The 12 Best US National Parks Where You Can Actually See Wildlife

One of the main purposes of the national park system is to protect wildlife habitats. With 63 parks covering more than 84 million acres, that's a lot of wildlife. If your main goal is spotting animals in their natural habitat, you should know that some parks are better than others. Katmai National Park's brown bears, alligators in the Everglades, the Channel Islands' whales and dolphins, and the largest herd of bison in the U.S. at Yellowstone — to name a few — should be at the top of your list. 

Watching animals in the wild is an exciting adventure, but it comes with great responsibility. Always remember that you are a guest on their land, so tread lightly and keep your distance. With that in mind, read on to learn more about where to go for the country's best wildlife-viewing opportunities. Then, grab your binoculars and get ready to head out into the wilderness.

Katmai National Park & Preserve in southern Alaska is one of the best places to view brown bears in the wild, with an estimated population of 2,200. Bears congregate wherever there are abundant food sources. In Katmai, this is along the Pacific Coast, which is home to some of the most concentrated populations of brown bears ever recorded. However, this isn't the easiest place to see them due to its rigorous terrain and dense vegetation. The best bet that doesn't require backcountry trekking is Brooks Camp on the Brooks River, where bears gather to catch sockeye salmon in the frigid waters. Four viewing platforms allow visitors to safely watch the bears gorge themselves from a distance. July is the best time to see bears in this location, as it is the season for salmon migration.

If you are interested in backcountry bear viewing in early spring and summer, you can catch them in open meadows munching on sedges and digging for clams in mudflats. Later in the summer and fall, you can see bears anywhere salmon are running in streams. In June, your strongest chance of spotting bears in the backcountry is at Hallo Bay and Swikshak Lagoon. In July, it's Brooks Camp; in August, it's Geographic Harbor and the Moraine Creek and Funnel Creek area. In September, they're back in droves at Brooks Camp, stocking up on salmon before heading into hibernation for the winter.

Denali was the first national park designated specifically to protect wildlife, and it's well-known for its diverse population of big game and birds. Thirty-nine species of mammals, ranging in size from the diminutive shrew to the imposing moose, call the park home. Grizzlies, Dall sheep, caribou, wolves, foxes, snowshoe hares, and otters are abundant and relatively easy to view. The best way to see wildlife here is by bus traveling along Denali Park Road. Sitting high in a bus, as opposed to low down in a car, allows you to see over the brush that lines the roadside. Additionally, you'll get sighting help from your fellow bus mates — the more eyes you have looking, the more likely you are to find a prize. 

Some of the best points along the road to spot wildlife include mile 9 to mile 22, where moose are most active during mid-August to mid-September; mile 39 to mile 45, where grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and bird sightings are abundant; mile 53, where the road overlooks the river, and the bears and caribou that sometimes frequent the area. The best chances of grizzly sightings are along the way from the Tolkat River to Eilson Visitor Center at mile 66. Caribou, coyotes, wolves, and foxes may be seen here as well. The wetlands between the visitor center and mile 92 are two spots to see waterfowl and beavers.

Contrary to its name, there are no sharks in Shark Valley in Everglades National Park. But there are alligators — lots of them. More than 200,000 of these reptiles are throughout the park, making them easy to spot. The difference between an alligator and its close family member, the crocodile, which also lives in the park, is their snout shape, with the former bearing a U-shape and the latter a V-shape. The Everglades is the only place in the world where these two species live together. Traveling the 15-mile Shark Valley Tram Road will take you to the alligators, and time at Flamingo Marina will allow you to observe crocodiles in their natural habitat. 

There are also more than 40 species of mammals in the park, including white-tailed deer, bobcats, and the marsh rabbit, which can sometimes be seen taking a swim. There are gray foxes, too — the only fox species that can climb trees. Playful river otters are often spotted in Shark Valley and the Anhinga Trail spring. And you can find the ever-popular manatee passing the time around the Flamingo Marina. 

The Everglades are also one of the best places for birdwatchers, with over 360 species living in the park. One of the most colorful is the Roseate Spoonbill, often confused with the flamingo because of its rosy hue. However, unlike the flamingo, the Roseate Spoonbill is native to North America. Other avian life inhabiting the park includes pintails, wigeons, teals, geese, ducks, grebes, and doves. 

Undoubtedly, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve in Alaska isn't the easiest place to view wildlife simply because it's not an effortless place to get to. There are no highways that access the park, so the only way in is by plane. But once you arrive, wildlife viewing opportunities are abundant. Bears are one of the park's top attractions, especially along the Cook Inlet coast, where brown bears gather to feed on rich marine life. Unlike many other places in the world, bears are not threatened by humans here, and they have plenty of natural food sources. This has made them quite tolerant and ambivalent towards humans, which means visitors have plenty of chances to see them up close (well, not too close!) 

Dall sheep wander the slopes of the Chigmit Mountains, where the park and preserve meet, and you can also see them on Tanalian Mountain in the Twin Lakes area. The 30,000-strong (down from 200,000 in 1999) Mulchatna Caribou Herd wanders the western preserve through the Bonanza Hills and surrounding the Twin, Snipe, and Turquoise lakes. Moose — a close relative of caribou but considerably larger —  are typically present in areas below treeline, where the forest and tundra meet, as well as in burned and otherwise disturbed areas. Moose is one of Alaska's most hunted big game animals, but they are well-protected within the park's confines.

Do you know what to do if you get a little too close for comfort with a cougar? If you plan to hike the backcountry at Mt. Rainier National Park, you might want to have a game plan. Although there's yet to be a human injury from a cougar, the National Park Service says that cougar attacks are on the rise around the country. First of all, don't run! Stand your ground and try to make yourself appear as large as possible. Make a lot of noise. Once the cougar is scared away, take time to reflect on how lucky you were to get a glimpse of one in the wild — and not come to any harm in the process.

Black bear encounters at Mt. Rainier are more common because they aren't as timid as cougars. For most people, spotting a bear in the wildlife is a highlight of their trip. They hibernate in winter, but they can be seen in all park areas in warmer months, especially in subalpine forests and low-elevation meadows. Other mammals you might see include coyotes, often spotted in Box Canyon and along Stevens Canyon Road, and red foxes, which frequent the Paradise and Longmire picnic areas. You can see two types of deer year-round: the Columbian black-tailed deer populates the park's western side, and Mule deer are in the east. 

Channel Islands National Park is often referred to as the "Galapagos of North America" due to its density of flora and fauna, many species of which are endemic to the islands. Whale and dolphin watching is a popular activity in the park, and there are 27 distinct species, including the largest population of blue whales in the world. You can also see humpback, fin, and gray whales; common dolphins, Risso's dolphins, and orcas; and several species of pinnipeds, including harbor and elephant seals and California sea lions. 

Channel Islands is also one of the top destinations for birders, with 290 species. And it's the only park with its endemic species — the brilliant blue Island Scrub Jay. Sixty types of sea birds call the park home, including rare species like the California brown pelican and the Scripps's murrelet. It's also one of the best locations in the world for diving and snorkeling — a favorite diving spot of oceanographer Jacques Cousteau — where underwater expeditions through sea caves, coves, and kelp forests put you up close and personal with marine life. Starfish, vibrant sea anemones, bat rays, moray eels, abalone, octopus, California spiny lobsters, and the giant black sea bass, which can weigh up to 500 pounds, are just a few of the treasures underwater adventurers can find in the Channel Island waters.