One of the most exciting parts of arriving at a theme park is getting a first look at the map and working out which rides you want to go on. Now imagine that map on an enormous scale with some of the greatest natural adventures you could ever enjoy – meet Theme Park USA.
The United States of America may be largely known for its man-made attractions, but few of them live up to the awe-inspiring sights that mother nature has created. With a country as large as the USA, it is almost impossible to pick out the real highlights, but Expedia has managed to capture it all on a theme park-style map.
From Mammoth Valley up in Alaska to Crocodile Creek down in Florida, the map showcases America’s greatest natural attractions as if they were rides in a theme park, and while it would take months to get around this particular park, it’s a great way of helping you decide where you want to visit.
Here are some of the highlights from California alone:
The Sun And The Moon (Death Valley National Park)
Death Valley is a name that already sounds like a theme park attraction, but it’s a serious ride, with incredible summer heat, so this is not one for the faint of heart. The views are incredible in the day and at night, with snowy peaks, fields of wildflowers and oases full of tiny fish. If you’re brave enough to go exploring, there’s incredible camping experiences available down the back roads.
Starry Night (Joshua Tree National Park)
Another excellent attraction for fans of the night sky, Starry Night makes Joshua Tree a popular destination for amateur stargazers because its remoteness means there’s none of the light pollution you get in cities. The park is named for the distinctive Dr Seuss-like trees, while there’s plenty of rock formations that are just as surreal.
The Wooden Giants (Redwood National and State Parks)
Here’s an attraction that more than lives up to its name. Redwood National and State Parks are the home to the tallest trees on earth, which is reason alone to go and see them, but there’s so much more than just the trees. The Wooden Giants live next to almost 40 miles of rugged California coastline, so amongst the species that call these parks home are both rare sea lions and owls, so keep your eyes open at all times.
Splash Valley (Yosemite National Park)
One of the most famous parks in the world, Yosemite is best known for its waterfalls, and while you can’t ride them like a log flume, there’s still plenty to keep you entertained in these 1,200 square miles. Yosemite is a deep valley forged by glaciers a million years ago and you can still find some glaciers here, along with meadows, ancient sequoia trees, lakes and mountains and a whole host of other natural adventures.
These are just the attractions you can find on the theme park map from one state alone, so check out the map and start planning your next trip.
