Lesser-known US national parks

AFTER Yellowstone, find inspiration at these quieter but equally inspiring national parks in America.

Yosemite Waterfall US parks escape

AFTER Yellowstone, find inspiration at these quieter but equally inspiring national parks in America.

Yosemite National Park, California

In 1861, a photographer named Carleton E. Watkins lugged equipment weighing a tonne into Yosemite Valley and began taking pictures of the mammoth granite mountainsides, gigantic sequoia trees and cascading waterfalls that he found there.

His photos were so striking that some say they single-handedly invented the concept of conservation, compelling Abraham Lincoln to declare the area the world's first protected space. And a visit to Yosemite today still backs up Abe's decision.

The valley itself contains some of America's finest natural wonders: the Half Dome crest, Yosemite Falls, El Capitan monolith and the granite Royal Arches. Visit Hetch Hetchy Valley, too now a reservoir, it matches Yosemite Valley in terms of the visuals but is much less crowded. The wildlife is equal to the location: bears, marmots, raccoons, even the odd mountain lion.

- Make it happen

Charges apply for entry ($US20 a vehicle, see nps.gov/yose). There are campsites around the park. Or try historic Wawona Hotel (yosemitepark.com). The nearest international airport is San Francisco International, a four-hour drive away. 

Arches National Park, Utah

Come to Arches National Park at sunrise or sunset and the desert starts to glow. This remarkable configuration of more than 2000 naturally formed sandstone arches and sculptures burns orange and blood-red in the soft light, lending this Martian landscape an even eerier hue.

This is the US at its most primal, the harsh beauty of the eroded figures reflected in the names given to different areas of the park: Devil's Garden, Salt Valley, the Fiery Furnace. Yet despite the fierceness of the land here, the park is surprisingly accessible.

Most of the key monuments, such as Balanced Rock a 3500-tonne boulder sitting precariously atop a 16m-tall pedestal of rock the alluring Delicate Arch or gravity-defying Landscape Arch, can be reached by paved roads and short hiking trails.

 Make it happen

The only accommodation is at Devil's Garden Campground: 52 sites are reservation only, while 24 are first-come, first-served (recreation.gov). The park is open 24 hours a day (vehicle entry $US10; nps.gov/arch). Arches, 8km north of Moab, is a four-hour drive from Salt Lake City. 

Channel Islands National Park, California

California's version of the Channel Islands might just pip the British ones to the beauty post. It's an archipelago of five islands off the Santa Barbara coast, covered in terraced mountainsides, torrey pines and sandstone canyons.

The isolation of islands such as Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and Anacapa has meant they have developed a unique natural environment. Such is the rarity and scientific value of some of the wildlife here, from seals to foxes the size of cats, and the wild flowers that make spring the optimum moment for a visit, that the islands have been nicknamed California's Galapagos. One of the US's least-visited national parks, the Channel Islands are an irresistible spot for those in search of escape.

- Make it happen

Anacapa is an hour by boat from the mainland, and is best for day trips. Santa Cruz is good for overnight visits, hiking, camping and kayaking (nps.gov/chis). Tour boats leave from Ventura Harbour, off Highway 101 (islandpackers.com). 

Zion National Park, Utah

Upon arriving at Zion National Park after a long journey through the Utah desert, it's not difficult to understand why a group of Mormons, the first European-Americans to discover this place, named it after the Promised Land.

The Virgin River that carved out a vast canyon over the course of millennia also turned its base into a green oasis.

The hiking here now is simply extraordinary.

Exploring the hanging gardens and sheer walls of The Narrows, regularly ranked as one of the US's most exciting treks, means literally walking through the water, while the water-filled giant potholes of the Many Pools trail are dreamlike in their surreality, glimmering turquoise against the red rock.

The Angels Landing Trail is justly famous, too 8km long and 400m high, with sheer drops the whole way.

- Make it happen

Charges apply for entry to the park ($US25 a vehicle; nps.gov/zion).

The Scenic Drive is a good introduction to Zion. Between April and October, tours are by hop-on shuttle buses only. Zion Lodge is a rustic motel with great views (zionlodge.com). 

Glacier National Park, Montana

The cut-glass mountains, creaking glaciers and pristine ice lakes of Glacier National Park, on the border with British Columbia, epitomise the far end of the US's wild spectrum.

A more different landscape from the red-raw southern parks would be hard to imagine.

Most visitors, not surprisingly, head straight for the Going-to-the-Sun Rd, an 85km national treasure of a route taking in Hidden Lake and the Garden Wall, a sheer bank of towering mountains that splits the park in two and is covered with wild flowers in summer.

Be sure not to miss Many Glacier Valley, a series of meadows, pine forests and crystal lakes that makes for some exceptional hiking treks.

White mountain goats, known for their dexterity in precipitous rocky grounds such as these, are the official symbol of the park.

- Make it happen

Overnight hikers need a permit from the Apgar Backcountry Centre and charges apply for vehicles (admission from $US10; nps.gov/glac). Many Glacier Hotel offers panoramic views and a fine-dining restaurant (glacierparkinc.com).