7 (Accessible) Biological Wonders of the National Parks

For nature-lovers of any age, these are some of the coolest plants and animals you can enjoy from within the US National Parks (and 1 National Forest).

Quoting their website, “The National Park Service preserves unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the National Park System for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.” Among the natural resources being preserved are a wide range of living things, from the biggest, tallest, and oldest trees in the world (those are three different species, by the way) to endangered mammals, birds, bugs, and many other kinds of animals.

Some national park wildlife is well-known and easy to find, like the bison of Yellowstone. And if you’re fortunate enough to travel to Alaska you’ll likely encounter many marine mammals, eagles, and other iconic critters. But this list tries to capture some of the slightly-less-famous examples, all of which are common enough in their home parks to be readily seen on an affordable family trip, without long backcountry treks or fancy photography equipment.

Hoh Rainforest, Olympic NP

Hoh Rainforest is one of the largest rainforests in the United States. Located on the western side of Olympic National Park, the forest is one of the rainiest places in the country, averaging over 10 feet of rain per year. The Sitka spruce are the tallest in the park and can grow as high as 300 feet, with diameters as much as 23 feet. Coast Douglas firs, western hemlock, and western red cedars are nearly as impressive as well. The constantly damp environment means the forest floor is covered in mosses, ferns, and other greenery. The Hall of Mosses Trail and Spruce Nature Trail combine for an easy 2-mile stroll to experience the environment.

While in Olympic, whether in Hoh or along the coastal trails, make sure to keep your eyes open for the native banana slugs!

Synchronous Fireflies, Great Smoky Mountains NP (and Congaree NP)

If you grew up in an area with fireflies, you probably have fond memories of their random blinks in the backyard throughout the summer. But what if they were synchronized? There are about a dozen locations worldwide with recorded sightings of the so-called synchronous fireflies, with one of the largest being outside Elkmont Campground in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. During a brief window in late May and early June, campers at Elkmont, or those who win a lottery drawing to secure a bus ticket from the visitor center, can walk a short distance into the woods after sunset. What starts as a scatter of individual beetles eventually turns into pulsating waves of light rippling across the forest floor and undergrowth.

Around 2016, a smaller but similar colony of fireflies was found in Congaree National Park. They have since established a lottery system for viewings as well.

Saguaro Cactus, Saguaro NP

Found in patches around the Sonoran desert, the Saguaro Cactus often grow to 40 feet tall, making them the tallest in the US and one of the tallest in the world. (The tallest Saguaro on record reached 78 feet.) In the right conditions, these prickly giants have lifespans around 150 years, although they often don’t sprout their first arm for 50-70 years. An individual can store as much as 200 gallons of water in their interior to survive long droughts, with their ribbed shape actually expanding like an accordion to create more space when needed.

The Saguaro Cactus lends its name to Saguaro National Park, and they are plentiful within the park’s two units on either side of Tucson Arizona. While summertime temperatures over 100ºF are a deterrent, if you visit in late May you could see the saguaro flowers in bloom. For reasons still not fully understood, the cluster of blossoms arrive in a sequence, advancing counterclockwise. They are the only plant known to have this peculiar behavior.

Island Fox, Channel Islands NP

The Channel Islands, despite their proximity to Greater Los Angeles, remain one of the lesser-visited National Parks. This works out just fine for the endemic Island Foxes. Native to six of the islands and found nowhere else in the world, the foxes are one of the world’s smallest canines, yet they are the largest land animals in the park. About the size of a house cat but with no natural predators, they have evolved to be active during the day, and are generally very curious, docile, and fearless. If you camp on the islands or just visit for the day you are very likely to see them. Of course, as with any wildlife, you should refrain from feeding them so they don’t become dependent on humans. With some changes to their habitat late last century, the foxes were briefly critically endangered, but intense conversation efforts from the National Park Service and Nature Conservancy have resulted in stable populations once again.

The foxes are the most well-known, but they are actually just one of 145 species found only in the Channel Islands. If you get a chance to visit keep your eyes open and you may spot unique birds, lizards, smaller mammals, flowers, and other plants.

Bristlecone Pines, Great Basin NP

Another lightly-traveled National Park is Great Basin, found in eastern Nevada. Located about a 4-hour drive from either Salt Lake City or Las Vegas, Great Basin isn’t a place you stumble upon by chance. Those who make the journey are rewarded with the soaring 13,063‑foot Wheeler Peak, the ornate formations of Lehman Caves, and a grove of Bristlecone Pines containing some of the oldest nonclonal organisms on earth. To be honest, the trees don’t look especially healthy to an untrained eye. Their branches are sparse, and their trunks are gnarled and stunted. However, these traits are adaptations that allow them to thrive in dry mountain environments, typically at elevations between 9,000 and 11,000 feet. Individual trees in this grove are over 1,000 years old, with the oldest ones reaching over 3,000 years.

Brazilian Free-Tailed Bats, Carlsbad Caverns

Bats live in caves. Or rather, they sleep in caves. They come outside at nighttime to eat. If your cave has around 1 million Brazilian free-tailed bats, then their daily commute out the mouth of the cave is a sight to behold. Carlsbad Caverns has actually built a special bat outflight viewing amphitheater so guests can enjoy the spectacle. Starting a bit after sunset, it typically lasts over an hour, every night from late March or early April through October, when they migrate further south to warmer caves for the winter. The bats fly out at high speeds, spiraling upwards from the natural entrance of the cave. As a colony they will consume several pounds of insects before returning in the morning to sleep for the day.

According to the National Park Service, there are bats living in nearly every park. Mammoth Cave, Wind Cave, Lehman Caves in Great Basin, and many of the other caves found throughout the park system are worth visiting for plenty of (most geological) reasons, but there are no other bat colonies that can compare to Carlsbad.

Pando, Fishlake National Forest

Okay, okay, this one isn’t in a National Park. But in terms of accessible amazing biology on public lands, it’s certainly worthy of inclusion. When talking about Bristlecone Pines we said they are the oldest nonclonal organisms on earth. Pando is a grove of quaking aspen trees that are actually all the same tree. Pando has an estimated 47,000 “stems” (trunks) that appear to be individual trees but are genetically identical parts of a single tree, connected by a root system that spans over 100 acres. As a multi-stem tree, Pando is the world's largest tree by measures of weight, landmass and species. Also, while individual stems typically live as long as 100-150 years, the age of the entire clonal organism is a subject of ongoing scientific study. Most credible estimates fall in the range of 9,000-16,000 years, dating back to the end of the last wave of glaciation in the region.

As for visiting Pando, it’s a bit out of the way but once you arrive it’s just… there. You can park among the stems, walk around the tree, and even camp by the side of a forest service road that winds through the eastern part of the tree. Peak colorful foliage is typically late September or early October, but any time starting in early June you’ll be surrounded by leaves that are, genetically, the same.

Honorable Mention (7 More Wonders)

As we said in the intro, there are interesting and rare species to be found throughout the National Park system. These 7 more didn’t make this list, but are still great options to add to your own travel plans include:

Moose in Grand Teton National Park. While never a guaranteed sighting, there are many likely locations to see moose in the Tetons, including if you take the boat across Jenny Lake and walk a couple of miles up into Cascade Canyon.
Sequoia trees in Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks. Sequoias are the largest trees (single-trunk, so ignoring Pando) in the world. Our favorite spot to see them is on the road to Crescent Meadow in Sequoia NP, where you can walk right up among the giants.
Bears in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Again, nothing is guaranteed with wildlife, but from spring through fall a drive around the famous Cades Cove loop will probably get stopped at least once in a “bear jam” as people slow down to observe the American Black Bears. Make sure to keep your distance, as they are not nearly as cuddly as they look.
Silverswords in Haleakala National Park. Found only on the upper slopes of this volcano, the silverswords are a cluster of sword-like petals, and are easy to spot near the parking lots and visitor centers near the summit.
Horses in Cumberland Island National Seashore. Cumberland Island has the only herd of feral horses on the Atlantic coast that is not managed (no food, water, veterinary care, or population control). Walk any of the trails on the island and you’ll likely encounter a few.
Redwoods in Redwood National Park. The only trees you’ll see in the US taller than the ones in Olympic are Redwoods. The highest concentration is in Redwood National and State Parks, but you can also find them in Muir Woods, just outside San Francisco, as well as several state parks in Northern California.
Manatees (and gators) in Everglades National Park. These gentle giants aren’t always easy to find, but a boat tour out of the Flamingo marina has pretty good odds. Once you find them, they don’t swim very fast, so you’ll have a great chance to observe. Gators, on the other hand, are very likely to be spotted all over the park. These are exactly as cuddly as they look, but if you don’t bother them, they generally won’t bother you.

Whether it's to see some of this flora or fauna, whether you're more geologically-inclined, or whether you're just looking for a trip to somewhere new, Wandersaurus Travel can help you plan a family vacation to see these and other National Parks. Contact us through our webform to start the conversation!

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