Google Earth is offering virtual tours of some of the world's most incredible national parks to provide an escape for people during social distancing. While following government guidelines to stay at home and help stop the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, we can be mentally whisked-away to inspiring destinations on the other side of the planet.
You can visit the most high-profile bucket-list of America's national parks, including the sweeping vistas of the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite, the alligators of the Everglades and the rock salt basins, polished rocks and marble walls of Death Valley.
Highlights include a virtual tour the famous erupting Old Faithful geysers and the vibrant luminous bacteria blooms at the Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone.
In Yosemite, you can explore the iconic panorama and the granite monoliths, El Captian and Half Dome. You can also watch the world-famous, mountainside waterfalls – which reach heights of 2,425 feet – toppling down the rocks. The water flows between November and July so it's prime-time to see them. For walking fanatics, you can virtually join the Tuolumne Grove hiking trail in Yosemite, which features an easy 2.5-mile descent, amid massive pass-through sequoia trees.
Hop into Joshua Tree National Park in California and trek the Barker Dam Nature Trail, past desert scrubs and cacti, or head to Keys View, Joshua Tree's highest viewpoint
And of course, there's the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, with dizzying views over vertical drops and vast expanses of rugged canyon landscape. Head to Yavapai Point for panoramic viewpoint along South Rim, with exceptional views of canyon ridges and the Colorado River.
For off-the-beaten track tours, there's the lesser-known Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, where grazing lands stretch out to meet mountainous peaks, like the Cathedral Group Turnout.