One of the greatest natural treasures in the United States is the expanse of protected national parks. Since the formation of Yellowstone in 1872, America has set aside the best it has to offer for the whole country to be able to enjoy. The variety of these National Parks is only beaten out by the sheer beauty that they hold.

1. The Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming is an extremely rugged block of nature. The Snake River makes its way through the park and is a popular trip for experience river sportsmen. Although there are over 200 miles maintained for hiking, it is recommended that novice and beginners participate in guided tours.

2. Crater Lake National Park in Oregon is surrounded by volcanic peaks, rolling mountains and evergreen forests. It is the deepest lake in the United States (measuring 1932 feet deep). The area is covered by snow for much of the year and the roads to the park are usually by late fall. Back packing the trails requires a permit.

3. Glacier National Park in Montana is another cold site to visit. Around 750 miles of trails are maintained by park rangers, but remember that the land is wild. You will be sharing your experience with black bears, grizzly bears, and wildlife of many other varieties. It is a great place for cross country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. Backcountry camping is allowed, but you need a permit and should also obtain safety information as well.

4. Mt. Rainier National Park in Washington may be best known for its 14,410 foot summit, but there is much more to the park. The Wonderland Trail is a 90 mile hike that encircles the famous mountain. Most roads into the park are closed by late November due to snowfall and only one camp site is open all year long. The park is exciting and challenging for outdoor enthusiasts of all levels.

5. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming is the best known around the world. It was the first national park ever created and consists of 3472 square miles. It is full of wonders, wild animals and adventure.

There is so much beauty to be found through out the United States. Just touring the many national parks could take a life time. They offer a chance to see wildlife and landscapes that have never been touched by the effects of modern man. Start your adventures in the National Parks of the Northwest.

Cave exploring has become a favorite adventure activity for many Americans. Whether you’re taking a short, self-guided or guided tour of a commercial cave, or engaging in advanced spelunking of non-commercial caves, there’s just something magical about entering a cave. The feel of the cave air, the smells, the quite, the utter darkness when the lamps are turned off.

In caving you will discover the beauty of nature and marvel at rock formations and crystals that took thousands, and even millions, of years to shape and develop. Caves come in different shapes and sizes. There are caves that are horizontal, dry, hot, humid and sandy, while others are vertical, cold, flooded and muddy. There are even caves that are located under rivers and seas.

Another great thing about visiting a cave is that you are able to step back in time a bit, as many caves have served as dwellings for early humans, offering shelter from the outside elements. Another interesting thing about caves – when you’ve toured one, you’re going to want to tour another. Luckily there are numerous caves to explore in America that can keep you busy year after year. Let’s take a look at several which offer guided and self-guided tours perfect for the whole family:

Mammoth Cave National Park – Kentucky

Since 1816, visitors have toured Mammoth Cave, one of the world’s longest and most famous cave systems. The name Mammoth was coined not from the prehistoric wooly mammoth, but because the cave system is so huge – more than 365 miles of it has been explored so far.

Cave tour prices range from $4 to $45 and include tours for all levels of experience, from a 30-minute, self-guided discovery tour to a 6-1/2 hour “Wild Cave Tour” for more advanced cavers which involves free-climbing cave walls and crawling through areas as low as 9 inches high. Temperature inside the cave usually stays around 54° Fahrenheit year-round.

Jewel Cave National Monument – South Dakota

Located just east of the Wyoming border, Jewel Cave is considered one of the best caves in the National Park system, and number three on the list of longest caves in the world! Much of the cave remains unexplored today. But tours inside the cave offer breathtaking walks and intense caving adventure. Aside from stalactites and stalagmites, several varieties of bats reside inside the cave especially during winter.

Jewel Cave offers three different tour packages, each requiring a different level of experience. The easiest tour is the Basic Tour, which most people should be able to manage. Of course, you have to remember this is a cave, so there will be some steps to climb. On the Basic Tour there are 723 steps to manage, but you don’t have to climb them all at once, they are interspersed throughout the 1/2 mile tour. The next tour in difficulty is the Historic Tour which enters and leaves the cave through an historic entrance and views the cave from an unpaved trail. You will carry lanterns on this tour, which is considered strenuous. Children under 6 are not allowed on the Historic Tour. For the experienced cavers, Jewel Caves offers a Spelunking Tour, a 4 to 5-hour tour which snakes through 2/3 of a mile of the Cave. You are provided a headlamp by the park service, but you must provide all your other equipment. In addition, you must be over 16 and pass a number of tests before being allowed on the Spelunking Tour, including proving the ability to wriggle through an 18″ X 24″ passageway. Needless to say, people with a fear of heights or claustrophobia definitely won’t be comfortable on this tour. Reservations are required for the Spelunking tour.

Kartchner Caverns State Park – Benson, Arizona

Located in the southern part of Arizona, Kartchner Caverns was discovered in 1974 by cavers and purchased as an Arizona State Park in 1988. What’s cool about Kartchner is that it’s a “living cave,” in that the formations inside are still growing. It also contains 13,000 feet of passages, boasts one of the world’s longest soda straw stalactites – 21 feet 2 inches, and is in near-pristine condition. Typical of most caves, Kartchner Caverns has its share of bats. In fact, during the summer the Cave’s Big Room becomes a nursery roost with over 1,000 female bats.

Meramec Caverns – Stanton, Missouri

Like your caves on the commercial side? Then you’ll love Meramec Caverns, which has a gift shop inside the entrance of the cave. In fact, Meramec Caverns is the largest commercial cave in Missouri, which is known as the “Cave State” due to it containing over 6,000 surveyed caves. In addition to its natural history, Meramec Caverns has some interesting recent history, as legend has it that the cave was used as a part of the “Underground Railroad” to aid escaping slaves. Legend also has it that Jesse James and his gang hid out in the caves after committing train and bank robberies.

Meramec Caverns also has the distinction of having a ballroom inside the caves which hosts many private and public events, such as an Easter Sunrise Service. The ballroom is an interesting combination of chairs, sound system, lighting and, yes, limestone and stalagmites.

Other Missouri Caves and Caverns

As long as you’re visiting Meramec Caverns, why not check out some of the other caves in Missouri? Some notable ones include:

Fantastic Caverns – Springfield, Missouri

Fantastic Caverns is considered “America’s Ride-Through Cave” and is great for seniors, physically-challenged individuals and people with small children because you don’t walk though the cave, but, rather you take a jeep-drawn tram through the cave.

Marvel Cave – Branson, Missouri

Again, if you like your caves on the commercial side, then Marvel Cave is for you. Marvel Cave is another “living cave” with formations that are still growing, and is now part of Silver Dollar City, an amusement park with over 30 rides and attractions, the cave being one of them.

Mark Twain Cave – Hannibal, Missouri

The Mark Twain Cave was discovered in 1819 and is Missouri’s oldest show cave, providing tours to the public for over 114 years. The cave is named after “Mark Twain,” the pen name of Samuel Clemens, who explored the cave quite frequently and wrote about its wonders. Again, legend has it that Jesse James and his gang hid out in the caves.

If you’re looking for something interesting and unusual to do with your family on your next vacation, do consider visiting one of the many fascinating caves that America has to offer. You may discover a passion you never knew existed.

America is known as a cultural ‘melting pot’ because so many people of different colours and creeds have gravitated to this large continent over the last century.

Among the immigrants who call America home are Hispanics from Cuba and Latin American as well as a Muslim and Jewish population.

A collection of 50 states (not including the capital of Washington D.C where the President lives), North America is known as the United States of America, or just ‘The States’ for short.

The largest of those states is Alaska, most of which is an icy wilderness and a superb place to go fishing and enjoy nature.

Texas is also a massive state, almost a country in itself and home to huge cities such as Houston and Dallas.

California on the west coast of America has long been thought of as a promised land because of its bounteous terrain which includes mountains, rainforests and a spectacular coastline.

Even further west are the gorgeous Hawaiian Islands which are renowned for having beautiful beaches, azure waters and world class surfing. Hawaii is home to amazing animals such as albatross birds and whales.

The Pacific north west states of Washington and Oregon have fantastic forests and trendy cities such as Seattle and Portland.

The eastern seaboard states are known as New England, the area where the pilgrims first landed at America. They are Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

Below them, leaning towards the tropics, is the state of Florida which has many well known cities including Miami and Tampa and is home to Disney World and other big theme parks.

The Mid Atlantic states of America are New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York with the latter having one of the world’s most culturally diverse and intensely populated cities.

Within the middle of America there are a number of states whose geography is defined by the massive Rocky Mountains range. They are Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado and Montana, and these states are all wonderful places to experience the great outdoors in various national parks.

Conversely there are five Great Plains states and Oklahoma, Nebraska, Kansas, North Dakota and South Dakota are mostly flat with extensive prairies and forest land.

Another major area of America is known as the Midwest and includes the states of Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota. Car hire Chicago is the best way to see the Midwest.

The largest grouping of states is probably the southern states of Arkansas, Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, Memphis, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina. The southern states produced some of the world’s most recognised musicians such as Elvis Presley and B.B King and have also given rise to their own unique kitchen.

The states of the south west of America such as Arizona, New Mexico and Nevada have also influenced American culture because they are home to large population of Mexican Americans. The state of Utah is most famous for being the home of people of the Mormon religious faith.

Rhino car hire USA is the cheapest and most enjoyable way to do a road trip across this huge country.