America is not only the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the casino in Las Vegas. This is also a unique nature. Occupying almost half of the mainland, the USA has a huge range of natural and climatic conditions. In the United States, you can find hot arid deserts and moist evergreen forests, harsh mountain landscapes, and endless expanses of grassy plains or dense forests.
Visiting natural attractions will be a great idea for a family trip in the USA, while a rental car is the most suitable means of transport for your adventure. So, book a spacious 10 passenger van rental and start planning your trip right now. In the meantime, we will tell you which natural wonders of the USA you can visit.
Sequoia National Park
The park is famous for its huge trees. When one such giant fell, they made a tunnel in it so that cars could drive through it. The 80-meters-high General Sherman tree with a trunk diameter of 11 meters is the largest tree in the world — you will truly be amazed when you see it. Also, you will certainly remember the huge cones hanging on it.
As soon as you enter the park, it will seem to you that the trees were planted by Gulliver. Indeed, there was even a hypothesis that no one cut down the trees as they are very tall. You won’t find a place like this on the entire planet, so be sure to include this natural wonder in your usa car trip.
Tip: Before visiting the Sequoia National Park, think carefully about what to wear. The air temperature is unstable, and it’s very often cool there.
Yosemite National Park
This is a really huge nature reserve that is interesting to explore with a rental car. The most wonderful views in Yosemite are at Glacier Point – you need about an hour and a half to get there. In winter, the mountains are covered with snow, which will further enhance your impression of the surrounding landscape.
Yosemite is a great place not only for trekking, outdoor activities, but also for quiet relaxing walks with children.
Tip: if you are traveling there without a guide, then add 20% to the planned budget. You can arrange walking tours to famous tourist sites on your own, but if you want to take a more difficult route, you definitely need a guide.
Monument Valley
Want to see the real Wild West? In the Monument Valley National Park you will find it unadorned. Rocky towers that rise above the rusty red sand are one of America’s hallmarks. Countless rocks with unique relief surround the desert. It’s very spacious here, so there’s nothing to do without a rental car.
This miracle of nature arose under the influence of various elements millions of years ago. Initially, a huge plain stretched here, which was then carried upward by tectonic shifts. Most of the exposed rocks collapsed under the influence of rain and wind, but some survived and eventually took on fantastic shapes, vaguely resembling towers, spiers and cubes. The landscape that opens up to the eye is so majestic that it becomes clear why many Indian tribes considered this territory sacred.
Tip: The best time to take pictures of Monument Valley is in the early morning or before sunset. The light strikes the rocks at different angles in an unusual way, which gives inaccurate effects to your photos.
Antelope Canyon
Another USA natural miracle was named because of the special color of the walls, which look of the skin of an antelope. This canyon is a real Mecca for professional photographers and seekers of new sensations. The intricate shape of the rocks and the special play of light create unique conditions for photo-shooting.
If arriving there in a rental car, you can freely choose locations for photography. The canyon, which consists of several sections, is a giant crevice in sandy rocks that arose in the course of natural processes. Over the centuries, the wind carved depressions in the pliable red sandstone, and rains flooded the canyon, complementing the work that the architect-wind didn’t have time to do. Slowly flowing down and carrying away grains of sand, storm waters have adorned the interior of the caves with graceful relief lines for many years.
Tip: go to the Lower Canyon. When crowds of tourists walk in Upper, fine sand will fall on your head.
Death Valley National Park
In fact, there’s nothing fatal there. The name appeared after the famous crossing of the first gold diggers, during which only one person died. Death Valley is a striking example of the diversity of our planet. Due to the high temperatures, this place is often compared to a huge hot frying pan surrounded by mountains.
All that you will see there is unique, wild, pristine nature, diluted with ghost towns. So, the high and old Eureka Valley enchants with smooth curves of waves of golden-cream sand. The stones moving along the bottom of the dried lake are also look amazing, as they leave trails behind them. The Ubehebe Crater is no less striking sight, resembling a huge stone flower, decorated with stucco molding of colored salt.
Tip: prioritize when choosing a date for your visit to Death Valley. From June to October it’s hot there, but few people. However, the peak of the tourist season falls on the cold winter months and spring.
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