PARKS & RECREATION

5 NATIONAL PARK ADVENTURES FOR YOUR BUCKET LIST

- ERIN MASERCOLA

April 16-24 is National Parks Week. This year, we celebrate the granddaddy of them all. Yellowstone National Park turns 150, and all eyes are on the birthday boy.

But what about the 62 national parks besides Yellowstone? We know that our America Outdoor Guide Boundless community is up for much, much more than just an ordinary walk in the park. So, we've rounded up five of the most extreme national park landscapes we could find. Head here when you're seeking unusual outdoor adventures.

1 ACADIA NATIONAL PARK AND MOUNT DESERT ISLAND, MAINE

I'm a Southern gal, and I've never been to Maine. When I finally get to go, I'm taking my editor Steve Barlow's advice and heading to Acadia.

Bragging Rights: Want to be the first person in America to witness the sunrise? Head to the top of Acadia's Cadillac Mountain between October 7 and March 6. It's the highest peak along the North Atlantic.

Wheel Fun: Don't say millionaires never gave us anything. Between 1919 and 1934, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. funded a network of carriage roads. Today, they make great, automobile-free bike trails for cyclists.

2 BADLANDS NATIONAL PARK, SOUTH DAKOTA

Here, orange and purple rock formations seem to erupt out of the surrounding prairie. You can find 'badlands' on all continents except Antarctica. The otherworldly quality of badlands comes from extensive erosion carving out buttes and pinnacles from the soft, clay soils in dry terrains. You may spot wildlife such as bison, bighorn sheep, and prairie dogs at Badlands National Park.

More Wheel Fun: There's a reason why all those bikers gather at Sturgis every summer. South Dakota's Black Hills and Badlands serve up the best rides in the country. You can access nearly all the park's top sights from the 40-mile-long Badlands Loop Road.