The United States is home to dozens of national parks. Ranking them is not easy, especially since the rank is highly subjective. Each location has its own character, environments and climates, plants and wildlife, and things to do. Planning a cross-state or cross-country road trip to visit as many national parks as possible is one of the best ways to spend a vacation. In no particular order, here are 20 of the best US national parks you should consider adding to your road trip itinerary.
| Park | State |
|---|---|
| Denali | Alaska |
| Everglades | Florida |
| Glacier Bay | Alaska |
| Yellowstone | Wyoming |
| Yosemite | California |
| Glacier | Montana |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona |
| Zion | Utah |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming |
| Dry Tortugas | Florida |
| Acadia | Maine |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Tennessee and North Carolina |
| Crater Lake | Oregon |
| Sequoia | California |
| Saguaro | Arizona |
| Rocky Mountain | Colorado |
| Big Bend | Texas |
| Olympic | Washington |
| Arches | Utah |
| Redwood | California |
Denali National Park - Alaska
Not for the faint of heart, Denali National Park is one of the largest national parks in the United States and houses the tallest mountain in North America (Denali, also known as Mt. McKinley), at 20,310 ft. Access to the park is limited, with possible road closures in the winter months. Still, it’s a 4-5 hour drive from Anchorage, and there are shuttle buses that can take travelers from the park entrance to different points of interest along the interior park road.
The park is open all year, but the best time to visit is between late spring and early fall. Another Alaska national park, Wrangell-St. Elias, is rather nearby, making the perfect opportunity to visit more than one park on the same trip.
Discover the other amazing national parks in Alaska!
Bus tours, scenic views on Denali Road, sled dogs, hiking, backpacking
Everglades National Park - Florida
On the opposite side of the States, the Everglades National Park offers a completely different experience. See tropical environments, like mangrove tunnels, sawgrass marshes, and freshwater wetlands teeming with exotic wildlife. Florida’s parks are often pleasant to visit in the winter, unlike most other national parks, so be sure to take advantage!
The Everglades are about 1.5 hours away from Miami, and it’s also close to two other Florida national parks: Biscayne and Dry Tortugas. If you managed to hit all three in your trip, you’d truly have an experience to last a lifetime. Also, be sure to check out Tamiami Trail (US-41) between Naples and Miami, which is a classic scenic drive.
Biking, kayaking and canoeing, airboat tours, hiking/walking the Shark Valley trail, boardwalks, wildlife viewing
Glacier Bay National Park - Alaska
Up for an adventure? Glacier Bay National Park can only be accessed by boat or plane since it’s so remote and located in such rugged, wild terrain. Many park visitors drive or fly commercially to nearby towns like Juneau or Anchorage before taking a small private plane or boat to the park. It’s also a frequent day trip spot for Alaskan cruises on the Inside Passage Route, which highlights the scenic beauty of America’s far northwest.
The dramatic canyon-like inlets and snow-covered peaks surrounding the bay, full of glacial flows, with mesmerizing wildlife throughout, are well worth the journey. Visitors can combine their trip to Glacier Bay with other national parks in the region, like Denali and Kenai Fjords, to get a comprehensive experience of Alaskan terrain.
Kayaking, camping while traveling by kayak, rafting, mountaineering, backcountry camping, scenic boat tours, hiking in Bartlett Cove, flightseeing
Yellowstone National Park - Wyoming
The majority of Yellowstone National Park sits in Wyoming, but the edges of the park also spill over into Idaho and Montana. Yellowstone is, of course, known for its incredible geothermal activity, resulting in vivid pools of various colors and active geysers like Old Faithful. While there aren’t many places to soak in the thermal pools within the park, some nearby sites offer the opportunity (no matter where you go, always make sure the pool is in fact suitable for humans, or you risk serious injury or worse!).
Yellowstone was declared a national park in 1872, making it the oldest park of its kind in the world.
Yellowstone is often considered among the top national parks in US because of its opportunities for outdoor activities, wildlife, beautiful and unique nature, and established reputation.
Visitors can enjoy a very scenic drive within the park on the 140-mile-long Grand Loop Road, which takes drivers past some of the park’s best sights, including Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley, Yellowstone Lake, and Beartooth Highway. Frequent rest stops, scenic pullover areas, and trailheads line the road, so you can customize your trip to include more hikes and picnics according to your preferences.
Also, Yellowstone and Grand Teton are connected by a 27-mile-long road, John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, that serves as a convenient highway between the two parks while also creating another beautiful scenic drive.
One thing to note: some of the roads, including the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway, close in the winter due to snow and ice, so be sure to plan accordingly!
Discover Wyoming's other amazing national parks.
Grand Prismatic Spring, Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, Mud Volcano, hiking, camping, wildlife viewing
Yosemite National Park - California
Yosemite National Park is famous for its granite cliffs, stunning waterfalls, and the notable deep glacial valley. In the Yosemite Valley, visitors can enjoy hikes of varying difficulties to see sights like waterfalls. The high country portion of the park is accessible via Tioga Road and features more landscape experiences like lakes and meadows.
Tioga Road is a scenic drive connecting the valley floor with the surrounding highlands. The park itself is about a 4-hour drive from San Francisco, making it a great weekend getaway spot. The closest other national parks in California are Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Death Valley, creating a natural cluster of parks that can easily fill a week-long road trip vacation with endless sights and activities.
Hiking, rock climbing, rafting, paddling, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Fall, El Capitan and Half Dome granite cliffs
Glacier National Park - Montana
In addition to incredible views and trails within the park, Glacier National Park is known for its iconic Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is often considered one of the best scenic drives in the country. The route features many overlooks and trail heads, giving visitors ample opportunity to enjoy scenic vistas from afar and immerse themselves in nature, too.
Glacier is located about 3 hours from Missoula and makes a good addition to a Rocky Mountain parks road trip loop that also includes Yellowstone and Grand Teton. Visitors can enjoy camping in the park or rest in comfortable lodges and hotels in nearby small towns.
Find out more about the other sights in Montana to explore.
Hiking, Highline Trail, Hidden Lake, Logan Pass, wildlife viewing, boating, horseback riding, fishing
Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
Ask anyone in the world to name a natural beauty in America, and they’ll probably tell you: the Grand Canyon. The most popular area is the South Rim, which provides paved paths and short trails with astonishing canyon views. For more hiking, you can venture down into the canyon, though be aware that a full descent and same-day return is not recommended for most visitors because of the intense physical demand.
The South Rim is about 4 hours away from Phoenix and 4.5 hours from Las Vegas. The drive is long and monotonous through the desert, but that doesn’t mean it’s boring! The desert has a unique, captivating quality.
Many roadtrippers include the Grand Canyon in their route, which also includes Zion, Bryce Canyon, and other parks in the southwest, to create a top desert canyon loop around the Colorado Plateau. Desert View Drive leading up to the park and Hermit Road, which tracks along the canyon rim, are some of the most scenic drives in the U.S.
Sunset viewing, Bright Angel Trail, South Kaibab Trail, rafting on the Colorado River, scenic drives, canyon hiking, canyon camping
Zion National Park - Utah
Zion National Park is easily one of the top parks in the USA. Its main canyon, Zion Canyon, is like a vast outdoor cathedral full of towering sandstone cliffs. Visitors can ride a shuttle into the valley and get off at different stops, rather than filling the area with individual vehicles. Easily choose which hikes to visit with this convenient transport!
There are 20 states that do not have any designated national parks: Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin
Note that some hikes within the park require special permits in order to monitor the number of hikers who access the trail for preservation and conservation reasons.
A few hours away from Las Vegas, Zion is easy to add to a road trip around Utah and the surrounding states. The Zion-Mount Carmel Highway leading to the park features the iconic Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel that every roadtripper simply must visit at least once!
Angels Landing Hike, The Narrows Trail in the river gorge, Canyon Overlook Trail, stargazing, hot air balloon tour, e-bike tour, Emerald Pools
Grand Teton National Park - Wyoming
Grand Teton is one of the best parks in America for clear mountain scenery. Teton Park Road takes visitors to viewpoints, lakes, and trailheads easily, so you can spend more time enjoying nature.
Throughout the area, you will see incredible views of the jagged mountain peaks of the Teton Range sharply rising above the Jackson Hole valley.
Its proximity to Yellowstone makes Grand Teton a perfect addition to a national parks road trip; remember, it connects with Yellowstone via the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway. Just be sure to set aside at least one whole day to fully enjoy the sights and activities in the park!
Jenny Lake, Oxbow Bend overlook, Mormon Row historic barns, Snake River Overlook, hiking, boating, kayaking, photography, and wildlife viewing
Dry Tortugas National Park - Florida
Dry Tortugas is a unique national park destination: it’s only accessible by boat or seaplane from Key West, since it’s a remote tropical island. The center of the park is Fort Jefferson, but the main natural feature of the park is the abundant, clear, shallow waters surrounding the island. Visitors mostly spend their time on the island swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving in the tropical waters, getting up-close views of coral reefs and even shipwrecks.
While the park isn’t accessible by car, the trip originating in Key West can be added to a Florida road trip itinerary that includes the Everglades. Key West is several hours away from Miami by car, giving travelers the opportunity for a coastal road trip.
Find out what other national parks to visit in Florida.
Scuba diving, snorkeling, paddling, hiking, birdwatching, short hiking trails, historic Fort Jefferson
Acadia National Park - Maine
Acadia is the only national park in the Northeast region of the United States. It encompasses the rugged beauty of Maine’s rocky seashores, where the mountains meet the Atlantic Ocean. Park Loop Road is a scenic drive that offers many pull-off stops for various mountain overlooks. Below, the scenic thick forests, shining lakes, and ocean coves explain why the area was once a hotspot for wealthy vacationers.
The nearest town is Bar Harbor, which is a major hub in the summer months, where you can find lots of activities, like kayaking and whale watching. Acadia is about 3-4 hours away from Portland, and the coastal drive between the two areas is known for its scenery. Create an unforgettable New England coastal road trip itinerary by linking visits with seaside towns, beaches, and lighthouses with a stop at Acadia!
Sunrise at Cadillac Mountain, hiking, biking trails, historic carriage trails, guided tours, tidepools, Mt. Katahdin, leaf peeping in autumn
Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee and North Carolina
The Great Smoky Mountains are different from many of the other mountain parks on this list: the mountains are among the oldest to have been formed in the world, so they have a much more rounded shape than other peaks, such as those found in the Rockies.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees more than 12 million visitors per year on average!
The park is also very close to some medium and large-sized cities, like Pigeon Forge, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Nashville, and Asheville, North Carolina, making it the perfect nature stop among a road trip that incorporates lots of other activities. Other scenic natural features in the area include the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Shenandoah.
It’s easy to find a nearby cabin, lodge, or hotel to use as a comfortable home base and spend multiple days exploring the park, but camping is also popular.
The park features four major scenic drives: Cades Cove Loop, Newfound Gap Road, Foothills Parkway, and Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail. Each offers amazing views of the lush landscape so you can see the “smoke” in the mountains firsthand.
Cades Cove, biking, hiking, Appalachian Trail, Mount le Conte, Kuwohi observation tower, waterfalls, caves, historic mill, fireflies at night in the summer
Crater Lake National Park - Oregon
One of the most unique land formations in North America, Crater Lake was made when a volcano collapsed and created a caldera that is now filled with water. In the center of Crater Lake is a small island, called Wizard Island, which is accessible by boat.
The park is perfect for scenic drives, with Rim Drive being a central attraction. Along the route, there are several parking areas near trails that lead into the surrounding wilderness or down to the shoreline. The water’s color is particularly striking, especially on clear days, making it a beautiful sight to behold.
Crater Lake’s proximity to the West Coast makes it a worthwhile stop on a Pacific road trip through Washington or California. Some of the closest parks are Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, and Yosemite to the south, and Mount Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades to the north.
Discover some more important parks throughout Oregon.
Hiking, boat tours, camping, swim in Cleetwood Cove, Vidae Falls, Rim Drive
Sequoia National Park - California
While most national parks are centered around mountains, lakes, forests, deserts, tundras, or other wide-sweeping landscape features, Sequoia National Park was established to protect one specific species of tree. The giant sequoias offer a truly unique experience not easily found anywhere else on the globe.
The General Sherman Tree located in the park is the biggest tree (by trunk volume) in the world, so it’s well worth the trip! There’s simply no way to understand how large the sequoia trees are unless you go see them yourself.
California has 9 national parks, making it the state with the most.
Sequoia is connected to Kings Canyon via Generals Highway, which offers a scenic route with several pull-over stops for popular features, like Tunnel Rock and the Giant Forest Museum. Kings Canyon also features some other scenic drives, like Panoramic Point Road, Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, and Majestic Mountain Loop, which conveniently connect Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite.
General Sherman Tree, Tunnel Log, Moro Rock, hiking trails, camping, Crystal Cave, scenic drives
Saguaro National Park - Arizona
Like Sequoia, Saguaro National Park’s main purpose is to protect a specific plant: the saguaro cactus. As the iconic image representing the American desert region, these enormous cacti fill the valleys and ridges within the park, creating a unique landscape with mountains in the background to boot. Unless you’ve already seen a desert and cacti before, the sight is truly bizarre in the best way; there are simply no comparable landscapes or plants elsewhere in America, outside of the Sonoran Desert.
The park is made of two districts, split by the city of Tucson, and each features a loop drive with pullouts and short trails for sightseeing and hiking. The Eastern section has the 8-mile Cactus Forest Loop, and the West section has the 6-mile Bajada Loop. Because the park is so close to Tucson, it’s easy to stay in the city at night and take a day trip or two to the park, but there are also comfy lodging opportunities at ranches as well as backcountry campgrounds within the park.
Sunrise and/or sunset at Gates Pass, guided programs, hiking, photography, wildlife viewing, biking, horseback riding, stargazing
Rocky Mountain National Park - Colorado
The sights in the Rocky Mountains are simply breathtaking. The high mountain passes, clear lakes, and broad valleys are the epitome of pristine nature. Trail Ridge Road is considered one of the best scenic drives in all of America. It climbs above the treeline, giving visitors a jaw-dropping view of the park landscape below. In the summer and early fall, you can stop along the road for picnics and hikes throughout the park.
Remember that the elevation in the park is quite high, so you’ll likely have less energy, get more winded, and dehydrate much faster than you’re used to at your usual elevation.
Rocky Mountain Park is fairly easy to reach, since it's pretty close to Denver and Fort Collins. It can easily fit into a Colorado road trip that includes canyons, old mining towns, and other national parks.
Find out the other national parks in Colorado you need to visit.
Wildlife viewing, hiking, lake trails, forest trails, tundra trails, horseback riding, mountain climbing, stargazing
Big Bend National Park - Texas
Big Bend is in a rather remote location, but unlike parks like Denali or Dry Tortugas, it’s still reachable by car. It’s seen as one of the best national parks in the US for its peaceful solitude, dark skies, and expansive views over the desert and canyons.
across all states and territories
The park is made up of three main zones: river canyons, Chisos Mountains, and open desert valleys. There aren’t many bells and whistles at Big Bend; it’s mostly aimed at peaceful landscape viewing, with some other outdoor activities available. Most visitors enjoy driving the scenic roads and hiking trails of various lengths to some amazing sites, such as overlooking the Rio Grande.
There are more than 100 miles of paved roads, plus dirt roads and primitive roads, leading all over the park. The scenic routes take visitors to all kinds of vistas.
Since the park is so remote, making sure you have enough fuel and supplies before you head in is critical.
Scenic drives, hiking, birdwatching, backcountry camping, biking, fishing, horseback riding, stargazing, river rafting
Olympic National Park - Washington
Olympic National Park combines three very different environments into one location: rainforest, mountains, and coastline. For this reason, it’s an incredibly unique and interesting park that visitors consistently rate as one of the best in the country. See the mossy trees, mountain valleys, and rugged Pacific coast all in one trip! Note that the park is massive and the ecosystems are far apart from one another. It’ll take at least 2 or 3 days to fully enjoy all the areas the location has to offer.
The main road for getting around in the park is Olympic Peninsula loop (Highway 101). There are smaller sections and branches off this main road that bring visitors to different events and attractions, such as Hurricane Ridge Road, Hoh River Road, the Pacific Coast (Hwy 101/112), and Quinault Valley.
The park is rather isolated, with the closest city being Seattle, on the other side of Elliott Bay.
Tidepools, hiking, beaches, scenic drives, camping, boating, climbing, ranger-led programs, lodges and cabins
Arches National Park - Utah
To see some incredible natural formations, look no further than Arches. Here, more than 2,000 natural stone arches populate the desert landscape. Even a single day’s visit to the park can show you much of what there is to see, since the hiking trails are easy to access and many are short.
There is nothing so American as our national parks.... The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt
The 36-mile-long Arches Scenic Drive takes visitors around the entire park. Leaving an average of 10 minutes per stop along the way, the entire drive takes about 5 hours.
Arches is located near several other landmarks and important locations, like Moab, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Mesa Verde, making it a prime road trip location if you’re visiting the Great Basin region.
The daytime weather can get too hot to do much hiking, so it’s best to walk during dawn or dusk, and/or not in the height of summer.
Delicate Arch, Devil’s Garden, Windows Section, Balanced Rock, sunset and sunrise, photography, scenic drive, hiking, canyoneering, horseback riding, rock climbing, bicycling, guided tours
Redwood National Park - California
The peaceful redwood forest, protected by state parks as well as the national park, encompasses the tree-filled areas as well as open prairies and stretches of shoreline. Hikers in the forest cite the park as one of the best for its sense of peace and serenity. The quiet, shaded trails allow visitors to slow down and appreciate the age and scale of the trees.
The park is broken into units, which are spread along US-101, rather than one loop road like other parks have. The tree-lined Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway and other side roads transport travelers through the forest.
The park’s proximity to Crater Lake and other coastal destinations in California and Oregon makes it an excellent road trip destination.
Trees of Mystery, hiking, kayaking, wildlife viewing, dancing, bicycling, horseback riding, camping, lodging
Traversing across the United States and visiting national parks is one of the most exciting things a roadtripper can do! There are so many different environments to explore across the country. Plan your road trip to some of the top US national parks and discover all that there is to see in America, the beautiful!
References
- National Parks. (n.d.). In National Park Foundation. https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks
- NPS.gov Homepage (U.S. National Park Service). (n.d.). In www.nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/index.htm
- Staff. (2021). U.S. National Parks by State. In National Park Trips. https://www.nationalparktrips.com/parks/us-national-parks-by-state-list/?scope=anon
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