The National Park System is one of America’s most important natural treasures. Each year, hundreds of millions of visitors flock to the parks for their recreational opportunities, historical significance, and majestic scenery. The most popular parks are also home to some of the country’s most iconic natural attractions, such as Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring and Yosemite’s ancient giant sequoia trees. Along with the well-trodden sights, there are some overlooked marvels in the national parks, too. Check out our picks for the single best thing to see in the 10 most popular U.S. national parks.

Big Bend – Glacier National Park, Montana

For many, the highlight of Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road — one of the most scenic drives in the U.S. — is the spot known as Big Bend. The sweeping curve in the road is located just before Logan Pass, the highest elevation reachable by car in the park. Big Bend is renowned for its Lake McDonald Valley vistas and its spectacular sunset views, set against Mount Oberlin, Mount Canon, and Heavens Peak. If you visit in the mid-summer, you might even be lucky enough to take in the meadows of vibrant wildflowers. 

The Ledges – Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

The Ledges (also known as the Ritchie Ledges) are remnants from when Ohio was covered in a tropical ocean millions of years ago. The striking rock formations are made up of a unique regional geological formation known as the Sharon Conglomerate — a sedimentary composition of many rock fragments, including white quartz pebbles, cemented together with sand and mud. The moss-covered cliffs of the Ledges create dozens of narrow pathways and alcoves to explore. Signs of the Ledges’ history are located along the trail, along with remnants of old waterways and honeycomb-like weathering in the rockface. The Ledges also feature the Ice Box Cave, a cavern located 50 feet underground and aptly named for its cool year-round temperature.

Cholla Cactus Garden – Joshua Tree National Park, California

It’s difficult to choose just one standout feature among the otherworldly landscape of Joshua Tree, but the Cholla Cactus Garden might just be the most captivating natural attraction of the Southern California national park. The area is known for its dense concentration of cholla cacti. These tight clusters of small, spiky spines appear fuzzy — hence their other name, the teddy-bear cholla. Visitors can enjoy the cactus garden by walking a short loop trail that showcases not only the teddy-bear cacti, but also desert lavender, Starvine, and forget-me-nots. It’s important not to get close to the Chollas, though — despite their cuddly name, their sharp barbs can easily detach and cling to passersby, earning them the nickname “jumping cholla.” 

Grand Prismatic Spring – Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 

It’s one of the most popular attractions in the park for a reason: Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring is a vivid pool of turquoise water surrounded by vibrant orange, brown, and green colored rings — the result of microorganisms known as thermophiles which thrive in the near-boiling water. The spring is certainly not hard to spot, either. At 370 feet in diameter, Grand Prismatic is the third-largest spring in the world, measuring larger than a football field. Its hot temperature and cooler ambient air also mean it’s often releasing an ethereal steam that makes it look even more like something out of a sci-fi scene.

The Grizzly Giant – Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park is home to three ancient Sequoia tree groves. The Mariposa Grove, located in the southern part of the park, is the largest and is home to over 500 mature giant sequoias. The undeniable star of the show is the Grizzly Giant. Estimated to be about 3,000 years old, the tree towers over 200 feet tall, with branches that reach a diameter of six feet. Not only is it the second-oldest tree in the park, but the Grizzly also holds a special charm: In 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt spent a night camping under the giant — an excursion that is said to have helped inspire his legacy of conservation.

Sand Beach – Acadia National Park, Maine 

Located on the east side of Mount Desert Island in Acadia National Park, Sand Beach is a small but stunning stretch of coastline, popular for its shell-strewn shore nestled between rocky cliffs. The real magic happens after dark, when the sandy beach becomes an ideal viewing location for stargazing. The park boasts the largest expanse of dark sky east of the Mississippi River. Its south-facing view over Newport Cove has unobstructed views and minimal light pollution, and if you visit in July or August, you have a pretty good chance of clearly seeing the Milky Way.

Wild Elk Population – Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado 

There’s no shortage of stunning landforms in Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park, but one of the most thrilling experiences is spotting the abundant elk population. Several areas in the park are known for elk sightings: the meadows of Moraine Park, the flat lands of Horseshoe Park, and the Kawuneeche Valley (where you might even spot some moose, too). Elk are more likely to be active at dawn or dusk, particularly during the fall mating season in September and October. Of course, it’s crucial to maintain a safe and respectful distance from the animals — some of them stand five feet tall at their shoulders and can weigh several hundred pounds.

The Narrows – Zion National Park, Utah 

It’s one thing to see the awe-inspiring photos of rock formations in Zion National Park — but it’s a whole other experience to get up close and personal with them. A hike through the Narrows will take you through a canyon of small and — you guessed it — narrow paths, where you’ll be surrounded by Navajo sandstone walls that reach over a thousand feet tall. An excursion through the Narrows also involves wading through Utah’s Virgin River, another unique experience of the area’s stunning geology. 

Hopi Point – Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The Grand Canyon welcomes some 6 million visitors every year, and many of them head to one of the best lookouts in the park: Hopi Point. This spot offers spectacular panoramic views of the deep and ancient canyon. Protruding further out into the canyon than any of the other South Rim overlooks, Hopi Point offers one of the clearest views of the canyon’s vastness and its intricate geological makeup, shaped over millions of years. The west-facing lookout is particularly popular at sunset. Hopi Point is only accessible by shuttle, and there will likely be a lengthy wait to leave after the sun goes down — but trust us, it’s worth sticking around.

Synchronous Fireflies – Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina, and Tennessee

For a brief period each year, typically in late May to early June, thousands of Photinus carolinus fireflies — also known as synchronous fireflies — gather in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and synchronize their flashing patterns. The bioluminescent light show, part of the fireflies’ mating practice, typically lasts for two to three weeks and makes for a magical spectacle that is a highly sought-after experience. The park conducts a lottery system for parking passes to manage the crowd and preserve the delicate ecosystem.

Since most of us don’t live anywhere near the North Pole, we don’t get the opportunity to see polar bears in the wild. But in the Canadian province of Manitoba, there’s a small town where polar bears roam close to civilization, allowing visitors the rare opportunity for a closer (but safely distanced) look at the world’s largest land carnivores. Here’s everything you need to know visiting Churchill, Canada — the “polar bear capital of the world.” 

Why It’s Considered the “Polar Bear Capital”

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) estimates there are between 22,000 and 31,000 polar bears remaining in the wild, and 60% to 80% of them live in Canada. The town of Churchill, Manitoba, claims to be the “polar bear capital of the world,” and for good reason. Though there are regions on Earth with greater numbers of polar bears, to find so many congregating close to a single settlement is rare. In terms of accessibility, the title is justified.

Churchill is a small town that reported a population of just 899 people in the 2016 census. Each year, at least as many polar bears (if not more) migrate south across the Hudson Bay to join them. The human population swells dramatically too, as tourists from across the globe descend on the place in search of the ultimate wildlife experience.

How Do You Get There?

No roads lead to Churchill, so when it comes to transportation, you have a choice between taking a train or flying. Both trains and flights depart from Winnipeg, Manitoba, so it’s possible to use one mode of transport to get there and the other to get back. VIA Rail services depart around midday and pull in to Churchill’s station around 9 a.m. the following morning, so you may want to opt for a comfortable sleeper cabin.

Flying into Churchill is considerably quicker but also pricier. Flights with Calm Air, the only operator to offer a direct connection, take roughly two and a half hours, and you might have a layover in Thompson. Services, though weather-dependent, are generally more reliable than trains, which spent months out of commission in 2017 after unusually severe flooding washed away part of the track.

The Best Times to Visit

Polar bears are the greatest swimmers of the bear family since they live on the ice and regularly swim to hunt for ringed seals and other prey. As temperatures rise, the ice floe breaks — forcing the bears to return to land and wait out the summer.

As with all wildlife travel, there are no guarantees you’ll see polar bears in Churchill, but to give yourself the best chance of an encounter, you should visit in late October or early November. In summer, although there are as many as 1,000 polar bears in the area, they’re spread out along the shoreline. Come October, the polar bears gather near the shore as they wait for the pack ice to encroach into the bay.

What to Expect

A summer kayaking excursion or a boat ride occasionally results in a polar bear sighting, but there are other ways to have an encounter in fall. In October and November, most tours take place on specially designed, all-terrain vehicles popularly known as tundra buggies, polar rovers, or arctic crawlers. These high-clearance vehicles are huge, with tires five feet in height.

Tour operators Great White Bear Tours, Frontiers North Adventures, and Lazy Bear Expeditions travel a short distance out of town to the Churchill Wildlife Management Area and Wapusk National Park, where they follow an existing set of trails to reach the bears.

For a chance to spot migrating bears from above, you can hop on a flight from Hudson Bay Helicopters over the taiga, tundra, and boreal forest. If you’re willing to travel a little further, Churchill Wild offers snowmobile and walking safaris from three remote lodges accessible by air from Churchill. Nanuk Polar Bear Lodge, which is a 70-minute flight from Churchill, has  tours to catch a glimpse of mother polar bears with their newborn cubs — an expedition that will satisfy even the most intrepid travelers.

Is It Safe?

Residents and tour operators are used to their ursine visitors. As long as you follow local guidelines, you won’t have a problem. Manitoba’s Polar Bear Alert Program helps protect polar bears, people, and property. Bears that enter Churchill are safely removed out of town by Manitoba Conservation staff. The town also has a procedure for relocating polar bears that get too close and refuse to stay away.

The “intruders” are held in a facility for roughly a month before being tranquilized and relocated to the tundra — a safe distance from downtown Churchill. Since the 1980s, serious polar bear attacks have been rare and the vast majority of tourists visit without incident.

By and large, the polar bears are curious, and it’s not uncommon to see them up on their hind legs to get a closer look at visitors, or sprawled over a tire trying to get a look at what’s underneath the tundra buggies. A study of changes to polar bear behavior in the vicinity of tundra vehicles was conducted in 2001, and a carrying capacity review in 2015 noted that there was no significant impact on the polar bears from tourists in tundra buggies.

What to Pack

Even in early fall, temperatures plummet in Churchill, so bundling up is imperative. Clothing should be waterproof, windproof, and able to withstand temperatures that might drop below 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Decent winter boots and thick hats, scarves, and gloves are also essential.

If the sun makes an appearance while you’re visiting the tundra, you’ll even need goggles, sunblock, and protective chapstick. And while you’ll probably remember to pack a camera, spare batteries, and a charger, you might overlook the importance of a Ziploc bag, which will help reduce the chance of fogged lenses when you head back indoors.

Nearby Attractions

Churchill might be the polar bear capital of the world, but it’s definitely not a one-trick pony. A summer trip to the town appeals to visitors keen to spot the thousand or so beluga whales that arrive in July to calf. Pods gather where Hudson Bay meets the Churchill River. These playful, round-nosed, white whales are unfazed by humans kayaking in the water and will even nudge paddles.

In winter, the action shifts from sea to sky. On a clear night, you have a good chance of catching a glimpse of the northern lights as Churchill sits right beneath the Aurora Oval, a massive ring above the Earth’s Geomagnetic North Pole, known for its high aurora activity. Year-round, the Itsanitaq Museum is worth checking out for its collection of Inuit carvings and artifacts. It sounds like an exciting trip to Churchill should be on the horizon!