It's possible that the US National Park system has been one of America's best ideas in recent memory. This idea becomes even more astounding after considering everything that those protected areas outside of the US have to offer. Recent research has highlighted the importance and popularity of these parks and preserves, suggesting that protected areas around the world see eight billion visits every year and generate as much as $600 billion in tourism every year, even if only $10 billion is spent to preserve and safeguard these sites. I recently came across an article that mentioned five exceptional national parks around the world, and what they have to offer, listed here:

1. T O P 5 N AT I O N A L PA R K S
A R O U N D T H E W O R L D
B Y N E L S O N L E W I S

2. VAT N A J Ö K U L L
N AT I O N A L
PA R K , I C E L A N DW I T H I T S VA R I E D L A N D S C A P E S
A N D A L M O S T O T H E R W O R L D LY
N AT U R A L F O R M AT I O N S , R A N G I N G
F R O M A C T I V E V O L C A N O E S T O
S T U N N I N G I C E C AV E S , T H I S S P O T
H A S E A R N E D A W O R L D W I D E
N A M E F O R I T S E L F. A S T H E
S E C O N D L A R G E S T N AT I O N A L
PA R K I N E U R O P E , I T A C C O U N T S
F O R A S TA G G E R I N G 1 3 % O F T H E
C O U N T RY ’ S T O TA L L A N D .

3. K R U G E R
N AT I O N A L
PA R K , S O U T H
A F R I C A
T R AV E L E R S H AV E B E E N C O M I N G
T O A F R I C A T O S E E W I L D L I F E S I N C E
T H E 1 9 T H C E N T U RY, A N D W H I L E
T H E R E A R E P L E N T Y O F N AT I O N A L
PA R K S A C R O S S T H E C O N T I N E N T
W H E R E S O M E B O D Y C A N D O T H AT,
K R U G E R S TA N D S O U T A S O N E O F
T H E B E S T, T H A N K S T O A N
A S T O U N D I N G LY D I V E R S E R A N G E
O F W I L D L I F E ( 4 9 S P E C I E S O F F I S H ,
5 0 7 S P E C I E S O F B I R D S A N D 1 4 7
S P E C I E S O F M A M M A L S ) .

4. T I J U C A N AT I O N A L
PA R K , B R A Z I L
L O C AT E D I N T H E C E N T E R O F R I O D E
J A N E I R O , T H I S PA R K O F F E R S 8 , 3 0 0
A C R E S O F P R E S E R V E D L A N D T O M A K E
I T T H E L A R G E S T “ U R B A N F O R E S T ” I N
T H E W O R L D . I T ’ S H O M E T O
M O N K E Y S , S C E N I C WAT E R FA L L S A N D
B R A Z I L’ S H I G H E S T M O U N TA I N , U P O N
W H I C H I S P E R C H E D B R A Z I L’ S FA M O U S
“ C H R I S T T H E R E D E E M E R ” S TAT U E .
W H I L E A D M I S S I O N T O T H E PA R K I S
F R E E , M A N Y T R AV E L E R S W I L L H I R E
G U I D E S O R J O I N T O U R S , S I N C E T H E R E
I S N ’ T A N Y P U B L I C T R A N S P O RTAT I O N
T H AT R E A C H E S T H E PA R K .

5. M O U N T H U A N G S H A N , C H I N A
S I N C E T H E TA N G D Y N A S T Y O F
T H E E A R LY M I D D L E A G E S ,
M O U N T H U A N G S H A N H A S B E E N
A S TA P L E O F C H I N E S E A RT
A N D L I T E R AT U R E . W H I L E T H E
TA N G D Y N A S T Y FA D E D I N T O
T H E D U S T S O M E 1 , 1 0 0 Y E A R S
A G O , M O U N T H U A N G S H A N ’ S
L E G A C Y L I V E S O N ,
AT T R A C T I N G 1 . 3 M I L L I O N
V I S I T O R S E V E RY Y E A R . I N
A D D I T I O N T O I T S D I S T I N C T
J A G G E D G R A N I T E P E A K S , I T ’ S
A L S O H O M E T O M A N Y P L A N T S
T H AT A R E FA C I N G E X T I N C T I O N .

6. D E N A L I N AT I O N A L
PA R K , U S A
O N LY R E A C H E D B Y A S I N G L E R O A D , T H I S 6
M I L L I O N - A C R E PA R K I N A L A S K A I S H O M E T O
M O U N T M C K I N L E Y, T H E H I G H E S T P E A K I N
N O RT H A M E R I C A . Y E T T H I S I S J U S T O N E
F E AT U R E O F T H I S PA R K , W H I C H B O A S T S A
W I D E A R R AY O F W I L D L I F E A N D O N E O F T H E
L A S T T R U E “ W I L D E R N E S S E S ” I N A M E R I C A .
T H E R E A R E 3 9 D O C U M E N T E D S P E C I E S O F
M A M M A L S I N T H E PA R K , I N C L U D I N G M O O S E ,
W O L F A N D G R I Z Z LY B E A R , I N A D D I T I O N T O 1 4
S P E C I E S O F F I S H A N D 1 6 9 S P E C I E S O F B I R D S .