 Home / U.S. State Travel Guides / U.S. Vacations / U.S. National Parks / U.S. State Highpoints / U.S. Road Trip Planning  NATIONAL PARKS OF THE UNITED STATES  
Welcome to the Bigroads.com guide to the 63 national parks of the United States! The intent of this page is to provide an overview of our beloved national parks and share tips on how to visit them. Take note that this page only covers national parks; it does not cover other federally-managed parks and properties, including national monuments, national recreation areas, or national forests. 
You've probably heard this before, and I certainly agree with it: The national parks are our greatest idea. Our government has somehow managed to preserve and protect some of the most beautiful places on earth. Each of our national parks is worthy of our time and protection. In addition to the information presented below, I highly recommend purchasing these two guidebooks: Your Guide to the National Parks and the Moon USA National Parks Here is a handy chart that presents the highlights of what to expect from each of the national parks. The "Wow Factor" column is simply my opinionated rating for how much the scenery and/or overall experience of the national park is likely to impress you.
Here is a map showing the location of all 63 U.S. national parks: 
★ NPS WEBSITE - The official website of the National Park Service is www.nps.gov. I think this website is very useful for accomplishing the following: (a) obtaining a general understanding of each park, including what the park is protecting and showcasing; (b) learning the basic things to see and do; (c) downloading (and then studying) park and hiking trail maps; (d) understanding the in-park lodging and campgrounds options; (e) reviewing lists/tables of the popular walks and hikes within the parks; (f) understanding permit and/or entry requirements (if any); and (g) reading the 'Park Alerts in Effect' bulletins to understand current closures and other visitor considerations. ★ FACEBOOK PAGES - I highly recommend "liking" the official Facebook pages of as many national parks as possible. These Facebook pages provide many tips on how and when to visit the parks. I personally follow about 20-25 of the national park pages on Facebook. ★ GET INTO THE PARKS EARLY - The vehicle lines to enter national parks can get very long in the middle of the day, especially during peak seasons. Try to enter each national park by 7:00am or 8:00am if you can (or even earlier on weekends). I recommend starting by 6:00am in some of the "super parks" like Yellowstone or Yosemite. ★ LIMITED PARKING - Parking spaces are often limited for some of the best and most popular attractions and trailheads. You’ll want to arrive early or you could risk driving around in circles trying to snag a coveted parking space as someone else is leaving. ★ VISITOR CENTERS - Just about every national park has at least one visitor center. The staff of these visitor centers can answer just about any question you have (and it's likely they've heard your question a hundred times before). ★ ANNUAL NATIONAL PARKS PASS - You should purchase the Annual Parks Pass each year. The cost of the pass is still only $80, and it covers all national parks and most other federally-managed parks and properties, including national monuments, national forests, national historic sites, and national recreation areas. The pass is good for a full twelve months from the date of purchase (in other words, the pass is not calendar-year based). You can often purchase the pass at the park entrance gates and/or visitor centers. You can also purchase them online ahead of time if you are willing to pay a small online processing fee. ★ DO YOUR RESEARCH - Think of national parks like Disney World, meaning you really should do advance research and come up with a visit plan. You can't just show up and hope to figure out what to do in the national parks any more. It's just too overwhelming and in some parks, the crowds are just too intense. ★ PET POLICIES - While many national parks will allow pets in your vehicle and on park roads, very few allow them on hiking trails. In general, pets are not really welcomed visitors to the national parks. ★ ROAD CONDITIONS - Inquire at the visitor center about current dirt road / 4x4 driving conditions. Tell the Visitor Center staff your type of vehicle and ask if they think you’ll be OK based upon your itinerary. Also ask if flat fires are a common problem on the roads you intend to drive (I learned this the hard way in Big Bend National Park). Many of the most scenic sections and corners of national parks are found along or at the end of dirt roads/4x4 roads; these dirt roads vary widely in terms of current conditions. ★ BUY SOME MAPS - Buy the excellent and waterproof National Geographic folding maps for the major national parks that you will be visiting. Make sure that you purchase the latest editions since most receive periodic publishing updates. I like to also supplement these maps with hiking instructions and trail maps from published hiking guidebooks. ★ SHUTTLE BUS SYSTEMS - A few national parks have free shuttle bus systems, and they usually run incredibly well. These shuttle bus systems will typically stop at all major attractions and trailheads. This currently includes Acadia, Bryce, Denali, Glacier, Yellowstone, and Zion. ★ AVOID HOLIDAYS AND WEEKENDS - You should avoid national parks on holidays and weekends whenever possible, especially the more popular parks like Acadia, Arches, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion. ★ NATIONAL PARK FOOD - Many visitors complain that national park food is low-to-medium quality and overpriced. I've even heard some suggest that national park food is an embarrassment to the United States. Since the in-park food usually isn't all that great, you may want to consider bringing your own food. If you do plan on visiting park restaurants, be aware that they can be extremely crowded, especially during normal lunch and dinner hours. If you will be doing any formal dining (i.e. El Tovar at the Grand Canyon), make sure to make reservations in advance as soon as they become available. ★ VISIT THE NATIONAL PARKS IN WINTER - Consider visiting a national park in winter for winter activities, drop-dead gorgeous scenery, and/or little or no crowds. Many national parks encourage snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter. A few national parks (like Yellowstone and Voyageurs) even allow snowmobiling on park roads that are closed to private vehicles in winter.
Thanks to the internet, many of our national parks are now extremely congested. As popularity increases, so do the number of parks with timed entry and/or permit requirements. It's critical that you understand the permit and entry requirements of each park before you attempt to visit. I now recommend planning your national park trips a full year in advance. You might be able to get away with making reservations only 3-6 months in advance, but I can tell you that I'm personally not going to risk that for any of the popular parks. I realize that most people don't like planning vacations this far in advance, but it's certainly beneficial. Timed Entry An increasing number of national parks now have timed-entry requirements. Before you visit one of the premier national parks (aka one of the "super parks"), you should determine when those permits go on sale and ideally try to grab soon after being released. Example: In 2024, Arches was opening timed entry reservations one month at a time about 4 months in advance. Here is a list of parks that require advance reservations and/or have other entry requirements as of 2024: ✮ Acadia National Park - Cadillac Summit Road only (mid-may until late-October) ✮ Arches National Park - main entrance (April through October from 7am-4pm) ✮ Glacier National Park - Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork (starting mid/late-May) and Many Glacier (starting early July) ✮ Haleakala National Park - see details at nps.gov website ✮ Mount Rainier National Park - Paradise corrider 7-3pm (mid-May to early September) and Sunrise corridor (7-3pm from early Jul-early Sept) ✮ Rocky Mountain National Park - main entrance & Bear Lake Road (late May through late October from 5am-6pm) ✮ Yosemite National Park - see details at nps.gov website Lodging The demand for inside-the-park lodging is incredible, even though lodges and other overnight facilities are generally very expensive. Many of the lodges open up for reservations 12-13 months in advance. I've tried to book rooms in the Grand Canyon 10 months in advance and I couldn't find the style of room that I wanted. Each lodging facility has different timing windows, and most will describe them on their website. Start looking now for next year! Camping and Backpacking Just like lodging, you need to try to book campgrounds or remote backpacking sites several months if not a full year in advance. Some of the more popular campgrounds and backcountry sites will completely sell out in minutes. Daily Quotas There are some parking areas and/or trails that now have daily quotas. Examples that come to mind are Angel's Landing and the Subway in Zion, and Half Dome in Yosemite. More locations are likely to be added in the coming years. Generally speaking, a lottery or reservation window for these permits will open 3-6 months in advance of your visit date. Check the NPS.gov website to learn about these requirements now. First-come, First-served If you are trying to obtain a first-come, first-served campsite at an national park campground, I wish you the best. You can increase your odds of scoring a car campsite by arriving at the campground between 9:00am-11:00am. Even that may not guarantee you a spot due to high demand though. If you can’t find a campsite within a national park, there are often national forest campgrounds, KOA campgrounds, and/or other private campgrounds within a few miles of the national park boundaries. I would never try to obtain a first-come, first-served campsite on a holiday and maybe not even on a weekend for that matter. A few national parks do still allow "at-large" camping, where you can show up without a reservation, park your vehicle, and then hike off-trail a certain distance (e.g. 0.5 mile) to set up camp. I would check the NPS.gov website and/or inquire about these options at the park visitor center. In general, only the national parks with relatively low visitation statistics allow this.
It's tough to figure out how much time you should spend at each national park. In the section below, you'll see my recommendations as to how much time a first-time visitor should plan for many of the national parks. If you are an avid hiker, backpacker, and/or 4x4 driving enthusiast, you will probably want to consider adding more time or days than what I have suggested below. Take note that you don't have to spend this much time in each park; you can spend less and probably still get a good general sense of the park. My recommendations below represent what I wish I had done on my first visit. If you are like most people, PTO/vacation time is usually in short supply and the length of each trip matters. ✮ Acadia: 2-3 days (although I recommend 4-5 days if you are an avid hiker and/or cyclist) ✮ Arches: 2-3 days ✮ Badlands: 1 day ✮ Big Bend: 1-2 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker, backpacker, and/or want to do 4x4 driving or rafting) ✮ Biscayne: 1 day ✮ Black Canyon of the Gunnison: 1 day ✮ Bryce Canyon: 1-2 days ✮ Canyonlands-Island in the Sky District: 1 day (although I recommend 2-3 days if you want to do 4x4 driving, e.g. White Rim Road) ✮ Canyonlands-Needles District: 1 day (although I recommend 2-3 days if you are an avid hiker, backpacker, and/or want to do 4x4 driving) ✮ Capitol Reef: 1-2 days (although I recommend 3-4 days if you are an avid hiker, backpacker, and/or want to do 4x4 driving) ✮ Carlsbad Caverns: 1 day ✮ Congaree: ½ day to a full day ✮ Crater Lake: 1-2 days ✮ Cuyahoga Valley: 1-2 days ✮ Death Valley: 2-3 days (although I recommend 4-5 days if you are an avid hiker and/or want to do 4x4 driving) ✮ Denali: 2-3 days (although I recommend adding more days if you want to maximize your chances of seeing the mountain) ✮ Dry Tortugas: 1 day ✮ Everglades: 1-2 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid paddler) ✮ Gateway Arch: ½ day ✮ Glacier: 2-3 days (although I recommend 4-5 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Grand Canyon: 1-2 days (although I recommend 3-4 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Grand Teton: 2-3 days (although I recommend 4-5 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Great Basin: 1-2 days ✮ Great Sand Dunes: 1 day ✮ Great Smoky Mountains: 2-3 days (although I recommend 3-4 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Guadalupe Mountains: 1 day (although I recommend 2-3 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Haleakala: 1 day (although I recommend 2-3 days for those that want to go backpacking) ✮ Hawaiʻi Volcanoes: 1-2 days ✮ Hot Springs: 1 day ✮ Indiana Dunes: 1 day ✮ Isle Royale: 1-2 days (although I recommend adding more days if you enjoy backpacking, paddling, and/or boating) ✮ Joshua Tree: 1-2 days ✮ Kings Canyon: 1 day (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Lassen Volcanic: 1-2 days ✮ Mammoth Cave: 1 day ✮ Mesa Verde: 1-2 days ✮ Mount Rainier: 2-3 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ New River Gorge: 1-2 days ✮ North Cascades: 1-2 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Olympic: 2-3 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Petrified Forest: 1 day ✮ Pinnacles: 1 day ✮ Redwood: 1-2 days (although I recommend adding more days to visit nearby CA state parks, which are as good if not better than Redwood) ✮ Rocky Mountain: 2-3 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker) ✮ Saguaro: 1 day (although I recommend two if you want to thoroughly explore both the East and West units) ✮ Sequoia: 1-2 days (although I recommend adding more days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Shenandoah: 1-2 days (although I recommend 3-4 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Theodore Roosevelt: 1-2 days ✮ Virgin Islands: 2-3 days ✮ Voyageurs: 1-2 days ✮ White Sands: 1 day ✮ Wind Cave: 1 day (although you could do 2 days and also enjoy some of the park hiking trails) ✮ Yellowstone: 4-5 days (although I recommend 6-7 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Yosemite: 3-4 days (although I recommend 5-6 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker) ✮ Zion: 2-3 days (although I recommend 4-5 days if you are an avid hiker and/or backpacker)
Here are my choices for the top national parks in the U.S. Although these are my personal favorites, keep in mind that all of our national parks are worth visiting. Take note that I haven't visited all the national parks in Hawaii and Alaska yet, and it's possible some of those may squeeze themselves into this list eventually. ✮ Arches ✮ Badlands ✮ Bryce Canyon ✮ Canyonlands ✮ Crater Lake ✮ Death Valley ✮ Denali ✮ Glacier ✮ Grand Canyon ✮ Grand Teton ✮ Mount Rainier ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias ✮ Yellowstone ✮ Yosemite ✮ Zion
If you can't stay within the actual national park itself (aka inside-the-park lodging), consider staying in one of these great national park gateway towns: ✮ Bar Harbor, Maine - near Acadia National Park ✮ Durango, Colorado - near Mesa Verde National Park ✮ Estes Park, Colorado - near Rocky Mountain National Park ✮ Jackson, Wyoming - near Grand Teton National Park ✮ Moab, Utah - near Arches and Canyonlands National Park ✮ Pigeon Forge, Tennessee - near Great Smoky Mountains National Park ✮ Port Angeles, Washington - near Olympic National Park ✮ Springdale, Utah - near Zion National Park ✮ West Yellowstone, Montana - near Yellowstone National Park ✮ Whitefish, Montana - near Glacier National Park My favorite gateway town is Moab in Utah. In fact, it's probably my favorite adventure town in the U.S. I recommend making lodging reservations (or AirBnb/VRBO) at least 6-9 months in advance if you want to stay in these adventure towns. Depending upon the location and/or time of year, you may want to consider making reservations 12-13 months in advance.
Many of the national parks offer inside-the-park lodging. In general, the demand for this lodging is fierce and prices are quite expensive. I've tried to list every known inside-the-park lodging in the national parks below. For many of these lodging facilities, you should attempt to make reservations a full year (or in some cases, 13 months) in advance. ✮ Badlands - Cedar Pass Lodge ✮ Big Bend - Chisos Mountain Lodge ✮ Bryce Canyon - Bryce Canyon Lodge ✮ Crater Lake - Cabins at Mazama Village, Crater Lake Lodge ✮ Cuyahoga Valley - Inn at Brandywine Falls, Silver Fern Bed and Breakfast, Stanford House ✮ Death Valley - Furnace Creek Resort, Panamint Springs Resort, Ranch at Furnace Creek, Stovepipe Wells Village ✮ Denali - Camp Denali ✮ Glacier - Apgar Village Lodge and Cabins, Glacier Park Lodge, Lake McDonald Lodge, Many Glacier Hotel, Motel Lake McDonald, Rising Sun Motor Inn and Cabins, Swiftcurrent Motor Inn and Cabins ✮ Glacier (requires hiking) - Granite Park Chalet, Sperry Chalet ✮ Glacier Bay - Glacier Bay Lodge ✮ Grand Canyon (North Rim) - Grand Canyon Lodge ✮ Grand Canyon (South Rim) - Bright Angel Lodge, El Tovar Hotel, Kachina Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge, Yavapai Lodge ✮ Grand Canyon (requires hiking) - Phantom Ranch ✮ Grand Teton - Colter Bay Village, Jackson Lake Lodge, Jenny Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Lodge, Spur Ranch, Triangle X Guest Ranch ✮ Great Smoky Mountains (requires hiking) - LeConte Lodge ✮ Haleakala (requires hiking)- Wilderness Cabins ✮ Hawai'i Volcanoes - Volcano House ✮ Isle Royale - Rock Harbor Lodge (requires a boat/ferry ride) ✮ Kenai Fjords - Wilderness Cabins (requires a boat/ferry or plane ride) ✮ Kings Canyon - Cedar Grove Lodge, John Muir Lodge ✮ Lassen Volcanic - Drakesbad Guest Ranch ✮ Mammoth Cave - Mammoth Cave Hotel ✮ Mesa Verde - Far View Lodge ✮ Mount Rainier - National Park Inn, Paradise Inn ✮ North Cascades - Ross Lake Resort ✮ Olympic - Kalaloch Lodge, Lake Crescent Lodge, Lake Quinault Lodge, Log Cabin Resort, Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort ✮ Sequoia - Grant Grove Cabins, Wuksachi Lodge ✮ Sequoia (requires hiking) - Bearpaw High Sierra Camp ✮ Shenandoah - Big Meadows Lodge, Lewis Mountain Cabins, Skyland Resort ✮ Virgin Islands - Cinnamon Bay Campground Cottages, Maho Bay Camps, Concordia Eco-Tents ✮ Voyageurs - Kettle Falls Hotel & Resort (requires a boat/ferry ride) ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias - Kennicott Glacier Lodge ✮ Yellowstone - Canyon Lodge and Cabins, Grant Village, Lake Lodge Cabins, Lake Yellowstone Hotel and Cabins, Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel and Cabins, Old Faithful Inn, Old Faithful Lodge Cabins, Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Cabins, Roosevelt Lodge Cabins ✮ Yosemite - Ahwahnee, Curry Village, Housekeeping Camp, Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, Wawona Hotel, White Wolf Lodge, Yosemite Lodge ✮ Yosemite (requires hiking) - High Sierra Camps ✮ Zion - Zion Lodge
The national parks include some of the most scenic drives in the U.S. Here are my favorite scenic drives in the national parks. While most of these roads are paved, a few are well-maintained dirt/gravel roads. None of these roads require a 4x4 vehicle (except perhaps in winter). ✮ Arches National Park roads ✮ Badlands Loop Road, Badlands - this road may be temporarily closed in winter if road conditions are deemed unsafe ✮ Cades Cove Loop, Great Smoky Mountains ✮ Dunes Drive, White Sands ✮ Generals Highway, Sequoia - portions of this road close in winter ✮ Glacier Point Road, Yosemite - this seasonal road is generally open from late May/early June through late October/early November ✮ Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier - most of this road is closed in winter ✮ Hurricane Ridge Road, Olympic - this road may be temporarily closed in winter if road conditions are deemed unsafe ✮ Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, Kings Canyon - portions of this road close in winter ✮ Kolob Terrace Road, Zion - this road may be temporarily closed in winter if road conditions are deemed unsafe ✮ North Cascades Scenic Byway/WA-20, North Cascades - most of this road is closed in winter ✮ Park Loop Road, Acadia - a large portion of this road is closed in winter ✮ Redwood Highway/US-101, Redwoods ✮ Rim Drive, Crater Lake - a large portion of this road is closed in winter ✮ Saguaro National Park roads ✮ Skyline Drive, Shenandoah - this road may be temporarily closed in winter if road conditions are deemed unsafe ✮ Teton Park Road and/or US-26/89/191, Grand Teton - most of Teton Park Road is closed in winter ✮ Tioga Road/CA-120, Yosemite - this seasonal road is generally open from June to September ✮ Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain - this seasonal road is generally open from June to September ✮ UT-9, Zion ✮ Yellowstone National Park roads - most roads in this national park are closed in winter ✮ Yosemite Valley Loop Road, Yosemite - this road may be temporarily closed in winter if road conditions are deemed unsafe For a list of the best scenic drives in the country, visit my guide to the Best U.S. Scenic Drives.
Here is a list of many of the premier day hikes in the national parks. Take note that some of these hikes are extremely challenging and a few require permits. A few of these national parks also require advanced reservations and/or timed entry as well. ✮ Acadia - Beehive Trail ✮ Acadia - Precipice Trail (typically opens for the season in mid-August) ✮ Arches - Devil's Garden loop ✮ Badlands - Notch Trail ✮ Big Bend - Emory Peak ✮ Bryce Canyon - Queens Garden/Navajo loop ✮ Canyonlands - Chesler Park semi-loop from the Elephant Hill trailhead ✮ Crater Lake - Garfield Peak Trail ✮ Glacier - Highline Trail/Grinnell Glacier Overlook (permit required) ✮ Grand Canyon - Bright Angel Trail down to the 3-mile Resthouse ✮ Grand Canyon - South Kaibab Trail down to Ooh Aah Point (a park shuttle required) ✮ Grand Teton - Cascade Canyon to Lake Solitude ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte ✮ Guadalupe Mountains - Guadalupe Peak ✮ Kenai Fjords - Exit Glacier/Harding Icefield Trail ✮ Mount Rainier - Skyline Trail ✮ North Cascades - Cascade Pass and Sahale Arm ✮ Rocky Mountain - Longs Peak (I would argue this is more mountaineering than hiking) ✮ Rocky Mountain - Sky Pond/Lake of Glass/The Loch/Glacier Gorge (permit may be required) ✮ Sequoia - Congress Trail ✮ Shenandoah - Old Rag ✮ Yellowstone - Upper Geyser Basin (including Old Faithful) ✮ Yosemite - Mist Trail/Vernal Fall/Nevada Fall (tip: you can also add a climb up the cables of Half Dome if you obtain a permit) ✮ Zion - Angels Landing (permit required) ✮ Zion - Zion Narrows (aka 'Virgin River Narrows' or 'The Narrows') For 25 great national park day hikes, visit my Top 25 National Park Day Hikes guide. For 50 great national park day hikes, visit my Top 50 National Park Day Hikes guide.
Roughly half of our national parks offer backpacking opportunities on maintained trails. In my opinion, these are the premier backpacking trails in our national parks: ✮ Big Bend - e.g. Outer Mountain Loop ✮ Canyonlands-Needles District - e.g. Chesler Park/Joint Trail/Druid Arch ✮ Capitol Reef - e.g. Halls Creek Narrows, Lower Muley Twist, Upper Muley Twist ✮ Glacier - e.g. Granite Park Chalet, Sperry Chalet, Highline Trail, Many Glacier Loop, St. Mary to Lake McDonald ✮ Grand Canyon - e.g. South Kaibab Trail/Bright Angel Trail Loop, Rim-to-Rim, Escalante Route, ✮ Grand Teton - e.g. Teton Crest Trail ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - e.g. Appalachian Trail, Big Creek Trail/Hemphill Bald ✮ Haleakala ✮ Hawai'i Volcanoes ✮ Isle Royale - e.g. Greenstone Ridge Trail ✮ Kings Canyon - e.g. Rae Lakes Loop ✮ Mount Rainier - e.g. Wonderland Trail ✮ North Cascades - e.g. Desolation Peak, Gothic Basin, Hannegan Peak/Copper Ridge ✮ Olympic - e.g. Enchanted Valley, Hoh River Trail, North Wilderness Beach, Royal Basin, Seven Lakes Basin Loop, Shi Shi Beach, 3rd Beach ✮ Sequoia - e.g. High Sierra Trail, Rae Lakes Loop ✮ Yellowstone - e.g. Bechler River Trail, Dunanda Falls, Heart Lake, Shoshone Lake, Specimen Ridge, High Lake Loop ✮ Yosemite - e.g. John Muir Trail, High Sierra Camps ✮ Zion - e.g. Virgin River Narrows, West Rim Trail
Some of the national parks allow off-trail or 'at large' backpacking opportunities. Here are the best national parks for off-trail backpacking: ✮ Badlands ✮ Channel Islands ✮ Denali ✮ Gates of the Arctic ✮ Glacier Bay ✮ Grand Canyon ✮ Great Sand Dunes ✮ Kenai Fjords ✮ Kings Canyon ✮ Kobuk Valley ✮ Lake Clark ✮ Petrified Forest ✮ Sequoia ✮ Theodore Roosevelt ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias
You can see some of the finest waterfalls in America within the national parks. Take note that some of the waterfalls listed below lie just outside of the national park boundary. ✮ Cuyahoga Valley - e.g. Blue Hen Falls, Brandywine Falls, Buttermilk Falls ✮ Glacier - e.g. Apikuni Falls, Bird Woman Falls, Running Eagle Falls, Saint Mary Falls ✮ Grand Canyon - e.g. Deer Creek Falls, Ribbon Falls ✮ Grand Teton - e.g. Hidden Falls ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - e.g. Abrams Falls, Grotto Falls, Indian Creek Falls, Laurel Falls, Rainbow Falls, Ramsey Cascades ✮ Haleakala - e.g. Waimoku Falls, Falls At Makahiku ✮ Katmai - e.g. Brooks Falls (this waterfall is famous for attracting grizzly bears) ✮ Mount Rainier - e.g. Comet Falls, Myrtle Falls, Narada Falls, Spray Falls ✮ Olympic - e.g. Madison Creek Falls, Marymere Falls, Murhut Falls, Sol Duc Falls ✮ Rocky Mountain - e.g. Adams Falls, Alberta Falls, Chasm Falls, Ouzel Falls ✮ Shenandoah - e.g. Dark Hollow Falls, Whiteoak Canyon Falls ✮ Yellowstone - e.g. Dunanda Falls, Fairy Falls, Gibbon Falls, Kepler Cascades, Lewis Falls, Lower Falls, Moose Falls, Mystic Falls, Osprey Falls, Tower Fall, Undine Falls, Union Falls, and Upper Falls ✮ Yosemite - e.g. Bridalveil Falls, Horsetail Fall, Illilouette Falls, Nevada Fall, Ribbon Fall, Vernal Fall, Yosemite Falls The two best national parks for waterfalls are Yellowstone and Yosemite. They both contain some of the finest waterfalls on Earth. The waterfalls of Yellowstone flow throughout the spring/summer/fall seasons, but many of the falls in Yosemite often dry up by early-to-mid summer.
Many of our national parks offer outstanding wildlife viewing opportunities. Here is a list of what visitors often see for wildlife. Take note that I've only listed animals that you have at least a decent chance of seeing. ✮ Badlands - bison, prairie dog, bighorn sheep, pronghorn (aka antelope) ✮ Biscayne - manatees ✮ Carlsbad Caverns - Brazilian free-tailed bats ✮ Channel Islands - whales, seals, sea lions ✮ Denali - brown bear (aka grizzly), moose, dall sheep, wolves ✮ Everglades - alligators, manatees, hundreds of species of birds (note: spotting crocodiles and Florida panthers is extremely rare) ✮ Glacier - brown bear (aka grizzly), mountain goat, moose ✮ Glacier Bay - whales ✮ Grand Canyon - elk, mule deer ✮ Grand Teton - elk, mule deer, moose; bison, brown bear (aka grizzly), and black bear are less commonly seen ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - black bear, elk, white-tailed deer ✮ Isle Royale - moose (gray wolves are far less commonly seen) ✮ Katmai -brown bear (aka grizzly) ✮ Kobuk Valley - brown bear (aka grizzly), wolves, moose, caribou ✮ Olympic - elk ✮ Lake Clark - brown bear (aka grizzly), wolves, moose, dalls sheep, caribou ✮ Redwood - elk ✮ Rocky Mountain - elk, moose, bighorn sheep, yellow-bellied marmot ✮ Sequoia - black bear ✮ Shenandoah - black bear, white-tailed deer ✮ Theodore Roosevelt - bison, prairie dog, feral/wild horses ✮ Voyageurs - moose, bald eagle (gray wolves are far less commonly seen) ✮ Wind Cave - bison, prairie dogs, pronghorn (aka antelope) ✮ Yellowstone - bison, black bear, brown bear (aka grizzly), elk, mule deer, wolves, bighorn sheep, mountain goats ✮ Yosemite - black bear You are pretty much guaranteed to see wildlife in Yellowstone National Park. Very rarely would someone visit Yellowstone and fail to see at least some wildlife (e.g. bison). On average, I believe I've seen a bear for roughly every 3-4 days that I've spent in Yellowstone National Park.
These national parks are generally considered premier places for rock climbing: ✮ Acadia ✮ Arches ✮ Black Canyon of the Gunnison ✮ Canyonlands ✮ Capitol Reef ✮ Grand Teton ✮ Joshua Tree ✮ Kings Canyon ✮ Pinnacles ✮ Rocky Mountain ✮ Sequoia ✮ Shenandoah ✮ Yosemite - e.g. El Capitan, Half Dome ✮ Zion
These national parks are generally considered the best parks for mountaineering: ✮ Denali ✮ Glacier ✮ Glacier Bay ✮ Grand Teton ✮ Kenai Fjords ✮ Lake Clark ✮ Mount Rainier ✮ North Cascades ✮ Olympic ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias
There are only a few national parks that offer good 4x4 driving opportunities. Here are the best national parks for 4x4 driving: ✮ Arches - e.g. Salt Flat Road, Willow Springs ✮ Big Bend - e.g. Black Gap 4x4 Trail, Old Maverick Road, Old Ore Road ✮ Canyonlands - e.g. White Rim Road (100 miles long), Devils Lane, Elephant Hill Road, driving in the Maze District ✮ Capitol Reef - e.g. Cathedral Valley ✮ Death Valley - e.g. Inyo Mine/Echo Pass ✮ Grand Canyon - e.g. Toroweap ✮ Great Basin - e.g. Lexington Arch Road ✮ Great Sand Dunes - e.g. Medano Pass Road ✮ Joshua Tree - e.g. Geology Tour Road ✮ Rocky Mountain - e.g. Old Fall River Road ✮ Theodore Rooesevelt National Park - e.g. Elkhorn Ranch Unit ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias - e.g. Nabesna Road The southern districts of Badlands National Park may also offer decent 4x4 driving, but I haven't driven them yet.
Explore the water of the lakes, rivers, and/or oceans of these national parks: ✮ Acadia - sea-kayaking ✮ Channel Islands - sea-kayaking ✮ Canyonlands - canoeing, kayaking, or floating on the Green River or Colorado River ✮ Congaree - canoeing or kayaking on Cedar Creek ✮ Dry Tortugas - sea-kayaking ✮ Everglades - canoeing/kayaking on the Wilderness Waterway or in areas along the Gulf Coast and/or in the Flamingo area ✮ Glacier Bay - sea-kayaking ✮ Isle Royale - sea-kayaking ✮ Katmai - canoeing/kayaking ✮ Kenai Fjords - sea-kayaking ✮ Mammoth Cave - canoeing/kayaking on the Green and/or Nolin Rivers ✮ Theodore Roosevelt - canoeing/kayaking on the Little Missouri River ✮ Virgin Islands - sea-kayaking ✮ Voyageurs - sea-kayaking or canoeing/kayaking ✮ Yellowstone - canoeing/kayaking on Yellowstone Lake
These national parks all offer whitewater rafting and/or float trips. Take note that sections of some of these rivers lie just outside of the national park boundary. ✮ Big Bend - Rio Grande ✮ Canyonlands - Colorado River, Green River ✮ Denali - Nenana River, Talkeetna River, Sixmile Creek ✮ Gates of the Arctic - Alatna River, John River, Kobuk River, Noatak River, N. Fork Koyukuk River, Tinayguk River ✮ Glacier - Middle Fork and North Fork of the Flathead River ✮ Glacier Bay - Alsek River, Tatshenshini River ✮ Grand Canyon - Colorado River ✮ Grand Teton - Snake River ✮ Lake Clark - Tlikakila River, Mulchatna River, Chilikadrotna River ✮ North Cascades - Skagit River ✮ Olympics - Elwha River, Hoh River, Sol Duc River ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias - Nizina River, Kennicott River, Chitina River, Copper River ✮ Sequoia - Kaweak River ✮ Yellowstone - Gallatin River, Yellowstone River, Madison River ✮ Yosemite - Merced River, Tuolumne River
Here is a list of many of the classic adventures in the U.S. national parks: ✮ Acadia - cross-country skiing on the (seasonally-closed) park roads and/or the park carriage roads ✮ Acadia - cycle some of the 45-miles of (vehicle-free) carriage roads using a hybrid or mountain bike ✮ Acadia - hike the Beehive Trail using its iron rungs ✮ Acadia - hike the Precipice Trail using its iron rungs (typically opens in mid-August each year) ✮ Acadia - rock climbing on the Otter Cliffs ✮ American Samoa - go SCUBA diving or snorkeling ✮ Arches - day hike the entire Devils Garden Loop ✮ Arches - research and then hike to off-trail natural arches (e.g. Cottonwood Wash) ✮ Big Bend - day hike to the summit of Emory Peak ✮ Big Bend - float the Rio Grande River (e.g. through Santa Elena Canyon) ✮ Big Bend - take a 4x4 drive (e.g. Black Gap 4x4 Trail, Old Maverick Road, Old Ore Road) ✮ Biscayne - go SCUBA diving or snorkeling ✮ Black Canyon - take steep scramble down to the edge of the Gunnison River ✮ Black Canyon - whitewater kayak the Gunnison River (experts only) ✮ Bryce Canyon - day hike down into the canyon (and then back up) ✮ Canyonlands - backpack through the Needles District ✮ Canyonlands - float down the Green River ✮ Canyonlands - hike through the wild and remote Maze District ✮ Canyonlands - take a 4x4 drive or mountain bike the 100-mile long White Rim Road ✮ Capitol Reef - day hike some remote slot canyons ✮ Capitol Reef - take a 4x4 drive through Cathedral Valley ✮ Carlsbad Caverns - take a guided tour of the rugged Spider Cave ✮ Channel Islands - go SCUBA diving or snorkeling ✮ Channel Islands - go sea-kayaking to explore sea caves ✮ Congaree - canoe or kayak Cedar Creek ✮ Crater Lake - cross-country skiing on West Rim Drive ✮ Crater Lake - cycle Rim Drive (before it opens to vehicles for the season) ✮ Cuyahoga Valley - cycle the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail ✮ Death Valley - day hike to the summit of Telescope Peak ✮ Death Valley - take a 4x4 drive (e.g. Inyo Mine, Racetrack Playa, etc.) ✮ Denali - climb to the summit of the tallest peak in North America (this is an extreme mountaineering adventure) ✮ Denali - whitewater raft the Nenana River ✮ Dry Tortugas - go SCUBA diving or snorkeling ✮ Everglades - canoe or kayak the 99-mile Wilderness Waterway ✮ Everglades - cycle past alligators on the 15-mile paved road loop in Shark Valley (rentals available) ✮ Everglades - take a guided air boat tour ✮ Glacier - explore the backcountry on a backpacking trip ✮ Glacier - whitewater raft the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead River ✮ Glacier Bay - sea-kayak amongst glaciers and icebergs ✮ Grand Canyon - backpack down to the Colorado River (e.g. South Kaibab Trail > Phantom Ranch > Bright Angel Trail loop) ✮ Grand Canyon - take a 4x4 drive (e.g. Kaibab Plateau, Toroweap, etc.) ✮ Grand Canyon - ride a mule down to the Colorado River ✮ Grand Canyon - whitewater raft on the Colorado River ✮ Great Basin - day hike to the summit of Wheeler Peak ✮ Grand Teton - climb to the summit of Grand Teton (mountaineering/rock-climbing required) ✮ Grand Teton - explore the backcountry on a backpacking trip ✮ Great Sand Dunes - climb the tallest sand dune in the park (Star Dune) ✮ Great Sand Dunes - go sand-boarding (aka sand-sledding) ✮ Great Sand Dunes - take a 4x4 drive on Medano Pass Primitive Road ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - backpack on the Appalachian Trail ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - backpack to LeConte Lodge ✮ Great Smoky Mountains - cycle Cades Cove Loop (ideally on 'vehicle-free days') ✮ Guadalupe Mountains - hike to the summit of Guadalupe Peak, the highest point in Texas ✮ Haleakala - cycle down a volcano ✮ Isle Royale - go remote boat camping or backpacking on Isle Royale ✮ Isle Royale - go SCUBA diving to see shipwrecks ✮ Joshua - go rock climbing or bouldering (the park has hundreds of routes) ✮ Kenai Fjords - sea-kayak the fjords of the Kenai Peninsula ✮ Kings Canyon - explore the backcountry on a backpacking trip ✮ Lake Clark - take a whitewater rafting expedition ✮ Mammoth Cave - go spelunking on the Wild Cave Tour ✮ Mount Rainier - backpack some or all of the 93-mile Wonderland Trail ✮ Mount Rainier - climb to the summit of Mt. Rainier (mountaineering required; guided trips available) ✮ New River Gorge - go rock climbing (the park has many routes) ✮ New River Gorge - whitewater rafting on the Gauley River ✮ North Cascades - go mountaineering or backpacking in the backcountry ✮ Olympic - climb to the summit of Mt. Olympus (mountaineering required) ✮ Olympic - whitewater kayak the Elwha River, Hoh River, Queets River, Quinault River, and/or Sol Duc River ✮ Rocky Mountain - take a mountaineering adventure to the summit of Longs Peak ✮ Rocky Mountain - go rock-climbing on and/or near Longs Peak ✮ Sequoia - explore the backcountry on a backpacking trip ✮ Sequoia - day hike to the summit of Alta Peak ✮ Shenandoah - backpack on the Appalachian Trail ✮ Theodore Roosevelt - paddle the Little Missouri River ✮ Voyageurs - paddle to remote campsites ✮ White Sands - go sand-boarding (aka sand-sledding) ✮ Wrangell-St. Elias - take a whitewater rafting expedition ✮ Yellowstone - explore the backcountry on a backpacking trip ✮ Yellowstone - go snowmobiling in winter ✮ Yosemite - backpack the John Muir Trail (permit required) ✮ Yosemite - backpack to the High Sierra Camps (permit required) ✮ Yosemite - day hike to Clouds Rest ✮ Yosemite - day hike to the summit of Half Dome via the "cables route" (permit required) ✮ Yosemite - go rock climbing (the park has hundreds of routes, e.g. El Capitan, Half Dome) ✮ Zion - backpack the West Rim Trail (permit required) ✮ Zion - go canyoneering through "The Subway" (permit required; this also requires rappelling) ✮ Zion - hike Angel's Landing (permit required) ✮ Zion - hike or backpack the Zion Narrows aka Virgin River Narrows (permit required for backpacking) ✮ Zion - go rock climbing (the park has many routes, e.g. Moonlight Buttress)
With planning and good weather, most of the national parks can be visited in winter. Here are my recommendations for the best national parks to visit in winter: ✮ Arches - it rarely snows here, and when it does, it usually doesn't stick around for more than 2-3 days ✮ Big Bend - it almost never snows here, and when it does, it's only snows high in the mountains (generally higher than 4,000 feet); this is one of the busiest parks in the country during winter ✮ Bryce Canyon - snowshoeing here is a magical experience; the hoodoos look even better with snow on them ✮ Carlsbad Caverns - cave tours are available year-round ✮ Crater Lake - the lake never freezes, and the contrast between its blue water and white-covered mountains is stunning ✮ Death Valley - it almost never snows here, and when it does, it's only high in the mountains; this is one of the busiest parks in winter ✮ Everglades - it doesn't snow here, and bugs aren't a problem in winter ✮ Grand Canyon - the North Rim is closed, but the South Rim isn't; a snowy scene of the Grand Canyon is something you'll never forget ✮ Joshua Tree - it rarely snows here, and when it does, it usually doesn't stick around for more than 2-3 days ✮ Mammoth Cave - cave tours are available year-round ✮ Voyageurs - snowmobiling is a fairly popular activity in winter ✮ Wind Cave - cave tours are available year-round ✮ Yellowstone - snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowcoach tours all provide a wonderful winter experience; the north entrance typically remains open to private automobiles throughout winter (except for temporary closures) ✮ Zion - it rarely snows here, and when it does, it usually doesn't stick around for more than 2-3 days; a snow-covered Zion is gorgeous
Several of the national parks are home to extraordinary trees, including: ✮ Great Basin - bristlecone pine trees ✮ Joshua Tree - joshua trees ✮ Kings Canyon - sequoia trees (e.g. Grant Grove) ✮ Olympic - sitka spruce, douglas fir, and western red-cedar ✮ Redwood - redwood trees ✮ Saguaro - saguaro cactus (although technically this isn't a tree) ✮ Sequoia - sequoia trees ✮ Yosemite - sequoia trees (e.g. Mariposa Grove)
For one reason or another, there are many exceptional nature parks and preserves across the country that are not part of the U.S. national park system. Each of the parks listed below offers spectacular scenery. My hope is that these places do not become national parks since most of them couldn't handle the inevitable increase in traffic that occurs with national park designation. They are already just about perfect as-is, and so I'd like them to retain the same designation/status that they do today. ✮ Alaska - Chugach State Park ✮ Arizona - Canyon de Chelly National Monument ✮ Arizona - Chiricahua National Monument ✮ Arizona - Coconino National Forest ✮ Arizona - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ✮ Arizona - Havasupai/Havasu Falls ✮ Arizona - Kartchner Caverns State Park ✮ Arizona - Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park ✮ Arizona - Mystery Valley ✮ Arizona - Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument ✮ Arizona - Vermilion Cliffs National Monument ✮ Arkansas - Buffalo National River and the Ozarks ✮ California - Alabama Hills ✮ California - Anza-Borrego Desert State Park ✮ California - Big Sur Coastline (including Julia Pfeiffer State Park and Pfeiffer State Park) ✮ California - Devil's Postpile National Monument ✮ California - Humboldt Redwoods State Park ✮ California - Inyo National Forest ✮ California - Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park ✮ California - Lava Beds National Monument ✮ Colorado - Colorado National Monument ✮ Colorado - San Juan National Forest ✮ Florida - Blue Spring State Park ✮ Florida - John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park ✮ Florida - Ten Thousand Islands ✮ Hawaii - Na Pali Coast ✮ Idaho - City of Rocks National Reserve ✮ Idaho - Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve ✮ Idaho - Sawtooth National Recreation Area ✮ Illinois - Garden of the Gods Recreation Area ✮ Illinois - Starved Rock State Park ✮ Kentucky - Red River Gorge Scenic Area ✮ Maine - Baxter State Park ✮ Michigan - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore ✮ Michigan - Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore ✮ Minnesota - Superior National Forest/Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness ✮ Montana - Absaroka-Beartooth Mountains/Custer-Gallatin National Forest ✮ Montana - Bob Marshall Wilderness/Flathead National Forest ✮ Nevada - Cathedral Gorge State Park ✮ Nevada - Gold Butte National Monument ✮ Nevada - Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area ✮ Nevada - Valley of Fire State Park ✮ New Hampshire - Crawford Notch State Park ✮ New Hampshire - Franconia Notch State Park ✮ New Hampshire - White Mountain National Forest ✮ New Mexico - Bandelier National Monument ✮ New Mexico - Bisti Badlands (Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness) ✮ New Mexico - El Malpais National Monument ✮ New Mexico - Kasha-Katuwe Ten Rocks National Monument ✮ New York - Adirondack Park ✮ New York - Niagara Falls ✮ North Carolina - Outer Banks/Cape Hatteras National Seashores ✮ North Carolina - Pisgah National Forest ✮ Ohio - Hocking Hills State Park ✮ Oklahoma - Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge ✮ Oregon - Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area ✮ Oregon - Ecola State Park ✮ Oregon - John Day Fossil Beds National Monument ✮ Oregon - Mount Hood National Forest ✮ Oregon - Oregon Caves National Monument ✮ Oregon - Oregon coastline ✮ Oregon - Silver Falls State Park ✮ Pennsylvania - Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area ✮ Pennsylvania - Ricketts Glen State Park ✮ South Dakota - Custer State Park/Black Hills National Forest ✮ South Dakota - Jewel Cave National Monument ✮ Texas - Caddo Lake State Park ✮ Utah - Bears Ears National Monument ✮ Utah - Cedar Breaks National Monument ✮ Utah - Dead Horse Point State Park ✮ Utah - Dinosaur National Monument ✮ Utah - Glen Canyon National Recreation Area ✮ Utah - Goblin Valley State Park ✮ Utah - Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument ✮ Utah - Natural Bridges National Monument ✮ Utah - Snow Canyon State Park ✮ Utah - Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest ✮ Virginia - Luray Caverns ✮ Washington - Alpine Wilderness/Enchantment Lakes ✮ Washington - Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument ✮ West Virginia - Dolly Sods Wilderness Area ✮ West Virginia - Monongahela National Forest ✮ Wisconsin - Apostle Islands National Lakeshore ✮ Wisconsin - Devil's Lake State Park ✮ Wyoming - Bighorn Mountains ✮ Wyoming - Devil's Tower National Monument ✮ Wyoming - Dinosaur National Monument ✮ Wyoming - Wind River Mountains
Here are some miscellaneous national park notes and tips. I'll try to add more of these tips over time as I think of them. ✮ Acadia - eat some popovers at the Jordan Pond House ✮ Acadia - take a ferry to visit the Isle au Haut district of the park (which has good hiking and mountain biking) ✮ Acadia - obtain a vehicle permit to watch a sunrise or sunset on Cadillac Mountain ✮ Arches - bring a headlamp and hike up to catch a sunset at Delicate Arch ✮ Arches - go hunting for off-trail arches ✮ Bryce Canyon - Ruby's Inn offers a variety of popular activities just outside of the park ✮ Capitol Reef - grab a delicious pie from the Gifford Homestead ✮ Canyonlands-Island in the Sky District - catch a sunrise by hiking to Mesa Arch ✮ Carlsbad Caverns - catch the "nightly bat program" in season (and watch thousands of bats fly out of the cave) ✮ Everglades - take a guided tram tour or rent a bike and ride the 15-mile paved loop through Shark Valley ✮ Everglades - take an airboat tour inside the park or close to the park ✮ Hot Springs - take a bath in a historic bath house ✮ Joshua Tree - the Jumbo Rocks Campground is one of the most amazing car campgrounds in the U.S. Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California  near the top of Angels Landing, Zion National Park, Utah  Sand Dunes, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado  Precipice Trail, Acadia National Park, Maine  Emory Peak, Big Bend National Park, Texas  Congress Trail, Sequoia National Park, California  Druid Arch in the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park, Utah  South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon National Park (South Rim), Arizona  Saguaro National Park, Arizona  Yosemite Falls in Yosemite National Park, California  Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado  Morning Glory Pool, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming  Mount Rainier National Park, Washington  summit of Guadalupe Peak in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
National Park Foundation = link National Park Photography Project = link National Park Service = link National Park Trails = link Wikipedia's "National Parks" page = link
In addition to the information found on my website, I personally recommend purchasing these road trip/travel-related guidebooks. Click on any link to read reviews and/or purchase these books on Amazon.com (affiliate). Fodor's Bucket List USA (1st edition; 2021) Moon USA State by State (1st edition; 2021) Your Guide to the National Parks (3rd edition; 2022) Road Trip USA (9th edition; 2021) |