Best National Parks in the US

The parks classified under limestone formation are actually the best bet among the classified US National Parks, as I see it. This is Carlsbad Caverns, one of the oldest and most famous cave systems in the world. These are a full days drive from any of the other major attractions in the Southwest, but are well worth the long journey - they have several vast underground chambers, up to 250 feet high, filled with amazing formations of many colours and shapes.

Mammoth Cave National Park preserves the cave system and a part of the Green River valley and hilly country of south central Kentucky. This is the world's longest cave system, with more than 365 miles explored. Early guide Stephen Bishop called the cave a "grand, gloomy and peculiar place," but its vast chambers and complex labyrinths have earned its name: Mammoth.

One of the world's longest and most complex caves and 28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, ponderosa pine forest, and associated wildlife are the main features of the park. The cave is well known for its outstanding display of boxwork, an unusual cave formation composed of thin calcite fins resembling honeycombs. The park's mixed-grass prairie is one of the few remaining and is home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes, and prairie dogs.

Thousands of visitors each year come to Guadalupe Mountains National Park to visit McKittrick Canyon during the latter part of October into early November for the sensational display of fall colors. The foliage (brilliant reds, subtle yellows and deep browns) contrasts dramatically with the flavors of the arid Chihuahuan desert - century plant, prickly pear cactus, blacktail rattlers, steep canyon walls and crystal clear blue skies.

Virgin Islands National Park’s hills, valleys and beaches are breath-taking. However, within its 7,000 plus acres on the island of St. John is the complex history of civilizations - both free and enslaved - dating back more nearly a thousand years, all who utilized the land and the sea for survival.