Trace the Rio Grande as it carves Santa Elena Canyon, hike the pine-scented switchbacks of the Chisos Basin toward Emory Peak, and soak in the riverside Hot Springs while desert sunsets ignite the sky. From volcanic badlands and ocotillo flats to some of the darkest night skies in America, this far-flung border wilderness rewards dawn-to-dusk explorers with panoramic vistas, quiet hot springs, roadrunners and javelinas, and a soul-stirring sense of scale that lingers long after the trip.
Rugged volcanic cliffs, coral gardens off Ofu Beach, and rainforest ridgelines above Pago Pago Harbor create a South Pacific park where culture and nature are inseparable—fruit bats wheel overhead as waves comb black-lava shorelines. Walk village paths with respect, climb the Mount ‘Alava ridge for panoramic harbor views, and snorkel reef shallows bright with parrotfish; the mix of ocean, cloud forest, and living Fa‘asamoa makes every day feel purposeful and unforgettable.
Slip from mangrove-shadowed shorelines into a world of turquoise flats, coral reefs, and island hammocks where pelicans skim the bay and the Boca Chita Lighthouse stands watch like a stone sentinel. Snorkel the Maritime Heritage Trail over shipwreck ribs, wander boardwalks perfumed with salt and sun-warmed seaweed, and glide past seagrass meadows alive with rays and darting parrotfish—an oceanic playground that turns simple days into luminous memories.
Stand at Gunnison Point as shadow-drenched cliffs drop nearly 2,000 feet, their ebony gneiss and pink pegmatite streaks glowing at sunrise while the river thunders below like distant drums. From Painted Wall’s patterned face to Warner Point’s far-reaching vistas and the North Rim’s Exclamation Point, this Colorado chasm offers vertigo-tinged overlooks, star-splashed skies, and intimate trails through pinyon-juniper, inviting photographers, geology fans, and bold day-hikers to trace the canyon’s edges and feel its wild, sculpted depth.
Sharpened ridgelines, rainbow-striped buttes, and prairie seas unfold to the horizon, where bison move like dark commas and meadowlarks sing above fossil-rich gullies; climb the Notch for a balcony view over the White River Valley or wander the honeycombed Yellow Mounds as golden hour paints the spires apricot and rose. Come for otherworldly geology and stay for star-studded skies, easy boardwalk strolls and rugged scrambles, and the rare quiet where wind, light, and deep time write their story across the eroded wall.
Arches National Park Travel Guide Your complete Arches National Park Travel Guide for hiking, camping, lodging, food, family fun, pet services, shops, and local activities.
Stand on the rim as amphitheaters of flame-bright hoodoos—Thor’s Hammer, Silent City, endless ranks of slender spires—blush from rose to ember under desert light and a cobalt sky, then descend into cool, echoing corridors where wind sculpts sandstone into ripples and windows. From sunrise at Sunrise Point to star-salted nights at Bryce Point, this wonderland invites photographers, families, and dreamers to wander fragrant juniper paths, trace switchbacks into the canyon, and feel the hush of deep time in every glowing formation.
Layered redrock mesas, slipstreamed by the Green and Colorado Rivers, unfurl toward the horizon as sunrise flares on Mesa Arch, shadows pour into Upheaval Canyon, and the White Rim cuts a luminous ribbon around Island in the Sky. Wander among the Needles’ sandstone spires, trace ancestral rock art, and end your day beneath vast, star-flooded skies—the kind that turn a simple camp into an epic memory—while the park’s wild silence and panoramic views invite photographers, desert dreamers, and backcountry explorers alike.
Granite headlands glow rose at sunrise from Cadillac Mountain while spruce-fir forests breathe salt air off Frenchman Bay, and tide pools hiss and sparkle along Ocean Path. Trace the historic carriage roads, climb iron-rung routes to airy summits, and linger at Jordan Pond as wind scuffs the water beneath the Bubble Mountains—Acadia invites both quiet coastal wanderings and cliff-hugging thrills in one compact, breathtaking landscape.