There are nearly 400 parks across the country with year-round activities

WASHINGTON, July 18, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — You can’t always measure a country’s treasures by the size of its bank accounts. Sometimes a country’s riches are better measured by the length of its rivers, the height of its mountains and its priceless historical places.

Our national parks were created to protect and showcase such treasures. With close to 400 destinations, chances are there is a park near you. You can find the closest park by visiting the National Park Service website and typing in your zip code. Below you’ll find information on some of the country’s outstanding parks, located in different parts of the country.

Glacier National Park

Located in the northwestern corner of Montana, Glacier National Park draws about 2 million people per year. You can explore 700 miles of hiking trails, take a guided tour on horseback, or set up your tent in one of the 13 campgrounds available. One of the main attractions is the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which offers spectacular views from the road that snakes through the edge of the mountains.

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park, which is located in Central California, is known as the Land of Giants because of the size of its mountains, the depths of its canyons and for having the world’s largest trees. Activities vary depending on the time of year, but it’s generally ideal for camping, hiking, horseback riding and rock-climbing. You can also ski during the winter and enjoy other winter activities.

Acadia National Park

In the northeastern corner of the country, in the state of Maine, you’ll find Acadia National Park. This park features a dynamic ecosystem that includes mountains, coastlines, forests and lakes. Here you can take a bike ride on the 45-mile old carriage road. It also has about 125 miles of historic hiking trails. The most popular activities include bicycling, boating and horseback riding. It’s also known for climbing and fishing.

Great Smoky Mountains

Some would say that the Grand Canyon is the most famous of the U.S. national parks. But it’s not the most visited. That would be the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, which draws about 10 million visitors per year. It’s located along the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, and it has a little bit of everything: panoramic views, waterfalls, horseback riding, bicycling and plenty of campsites.

Arches National Park

Arches National Park is famous for its 2,000 or so natural sandstone arches and for its impressive variety of rock formations which are millions of years in the making. This park is located in Utah and is a favorite of photography aficionados as well as hikers and bicyclists.

Badlands National Park

North Dakota is home to Badlands National Park, a rugged area of about 250,000 acres which features geological deposits rich with fossil beds. Although the fossil beds are the main attraction for many people, others come here to get an up close look at the many animals that call this park home, including bison, deer and Bighorn sheep. At the Badlands National Park, you might find that not all of the fun is on the ground. Dark nights give way to sensational views of the stars and galaxies, so feel free to bring your telescope or participate in some of the presentations offered by the park’s rangers.

USA.gov and GobiernoUSA.gov are the U.S. Government’s official web portals in English and Spanish, and part of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

SOURCE GobiernoUSA.gov/USA.gov

CONTACT: Steven Hoffman, [email]steven.hoffman@gsa.gov[/email]