The world is full of absolute wonders. From monuments to canyons to mountains and more, there is something for everyone to enjoy on this beautiful planet we call home. Alongside the many natural wonders of the world, wildlife sits strong. With that said, when many people think of wildlife, they picture the great planes of Africa or monkeys tumbling through treetops in the jungle. Believe it or not though, you don’t have to travel far to witness some of the most stunning wildlife that earth has to offer. In fact, every region of the United States boasts it’s own bounty of incredible fauna.
Northeast Wildlife
When it comes to the great coastal forests of the Northeastern United States, you are bound to stumble across a multitude of animals in the wild. Maine in particular provides a plethora of opportunity for wildlife watching. Watch majestic whales as they jump above the shoreline at Boothbay Harbor. And while you’re there, take a puffin cruise and witness this unusual bird in it’s natural habitat.
In addition to the noteworthy creatures above, you may get lucky enough to sight a moose or deer in Maine’s famous woodlands.
The Midwest
There are more than enough wildlife sanctuaries to choose from in Midwestern United States. This area boasts some of the most diverse wildlife the U.S. has to offer. Stop by Wolf Park in Indiana or travel to Michigan’s Isle Royal for a glance at one of the last Midwest moose populations. You can even witness bears in action at Minnesota’s North American Bear Center. And if you aren’t able to road trip to this little known wildlife center, you don’t have to miss out! They’ve got live webcams for easy access to some of the park’s biggest attractions.
The South
With such a wide variety of landscapes, the south is great for wildlife watching. Although, according to an article by CNN, bobcat sightings are pretty rare throughout most of the South, your chances of a bobcat sighting sit pretty at Kiawah Island in North Carolina. Better yet, the tiny, leopard-like cat known as an Ocelot famously resides at Texas’ Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge . In fact, the mere 50 Ocelot’s remaining in the U.S. all reside at this park.
Out West
Denali National Park in Alaska is an absolute must see for any wildlife watching junkie. This park is unique in that it’s only accessible via one road and by tour bus. This leaves the park relatively untouched by civilization. Here you will see grizzly bears, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and, although rare, even wolves.
But of course, Denali isn’t the only place out West worth stopping by. Also try Olympic National Park in Washington, where deer, bears and elk thrive. And give Glacier National Park in Montana a try where you might stumble across grizzlies, grey wolves, mountain lions and more.
Of course, there are so many more U.S. wildlife parks worth visiting — far too many to fit into a simple 500 word blog post. But as always, the best way to find them is to use these as starting points and discover the rest along the way on your next great adventure.