American safaris: Best places to see wildlife in the United States

By Jordan Burchette, for CNN
11 minute read
Updated 8:35 PM EDT, Mon June 2, 2014
Alaska has numerous places to see grizzlies (brown bear), but the animals can be found in lower 48 parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park (pictured).
Grizzly bear —
Alaska has numerous places to see grizzlies (brown bear), but the animals can be found in lower 48 parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park (pictured).
Danielle Lehle/National Park Service
Once prevalent throughout the mainland United States, the cougar (aka, panther/puma/catamount) is largely isolated to a dozen or so western states and Florida (pictured).
Wildcats —
Once prevalent throughout the mainland United States, the cougar (aka, panther/puma/catamount) is largely isolated to a dozen or so western states and Florida (pictured).
Robert King/Newsmakers
Rattlesnakes are found across the American Southwest in places such as Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Reserve (pictured). Of the four species of venomous snake found in the country -- rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead, coral -- all can be found in and around Houston.
Snakes —
Rattlesnakes are found across the American Southwest in places such as Arizona's Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Reserve (pictured). Of the four species of venomous snake found in the country -- rattlesnake, cottonmouth, copperhead, coral -- all can be found in and around Houston.
David McNew/Getty Images
The largest purported herd of manatees in the United States descends each winter on Florida's Three Sisters Springs' 72-degree waters.
Manatees —
The largest purported herd of manatees in the United States descends each winter on Florida's Three Sisters Springs' 72-degree waters.
Liquid Productions, LLC/Shutterstock
Bull moose populate Cascade Canyon (pictured) in Grand Teton National Park. The so-called <a href="http://www.nhliving.com/moose/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Moose Alley</a> -- U.S. Route 3 between Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and the Canadian border -- is like a year-round moose Mardi Gras.
Moose —
Bull moose populate Cascade Canyon (pictured) in Grand Teton National Park. The so-called Moose Alley -- U.S. Route 3 between Pittsburg, New Hampshire, and the Canadian border -- is like a year-round moose Mardi Gras.
Danielle Lehle/National Park Service
Bald eagles, like this one near Valdez, are a common sight in coastal Alaska, but <a href="http://eaglenature.com/eagle_facts.php" target="_blank" target="_blank">as many as 25,000</a> live in the lower 48 states.
Bald eagle —
Bald eagles, like this one near Valdez, are a common sight in coastal Alaska, but as many as 25,000 live in the lower 48 states.
David McNew/Getty Images
In Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park, seasonal humpback and gray whales combine with year-round orcas for one of the richest cetacean environments in the world. But this humpback whale was photographed on the other side of the country, near Provincetown, Massachusetts.
Whales —
In Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park, seasonal humpback and gray whales combine with year-round orcas for one of the richest cetacean environments in the world. But this humpback whale was photographed on the other side of the country, near Provincetown, Massachusetts.
DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
The wild wolf population in the lower 48 has grown from less than 300 just 30 years ago to more than 4,000 today. Minnesota has the largest gray wolf (pictured) population outside Alaska.
Gray wolf —
The wild wolf population in the lower 48 has grown from less than 300 just 30 years ago to more than 4,000 today. Minnesota has the largest gray wolf (pictured) population outside Alaska.
Photo Illustration/Thinkstock
Reintroduced after near-extinction at the turn of the last century, 1,300 bison -- possibly the world's largest publicly-owned herd -- now roam Custer State Park in South Dakota.
Bison —
Reintroduced after near-extinction at the turn of the last century, 1,300 bison -- possibly the world's largest publicly-owned herd -- now roam Custer State Park in South Dakota.
David McNew/Getty Images
Once endangered, white-tailed deer are now ubiquitous throughout the United States, even occasionally being spotted near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (pictured).
White-tailed deer —
Once endangered, white-tailed deer are now ubiquitous throughout the United States, even occasionally being spotted near the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (pictured).
KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images
Hawaiian spinner dolphins feed at night and throng Oahu's (Hawaii) west coast.
Dolphins —
Hawaiian spinner dolphins feed at night and throng Oahu's (Hawaii) west coast.
Roderick Eime
American safaris: Best places to see wildlife in the U.S.

Story highlights

Many travelers don't realize how much of the U.S. is comprised of wild, untamed badlands

The country is home to about 3,000 wild animal species

Bears can be found in the wild in almost every state

CNN  — 

Many American travelers find themselves stunned by the richness of wildlife they observe abroad. Yet they don’t realize how much of their homeland is comprised of wild, untamed badlands full of the kinds of native fauna they name football teams after.

If you’re in the United States with European amounts of holiday time, you can be leisurely about getting around to each of America’s 3,000 or so wild animal species.

Most of us, however, must take more of a Walmart approach to checking off the nation’s wildlife if we want to get through the list before we’re 800.

You won’t see any zoos or controlled sanctuaries on this list. If you want to spot wildlife indigenous to the USA – or just want to know how to avoid them – these are the places in America where you’re likeliest to do it.

53 stunning wildlife photos (and how to capture them)

FELINES

Yosemite National Park (California)

The best way to observe an American wildcat while keeping your soft tissue intact is in a zoo or basketball arena. But there are plenty of natural big cat habitats nationwide for the adventurous, and Yosemite National Park is among the most representative.

Your chances of actually spotting one is slim, however, being that they’re solitary (often apex) predators – being unseen is kinda their thing.

So while you’re looking for them, they’re probably looking at you.

Still, they’re likeliest to appear at dawn and dusk, the most active times for their favorite foods – deer and elk for big cats, jackrabbits and rodents for the smaller guys – making any list of cat-watching locations a de facto list of those, too.

Where to find individual wildcat species

Mountain lion, Idaho County (Idaho)

Once prevalent throughout the mainland United States, the cougar (aka, panther/puma/catamount) is largely isolated to a dozen or so western states and Florida, none more imposing than those in the Idaho panhandle, according to Game & Fish magazine.

Bobcat, Kiawah Island (South Carolina)

Found in 47 states, this is America’s most common wildcat (population: 1 to 2 million and rising).