Zoos can be great places to see animals, learn about them, and protect and rehabilitate endangered species, but it’s far more exciting to encounter wildlife in the actual wild. We’re going to look at some of the top wildlife-viewing sites in the world. Fortunately, some of them are right here in the United States!
Denali National Park, Alaska
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Denali is named for the mountain of the same name that is the highest peak in North America. It’s a prime place to view wildlife, though. Some of the most-prized sightings include grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, musk oxen, and Dall sheep.
Katmai National Park, Alaska
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The stars here are the massive brown bears that show up each summer to feast on spawning salmon in the Brooks River. There’s a lot of other wildlife to admire here, though, including wolves, moose, caribou, and lynx. Offshore, you may spot humpback whales and orcas.
Hawaii
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Just about all of Hawaii is rich with a diversity of wildlife, especially tropical birds. Many species living here exist nowhere else in the world, and the state government goes to great lengths to prevent the introduction and spread of non-native species. The ocean waters are great for seeing whales and sea turtles.
Glacier National Park, Montana
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Lots of people visiting the parks of the Northern Rockies are hoping to see bears, especially grizzly bears, and Glacier has one of the highest populations of them. Other beloved wildlife species you’re likely to see here include elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, eagles, and more.
Yellowstone National Park, Idaho-Montana-Wyoming
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All of Yellowstone is a hotspot for wildlife. The top attraction, though, is probably the Lamar Valley, nicknamed the “American Serengeti” for its diversity of wildlife. Species you’re likely to see include bison, elk, and pronghorns, antelope relatives that are the fastest land animals in North America. You may also see moose, and, if you’re lucky, brown and grizzly bears, wolves, and foxes.
Everglades National Park, Florida
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The Everglades is critical habitat for many rare and/or endangered species, and it’s best-known for its diversity of bird species. Reptiles and amphibians, especially alligators, excite visitors, and the southern tip of the Everglades is the only place in the U.S. where American crocodiles live. You may also see Burmese pythons, non-native species that people have released here and which are wreaking havoc on the ecosystem. They’ve replaced alligators as the park’s apex predator and sometimes even eat them.
Etosha National Park, Namibia
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Africa is the safari capital of the world, and we could dedicate an entire article to great wildlife destinations there. Much of the iconic wildlife of the continent lives in Etosha, but it’s perhaps most notable for the world’s tallest elephants and a population of endangered black rhinos.
Serengeti National Park, Tanzania
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The famous Serengeti has to be on any list like this one. It’s where the great wildebeest migration, the largest wildlife migration in the world, occurs, and it has some of the largest grazing herds in the world, period. There are also lions, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, zebras, giraffes, and so much more.
Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
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Isolated from the rest of the world by huge expanses of ocean, this Pacific paradise is famous for its uniquely adapted species and for being Darwin’s legendary laboratory for studying natural selection. Snorkeling and scuba diving are prime ways to explore the waters, where you may glimpse large species such as sea lions and whale sharks, the biggest fish in the sea.
Amazon Basin, Brazil
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The Amazon rainforest is one of the most important ecosystems in the world and home to more biodiversity than any other place on earth. Although species can be difficult to see due to the dense foliage, a visit is more than worth it. One of the most prized sightings is a jaguar, the largest cat in the Americas. In the rivers, you may see anacondas, caimans, and freshwater dolphins.
Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda
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This is where Diane Fossey performed her famous studies of mountain gorillas, and it remains one of the last best refuges for the species. To help protect the population, the park service allows only 64 visitors a day to view the gorillas.
Kaziranga National Park, India
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This might well be the Serengeti of Asia. It has the largest population of Indian rhinos. Other species that thrill visitors include elephants, bengal tigers, black bears, water buffalo, leopards, and river dolphins.
Lone Pine Sanctuary, Australia
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Famous for its many unique species, Australia is a must-visit for any wildlife enthusiast. At the Lone Pine Sanctuary of the Brisbane suburbs, you can see Tasmanian devils, kangaroos, platypi, emus, exotic birds, and more. However, the biggest draw is the koala bear, and this is the continent’s largest sanctuary for them.
Atsinanana Rainforests, Madagascar
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A World Heritage site in the eastern part of Madagascar, this area includes 6 national parks and 13 locations specifically designated for wildlife. The most famous residents are the various species of lemurs, but there’s a lot more to see in this unique location.
Antarctica
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The interior of Antarctica is too barren and harsh to support much life, but the Antarctic Peninsula is a different story. Famously, gigantic colonies of penguins make their homes here. In addition to being a haven for penguins, the icy waters here are important hunting and feeding grounds for seals and whales, including orcas.
The 30 Most Beautiful Places in the World That Everyone Must See
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There’s no way you could ever come up with a definitive list of the world’s most beautiful places. However, if you ask around, some places come up a lot more frequently than others do.
The following are some of the places that people mention over and over again, not in any particular order.
30 Breathtaking Places You Must See Before You Die
The Two Best Scenic Wonders in Each of the Mountain States
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The Mountain States– Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico– have some of the wildest and most rugged landscapes in the United States. Because they’re so big, it can take a lot of time to visit them, so it helps to be able to plan for some specific destinations.
Following are our choices for the top two must-see outdoor locations in each of these seven states.
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