10BEST: Grand parks of other nations

As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th anniversary this month, it’s worth noting we’re hardly the only country that preserves its natural heritage. Around the world, nations have been inspired to showcase and protect their own mountain ranges,

TORRES DEL PAINE CHILE This dramatic Patagonia mountain range, graced with glaciers, wild herds of llama- like guanacos and deep- blue alpine lakes, has come to represent the spirit of the entire region, Howkins says. “It’s one of the most visually iconic landscapes in South America.” It also is largely responsible for the enormous growth of tourism in what remains a remote area at the bottom of the continent. torresdelpaine. com

KRUGER NATIONAL PARK SOUTH AFRICA South Africa’s first national park offers a chance to see the so- called Big 5 game animals: lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants and Cape buffalo. Covering nearly 5 million acres, it has played an important role in conservation for more than a century. “It’s the quintessential African park,” Howkins says. sanparks. org/ parks/ kruger/

DARTMOOR NATIONAL PARK GREAT BRITAIN Howkins got to know this southwest England preserve as a teen, joining an annual hike competition called the Ten Tors, which visits 10 exposed granite outcroppings and can cover more than 50 miles over a weekend. “It’s a spectacular landscape of eroded granite pinnacles,” he says. Established in the 1950s, this preserve includes farms and villages within its boundaries, along with medieval ruins and prehistoric tombs. “It’s a very different kind of national park.” dartmoor. gov. uk

TATRA NATIONAL PARKS SLOVAKIA AND POLAND A two- nation park, this Eastern European preserve offers scenery very similar to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. “It’s one of the few remaining truly wild areas of mainland Europe. It has brown bears and gray wolves and a step- back- in- time setting,” Howkins says. tanap. org

KOMODO NATIONAL PARK INDONESIA Created in 1980, this park initially focused on protecting the deadly Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard, which can reach 150 pounds. “Now it does a wonderful job of preserving biodiversity, on land and in the ocean,” Howkins says. Although remote, the tropical island is popular with divers and is visited by cruise ships. komodo national park. org

IGUAÇU/ IGUAZÚ NATIONAL PARKS BRAZIL AND ARGENTINA These parks straddle an international border and boast one of the world’s largest waterfalls. “There’s a lot of competition between Argentina and Brazil to bring the tourists in,” Howkins says. But the parks aren’t limited to the falls; they’re home to many rare species including jaguars, ocelots and giant anteaters. brazil. org. za/ iguazu- falls. html and iguazuargentina.com

SERENGETI TANZANIA This sprawling wildlife park is famous for its annual wildebeest and zebra migration. “Hundreds of thousands of animals run across the plains in a mass movement,” Howkins says. The preserve was created in the 1950s when the country was still under British control and forced the relocation of the native Maasai people. “After independence it became one of Africa’s major tourist attractions.” tanzaniaparks.com/ serengeti.html

ANTARCTIC PENINSULA While there is no formal national park in the southernmost continent, Howkins argues that international conservation agreements create a de facto park, and a spectacular one at that. “It is probably the closest to a pure wilderness you can get anywhere on the planet. In many ways it is the most protected landscape on Earth.” Expedition and cruise ships regularly visit from South America, drawn by the chance to see penguin colonies, seals, whales and other wildlife. iaato. org/ home