Yosemite Village, CA · Yosemite Valley, Sierra Nevada, California
About
Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, dropping 2,425 feet in three connected stages down the north wall of Yosemite Valley. The Upper Fall plunges 1,430 feet on its own, feeds a churning run of middle cascades, then the Lower Fall finishes with a 320-foot drop you can walk right up to. It runs on snowmelt, so timing is everything. Peak flow lands in May, the roar carries across the valley in spring, and by August it can slow to a trickle or dry up entirely before returning with winter storms. For the easy view, the paved Lower Yosemite Fall loop is about 1 mile, with a wheelchair-accessible section to the base. For the whole thing, the Upper Yosemite Fall Trail climbs 2,700 feet over 7.2 miles round trip, a steep all-day push. A park entrance fee applies, and a reservation may be required in peak season.
Highlights
2,425 ft total drop, three tiersTallest waterfall in North AmericaPeak flow April to June (May best)Upper Fall trail: 7.2 mi, 2,700 ft gainLower Fall: paved 1 mi loop, accessibleCan dry up by late summer
Everglades National Park protects 1.5 million acres of subtropical wilderness at the southern tip of Florida, the largest such ecosystem in North America. It is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to manatees, wading birds, and the elusive Florida panther. Visitors can walk the famed Anhinga Trail, paddle mangrove waterways, or take an airboat-free ranger tour through the 'River of Grass.'
Located almost 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, Dry Tortugas National Park is a remote cluster of seven small islands reachable only by ferry or seaplane. Its centerpiece is Fort Jefferson, one of the nation's largest 19th-century masonry forts, surrounded by crystal-clear waters renowned for snorkeling, coral reefs, and shipwrecks. The park is also a haven for nesting seabirds and migratory birds.
One of Florida's oldest and largest state parks, Myakka spreads 37,000 acres of wetlands, prairies, and hammocks along the slow Myakka River east of Sarasota. Climb the canopy walkway, the first public treetop trail in North America, suspended 25 feet up with a tower above the oaks, then board one of the giant airboats for an alligator-lined cruise on Upper Myakka Lake. Winter brings cooler air and crowds of wading birds.
