These stunning aerial photos of America’s national parks were taken by NASA all the way from outer space, and they’re truly something to behold. From the red deserts of the Southwest to the lush forests of the east and everything in between, here are some of the most awe-inspiring images.

1. Canyonlands National Park, Utah
NASA
Canyonlands National Park is full of winding canyons that have been shaped by erosion of the course of thousands of years.
2. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
NASA
Crater Lake is located in Crater Lake National Park. It’s actually the surface of a volcanic caldera that exploded and collapsed between 6,000 and 8,000 years ago.
3. North Cascades National Park, Washington
NASA
North Cascades National Park is home to over 300 glaciers and extends from California to British Columbia.
4. Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska
NASA
Mount Denali is the highest peak in North America.
5. Cherry Springs State Park, Pennsylvania
NASA
Cherry Springs State Park is a dark sky park. Light pollution is kept at a minimum so visitors can see the stars more easily.
6. Capulin Volcano National Monument, New Mexico
NASA
The Capulin Volcano National Monument is topped by a bowl-shaped volcanic crater. From this vantage point, you can see into New Mexico, Colorado, and Oklahoma.
7. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada
NASA
At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley is one of the hottest and most arid places on the planet. It receives just about 5 c.m. of rain per year on average.
8. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Maryland
NASA
The Paw Paw Bends in Maryland were constructed in 1828 in order to transport goods down the Potomac River. Today, this area is a national park.
9. Glacier National Park, Montana
NASA
Montana's famous Glacier National Park may soon be without its glaciers – this image shows the shrinking glaciated area in the park. Researchers estimate the all the glaciers will be gone sometimes around 2030. That's about a decade.
10. Cape Cod National Park, Massachusetts
NASA
This national park extends up the arm of Cape Cod in Massachusetts. It includes protected beaches as well as marshland and ancient forest.
11. Biscayne National Park, Florida
NASA
Biscayne National Park in Florida can’t be easily explored on foot or by car – 95 percent of the park is actually underwater. It includes most of the Florida Keys, beginning in Miami and ending just north of Key Largo.
12. Olympic National Park, Washington
NASA
The centrepiece of Olympic National Park is chilly Mount Olympus, but the park also includes beaches and alpine forests.
13. Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Alaska
NASA
Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve gets its name from a 6-mile-wide volcanic caldera. It's one of the 232 parks in America where ancient fossils have been found.
14. Zion National Park, Utah
NASA
Zion National Park is located in southwestern Utah. It's famed for its towering cliffs formed of pink Navajo sandstone.
15. Dinosaur National Monument, Colorado and Utah
NASA
This park is located along the banks of the Green and Yampa Rivers. Paleontologist Eric Douglass discovered dinosaur fossils here in 1909, and the 210,000-acre park has been a national monument since 1915.

The full NASA gallery of national park images can be found here. For more stunning photos of America, check out these 15 beautiful shots of the Oregon coast.

 

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.

Related Articles