Coolest animal encounters in the US

😍 There are SO MANY cool animal encounters in the US, and here are a few of my top ones:

💡Firefly phenomenon

This magical event only happens in three places in the US: Congaree National Park, The Great Smoky Mountains, and Allehegany National Forest. The fireflies synchronize their lightning patterns. Both the Great Smokies and Congaree use a lottery system for parking passes, since this happening is very popular.

🦬 Get stuck in a bison jam

It’s no news that Yellowstone National Park has loads of wildlife. You’ll be able to spot elk, bears, bison, moose, wolves, just to name a few. These animals wander freely in the park, and often times the bison will cause a traffic jam. It’s loads of fun to watch them from the safety of your car while they cross the road.

🐴 Wildhorses

There are a few places in the US where you can see wild horses, and every time I’ve encountered them it reminds me of a movie. Cumberland Island National Seashore was a special place for me to see them. You can also find wildhorses in Wyoming, Montana, Assategue island in VA/, Outer Banks in NC to mention a few.

🐻 Bears in The Great Smoky Mountains

While bears exist in other places, there is a specific place in the Great Smokys you simply HAVE TO visit: Cades Cove. We biked around this loop trail and counted about 8 of them, and two of those were cubs!

🐊 Alligators in Shark Valley

I know, alligators sound scary, but trust me on this one: it is really cool to see in person. We rented bikes and biked around the loop trail here, but you could also just walk about a mile in and a mile back, and still see plenty of wildlife. And if you still don’t feel safe you could take a guided tour on the tram. We counted about 60 alligators, some crocodiles on this trail, and loads of turtles!

*Keep in mind that some of these pictures are zoomed in. Keep your distance!

😍 What’s one of the most amazing animal encounters you’ve had in the US?

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