1. Glacier (Montana)

Lying on the Canadian-United States border, Glacier encompasses 1 million acres and includes 2 mountain ranges. This was by far one of the best places I had gone on a vacation.

Going-to-the-sun-road is the main road that runs through the park and can take you just about anywhere. It's a white-knuckling car ride that peers off the side of very steep cliffs, but it's a must to drive if you're entering the park. You don't even need to get out of your car or hike to see amazing views of snowy mountaintops.

The wildlife is also very active in this park, while there we saw a few bears and more mountain goats than you could count. There's plenty of hiking to do from easy to moderate to expert, for the real adventurous people out there. The park also has white water rafting which is good sightseeing and fun all around.

You can kayak on Lake McDonald, or just enjoy the scenery.

2. Acadia (Maine)

Acadia National Park is located in Maine, south of Bar Harbor and takes up most of Mount Desert Island.

There are seven peaks for exploring and 158 miles of hiking trails. While the summer crowds make it hard to find parking, it should be a definite stop on the list.

The park is on a loop road that you could drive in about a half hour and see everything you need to, with little scenic jut-outs in the road. They suggest waking up early and driving to Cadillac mountain for the sunrise, but sunset is a little less crowded and just as beautiful.

3. Yellowstone (Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho)

The first national park in the U.S, how could you miss out!

There's an endless amount of scenes to marvel at such as hot springs, geysers, mountains, forests and lakes. Don't forget the actual natives, Bison which roam where ever they want to go and as they please. Sometimes even right down the middle of the street holding up traffic.

One thing I will say is Old Faithful, while seemingly one of the most famous attractions in the park, is a little overrated and touristy. But the rest of the park is absolutely breathtaking. There's horseback riding, white water rafting, wildlife watching, plenty of hiking and much more to do.

The snake river follows you throughout most of the park, always along the road and the Grand Tetons hover to the other side. If you're into seeing wildlife, this would definitely be the park for you. Not only are there bison everywhere but elk make an appearance along with yellow-bellied marmots and if you hike into some of the mountainsides big horned sheep.

4. Yosemite (California)

Best known for its waterfalls, Yosemite also entails grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness and much more. Half Dome towers above the park and is one of the most recognizable sights in the parks. Some people rock climb/hike all the way to its peak, but if you aren't a big rock climber or want to scale a mountain vertical there is a much easier path that walks out to a lookout, overlooking half dome.

Yosemite is also home to many waterfalls. The melted snow rushes down the side of mountains in a cascade of water that makes up these beautiful and freezing waterfalls. You can see many waterfalls from various places around the park, but one of the more famous is Yosemite Falls. Which has an upper, middle and lower cascade that you can hike to.

But one thing you cannot miss doing while at the park is walking through the grove of towering sequoias.

The giant trees tower over the ground and create a big canopy of shade. Walking among the trees gives you a sense of tranquility and quietness. You can walk up straight to the trees and wrap your arms around to really understand how big they are. To think that the trees are hundreds of years old is something you have to get used while walking around and admiring them.