Glacier and Yellowstone at top of USA Today poll

Travel experts and readers of USA Today recently ranked Glacier and Yellowstone national parks as two of the country’s best.

Contributing writers nominated 20 of the country’s 59 national parks and opened voting to the public. Glacier Park finished second while Yellowstone Park followed right behind, taking third place. They were the highest ranked national parks west of the Mississippi. Acadia National Park in Maine was ranked No. 1.

“Travelers from around the country know and love Montana’s natural wonders,” Montana Office of Tourism administrator Jeri Duran said. “For both national parks within our borders to finish in the top three of a national poll is an honor.”

The poll brings high-profile publicity to Montana’s most popular attractions. USA Today reaches 41 million readers across all of its platforms. National park experts David and Kay Scott chose the nominees.

“Covering more than 1 million acres, Glacier National Park in Montana has something for everyone,” they wrote. “Hikers come to explore the 700-mile network of trails. Road trippers and motorcyclists come to ride the curves of Going-to-the-Sun Road, and engineers come to marvel at it. The massive, snowy peaks of the Continental Divide hide azure alpine lakes, colorful patches of wildflowers and the occasional cascading waterfall.”

The Scotts also had praise for Yellowstone National Park.

“America's first national park is also one of its most iconic,” they wrote. “Home to the world's largest collection of geysers, including the famous Old Faithful, Yellowstone attracts some 3 million visitors a year to its bizarre geological formations and teeming wildlife, including bison, bear, bighorn sheep, trumpeter swans, moose, elk and river otter.”

The complete list is available online at www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-national-park.