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The World's Top Ten National Parks

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Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. Rick Smith photo.

Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary. One of the world's top ten national parks? Photo by Rick Smith.

Most Traveler readers know that Yellowstone National Park is considered to be the world’s first national park. Some, though, might not know that more than 130 nations have established parks or protected areas within their boundaries.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature counts more than 100,000 such areas around the world. Some of these areas are inscribed in the United Nation’s list of World Heritage or Biosphere Reserve sites.

Since it is unlikely than anyone will ever visit all 100,000, we want to invite all Traveler readers to help us pick the best national parks or other protected areas outside the United States. I am going to start the process by letting you know what five of mine are. For each of your areas, please submit a brief description of the resources of the area and the circumstances of your visit. We are going to let this run for a little while to see if we can’t figure out what the best 10 or 15 are from your point of view. The one rule is that you have to have visited the area.

Fiordland National Park, New Zealand

I was blown away by this park. We took a boat trip on Milford Sound. The waterfalls, the glaciers, and the fiords were spectacular. Although we only visited the sound, there are 14 fiords that define the shoreline of this World Heritage Site. I visited Fiordland following the 4th World Congress of the International Ranger Federation, held in Wilsons Promontory National Park in Victoria, Australia. It was interesting to be in a park where elk are considered an exotic species and need to be eliminated. This is one gift to New Zealand from President Theodore Roosevelt that didn’t turn out so well as there are no natural predators in New Zealand to control the elk population.

Kruger National Park, South Africa

This is perhaps the most impressive wildlife viewing area in the world. Millions of acres of habitat and little development give visitors an opportunity to see many large African mammals and magnificent birds. It is one of the few places where wildlife is in charge – they wander free and the visitors are controlled. I stayed here for a week during the 3rd World Congress of the International Ranger Federation. I found it a bit unsettling to be locked inside a compound at night, but as one of my South African ranger colleagues pointed out, “There are lots of things out there that want to eat you.”

Tikal National Park, Guatemala

This World Heritage Site contains the spectacular ruins of a Maya settlement from around 250 – 900 AD. The towering ruins of temples, one 70 meters tall, rising from the jungle that surrounds them, are mute testimony to the architectural genius of the Maya. As many as 90,000 people lived in Tikal at its zenith, but strife with neighboring towns and environmental stress caused its abandonment beginning in the 10th century. Of course, the Maya never left; they are there today, and it’s a thrill to visit it with a Maya guide. During a family trip to Belize and Guatemala, our guide was one of the rangers on the staff at Tikal. The park was holding a training session for some of its rangers and the superintendent asked me to stop by to say a few words to the class. I talked a little bit about how important it was for them to know that they were a part of an international family of rangers dedicated to protecting and preserving the world’s natural and cultural patrimony. They seemed to get it.

Kaieteur National Park, Guyana

I had the great good fortune to prepare a World Heritage nomination for this spectacular area several years ago. I understand its nomination is on hold due to internal political problems. At the time of the nomination, it was Guyana’s only national park. The center piece of the park is a magnificent waterfall that drops 226 meters, five times the height of Niagara. The surrounding rain forest was largely pristine and contained the normal biodiversity of this ecosystem. I saw my only cock-of-the-rock there, a brightly colored bird that hangs out in tropical forests. I did most of my research in Georgetown, the capital of the country, a city that sits below sea level protected by dikes. The original Dutch settlers knew how to build dikes.

Machu Picchu Historic Sanctuary, Peru

I have visited Machu Picchu three times, the first time in 1969 when I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay and the last in 2008 when I visited the site with my wife. I was impressed with how much better control there is of visitation now than when I first visited. Only a certain number of people are allowed at any one time on the Inca Trail and there is a daily limit on the number of visitors allowed to climb Huayna Picchu, the peak that dominates the site. I also thought that the interpretation offered by the guides had improved considerably. They are all licensed by the government. Our guide slipped easily between Spanish and English and seemed to know Quechua also. The story of Machu Picchu is fascinating and he told it well.

OK, there are five of my favorites. Can you help us fill in five more blanks? If you have a great photo, send it along via email to [email protected] and we'll see about posting it.

Comments

I definitely have to second the nominations Macchu Picchu, Gros Morne National Park, and Iguazu Falls National Park. Gros Morne has spectacular fjords, and is also one of the only places on Earth where rocks from the Earth's mantle are exposed at the surface. Even if you don't appreciate the geological significance, those rocks give certain sections of the Park an eerie moonscape feel (and quite different from the various lava beds like Craters of the Moon in the US), which stand in stark contrast to the emerald green hills lining some of the fjords. Meanwhile Iguazu is perhaps the most spectacular waterfalls in the world - massive in scope, with tremendous volumes of water, and surrounded by lush rainforest. Its preserved by National Parks on both the Argentinean and Brazilian sides.

Some other nominees:
-3 Tanzanian Sites: Hard to chose among Kilimanjaro National Park with its spectacular mountain, Ngorongoro Conservation Area - set in a perfect crater and boasting perhaps the largest permanent concentration of "safari animals in Africa, and Serengeti National Park - whose annual wildebeest and zebra migrations are surely one of the Wonders of the World
- Roman Forum: Not technically a National Park, although it would surely be a National Park in the United States, the Roman Forum and adjacent Colloseum and Arch of Constantine is of the most-famous and most-amazing archeological and historical sites in the world
- Pyramids and Sphinx: Again, not technically a "National Park" but surely merits inclusion on any such list.
- Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal - "The crown of the world" includes Mt. Everest


Funnily enough i wrote about my ten favourites, out of the ones I've visitedm just recently: http://itinerantlondoner.wordpress.com/2009/02/09/top-10-national-parks/

Would have to agree that Tikal should be in there, in fact I think it should definitely be a contender for number one.


Geoff--

The Coalition of National Park Service Retirees just published its list of its members' top 10 parks. Maybe you have seen it in one of the many stories that have run about the list in newspapers across the states. Here is the Coalition's press release announcing the list.

10 FAVORITE FOREIGN NATIONAL PARKS HIGHLIGHTED BY U.S. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RETIREE
The Parks That NPS Employees Visit When They Travel Abroad; Trekking from Aboriginal New Zealand to the Biblical Deserts of Saudi Arabia to the Great Hungarian Plains.

TUCSON, AZ. – February 11, 2008 – Every wonder where people who work in national parks go when they take a vacation? Today, the 690-member Coalition of National Park Service Retirees (CNPSR) released a list of 10 of the best foreign national parks, spanning the globe from Australia, Africa, South America, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.

The list of personal favorites of NPS retirees is in the same of vein as the “Beyond Yellowstone: 7 Winter Travel Favorites” (http://www.npsretirees.org/pressroom/2006/winter-travel-recommendations-...), which was released by the Coalition in October 2006.

CNPSR member, Don Goldman, former park planner in the old Southwest Region of the National Park Service,, said: “Several years ago, in anticipation of family winter vacation time, the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees rounded up its members’ recollections of the most memorable U.S. national park areas they had worked in or visited. When the nominations came in, the selection process was like picking from among the loveliest flowers in the field. As we had to acknowledge, it was a highly subjective selection process. But our intention was to encourage Americans to visit their national parks, not just our 10, but whichever ones they could get to. This year, the Coalition’s 700 members have suggestions for your vacation trips abroad. We who have spent our lives working in and with national parks not only visit our own, but make an effort to see other countries’ national parks, too.”

CNPSR member, Rick Smith, former Superintendent of Carlsbad Caverns said, “Most Americans know that Yellowstone was our first national park, but it was also the world’s first national park. The idea of a national park was new with Yellowstone, but it was soon adopted by many countries, one of the best ideas our country gave the world. Just as we did, those countries have expanded the original concept to a great variety of parks and reserves. Today, marvelous parks are to be found all over the world.”

Coalition members usually can’t stay away from such places on foreign vacations. Rick Smith explained: “We plan many of our overseas trips around the national parks or protected areas we can visit in other countries.” Some NPS retirees even had the opportunity, when on temporary training or work assignments with foreign countries or as Peace Corps Volunteers, to work in and contribute to those countries’ national parks.

The following 10 foreign national parks are among the outstanding places CNPSR members recommended. Where it was necessary to break ties, the park chosen in the end was included to provide for maximum geographic diversity:

1. TONGARIRO N. P., New Zealand. This is one of the North Island’s three World Heritage Sites. It features volcanic peaks (one of which is active) and is still home to many Maoris, who donated the park to New Zealand in 1887, when it became the world’s fourth national park. The Maoris are very outgoing in displaying their culture to visitors.

2. KAKADU N. P., Northern Territory, Australia. This World Heritage Site is jointly managed by the Aborigines and the Australian government. It has magnificent vistas, great waterfalls, stunning displays of Aboriginal rock art, and is habitat to an awesome predator, the estuarine (saltwater) crocodile.

3. SNOWDONIA N. P., Wales, Great Britain. Snowdonia is a lovely mountain park, with Mount Snowdon, which is comprised of slate, rising to 3560 feet. While this park is not geologically or scenically spectacular compared to many mountain parks, it is spectacular in its own right, due in part to its peaceful nature.

4. KRUGER N. P., South Africa. This is perhaps the most impressive wildlife viewing area in the world. Millions of acres of habitat and little development give visitors an opportunity to see many large African mammals and magnificent birds. It is one of the few places where wildlife is in charge – they wander free and the visitors are controlled.

5. TIKAL N. P., Guatemala. This World Heritage Site contains the spectacular ruins of a Maya settlement from around 250–900 AD. The towering ruins of temples, one 70 meters tall, rising from the jungle that surrounds them, are mute testimony to the architectural genius of the Maya. As many as 90,000 people lived in Tikal at its zenith, but strife with neighboring towns and environmental stress caused its abandonment beginning in the 10th century. Of course, the Maya never left; they are there today, and a thrill of a visit is to see it with a Maya guide.

6. IGUAZU N. P., Argentina. This park protects one of the most spectacular natural landscapes in Argentina and Brazil, Iguazu Falls and the surrounding subtropical forest. The falls are 70 meters high, but even more impressive is their width: the river at the falls is 1500 meters wide. A thrilling experience is the short boat ride and walk along the catwalks to the most striking of the hundreds of falls, Garganta del Diablo, the Devil’s Throat. The roar itself is an unforgettable experience.

7. SAGARMANTHA N. P., Nepal. The park includes Mount Everest, among other prominent mountains. It has distinctive wildlife and small picturesque Sherpa villages with their gumpas (monasteries).

8. MADAIN SALEY NATIONAL HISTORIC PARK, Saudi Arabia. This region, the Biblical Midian, is mostly undulating desert, interspersed with huge rocky outcrops and lush oases. Here, between 500 B.C. and 100 A.D., the Nabatean people created 125 monumental cut-rock tombs and facades, edifices up to 130 feet tall, that are standing today in a remarkable state of preservation.

9. PLITVICE LAKES N.P., Croatia. Plitvice Lakes National Park is located in inland Croatia, about halfway between Zagreb and Split. In moderately mountainous terrain, the park features water – small lakes and streams and beautiful waterfalls everywhere. Because of the geology of the area, travertine is evident in most of the water features, giving them distinctive blue-green colors and exceptionally clear water. There are a number of excellent short and moderate hiking trails with quiet, non-polluting electric ferries connecting some of the trails by way of the lakes. Because of the vegetation, fall “color season” is especially spectacular.

10. HORTOBAGY N.P., Hungary. This park is located on the “puszta,” or great Hungarian plains. It was the country’s first national park. It also is a biosphere reserve and a World Heritage Site. The plains and wetlands reflect two millennia of human occupation and have supported agrarian life for centuries. It has several endangered bird species and is a refuge for the Przewalski horse and migratory waterfowl. Culturally, it preserves and interprets traditional Hungarian folkways, such as the nomadic herding culture of the puszta.

ABOUT CNPSR

The nearly 700 members of the Coalition of National Park Service Retirees are all former employees of the National Park Service with a combined 20,500 years of stewardship of America’ most precious natural and cultural resources. In their personal lives, CNPSR members reflect the broad spectrum of political affiliations. CNPSR members now strive to apply their credibility and integrity as they speak out for national park solutions that uphold law and apply sound science. The Coalition counts among its members: former national park directors and deputy directors, regional directors, superintendents, rangers and other career professionals who devoted an average of nearly 30 years each to protecting and interpreting America’s national parks on behalf of the public. For more information, visit the CNPSR Web site at http://www.npsretirees.org.

Rick Smith


Well, the CNPSR.List is a bad joke. They are obviously not at all familiar with the variety of parks that exist, because no one who has seen at least eleven parks in the world would ever think of naming Snowdonia among his or her Top 10.

Hortobagy actually is a nice choice, but it would be useful to mention "Neusiedler See und Seewinkel Nationalpark" as well, because Hortobagy and Neusiedler See are cross border, sister parks in Hungary and Austria who share the history of land use and the natural features. The region is not complete without the soda lakes on the Austrian side of the border, so one should not praise Hortobagy without Neusiedler See.

Plitvice, well: The karst formations with the lakes are spectacular, but that's it about the park. It is small, crowded and flora and fauna are not well protected, they are in better shape outside of the park. In the US it would be at most a National Monument.


I thought some of you would be interested in the following statistics from the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). It is amazing how many protected areas there are in the world. Unfortunately, some are not very well protected pr managed. And, as the report notes, and as Gary Davis argued a few weeks ago on NPT, we have a lot of work to do with marine protected areas.

Worldwide Coverage of Protected Areas
According to IUCN/WCPA data, as of 2007, there were 106,000 protected areas covering some 18
million km2, or about 11.63% of the Earth‘s surface (need to add source – and update with latest numbers before publication). While estimates of marine areas under protection are complicated because country reports may contain some land area, best estimates as of 2007 were that there were 4,435 marine protected areas covering 2.35 million km2, or only about .65% of the ocean surface. Particularly alarming from those figures was the fact that critical marine ecosystems were severely under-represented.

Overall, however, significant progress has been made in growth of protected areas over the past
decade. IUCN records show that in 1962 there were 9214 sites covering 2.4 million km2. By 1992 these
figures had grown to 48,388 protected areas covering 12.3 million km2. As of 2003, the UN List of
Protected Areas (the most recent issue at this writing) contained 102,102 protected areas covering more
than 18.8 million km2, or about 12.65% of the Earth‘s land surface (UN List, 2003, p. 21), notably
slightly more than the 2007 in terms of surface coverage but less in terms of numbers. As these data
show, growth between 1992 and 2003 was significant, with a doubling by number and surface area. As
noted above, 2007 shows further growth in numbers.

However, not all protected areas were being effectively managed and even though more areas are
being protected, the proportion of species threatened with extinction continued to increase. As concluded by the 2007 Millennium Development Goals Report, ―Despite increased efforts to conserve the land and seas, biodiversity continues to decline…. ―Unprecedented efforts will be required to conserve habitats and to manage ecosystems and species in a sustainable way if the rate of species loss is to be significantly
reduced by 2010.

Rick Smith


Great list Rick! I would also have to agree with Galapagos that someone mentioned above in Ecquador and also add Cocos in Costa Rica (famous for its hammerhead sharks) and Waterton National Park and Banff National Park, both located in Alberta Canada. Waterton for its stunning red rock, and wildlife and wildflower diversity and Banff for its stunning peaks. There's so many choices, it's hard to narrow it down to 10!


I haven't been to North America yet (neither South America) but I stayed for few months in South-East Asia. I have to say that this region is truly incredible !

I spent some time in 3 national parks: Bako national park and Mount Kinabalu national park (this one listed as world heritage site) on Malaysia Borneo and Bromo national park on the island of Java – Indonesia.

- Bako national park is small (only 27 square km) but representative of many Borneo’s ecosystems: from the lush rainforest to the mangrove forest, the sandy beaches, the grassland vegetation...That makes the park special for plants and wildlife biodiversity. There you can see easily the threatened proboscis monkey (with its huge nose), macaques, snakes...

- Mount Kinabalu national park is named after the highest peak of Borneo. The peak reaches 4 094 m above sea level. The summit was long time ago covered by glaciers. Now it is just a huge rock with no vegetation. Nevertheless, the park protects a dense and rainy forest where flora and fauna are extremely diverse. If you are lucky you might see the Raflesia, the world’s biggest flower.

- Bromo national park is situated on east java. The park is a mix of volcanoes and rainforest. I woke up at 3am and walked for 2 hours in the dark to climb up the view point. Up there, the sunrise over the caldera and its volcanoes is absolutely stunning. This is definitely the most impressive memory I have. The caldera is called the sea of sand and this so desolate land looks like moonscape. There is also the Mount Semeru, an active volcano which erupts every 20 minutes! A park that must be visited.


Can I introduce you to another great national park for your list?

Kafue National Park is the 2nd largest national park in Africa, the 5th largest in the world and is Zambia's oldest and biggest.

It is home to one of the most important ecosystems in Africa, with a high species diversity, including: endangered wild dogs, the country’s main cheetah residents, wild herds of elephant, the most diverse antelope population in the world and many rare and endangered bird and vegetation species.

With few roads - not one made of tarmac - few visitors, vast open spaces and an abundance of wildlife, it truly deserves its local nickname - Zambian's Hidden Gem. It is a true wilderness experience for visitors!


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