3 US National Parks to Visit Before 2030

As climate change worsens year by year, the impact on our world's pristine natural landscape is increasing. Dozens of US National Parks are at risk from climate change affecting their natural landscape by 2100, but some parks are being impacted more quickly. Here's a list of three national parks to visit before they suffer from drastic effects by the year 2030.

1. Glacier National Park, Montana

With its spectacular views and mountain-loving wildlife, Glacier National Park is truly a sight to see. The endless miles of forest that fade into dramatic mountains and valleys carved by glaciers is one of the most pristine landscapes in the United States, if not the world. Wildlife is everywhere in Glacier, ranging from huge grizzly bears and nimble mountain goats to tiny pikas and the various eagles that soar above the forests. Multicolored lakes and snowcapped peaks are scattered across the park as well, allowing visitors to have an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

However, this park is one of the most at risk in the US. Glacier National Park's glaciers have always been slowly disappearing ever since they formed during the Ice Age. Most of the glaciers in the park have been around for at least 6,500 years, reaching their peak size in 1850. Unfortunately, since then, due to the rapid warming of our world after the Industrial Revolution, the glaciers are receding at unprecedented speeds. One study by USGS showed that glaciers had retreated by as much as 85 percent since 1966, and only 26 glaciers remain from the 150 glaciers that existed in 1850. Some of the few glaciers left could disappear by 2030, and they are expected to all be gone by 2050 at the latest.

Due to these effects, Glacier National Park is a key park that every nature-loving American must visit before its iconic glaciers fade away.

2. Everglades National Park, Florida

Everglades National Park is one of the most unique ecosystems on Earth. Within the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, you'll find over 360 different bird species residing beside alligators and crocodiles-- in fact, the Everglades is the only place in the world where the two reptiles coexist. Due to its distinctive hydrological system, it has nine different diverse habitats. This national park is extremely biodiverse and contains things that cannot be found anywhere else on Earth, making it a must-visit among the national parks of the United States.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most at-risk parks in the US. The foundation of the Everglades is built on water, and that crucial water supply is fading away. Due to worsening water quality and the use of the park's crucial river for agriculture and flood control, the ecosystem is collapsing. There used to be a 50-mile wide "River of Grass" stretching from Lake Okechobee to the sea that was the lifeline of the Everglades, but levees and canals have turned it into various small waterways that benefit the human population. Peat is a massive storer of carbon, and the peat soils in the Everglades' massive carbon sink that wildlife depend on is crumbling, releasing thousands of metric tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year. More hurricanes and stronger storms are flooding the area and destroying more and more area, and the wildlife has no time to recover. Salt water is invading into freshwater ecosystems, killing off crucial seagrass and driving away wildlife. Invasive species like the massive Burmese python are also destroying the local population-- the pythons have no natural predators and eat everything in sight. While the government approved a plan to save the ecosystem in 2000, no progress has been made, and the situation is just becoming worse. In addition, rising sea levels are intruding into the region, and studies show that large parts of the Everglades is expected to be underwater by 2100.

Because of all of these negative effects, Everglades National Park is a crucial park that every nature-loving American must visit before its unique ecosystem fades away.

3. Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is the northernmost national park in the United States and is the second-largest, covering over 8.4 million acres in northern Alaska. However, despite its astounding size, Gates of the Arctic was the country's least visited park in 2019, garnering only 10,518 visitors in the entire year. This park is covered in snowcapped peaks, endless green forests, and massive herds of caribou and other wildlife.

Unfortunately, Gates of the Arctic -- and the rest of Alaska's national parks -- are at risk due to the extreme climate change occurring in the Arctic. Climate change is affecting the Arctic much more than other regions, meaning that the unique animals of the area could soon be endangered. Warming temperatures is melting the crucial permafrost that the ecosystem depends on, and peatlands are also mixed in with some of the permafrost. This means that the melting of permafrost is also releasing thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into the air each year, and in addition, the more exposed plant life is more prone to wildfires. Melting permafrost also causes trees to droop over and washes away plants, fish, and other wildlife. Caribou are a crucial species to the ecosystem, and more rains during the warmer winters are forming ice instead of snow-- preventing the caribou from reaching their main food source, lichen. This drives them away from their regular migration patterns, which messes up the entire environment. And as if that all isn't enough, mining and oil drilling is planned around the park, which could send excess waste and chemicals into nearby rivers and forests.

Due to effects like melting permafrost and plans for mining, Gates of the Arctic National Park is an important park that every nature-loving American must visit before its beautiful wildlife and shimmering permafrost fades away.

These aren't the only national parks at risk! Many other parks, such as Joshua Tree, Saguaro, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, and Rocky Mountain National Parks are also in danger! Do you want to help save these national parks so that future generations can also enjoy these beautiful landscapes and their wildlife? Donate to the National Parks Conservation Association today!