Big Bend is, as its name suggests, massive. Clocking in at over 30,000 hectares, the park is larger than Yosemite, with awe-inspiring landscapes that are just as impressive. It's also remote - running along the international border with Mexico, this is the largest protected portion of the Chihuahuan Desert in the US. Visitors will encounter desert landscapes, epic mountain ranges and gargantuan canyon systems - all under an uncompromising sun and stretching skies. Stop by Chisos Basin to trek the 7.7km Lost Mine Trail early in the morning, or pick up the path to Emory Peak, which, at 747m, is the park's highest summit. Prefer to see it all from behind the wheel? Take your rented Chevrolet for a spin on the Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive, a 50km route that showcases Big Bend's dramatic geographical splendour.

Great Basin's diverse landscape awaits, promising ancient bristlecone pines, glacial lakes and limestone caves. Open year-round, the best time to visit is between September and October, when the weather cools down and the crowds dissipate. Wheeler Peak - Nevada's second-tallest mountain - is best viewed in the early morning. Lap up majestic views on the 4.8km Alpine Lakes Loop and mark the Lehman Caves on your map as another must-see. A warren of stalactite and stalagmite-crammed underground passages, they can be explored on a ranger-led tour. Another reason to add Great Basin National Park to your itinerary? On clear nights the Milky Way can be seen from here with the naked eye. Magic.

The badlands rock formations for which this park is known create an otherworldly landscape - fairy chimneys, earth pyramids and abstract mushrooms abound. Spanning some 1,479 hectares, the surrealist red-rock sandstone "hoodoos" or "goblins" range in height from 0.6m to 6m, having been deposited here during the Jurassic period, around 170 million years ago. Follow one of the trails down from the overlooks to the valley floor to get up close and personal with these toadstool-shaped pinnacles. The park is open year-round, welcoming hikers, campers, stargazers (it's a certified International Dark Sky Park) and even mountain bikers - along the Wild Horse Trail System.

This spectacular glaciated mountain region in northwestern Wyoming has enticed millions of visitors thanks to its jewel-like lakes and rugged glaciers. Bring binoculars: it is also home to elks, bald eagles and a guidebook's worth of other wildlife. Grand Teton's appeal is multi-layered, combining epic mountain scenery, fascinating fauna and the West's rich cultural history. If you're looking to avoid the crowds, lace up your boots and arrive in May, June or September, when conditions are best for climbing the Teton Range. In winter, Jackson Hole - just a 30-minute drive from the park border - is (in our humble opinion) one of the most underrated spots for breathtaking backcountry skiing in the US.

Redwood - a 50,000-hectare complex that encompasses one national park and three state parks - is home to the oldest, largest and tallest coast redwood trees in the world. It is also renowned for its native wildlife: elk, black bears, black-tailed deer and mountain lions can all be spotted here. Hugging California's northwestern edge, this diverse landscape makes a brilliant addition to any West Coast road trip. It's open year-round, but we recommend visiting in spring or autumn to avoid the summer crowds and winter rains.

Straddling the border of eastern California and Nevada, in the rain shadow of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Death Valley is the largest national park in the US outside of Alaska - and a land of extremes. Everyone compares its rocky 1.3-million-hectare expanse to Mars, this being one of the hottest places on Earth. Avoid the heat by heading to Zabriskie Point at sunrise or sunset, when the Mojave Desert's ridged rolls contrast dramatically against the sky (and the temperature is manageable). Dramatic and startlingly beautiful, Mosaic Canyon and the pastel-hued hills of Artist's Palette are highlights. Summer here can be dangerously hot - so we prefer to head out in autumn or spring.

Just a 45-minute drive from Palm Springs, Joshua Tree makes an ideal day trip if you're swinging through California's retro-chic modernist city. The park gets its name from the oddly shaped trees that grow in abundance here. In an ideal world, you'd schedule your trip during a meteor shower: Joshua Tree is at its most impressive at night, when the star-studded Milky Way puts on celestial shows in its pollution-free skies. Alternatively, head to the Cholla Cactus Garden during golden hour for a striking sunset display. Later, head to Pappy & Harriet's Pioneertown Palace in town for ribs, bison burgers and live music - Lorde and Paul McCartney are among artists to have graced the bill at this rustic Wild West venue.

Forgot hoards of hikers - the only crowds you'll encounter amid the strange sandy landscapes of Kobuk Valley are the half a million caribou that migrate through these sculpted vistas every year. Formed thousands of years ago by the movement of glaciers, the largest active dunes in the Arctic are also home to bears, foxes, wolves and moose. This is one of America's least-visited parks, largely because there's no road access, no trails to follow and no facilities. In other words, this is the ultimate adventure destination. You'll need to fly in via air taxi and take all your backcountry camping gear with you. If you're looking for complete isolation, though, Kobuk is for you.