A slot canyon and conical rock formations eroded from layers of volcanic debris.

Not many names conjure up such emotion like Death Valley does, although the valley has quite a vibrant history. Only a two hour drive from Las Vegas, this is one of the more accessible National Parks, but is only the 19th most visited. Encompassing more than 5000 square miles, the park is larger than Connecticut and is the largest U.S. National Park outside of Alaska.

Possibly the most recognizable icon of the Southwest. These monoliths have been featured everywhere from the Roadrunner cartoon, to Mario Kart, to Forrest Gump. Although these monuments are synonymous with the American desert, the valley is actually a Tribal Park on the Navajo Nation near the border of Arizona and Utah.

In 1872 Yellowstone became the first National Park in the world, and for good reason. The natural wonders contained within the border of the park are like the greatest hits of public lands. Mountains, canyons, waterfalls, wildlife, and an assortment of geothermal phenomena let you experience the majesty of the natural wonders found within this beautiful country.

As the name implies, this incredible astronomical instrument is a very large array of twenty seven enormous radio antennae scattered across the New Mexico desert, scanning the heavens day and night for faint radio signals.

Massive sandstone natural bridges span White Canyon, carved by water that periodically runs through it. Kachina Bridge spans 204ft, 210ft. above the canyon. Owachomo Bridge is 180ft. long and 104ft. high. Sipapu Bridge (the 13th largest in the world) spans 255ft and is 220ft. tall. Owachomo is at risk of falling, since it is only 9ft thick at its center and this area is prone to earthquakes.

Most “normal” sand dunes are made of grains of quartz and feldspar, but these are not your average dunes. Comprised of gypsum crystals (the mineral in drywall), these unusual white dunes sparkle under the desert sun. At over 200 square miles, White Sands is by far the largest of its kind in the world.

White Sands is the newest U.S. national park.

A marvelous maze of canyons stretching across eastern Utah. Second only to the grand canyon, this massive expanse of cliffs was carved by the Green and Colorado Rivers. Three distinct districts (Island in the Sky, Needles, and the Maze) are comprised of spectacular rock formations sculpted by the force of wind and water.

Sulfuric acid from petroleum deposits deep underground aggressively eroded the ancient fossilized reef, built in the Delaware Sea by sponges and algae more than 250 million years ago, leaving behind the gigantic caverns contained within the park. An enormous variety of spectacular stalactites and stalagmites cover the caverns’ floors and ceilings.