22+ Awesome Hiking Spots in North America’s Parks
It’s no secret that US parks have some of the best hiking in the world. They represent our nation’s physical extremes. Denali, the tallest mountain in North America, towers 20,310 feet above sea level in Denali National Park and Preserve. In the lower 48, Sequoia National Park’s Mount Whitney is the tallest peak, measuring in at 14,505 feet at the summit. Just 85 miles away, Death Valley National Park contains North America’s lowest point: Badwater Basin, sitting 282 feet below sea level. In Kentucky, Mammoth Cave National Park lives up to its name as the home of the world’s longest known cave system, encompassing more than 400 miles of passage — about the distance between Chicago and Nashville — mapped so far. Also below the surface, the deepest lake in the US can be found at Crater Lake National Park, which reaches 1,943 feet or so at its deepest point. From summiting 14,000-foot peaks, to ducking down into deep canyons and walking peaceful riverside trails, the Centennial State has something for everybody.