British Guy Reacts To 25 Best National Parks in the USA (Part 1) 

Europeans often discount the US, and, say there's "no history". Nothing could be further from the truth. North America was inhabited for 100,000 years before the first colonizers came here. There's LOADS of history here, just not Euro-centric history.

They really undersold how hot Death Valley is. Not only is it THE hottest place in the US, but it’s also where the hottest temperature on Earth was ever recorded.

The United States is the only Country that has Every Single Biome within it's borders. From Mountains all the way to Plains, from Deserts all the way to Rainforests. We even have Jungle with Hawaii, and Tundra from Alaska. Pick your favorite Biome, and we have a place for you.

“So you guys just have a bunch of different planets in your country” 😂😂

I live near Mount Rainier National Park and this video didn't do it justice. I do think most people don't realize how lucky we are to have such varied landscapes in one country.

LOL! I think she should have said 90 "miles" of trails around Crater Lake, not 90 million! You'd think she'd stop and think about that and realize it about a million times too much!

There are bears in Redwood National Park, but they are Black Bears, which are almost never dangerous in the 48 contiguous states. They come into my coastal garden in SW Washington State occasionally, and other than eating apples or damaging my bird feeders, they aren't a problem or threat.

3:11 “I much prefer greenery” My friend, as someone born and raised in central Arizona I can tell you you’d be shocked how green the desert can get when it’s springtime after a particularly rainy winter You literally see green and colorful wildflowers everywhere, carpeted on the ground and sprouting on all the trees and cacti 😅 Looks lovely, wreaks havoc on those of us with pollen allergies But then when summer comes and it’s 40C it all dries up and makes for wildfire kindling 😅

We are so fortunate in the US to both wonderful National Parks and also amazing State Parks 😊

A good follow up to this would be the Best State Parks, by Geography King. The federal (National) government cannot protect all the beautiful landscapes, so States have designated and support State Parks. Geography King loves kayaking and highlights many parks for that reason.

Since I don't think they said it. Acadia is up in Maine and is absolutely beautiful. If you're planning a visit to the USA, I'd recommend starting out in the northeast (no grizzly bears) and working your way out from there. Acadia is a great starter and there are tons of State Parks as well up and down the eastern coastline states and you could easily fill many vacations with fun activities.. BUT at some point you really should go out west and see the giant redwoods and even some of the desert areas.

If you enjoy this one and get a good view count, check out state parks. Some are 10s of thousands of acres. I live in Shawnee. The forest is 65,000 acres and park grounds over 1,000 acres. Pretty much outside of most cities in the US, drive anywhere from 30-50 miles outside the city beyond the suburbs and you are in the country and sometimes wilderness area.

I've been to Mesa Verde before, you can still see the old soot on the cave roof above what used to be fire pits thousands of years ago.

I live near the Shenandoah Park and I can tell you the only editing they did was making the park look small. The park is 311.2 mi² and 70 miles long. The cabins and the history are interesting but the mountain views are breathtaking. Elevations range up and down from 550 feet at its lowest elevation to over 4,049 feet at its highest atop Hawksbill. Some trails are easy and others are basically bolder scrambling.

I tell this to every Brit who reacts to this, but don’t sleep on desert biomes. If you can visit them on cooler days, they’re fantastic for hiking, sunsets, stargazing etc. The desert is beautiful in its own way, even if it’s not “conventional” beauty like wooded/forested areas that most people seem to prefer. If you can’t handle the heat, that’s completely fair, but the southwestern US has its own kind of beauty that you can’t find in other regions of the US. Even if you’re convinced that deserts aren’t for you, if you ever have the opportunity to visit the Grand Canyon, you definitely should. You truly won’t regret it.

Those rocky, Marscape parks have really amazing mountain bike trails and tours. Crater Lake is a bit of a museum piece, lots of looking but nothing to really do except hike or drive around for different views. There is a warm spring that people splash around in, between the island and the shore. But as deep as it is, you can see all the way to the bottom, and the lake is highly conserved against water sports and fishing. Only the glass bottomed boat tours go out. Redwoods are far bigger in person. Acadia National Park is in Maine, part of New England, so I'm not surprised it reminds you of England, as it did the area's settlers. Death Valley is freakishly hot, arguably the hottest place in the World, easily above 50°c in the summers (in the shade), never really cooling as much as you'd expect at night. The campgrounds have showers and I spent a lot of time soaking myself down. Besides the National Park System and that federal conservation, there are also 6,000+ state parks across the country which individual states have deemed worthy of conservation. Many of those are just as beautiful and accessible as the National Parks, but have less notoriety and are visited less frequently. For instance, all of the coastline is public land in the state of Oregon, open for people to enjoy -- I find that far more compelling than Crater Lake National Park, also in Oregon.

I know you said multiple times in the vid you don't really like desert biomes, but if you EVER get the chance to visit The Grand Canyon in Arizona...you will never forget it. And please do the other half even if you don't reach 300. (I did my part lol)

Sequoia Is special to me. The park entrance is only 30 minutes from where I grew up. I have the giant Redwoods several times.

Acadia National Park is in the state of Maine along the Atlantic Ocean.

I know that you said that you don’t like deserts, but that being said. If you ever go to the US and visit the west, you can go to many of these places without it being too hot as long as it isn’t in the middle of the summer, it will obviously be very dry, but you might actually need a jacket or a coat. Also, it’s not surprising that you felt the NE looked like Europe, because geologically speaking, it kind of is. The mountains there are the same mountains that are in the northern portion of the uk, only they got moved far away due to the plates moving.

The Redwoods is the most magical place for me. Something about walking under the massive ancient canopy in the forest is life changing.

99.9% of Bear encounters are Benign. Most bears found in the lower 48 States are Black Bears far less Dangerous than Brown Bears aka Grizzly bears. Brown bears are found in Wyoming, Montana and Alaska. I've come across Black Bears numerous times and have never felt truly threatened, I've been stalked by a Mountain Lion for over a quarter mile the whole time I was walking backwards away from the Lion. The only animal I've ever been "attacked" by was a Badger. I always carry a Firearm when in the "wilderness"

That cabin belonged to my cousin's great grandfather and the Hensley Settlement. It was built in the mid to late 18th century and then given over to the National Park Service when they bought the land for preservation.

BritishGuy, this is Chihuahuan (Desert, as well as the Mexican state in which it's located.) At 3:02 is another cactus species in Saguaro--cholla, i.e., CHOH-ya. My personal suggestion for foreign visitors is to try out biomes that aren't found in your country, such as deserts and swamps. She way understated when she said Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the USA, in that it holds a world record which was set in a place 200 ft. below sea level. She was "goofy as a $3 bill" when she said there are 90 million trails at Crater Lake--3 times the distance to the moon. What she should have said was 90 miles of trails. Acadia is on a coast, but not the sea, as in Caribbean or Meditteranean, but Ocean--Atlantic, to be specific. The Acadian French of eastern Canada next to Maine are the forebears of Louisiana's Cajuns. One of the Redwood state parks is where the speeder bike scene from Return of the Jedi was filmed. Grand Teton is about 1 hour south of Yellowstone. The Redwoods are taller, but the Sequoias are bigger by volume.

When there is a good rain, Death Valley blooms with wildflowers in the early spring. Many parts of California have wildflower treks when we have a good rain year.

8:20 pretty sure they meant to say 90 miles of trails.

The grand Tetons is far and away my favorite place on earth. It’s mine blowingly beautiful

You've got some of the "biggies" left, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Kenai Fjords, Smoky Mountains, Zion, Glacier. Pretty much all of the US NP's are awesome, and the variety makes it even better.

It's just something about swimming in a lake on top of an active volcano that's just relaxing

I live near crater lake and this video really underrated the park by a mile it should have been inside the top 10 it's truly amazing to see in person and you can swim in the lake but only in the summer time

Glad you like the giant redwood trees, the UK has been importing and planting them for years. Someday Brits can admire them locally. 😀

I have been to Death Valley...in July. Don't go in July. But it is striking in its own alien way. Sequoia National Park is a must...those trees are beyond amazing. Scoot on over to Yosemite while you are in the area...it is breathtaking.

We certainly are lucky with the wide variety of natural beauty that we have, but it can be expensive and time consuming just getting to some of these depending on where you live. For example, for me to get to Sequoia National Park I would have to fly nearly 6 hours (if I get the one direct flight from my city on a budget air line out there, or 8-11 hours if I have to transfer on a better airline) for $500+ (if you want to bring 1 bag). Then I would have to rent a car and drive 3 hours and 45 minutes to get to the entrance of the park. Or I can take a 9-12 hours flight (including stops) to a closer smaller airport and then only have to drive 1-2 hours in a rental car. It's on my list to get to for sure, but it is certainly significant money and time to make it happen (especially with how few vacation days we get from work compared to Europe). That being said, I have been lucky enough to get to 10 so far (and see 2 from a distance, I guess).

I lived and worked at Death Valley during the summer, yes, it does look like that and yes it's hot as F*** At one point it was 134°. They also filmed some of Star Wars (original trilogy) there. Also lived and worked in Yellowstone, My all time favorite park 😍😍😍

"What is this??" (about Mesa Verde) - All of the Southwest is full of old Anasazi Native American ruins and petroglyphs. The Anasazi are a vanished civilization. They lived in the Southwest for more than 1,000 years. Then, within a single generation, they were gone. Between 1275 and 1300 A.D., they stopped building entirely, and the land was left empty.

We went to Death Valley one time ... and that day it rained for the first time in 20 years ;-)

As an american im with you on avoiding the heat and going to the woodlands with waterways lmao

Thanks for making this video. I'm from Ohio but have traveled to some of these places. If you ever come to the US but had to choose just one, I recommend going to Yosemite. Reason is that you could fly into San Francisco or San Jose and drive only about 3 hours to get there. At Yosemite you can rent a cabin or sleep in a tent, stay overnight and enjoy all the greenery and mountainous beauty of the area. You can hike from the valley floor to the peak of the grandest mountain (El Capitan, I think it's called), in just a few hours' time. I'm sure the Grand Canyon is surreal, but my preference is Yosemite and I think you'd enjoy it too. Also, I would recommend capping off your trip with a short excursion to Muir Woods, just outside of SF. I sincerely hope you get there, happy travels!

I was raised in the desert but we never camped there in the summer; it’s much too hot. The best times to experience the desert are spring and autumn.

If you like to hike check out the hike up Angels Landing in Zion National Park or the hike up Half Dome (using the chains) in Yosemite National Park.

Your "different planets" comment is quite appropriate for a Star Trek fan like myself. There's a reason that even in the '60s, they could stay within the nation and somehow portray many aloen planets.

I’ve gone to many of these parks but my Rainier the most it’s truly a beautiful place, with a peak of 14,415ft it’s a challenging hike but I’ve done it with my Boy Scout troop

Shenandoah is not edited it's beautiful!

Death Valley is hot in summer, but the weather in early spring and late fall is quite pleasant.

We are indeed fortunate to have so many incredible and large national parks and it can take a life time to see them all.

Hot desert areas you visit in late fall, winter, early spring... Just like in mountains you visit late spring, summer, early fall... Unless you love the heat or cold you avoid the extreme temperature months. Most coastal parks you can visit almost anytime. Crowds are the biggest probems for most parks.

If you like trees and forests so much, I think you're writing the deserts in the USA off too quickly. Those deserts are created by the weather patterns around mountain ranges near them. And those mountain ranges are usually within view of the deserts. Like... Moab, Utah is just this HUGE redrock desert. It's beautiful and almost otherworldly. But within thirty minutes of Arches National Park, you can rent a Jeep and be on Mount Tukuhnikivatz of the La Sal Mountain Range, where you'll be surrounded by a seemingly endless Pine and Aspen forest. Even Death Valley is bounded on the west by the Panamint Range and on the east by the Black, Funeral, and Grapevine mountains of the Amargosa Range.

You will no doubt be blown away from our national parks here in the U.S.

The G isn't silent. But the pronunciation may make it seem like it is. Also something Europeans usually don't understand is just how big and varied the US is. Most Americans will never even see their whole country. It's over twice as big as the whole EU and 40 times the size of the UK. It's also why many Americans don't have passports.

My family has hiked so many trails in the western US at many of these national parks. The only time we ran into dangerous wildlife was while a wildfire was going on nearby and messed up the animals normal habits. We ended up with bears on a really well-traveled, busy trail and had to go back up the mountain. They don't want to get any closer to us than we want them near us, though and they ran off the trail eventually.

The desert isn’t immune to seasons. There are also different types of deserts and here in the US non are alike. I live in Utah where it’s a red rock desert like in Arizona and Colorado. Not all are baron. The summer is when is hot , spring and fall it’s mid range temps and it winter it snows and it’s absolutely freezing. And that’s in California ( yes it snows in California) as well as Arizona and New Mexico. Cacti covered in snow messes with your head and it’s beautiful.

In fact I and my 4 kids took a road trip to Crater Lake in July '21 and swam in the lake. Granted its a 800 ft hike down from the rim bit there are plenty on people swimming (well, taking a dip)... maybe 30 people at a time. It's cold though for sure!

Operating within the national park system are our “national seashores”. There’s one just north of Jacksonville Florida. You can only access via a ferry that leaves Saint Marys, Georgia. It’s known as Cumberland Island. Cumberland Island national seashore is around 20 miles long home to what was a massive Carnegie family mansion that was set ablaze in the 1950s. The island also has century old stands of Live Oak trees, so dense that you almost aren’t aware when it’s raining. There is also a. massive stand of hundred year old pine trees! There is an abundance of wildlife, wild pig, deer, raccoons and alligators! A number of horses were released in the early 1900s and are now wild and protected. Because of the lack of predators, no wolves, no panthers no bears the national park service tried introducing bobcat in the 1990s. I’m not sure any still survive, so in order to keep the deer and hog population down There is a brief annual hunt. That’s absolutely necessary. Cumberland Island shoreline is fascinating. The Atlantic (eastern) side is absolutely pristine gets more than its fair share of shells with probably the cleanest beach around. The western shoreline is even better, with amazing views of the intercoastal waterway and massive lengths of seagrass estuarial waterways. There’s three different spots that the ferry boat dropped people off at dates and times vary so check ahead you likely also need reservations they do permit camping the number of nights and locations on the island are by permit only . My family has spent many days visiting Cumberland Island coming over as day trippers overnighters, and five day backpacking excursions all different all fun. Important note, there are a lot of ticks on Cumberland Island, some that carry Lymes disease. I recommend backpackers avoid April through October. Also, make sure to check yourself over very carefully, however and whenever you visit. Don’t let anyone convince you that the tix are safe they are not, however, don’t be paranoid and avoid the place just remove them before they get buried and you should be fine. Do bring adequate drinking water as much of the island is primitive and lacks plumbing. Note Plum Orchard about halfway up main road does have excellent, drinking water however, the national park service sometimes recommends that water be boiled. There’s excellent water at the most northern campground at Brook Hill Bluff, accessible via pitcher pump. . I would guess the island has around 60 miles of hiking trails. If your day tripping, you probably only have time because of the ferry schedule to cover the southern most 12 miles. The ferry that takes you to the island is the same that brings you back. If you miss it there’s no Plan B. You’re gonna be stuck. So arrive early! The starting and ending point is the pretty and quaint town of St. Mary’s Georgia. The path to the island is on the Saint Marys river, which flows from the east side of the Okefenokee national park to the ocean. At the very end of its trip, the fairy turns north into the intercoastal waterway. If you look to the south, you’ll see across the now very large Saint Marys river to Fort clinch State Park in Fernandina Beach Florida. Fascinating. Well, Cumberland Island, national seashore lacks the huge mountains, massive vistas and expanses of other national parks it more than makes up with it with a stunning canopy of Live Oak, blue of the ocean, pristine beaches, and much more!

All garter snakes are harmless. Me and my siblings used to go out to the garden to catch them. Mom would always tell us to let them go cause they kept the insect and slug populations down in the garden.

It sounds like you would enjoy a vacation starting in Seattle. Mt. Rainier is right there, but you can travel east for many miles through the lush Cascadia National Park and mountains. Once you go over the mountains however, it is a good days drive to get through the arid eastern half of Washington State. However, it is worth doing because you enter the Rockies in Idaho and Montana, and you will love Glacier National Park in Northwest Montana.

I am 320. Looking forward to the last 12. I am an ArmybBrat and as such lived all overcthe USA. Therenis a redwood tree in Northern California that has a highway running through it. My dad took me camping in the Grand Canyon. It has it's own weather system.

You say "right up my street" and we say "right up my alley!" Neat!

I traveled through 13 states this summer, most of the west of America, and pictures do nothing justice. It really is the prettiest country imo

honestly death valley was my absolute favorite national park experience

Fun fact, the eastern U.S. has old mountains and the west has some of the youngest. Also Death Valley has the lowest point in the U.S. and is only about an hour away from the highest point which is in the Sierra Nevada, one of those young ranges. California also has the tallest trees on earth, the largest living things on earth(Giant Sequoia) and the oldest living things on earth(bristlecone pine).

Death Valley has the highest recorded temperature in history at 134°F (56.7°C)

Hello from Maine. I live an hour from Acadia National Park. Hope you get the chance to visit some day.

Saguaro cacti don't even start growing arms until they're 70-75 years old. I've seen them that looked like an octopus.

The desert biome isn't for everyone, but in the winter, it's beautiful. We're even getting a nice rain at the moment. In Phoenix and Tucson we usually get a frost a few times per winter, but otherwise it's quite pleasant. During the day it's usually 55-80°F (12-26°C) Out in the desert it can get much cooler at night, and if we want to visit the snow, we can drive 1 hour up into the mountains. There's even a ski resort. But in the cities, I only ever wear a hoodie and maybe a long sleeve shirt, tho I wear flip flops year-round. (I have causal flip flops, and dressy flip flops for church, etc.) I met a UPS driver that hadn't worn long pants on 3 years since he moved from Wisconsin to AZ, but I'm not that hardcore. I found your part 2 video first. If you come in the winter or early spring for a longer visit you can knock a bunch off your list, and the weather is much nicer. There's lots of direct flights from London to Las Vegas, do a few days there, then rent a car (most have unlimited mileage) and do a big loop seeing the Area. Start with the Grand Canyon, then Sedona, the cliff dwellings at Montezuma Well (not as big as Mesa Verde, but not as busy either), Phoenix, Tucson, Tombstone, and Saguaro National Park. Then head back north, take a picture in Winslow, AZ (from the Eagles song "Take It Easy"), maybe see the Petrified Forest and/or painted desert, 4 corners, then hit the parks in Southern Utah: Arches, Bryce Canyon, and Zion. (The "Mighty 5" also includes Canyonlands and Capitol Reef Parks.) Zion National Park is very close to the freeway that will take you right back to Vegas, completing the loop.

My first time watchine, Joe, the British Guy... looking forward to it.

The park you said was your favorite was Acadia in Maine (New England) my home state. Very similar to parts of the UK.

The singular and plural for many horned, antlered animals are the same; deer, moose, elk, sheep, caribou, antelope. The odd one is goat and goats.

I live a 3 hr drive from Acadia, it's in Maine. I absolutely love it ♥️

I've been 4 wheeling in saguaro. Its really cool and its more beautiful than you'd think

Redwoods and Giant Sequoia's were brought to the UK in the 1800's. Check 'em out....they're all quite large.

The Saguaro cacti are enormous

the united states is a *_VERY_* diverse place. culturally, ethnically, geologically, ecologically, socially, etc. don't believe for one second that it can be summed up in a simple manner.

I kinda understand when you said you couldn't handle the heat of the desert. I've told my hubby that moving anywhere North of the equator from Salt Lake City, UT is a divorce able offense. It can just GET too cold for me. Bbbuuut. You do know we have 4 seasons here. (Most places even if they don't fall in the "right" order). If you don't like the Heat don't go there in the Summer... I LOVE visiting Arches Canyon lands Dead horse Point both in the heat of summer and everyother season.

The US is the most diverse country in the world when it comes to Biomes. From tropical to frozen tundra

Acadia is a must!

Just subscribed today, great stuff! If I could make a request, you should watch Tyrann Mathieu's LSU highlights, dude was a maniac even as a freshman

This is why Americans don't travel abroad, it would take 2 lifetimes to see America properly.

I live in Acadia, on the island! it is the most beautiful place I know!

Don't have to worry about bears in the Redwoods, just mountain lions.

i’ll never own a passport… i’ll never need one

I work in sequoia national park and it's beautiful place.

Death Valley boasts of the highest recorded temperature in the world ever at 134 degrees F, in 1913

Acadia is in Maine and yes its the ocean also lakes and ponds

Don’t forget college bowl games are going on also

Even the lower 48 are so big you there are vastly different habits from desserts that get a few inches of water a year to and over 100°f during the day in the south and below 0° and we have already got 100 inches of snow this year

May I suggest 25 most beautiful destinations in America from the same sight: touropia.

Acadia is in Maine... please come visit!

Some desert areas are not always hot.

Mesa Verde is amazing.

Big Bend has incredible diversity 😂 It's renowned as a destination place for people from all over China, Sri Lanka, Africa, India, and other nations to illegally cross from Mexico into the United States. Surprisingly I don't think the area is heavily trafficked by people from Mexico and further south, who choose crossings closer to urban areas.

Saguaro is an Indian word, from from a Native tribe in Mexico. It's the name of those funny looking cactus. Mesa Verde is Spanish. Mesa means table, and Verde means green.

The deserts here are not hot outside of mid summer. Most of the year they are very cold, below freezing, maybe 9 months of the year.

Saying no to anything desert is a disaster… I’d choose desert over anything. They never do them justice in these videos. Especially for places like big bend National park

Love your channel i know and follow Ancient Apocalypse made by my favorite Brit "Graham Hancock" ✌️👍👍

Video idea, top 25 college football fight songs it is by All Sport Central

You like Tennessee team in Knoxville and close by is smokey mountains. Can get cabins as good as a house.$..good food and people... go fishing but don't try to pet wild critters.

Don’t discount the southwest national parks because they are not green. Try a few days touring Arizona, Utah. I grew up in Colorado and love the mountains. I now live in Vegas and also love Zion, Grand Canyon, Sedona, and even Death Valley.

Ninety million trails at Crater Lake makes no sense to me.....and I am from Oregon.

If you are not into deserts or bears I can't think of a national park you can visit, maybe the Everglades but I think Alegators will keep you away. However a little common sense concerning wildlife will keep you safe but bioms are a matter of personal preference

Mt. Rainier is not the highest mountain in the contiguous U.S. as the video stated.