10 of America's Most Beautiful Parks

With the pandemic, people need to see and experience beauty, nature, and parks more than ever. Learn more about some of America's urban oases.

1 minute read

September 22, 2020, 9:00 AM PDT

By Clement Lau


Michigan State Park

The view of Detroit from Belle Isle Park, selected by National Geographic as the most beautiful park in the United States. | Jesse Kunerth / Shutterstock

With COVID-19, most people are probably not traveling much these days. And depending on where you live and how far you can travel without driving too far or getting on a plane, some of us may be deprived of opportunities to see and experience the beauty and nature that can be found in parks.

To help us daydream a bit and look forward to better days when we can travel freely, National Geographic has identified ten of the most beautiful parks in America:

  1. Belle Isle Park (Detroit, Michigan)
  2. Falls Park (Greenville, South Carolina)
  3. Riverfront Park (Spokane, Washington)
  4. Meridian Park (Washington, D.C.)
  5. White River State Park (Indianapolis, Indiana)
  6. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre (Denver, Colorado)
  7. City Park (New Orleans, Louisiana)
  8. Pappajohn Sculpture Park (Des Moines, Iowa)
  9. Barnsdall Art Park (Los Angeles, California)
  10. Julia Davis Park (Boise, Idaho) 

As Kimberly Lovato states in this article, "The pandemic is a problem and natural areas are part of the solution." While we should all stay close to home now, let's hope that we can soon venture out and be overwhelmed and rejuvenated by the beauty of these wonderful parks.

Friday, August 21, 2020 in National Geographic

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