7 Newest National Parks You Must Visit

All nature and wildlife enthusiasts who might have seen most of the top National Parks around the world must be wondering where to go and what to see next. You need not worry as some new and exciting ones have come up in recent. Read further to know about 7 of the newest National Parks that you must explore for your next vacation.

The Pinacles National Park is full of crags & cliffs, and there are cave formations which due to an ancient volcano. It is said that San Andreas Fault carried the volcanic rock from the eruption at this place in the Salinas Valley. A million years after this volcanic eruption, the place is visually stunning. This National Park is divided into two sides west & east, and there is no driveway where you can drive through this park from one side to another you need to hike your way through.

This park is not just about the beautiful nature, and it has a lot of activities which can assure you that stay is memorable. Explore Talus caves, which are like an underground maze, and the caves were formed as the running water eroded narrow and deep chasm on the giant rocks. There are two seats on these caves Balconies cave are open all year-round except after heavy rains, and Bear Gulch caves are usually closed between May to Jul to protect the bats. You can even join the park ranger for a short hike at night, which is beautiful under the sky full of stars. Spring is the time when colorful wildflowers grow all over the park, giving it a colorful and picture-perfect look. The park is home to California Condors as it is the official condor recovery site. Wildlife enthusiasts will love to come here and have a look at them to click some incredible photographs.

You can access the west side of this park from Highway 101 and east side from Highway 146. The gate on the east side is open from 7:30 am to 8:00 pm. If you are planning a visit to this National Park, then do note that there is no overnight stay on the east side.

Located in San Luis Valley Great Sand Dunes National Park was created as a national monument, in 2004 it was established as National park. The park covers 70 square miles, and the preserve protects 66 square miles further. The dune, which is 750 feet high from Sun Luis Valley base, making it the tallest in North America. Many water streams flow around the dunes, which erode its edges. The sand is deposited on the surface of the ground from there the water is absorbed. Tundra & Alpine lakes are also part of this park.

This park, which is the home to the highest in the whole of North America, has many more things to offer and is packed with a lot of activities. If you are someone who loves to hike, then you can hike the 750 feet of the dunes to reach the summit; the view from the top is spectacular. Playing in the sand is always fun at any age, fly a kite when its windy or carry your sandcastle building equipment and build the best sandcastle. You can get to know the park from an expert by attending one of their free ranger programs, which happens a week thrice. Here you will get to know about many things ranging from the night skies to the history of the park. You can even go on a sunset hike with one of the park rangers. The sunset from the top of the dune is a beautiful and perfect backdrop for taking a picture.

When you visit National Park, make note that it is dog-friendly so you can take your dogs along, and they can even accompany you on the hikes.

Housed in the west on the Colorado State is the Black Canyon on Gunnison, which is run by the National Park Service. With its striking black colors and sheer cliffs, this National Park is impressive with its twelve miles long canyons among the 48 miles canyon present in the Gunnison River. The most dramatic and deepest of this is the Black Canyon. Some parts of the gorge get sunlight only for 33 minutes per day due to its steepness, hence the name Black Canyon. The Black cliffs are 2000 feet drop to the river, which you can see from one of the cliffs which overlooks on the Rim Drive.

This park is not just about the breathtaking view, and there are many things to do and experience here. The Gunnison River has been declared as the Gold Medal Water, which means that it gives outstanding angles to catch a trout. You can try camping at the East Portal camp, which is next to the fishing site. If you feel more adventurous, then from Canyon Rim, you can even hike to the river. Since there is no marked trail from here it is best experienced only by someone who hikes often. You can take the ranger-led boat ride from Curecanti National Recreation Center into the Black Canyon. This boat ride is available only in summers daily except for Tuesdays. If you want to avoid the crowd, then visit the North rim, which is less developed compared to the southern part. Do note that there is no visitor center here, and the ranger station is understaffed. The views are more breathtaking than the southern part of this National Park.

Hossa National Park is Finland’s designated 40th National Park. This park is a 27000-acre stretch situated near the Russian border. This huge expanse is filled with crystal-clear lakes hiking and biking trails and rock art, which is 4000-year-old from Stone Age. If you are planning to go camping, then The Karhunkainalo campground has a lakeside sauna. You can even stay in one of the luxurious private cottages at Hossan Lomakeskus.

The waters and forest of Hossa are accessible for the visitors, and there are many activities to do here all year long. During summers the lakes are available for Canoeing where you can experience the gently flowing river and the excitement of rapids. The lake is where three water bodies meet, namely the Iikoski Rapids and Somerjoki and Peranganjoki Rivers. You can go fishing in one of the many lakes of the National Park, which has ample fish for recreational fishing. Some spots are suitable for ice-fishing, fly fishing, and trolling. It is an ideal place for trekking where there are about 56 miles of trails to explore around the park. There are four marked biking trails in this park where you can go for mountain biking that runs through scenic views. During winters, you can take up the cross-country skiing with the 50 kilometers skiing tracks provided. If you are not interested in skiing, you can play with snow or go for winter snow trekking. Some of the other minor activities that you can explore are Berry and mushroom picking, snowmobiling, and bird watching.

The best way to explore Hossa National Park is by taking Hossa Trave’s guided tours, which run throughout the park. Make sure that you follow the national park’s rules and keep the park litter-free.

The Giant Panda National Park is an upcoming project which is going to be 6.4, making it almost three times the Yellowstone National Park. The plan unites the dozens of Giant Pandas protection zones, which are there on the southwestern side of Sichuan province. With a project like this, China has revamped its entire National Park system. The primary goal is the ecosystem and habitat conservation while attracting tourism.

The idea came about due to the earthquake which rocked the Sichuan Province 11 years ago due to which many of the Pandas died in Wolong Panda Center, which was a key facility for breeding. The aim is to bring together fragmented panda habitat and by doing so, link up the panda population. The Park’s weaving the landscapes together can bring improvement in the bear's ability to find mates, which will boost the population and increase genetic diversity. It will also give them enough space to roam during climate change as the growth of bamboo shifts. The park will be managed by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration who are hoping that they interbreed.

The current population of the giant panda is 1864 bears, which puts them under vulnerable species. The plan, which is supposed to be rolled out by the fall of 2019, succeeds in increasing the population of these cute and adorable bears. Make sure that you keep checking the news for the opening dates of this National Park and plan a visit as soon as it does.

In 2015 Sierra de Divisor National Park was created over 3.3 million acres to protect the endangered species and indigenous communities of this area. Situated near Brazil border and deep into the Amazon rainforest, this National Park is an important link to the Andes-Amazon Conservation Corridor. This protected zone has been in the making for decades by the Rainforest Trust, which is 1,100 miles long. Since it can be reached only through a whole day’s boat ride from the town Pucallpa there are hardly any visitors coming here. Once you reach, it’s a treat for wildlife and nature enthusiasts with beautiful cascading waterfalls, dormant volcanoes, and biodiversity of the highest level you can see in the world.

This protected area is also called the Yellowstone of the Amazon because of its impressive feature and significance of conservation. The wildlife in this park is made up of rare and diverse species. You will get to see endemic species which you will not see anywhere else. Research even shows that some dozen species are new to science. There are more than thousands of native people who call this territory as their home for many years; this includes several of the tribes who like to remain detached and without contact from the outside world. With a vast knowledge of the region, they manage to keep a low-profile lifestyle and continue to reside there. One of the interesting features of this landscape is the white-sand forest between Blanco and Tapiche rivers. The landscape is unique to other Amazon rainforest, and it is full of wild rivers, volcanic cones, jagged canyons, and remote lakes.

Even though it takes 20 hours boat ride to reach this National Park, do not let that change your mind about visiting this incredibly beautiful place.

This 4700-acre Asnen National Park has opened recently in May this year. It is the first new addition since 2007 and Sweden’s 30th National Park. The park is made up of more than 1000 small islands that are scattered on Asnen lake, and nearly 75 percent is water. It is full of wetlands, lowland plains and deciduous forests across the south of Sweden. There are 140 kilometers long bike trail around Asnen called “Asnen Runt,” just rent a bike to go around. The trail can be divided into segments, and you can divide the segments into as many numbers you want. The Asnen National Park is a breeding site for ospreys, and you can spot sea eagles flying in the sky. For nature lovers, there are additional 12 nature reserves around this area. Don’t miss out on the beautiful view of Asnen’s vast Islands from Lunnabacken nature reserve, in the southeastern part the wild orchards on the meadow and Husbey Bruk, which is a restored old ironworks that is working again. Sunnabo is the main entrance of the National Park, which is along the channel leading to the largest island Sirkin. Walking the path will take you to Bjurkarr which is a valuable deciduous forest of Sweden. The second entrance is in Trollberget which is also called the miniature version of Asnen since you get to see fir trees, pine trees, deciduous forest, and lake beaches.

A visit to some of these National Parks is something one should do at least once in their lifetime. Since these parks are relatively new or about to come, they will be less crowded compared to other well-known National Parks. So, make sure that you start planning your next vacation to one of these parks soon.