Best National Parks in the US
National Parks

22 U.S. National Parks to See Now

The National Park Service has dedicated over 100 years to crucial conservation efforts—and with 58 national parks to look after, they deserve some major appreciation. Here, we visit 22 of the most gorgeous, from the goliath glaciers of Kenai Fjords to the pink sandstone canyons of Zion.

A Brooklyn-based writer and editor, Chelsea's work has appeared in Matador Network, The Huffington Post, the TripAdvisor blog, and more. When not planning her next trip, you'll usually find her drinking way too much iced coffee (always iced—she’s from New England) or bingeing a Netflix original series.

See recent posts by Chelsea Stuart

National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain outdoor sky mountainous landforms Nature wilderness geographical feature atmospheric phenomenon sunrise mountain range Forest morning cloud dawn Sunset landscape canyon ridge valley hill plateau hillside
1

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited in the U.S. thanks to a show-stopping combination of spruce-fir forests, roaring waterfalls, year-round wildflower blooms, a lively black bear population, and historic Southern Appalachian homes and churches. You can find it all on the border of North Carolina and Tennessee.

Book Hotels in North Carolina
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas sky Nature valley outdoor geographical feature canyon landform natural environment wilderness badlands horizon rock sunrise Sunset mountain landscape butte plateau wadi cliff geology terrain Sea Coast formation dawn overlooking
2

Badlands National Park

Grass prairies, jagged pinnacles and spires, and ancient fossil beds converge in Badlands National Park, in southwestern South Dakota. The rugged landscape was once home to rhinos, wild horses, and saber-toothed cats, but today you're more likely to catch glimpses of bison, prairie dogs and bighorn sheep.

RELATED: America’s Most Beautiful Lake Towns

Book Hotels in South Dakota
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas sky plant outdoor cactus natural environment tree Sea flower Beach landscape mountain Ocean Sunset evening Coast Lake
3

Saguaro National Park

Just a short drive from Tucson, you'll find the largest collection of cacti in the U.S., some 90,000-acres-worth, within Saguaro National Park's borders. Well-maintained hiking paths provide visitors with the opportunity to spot coyotes, jack rabbits, and Mexican spotted owls along the Sonoran Desert panorama.

Book Hotels in Tucson, AZ
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas outdoor valley tree Nature cliff canyon Coast geographical feature geological phenomenon mountain terrain Sea rock formation water feature geology hillside
4

Acadia National Park

White-tailed deer, moose, beavers, bobcats, peregrine falcons, and black bears roam Acadia's rugged Atlantic coast. The stunning Maine landscape can be distinguished by its snow-capped mountain peaks, rocky stone shores, and pink granite summits.

RELATED: 8 U.S. National Park Road Trips to Plan This Summer

Book Hotels in Maine
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas outdoor Nature sky mountainous landforms landform geographical feature wilderness mountain water rock Winter reflection snow mountain range landscape cliff water feature terrain ice formation geology national park
5

Yosemite National Park

The vast Sierra Nevada Mountains frame the waterfalls, wetlands, valleys, and soaring sequoia groves of central California's Yosemite National Park. For some of the most impressive views of the glacier- and river-formed Yosemite Valley and the commanding granite Half Dome, visitors head to Glacier Point.

Book Hotels in California
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain sky outdoor tree mountainous landforms Nature mountain range geographical feature wilderness landform ecosystem cloud ridge valley alps hill landscape background plateau meadow mountain pass national park panorama hillside lush highland
6

Denali National Park & Preserve

Alpine tundras meet snowy mountain peaks, icy lakes, and clean, clear air in Alaska’s Denali National Park, where some six million acres of rugged wilderness and free-roaming wildlife are broken only by a single 92-mile road.

RELATED: Countdown to Summer: 8 Incredible Trips to Take This Season

Book Hotels in Alaska
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain sky outdoor Nature snow water mountainous landforms Lake reflection landform atmospheric phenomenon wilderness geographical feature loch background River cloud morning fjord mountain range reservoir ice vehicle dawn dusk Sea glacial landform surrounded distance highland
7

Glacier National Park

More than 700 miles of trails weave through Glacier National Park's alpine meadows, chilly lakes and sheer wilderness. Broken only by the landmark two-lane, 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road, visitors should set aside some time to drive at least a portion of the scenic byway.

Book Hotels in Montana
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas sky outdoor wilderness ecosystem Nature Lake sport venue landscape reflection plateau wetland reservoir national park panorama park marsh shore day
8

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone's hot springs, mud pots, and spewing geysers earned it national park status in 1872. Most visitors head for Old Faithful Geyser which reliably erupts every hour and a half.

Book Hotels in Wyoming
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas water outdoor tree Nature River habitat reflection Lake atmospheric phenomenon natural environment wilderness body of water morning shore pond woody plant landscape wetland surrounded Sunset rural area marsh reservoir evening dawn dusk setting several
9

Everglades National Park

Manatees, American crocodiles and Florida panthers all call the Everglades wetlands home. As the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S., the park fosters a delicate ecosystem of 36 different threatened and protected species.

RELATED: 11 Gorgeous National Parks Within 3 Hours of Major U.S. Cities

See All Hotels in Florida
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas outdoor water Nature ice geographical feature landform mountain glacier arctic iceberg arctic ocean glacial landform Ocean polar ice cap ice cap Sea sea ice fjord wind wave
10

Kenai Fjords National Park

Some forty glaciers from the Harding Icefield dominate this national park on the southeastern side of the Kenai Peninsula. The goliath glaciers also harbor quite an array of plant and animal life including humpback whales, bald eagles, sea lions and peregrine falcons.

Book Hotels in Alaska
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas valley canyon mountain outdoor sky Nature mountainous landforms geographical feature landform butte sunrise Sunset badlands rock horizon dawn landscape Desert wadi plateau cliff dusk terrain formation geology lone hillside
11

Grand Canyon National Park

"Immense" simply can't describe the magnitude of Grand Canyon National Park's 277-miles of eroded river gorge, but it's the best we've got. The more than a million-acre park, in Arizona's remote northwestern corner, is often considered one of the world's seven natural wonders.

Book Hotels in Arizona
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas grass mountain outdoor sky Nature mountainous landforms field wilderness butte geographical feature background canyon natural environment ecosystem valley grassland prairie badlands hill landscape plateau plain autumn dry old mountain range reflection national park lush hillside distance highland
12

Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park is navigable by 200 miles of trails and the Snake River. While the park's 40-mile Teton Range is a sight to see, many visitors also include a stop at Yellowstone, just 10 miles north.

RELATED: The 9 Cutest Small Towns in America

Book Hotels in Wyoming
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas sky outdoor Nature water reflection mountainous landforms mountain atmospheric phenomenon Lake wilderness landform geographical feature body of water tree Winter weather snow loch morning season cloud mist mountain range River landscape dawn ice sunrise sunlight reservoir surrounded
13

Mount Rainier National Park

The active Mount Rainier volcano, which stands 14,411 feet above sea level, is the highest mountain in the Pacific Northwest's Cascade Range. Its glacial icecaps feed six different rivers and runoff makes it all the way to the Puget Sound.

Book Hotels in Washington
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain valley outdoor Nature canyon sky geographical feature rock landform wilderness geological phenomenon landscape Sunset geology sunrise formation terrain arch plateau area
14

Canyonlands National Park

The rushing Colorado is responsible for carving out this park's unmistakeable canyons, mesas and buttes. Canyonlands is also known for having four distinct districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers.

Book Hotels in Colorado
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas smoke outdoor sky coming landform atmospheric phenomenon geological phenomenon steam cloud atmosphere of earth air Lava wind wave Coast wave Sea Ocean clouds extreme sport sunrise terrain dark stack traveling engine
15

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park

Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park is home to two active volcanoes: Kīlauea and the subaerial Mauna Loa. Pu'u 'Ō'ō, one of the park's volcanic cones, has been continuously erupting since 1983 and regular viewing hours are held for visitors to witness the lava flow.

RELATED: The 10 Best Hotels in Hawaii, from Waikiki to Maui

Book Hotels in Hawaii
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain Nature valley rock outdoor canyon arch geographical feature landform broken arch natural arch butte cliff wadi geology landscape terrain badlands formation plateau Sunset national park stone hillside
16

Arches National Park

More than 2,000 naturally-formed red sandstone arches along with a countless number of otherworldly rock formations, pinnacles and fins dot the landscape of Arches National Park in eastern Utah. The Fiery Furnace, Tower of Babel and Delicate Arch, among others, attract more than 700,000 annual visitors.

Book Hotels in Utah
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain sky Nature habitat geographical feature outdoor landform natural environment erg landscape aeolian landform sand plateau material dune
17

Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve

Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve shelters the tallest dunes in the country along with ancient spruce and pine forests, grasslands and wetlands. Medano Creek—depending on its water level—attracts crowds of surfers, skimboarders and swimmers.

RELATED: 9 of the Most Underrated National Parks in America

Book Hotels in Colorado
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas water tree sky outdoor highland Nature Lake mountainous landforms reflection mountain body of water wilderness loch cloud reservoir tarn clouds crater lake fell landscape mountain range fjord Sea surrounded cloudy beautiful shore overlooking Forest hillside day
18

Crater Lake National Park

As the deepest lake in the U.S., visitors from all around the world converge on the rim of Crater Lake just to stare in awe at its pristine surface. The famously clear and crisp caldera was born from a volcanic eruption some 6,000-8,000 years ago, and is fed today by snow and rain.

Book Hotels in Oregon
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas mountain outdoor sky mountainous landforms canyon valley Nature flower landform wilderness ecosystem flora plant rock landscape hill Lake background plateau wildflower meadow surrounded park mountain range national park beautiful bushes hillside
19

Big Bend National Park

Ancient limestone canyons, tenacious cactus blooms and diverse bird populations draw thousands to Big Bend in west Texas each year. The park's territory runs along the Rio Grande for 118 miles and encompasses the largest protected tract of Chihuahuan Desert this side of Mexico.

Book Hotels in Texas
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas sky outdoor habitat Nature tree wilderness natural environment field horizon cloud savanna morning landscape Sunset hill sunrise woody plant evening sunlight dawn dusk Desert mountain aeolian landform dry plant clouds distance
20

Joshua Tree National Park

Sprawling across much of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts, and silhouetted by the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Joshua Tree is best distinguished by its spiky namesake trees. The species of native yuca lives an average of 150 years.

RELATED: 10 Incredible Places to Visit in California

Book Hotels in California
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas valley canyon mountain Nature geographical feature landform rock wilderness geological phenomenon red landscape plateau geology autumn mountain range cliff national park painting
21

Zion National Park

Steep plateaus, cliffs covered in more than 1,000 plant species, and mazes of sandstone canyons in shades of pink and red dominate Zion National Park's 229 square miles.

Book Hotels in Utah
National Parks Outdoors + Adventure Trip Ideas tree habitat outdoor Forest natural environment woodland plant wilderness grove ecosystem temperate coniferous forest old growth forest temperate broadleaf and mixed forest season woody plant wooded trunk leaf biome larch deciduous autumn spruce sunlight branch rainforest conifer wood poplar area
22

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is best known for its dramatic Giant Forest which is home to towering sequoia, spruce, redwood and Douglas fir, some of which can grow up to 36.5 feet across and 300 feet in height.

Book Hotels in California

What to Wear to a National Park

For info on these editor-selected items, click to visit the seller’s site. Things you buy may earn us a commission.

Want more?

Comments

comments

All products are independently selected by our writers and editors. If you buy something through our links, Jetsetter may earn an affiliate commission.