Part of the allure of visiting a national park is the chance to see wildlife in its free-roaming habitat (while keeping a safe distance away). At Yosemite, you’re likely to see bears. At Acadia National Park in Maine, you might catch sight of peregrine falcons as you cycle along its beautiful carriage trails. But perhaps unsurprisingly, the best national park for wildlife spotting, as reported by Travel + Leisure, is Yellowstone. Here, you’ll undoubtedly get an eyeful of bison—and probably even sit in traffic while they lumber across the road.
The wolves of Yellowstone may not be easy to see for the typical visitor, sticking to familiar sites like the Old Faithful geyser and other hydrothermal and geological features, but they are there, providing a tantalizing hope of a glimpse. Other wildlife you may encounter (again, while you keep your distance: gate staff are adamant when you enter the park that there are literal prescribed distances to keep from specific animals) include grizzly bears, coyotes, and even lynx.
Second place on the list for magnificent wildlife spotting is Montana's Glacier National Park. The creatures that roam this park include mountain goats, elk, bighorn sheep, and mountain lions.
Acadia was in third place with those falcons and also other free-wheeling birds like American kestrel and broad-winged hawks.
Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park took fourth place. Here, elk and moose can be seen with their impressive antlers stepping through a dramatic landscape, while fifth place’s Big Bend National Park in Texas hosts Chuckwalla lizards and black bears.
Many national parks require advance reservations to enter; check the National Park Service website to see if the timed entry permit system applies to the park you’re ready to descend upon with your camera and a healthy dose of awe.