U.S. Destinations Showcase Diverse Natural Wonders

Guadalupe Mountains National Park in West Texas preserves the uplifted remains of the Permian-era Capitan Reef and offers demanding hikes, including the route to Texas’s highest point. Bellevue Beach Park in Northern Kentucky provides a quiet Ohio River setting with views toward Cincinnati and a community-park atmosphere. Kaniksu National Forest, spanning parts of Idaho, Montana and Washington, is known for its mountain lakes, old-growth trees, wildlife, hiking and water recreation. In Washington’s Olympic National Park, acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton’s One Square Inch of Silence project highlights the Hoh Rainforest and the effort to protect natural quiet from aircraft noise. The National Park of American Samoa, spread across three islands, combines rainforests, volcanic landscapes, Samoan communities and coral reefs, with opportunities for hiking and snorkeling.