmore National Memorial near Keystone, South Dakota continues to stand as an important tribute to the American forefathers that attracts 2 million visitors per year.

The giant granite carving that cost almost $1 million and took more than a decade to complete features the heads and busts of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The site initially generated controversy, as it was seized from the Native American Lakota tribe and sculpted by Gutson Borglum, an active member of the Ku Klux Klan; but today the monument is considered a tribute to American history and leadership.

Get inside the presidents’ heads with a trip up into the chamber carved into the rock behind their faces, which contains copies of the Constitution and other documents. Hike along the Presidential Trail, pause to watch a movie about the monument’s history at the amphitheater at the Lincoln Borglum Museum and stick around till dusk for the evening lighting ceremony.

Its creepy name came from Native American and French descriptions translating to “lands bad” and “bad lands to travel.” But the spectacular scenery of the deep canyons and fragile spires, especially at sunrise and sunset, is well worth a visit.

Of all the national parks, the Badlands is the one that contains the largest size of protected prarie ecosystem. It’s also considered to be one of the richest mammal fossil beds in the world. Check out a prairie dog town, camp out under the stars, go horseback riding, hike any of the handful of trails, or visit the Big Pig Dig (the fossilized remains of an ancient pig-like mammal).

Yellowstone National Park gives the impression of a stew left on a low boil—full of geysers, hot springs and other thermal features—geological forces are constantly bubbling to the surface. Located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small areas in Utah and Montana, Yellowstone boasts thousands of years of history and lots of heat. Packed with over three hundred geysers and plenty of wildlife, the park is the ultimate destination for backpackers, bikers and families.

The expansive park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and was the world’s first National Park when it was set aside in 1872. Dodge bears, elk, wolves and other beasts—just don’t stumble onto a geyser! Gawk in awe at Old Faithful, the park’s most famous geyser, which erupts about every 91 minutes. Camp out with the family or take a break at one of a dozen dining rooms, restaurants and snack bars.

Hoards of visitors descend on the park every year to see the park’s iconic wildlife. So many grizzly bears, elk and bison roam Yellowstone, even travelers who never leave their cars are likely to snap a photo of bison or bear, and for those willing to hike into the park’s interior, a glimpse of a wolf is a possibility. Despite the occasional crowds, the rugged beauty of the landscape and the richness of the area’s ecology mean few leave disappointed.  

Grand Teton National Park, named for the tallest mountain—over 13,000 feet—in Jackson Hole, Wyoming’s Teton Range. With more than 200 miles of hiking trails, Grand Teton National Park makes up part of the Rocky Mountains.

Just south of Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton celebrates nature daily. The Park’s most popular features are the Jackson Hole Valley, Burned Ridge (glacier) and the Snake River. The mountain climate contributes to a drastic temperature range in the area—from -43 degrees Fahrenheit to 93 degrees. In colonial times, the area served as a major hunting and fur-trading  grounds; but erosion and other geological factors have kept the mountains “under construction.”

Skip the zoo and get a close-up look at some of the park’s diverse plants and wildlife: moose, coyote, black bears, evergreens, reptiles, bison. Take a stroll along some of the park’s trails and enjoy being outdoors.

Calling all adventure-seekers: Idaho has outdoor thrills aplenty. Choose from world-class whitewater rafting along more than 3,000 miles of Idaho rivers, extreme rock climbing at locations like City of Rocks National Reserve, and limitless backcountry and mountain resort skiing during the winter.

Idaho also boasts a diverse cultural arts and history. Visit the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail to view one of the toughest stretches of the famous explorers’ route. Idaho’s capital, Boise, offers interesting museums like the Basque Museum and Cultural Center, the Boise Art Museum and the Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial, located in Boise’s Cultural District.

Other interesting Idaho communities include the lakeside resort towns of Coeur d’Alene and McCall, and Idaho Falls, which lies along the route to Yellowstone National Park.  

Seattle, Wash., is the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. Located between Puget Sound and Lake Washington, and overlooking Elliott Bay, Seattle is nicknamed The Emerald City. The city is a damp green gem, with an abundance of evergreen trees throughout and spectacular views of the Cascade Mountains to the east and the Olympic mountains to the west. Known for being the home of the Space Needle, Microsoft, Boeing, Amazon.com and Starbucks, not to mention grunge music and fashion, Seattle is also the home of a vibrant arts scene and an excellent park system.

Seattle boasts a number of museums including the Seattle Art Museum, Museum of Flight, the interactive Pacific Science Center and Experience Music Project, designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. The city is also home to many parks from Golden Gardens Park on the Puget Sound, which offers spectacular views of the sun setting over the Olympic mountain range on clear days and still allows bonfires on the beach, to serene Volunteer Park in Capitol Hill, home to the Seattle Asian Art Museum and a conservatory, to the 20-acre Japanese style Kubota Garden in South Seattle.

Oregon is the West Coast’s wild wonderland of outdoor recreation and dramatic landscapes. The mighty Cascade Mountains are the state’s central backbone, and offer amazing hiking, camping, fishing, skiing and more; Cascade is home to seven national forests, magnificent peaks like Mount Jefferson, and other natural attractions including Crater Lake National Park. The northernmost peak in the Oregon Cascades is Mt. Hood, which features fantastic skiing at Meadows Ski Resort.

To the west, the Oregon Coast offers wide, empty beaches, small coastal communities and seaside attractions including the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport. Another Oregon wonder, the majestic Oregon Dunes roll across almost 50 miles of the state’s central coast. Eastern Oregon features wide open spaces, dry desert landscapes and spectacular rock and mountain formations like Steens Mountain.

And don’t forget Portland—the pretty City of Roses offers great nightlife, an extensive selection of microbreweries, art and science museums (like the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) and the Willamette River runs through it.

San Francisco, a bustling, cosmopolitan city in northern California, is the centerpiece of the Bay Area, well-known for its diverse ethnic and political communities, hilly terrain, world-class restaurants and scenic beauty.

It is the home of the ‘50s beat generation, the ‘60s flower power students, the ‘70s gay rights movement, the ‘80s culinary revolution and, of course, the ‘90s technology boom. Today, the city remains the epicenter for all things cyber and is on the leading edge of the sustainable food movement.  

Ride a cable car, walk across (or windsurf under) the Golden Gate Bridge, scribble poetry in a North Beach café, shop at the hip boutiques along Union Street, check out the latest exhibit at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, see an opera, then club-crawl through cyber-cool South of Market.

So much to see and do, it’s no wonder why Tony Bennett left his heart there.

Yosemite National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains in east-central California. Yosemite is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia groves and biological diversity. The 750,000-acre, 1,200 square-mile park contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles of streams, 800 miles of hiking trails, and 350 miles of roads.

Physically fit travelers will enjoy hiking the park’s many trails and footpaths. Check with rangers for trail conditions; snow and hazards from falling rock close many trails in winter. No permits are required park-wide for day hikes. The valley also offers some of the most challenging and spectacular rock climbing in North America, with vertical faces more than  3,000 feet tall. There are still commercial horseback-riding concessions in the Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows areas.

For cross-country skiers the park offers over 350 miles of trails, with 90 miles of marked trails and 25 miles of groomed trails originating at Badger Pass. Downhill skiing options include 10 runs at Badger Pass. The majority of these runs are for beginners and moderate skiers, so thrill seekers may wish to ski elsewhere.

Los Angeles is the heart of the second largest metropolitan area in the U.S. While it's most famous for Hollywood, the center of the film and television industry, that is just one aspect of this sprawling and highly diverse city.

The Los Angeles metro area has been a "boomtown" since the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1876 and has long been a gateway of immigration from throughout the Pacific Rim and Latin America. L.A. is a sprawling megalopolis including smaller cities, such as Santa Monica, Burbank, Pasadena and Long Beach, which retain distinct identities. Geographically, there is very little logic as to what is part of the city of L.A. For example, Hollywood is not a separate city, but adjacent West Hollywood is.

You can find some of the biggest tourist attractions in the city on Hollywood Boulevard: the Walk of Fame for its stars; Grauman's Chinese Theater, with its celebrity hand and foot prints; the Hollywood/Highland Plaza for shopping and entertainment; the Wax Museum; and Ripley's Believe It or Not. All of these attractions are accessible from the Hollywood/ Highland Metro Red Line station.

Griffith Park is the second largest park within a city in the entire country and is a great place for hikes or picnics. The hiking trails lead up to Mulholland Drive and provide stunning views of the city. Visitors can also enjoy the beaches, several excellent museums (such as the Getty Center, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Museum of Tolerance) and root for a number of pro sports teams.

No visit to Southern California would be complete without a visit to the Magic Kingdom; Disneyland has been making dreams come true for decades. Disneyland, located within Disneyland Resort, is divided into eight "lands" with different themes, such as Fantasyland, Critter Country, Mickey's Toon Town and Tomorrowland. The park is open 365 days of the year. Holidays are some of the busiest times for the park, so plan accordingly. Hours can change according to the season, so be sure to call or check the website before planning your trip.

Nevada, which means “covered in snow” in Spanish, is the seventh largest state in the United States. It is nicknamed the “Silver State” after the vast number of silver deposits found there and mined by early settlers. It is a geographically diverse state with the Mojave Desert in the south, the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range on its western border with California and the Great Basin in the North. Over 85 percent of Nevada’s land is owned by the federal government and used for both military and civilian purposes.

While visiting Nevada, tourists can see many sights from the bright lights of Las Vegas and Reno to the red rock formations that seem to dot the state’s unique landscape.

At Great Sand Dunes National Park, you can climb 13,000 foot mountain peaks, splash in the snow-melt streams and creeks, or sandboard down the tallest dunes in North America. The 58th U.S. national park was established in 2004, and encompasses more than 150,000 acres, including wetlands and grasslands that surround the dunes. The dunes lie on the site of an ancient lakebed; as it dried, opposing winds blew the leftover sand against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the San Juan Mountains creating the stunning vertical dunes you see today.

Activities include birdwatching, horseback riding, hiking, backpacking and bison tours. Great Sand Dunes National Park is accessible and offers wheelchair dune buggies as well as accessible campgrounds, including one backcountry campsite.  

The Grand Canyon in Arizona, is not the largest, nor the longest, nor the deepest canyon in the world. However, the gorge cut ages ago by the Colorado River earns its name not from its size, but from its spectacular beauty and awe-inspiring vistas. And, it’s still unimaginably large. In fact, the canyon is so big that one can usually find a peaceful spot to contemplate this behemoth of a landmark, even with five million visitors a year at Grand Canyon National Park.

The colorful layers of rocks exposed in the Grand Canyon are old, 2,000 million years by some estimates. The park itself seems infantile by those standards, although it is actually one of the oldest national parks in the country, designated as such in 1919, three years after the creation of the National Park Service. However, it was first afforded federal protection in 1893 as a Forest Reserve and later as a National Monument. The stream of visitors has been steady ever since, with most arriving at the South Rim, which is 30 miles and is accessible by park roads. For those wanting to forego air-conditioning, the Grand Canyon offers amazing hiking, from short loops on well-maintained trails to serious and lengthy treks through the wilderness.

Zion National Park, in southwestern Utah, attracts more than 2.5 million visitors per year: Most visitors come for the eight-mile main canyon, where the visitor center is located and popular trails begin. Although the park is open all year, spring is the most pleasant time to visit, when the waterfalls are at their peak.

Expect a varied landscape—from multicolored sandstone to deep gorges to waterfalls. Navigate steep paths that lead to hanging gardens and deserts. Keep an eye out for all kinds of wildlife, including falcons and quail. Get your kids excited about wildlife and their environment through the park’s Junior Ranger Program, which takes place twice daily. Challenge yourself on the park’s most famous hiking trail, the 12.5-mile stretch called The Narrows; but come prepared—you’ll need a permit.

Named after the pioneer Ebenezer Bryce, Bryce Canyon National Park is located in southern Utah. Bryce Canyon became a national park in 1924 and is known for its horseshoe-shaped rock amphitheaters that consist of limestone pinnacles or “hoodoos” that were formed by ice and rainwater.

To see the natural rock formations, visitors can drive or hike to some of the park’s best viewpoints including Bryce Point, Sunrise Point and Inspiration Point. Visitors can also go horseback riding past the diverse plant species that vary in the park’s three climatic zones: spruce/fir forest, ponderosa pine forest, and pinyon Ppine/juniper forest. While walking along the trails like Bristlecone Loop Trail and Mossy Cave Trail, you may spot some of the park’s range of animals, which includes 100 species of birds, mountain lions and Rocky Mountain elk.

While Bryce Canyon National Park alone has plenty of natural scenery to discover, visitors can also explore the nearby parks such as Arches National Park, Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Canyonlands National Park. 

Located in Utah, Arches National Park consists of a collection of over 2,000 natural sandstone arches. The rock formations are over 5 million years old within the park’s 76,518 acres, and can be toured by hiking or backpacking along many of the trails in the area, including the Devils Garden Primitive Loop and Windows Trail. From the trails or by driving through the park, visitors can spot popular attractions including Balanced Rock, Delicate Arch as well as Double Arch which was featured in the 1988 film, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

For overnight stays in the area’s natural surroundings visitors can opt to stay at the Devils Garden Campground, which is open year-round and has over 52 campsites. During multi-day trips, visitors can explore Arches National Park through various outdoor activities like mountain biking along the less crowded Salt Valley and Willow Springs roads or rock climbing for a birds-eye-view of the arches and canyons. To see more natural wonders, visit some of the nearby attractions including Canyonlands National Park, Natural Bridges National Monument and Glen Canyon National Recreation Area.

The entire Rocky Mountain National Park, in Colorado, is situated above an elevation of 7,500 feet. At least 60 mountains in the area are higher than 12,000 feet, and the highest point (at 14,259 feet) is Longs Peak.

In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson signed the legislation establishing Rocky Mountain National Park. Visit in winter and tour the park by cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. Pack a picnic in the spring and check out the alpine flowers after the snow melts. Or scout out lakeside wildlife with the kids in summer. From camping to fishing, hiking to horseback riding, viewing wildlife to just taking in the scenery—the park has something for everyone.

At Great Sand Dunes National Park, you can climb 13,000 foot mountain peaks, splash in the snow-melt streams and creeks, or sandboard down the tallest dunes in North America. The 58th U.S. national park was established in 2004, and encompasses more than 150,000 acres, including wetlands and grasslands that surround the dunes. The dunes lie on the site of an ancient lakebed; as it dried, opposing winds blew the leftover sand against the rugged Sangre de Cristo Mountains and the San Juan Mountains creating the stunning vertical dunes you see today.

Activities include birdwatching, horseback riding, hiking, backpacking and bison tours. Great Sand Dunes National Park is accessible and offers wheelchair dune buggies as well as accessible campgrounds, including one backcountry campsite.