The New River Gorge has 53 miles of whitewater rafting opportunities,

Hundreds of bird species and over a thousand flowering plants can be found in Indiana Dunes National Park

The Bear Gulch Reservoir and cave are two popular destinations within Pinnacles National Park. Cheri Alguire

TCongaree National Park, paddle and float your way on the Congaree Blue Trail. This 50-mile waterway runs from the West Columbia

Once a former dump and Super Fund site, Cuyahoga National Park is now a remarkable comeback story in addition to a bucolic natural setting. Kat Clay / Getty Images

In addition to the stunning landscape visible by day, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is also home to spectacular views of thousands of stars by night and was designated as an International Dark Sky Park in September 2015. GingerSnapsSherry / Getty Images Black Canyon –

Joshua Tree National Park has long been one of the most popular rock climbing destinations near Los Angeles. Manuel Sulzer