By: Nina Hudson

Nature. It is something that is all around us. Whether it is summer, autumn, fall or spring there is always some way to embrace the world around you. Aside from nature’s beauty, it provides us with food, water, air and so much more. In this contemporary world, it is often easy to forget where our world began. Since nature is free, people often exploit it and take it for granted. This is a big problem in the U.S and all over the world. 

Being in nature or even just watching nature makes you feel better and less stressed, angry, or afraid. Not only does being in nature improve your mood, but it also benefits your physical health by lowering your heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tension, and stress hormone production. 

Some beautiful hiking destinations in North America that I would love to visit:

Yosemite National Park

This wonderful national park is in Eastern California and is known to be one of the most popular hiking destinations in the world. It has outstanding scenery—including peaks, canyons, cliffs, waterfalls, rivers, lakes, lush green meadows, wildlife, and forests. The park also had a plentiful amount of granite domes which appear in many photos of the park. It is my dream to visit Yosemite someday. 

Zion National Park

Zion National Park is located in Utah among canyon country. Here, you can see the iconic steep, red cliffs that they are known for. There is also a waterfall that refuges colorful hanging gardens that are once in a lifetime and shimmering emerald pools inside the rocks. This is another place I would love to visit!

Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park, located in Montana, is home to snow-capped mountains and beautiful wildflowers among the meadows. There are also pristine turquoise lakes and streams, and dense ancient forests that are open for exploration. There is a diverse landscape that allows one to see a variety of beautiful things, all within one park.