Destinations

Plan the trip, pack for the place.

Researched guides to America’s parks: when to go, the conditions to expect by season, and a packing list keyed to the place, with our planning tools pre-set for the trip.

All 63 national parks State parks162 guides National monuments

Where to start

Trips, already narrowed down

Browse all parks

The Watchman, a sharply pointed red sandstone peak in Zion National Park, rising above the Virgin River and autumn cottonwoods at golden hour

Season guide

Best National Parks in October

October is the planning sweet spot: cooler desert days, fall color in the East, and fewer summer crowds. The tradeoff is shorter daylight, colder nights, and first-snow risk in the high country.

See the shortlist

Bass Harbor Head Light Station, the iconic white lighthouse perched on the pink granite cliffs of Acadia National Park's rocky Maine coastline, with evergreens and the Atlantic Ocean.

Trip style guide

Best National Parks for First Timers

A first national park trip should feel impressive quickly. The best choices have obvious highlights, forgiving logistics, multiple easy-to-moderate routes, and enough nearby lodging that one imperfect decision does not wreck the trip.

See the shortlist

Skyline Drive winding through hillsides of autumn foliage in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia, with the road curving into rolling fall-colored ridges just north of Elkwallow Wayside.

Low-friction guide

National Parks Without a Hard Permit Puzzle

This is not a promise that nothing requires a reservation. Entrance fees, campgrounds, timed-entry systems, tours, and specific hikes can still apply. The point is simpler: these parks have excellent trips that do not depend on winning one scarce route permit.

See the shortlist

A wide forested vista seen from the Ledges Overlook in Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio, looking west-northwest over a sea of green treetops stretching to the horizon.

Weekend guide

Best National Parks for Weekend Trips

A weekend park trip needs a short decision chain: land or drive in, sleep close, pick one anchor route, and leave room for a scenic backup. The best weekend parks have strong payoff before the itinerary gets complicated.

See the shortlist

Panoramic view from Inspiration Point of the Bryce Amphitheater in Bryce Canyon National Park, with thousands of orange and white limestone hoodoos descending into the bowl-shaped canyon under a clear sky

Road trip guide

Utah Mighty 5 Road Trip

Utah's five national parks sit in the southern half of the state, close enough to link into one loop but far enough apart that distances surprise people. The standard circuit runs Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches, ending in Moab.

See the shortlist

The Teton Range rising behind a calm meander of the Snake River at Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, with forested banks and snow-flecked peaks reflected in the water

Road trip guide

Yellowstone and Grand Teton Itinerary

Yellowstone and Grand Teton share a boundary in northwest Wyoming, which makes them the classic two-park week. Geysers, canyons, and wildlife up north; jagged peaks and glacial lakes just to the south, linked by the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.

See the shortlist

Yosemite Valley seen from Tunnel View, with El Capitan rising on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, and Half Dome in the distance under a clear sky

Road trip guide

California National Parks Road Trip

California has nine national parks, too many for one sensible trip. The road-trip subset that flows is the Sierra and southern desert chain: Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon, then Death Valley and Joshua Tree, with Pinnacles and Redwood as separate detours.

See the shortlist

Dawn light over the layered red and orange cliffs and buttes of the Grand Canyon, seen from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Road trip guide

Southwest Canyon Country Road Trip

The Colorado Plateau packs more national parks into a few hundred miles than anywhere else. This Grand Circle loop links Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol-country Utah at Arches and Canyonlands, then Mesa Verde and Petrified Forest on the way back.

See the shortlist

The snow-capped volcanic summit of Mount Rainier rising above forested ridgelines, seen from the open alpine meadows of Grand Park in Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, under a clear summer sky.

Road trip guide

Washington Three National Parks Road Trip

Washington's three national parks form a loop around Seattle: the volcano at Mount Rainier, the rainforest-and-coast variety of Olympic, and the alpine spires of North Cascades. Together they make a striking Pacific Northwest circuit.

See the shortlist

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park viewed from the southeast hillside, its vivid blue center ringed by orange and yellow microbial mats and rising steam, set against the surrounding forest and sky.

Family guide

Best National Parks for Families and Kids

A good family park trip is built around short attention spans and tired legs. The best choices pair big scenery with short trails, visitor-center activities, junior ranger programs, and a base close enough that a meltdown does not end the day.

See the shortlist

Wide panoramic view of New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, with the New River winding through the forested gorge and the steel-arch New River Gorge Bridge spanning the canyon, seen from the National Park Service overlook near Fayetteville, West Virginia.

Pet guide

Most Dog-Friendly National Parks

Be honest about the baseline: most national parks restrict dogs to paved roads, parking lots, campgrounds, and developed areas, and keep them off nearly every trail. A handful are genuine exceptions where leashed dogs can hike real miles. This guide leads with those, and flags the difference clearly.

See the shortlist

Tilted rock layers in the towering limestone walls of Santa Elena Canyon, carved by the Rio Grande, in Big Bend National Park, Texas.

Stargazing guide

Best National Parks for Stargazing and Dark Skies

The darkest skies are not random. DarkSky International certifies parks that protect their night skies and limit light pollution. This shortlist leans on those official certifications, then favors dry desert air and high elevation, the conditions that make the Milky Way pop.

See the shortlist

Wide panoramic view from the summit of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park, looking out over the granite formations of Castle Rocks and Paradise Peak amid forested Sierra Nevada ridgelines under a clear sky.

Accessibility guide

Most Accessible National Parks

Accessibility varies widely between parks. The strongest choices combine paved or boardwalk trails, lift-equipped shuttles, accessible visitor centers and restrooms, and scenic drives that put the big views within reach without a difficult hike. Always confirm current conditions with the park, since accessibility details change.

See the shortlist

St. Mary Lake with tiny Wild Goose Island in the foreground, framed by towering peaks of Glacier National Park, Montana, seen from Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Season guide

Best National Parks to Visit in Summer

Summer is the wrong season for the desert and the right season for altitude. The best summer parks are the high-elevation and far-northern ones where snow only just cleared, alpine roads finally open, and wildflower meadows peak. Skip the low desert parks until fall.

See the shortlist

Wide panoramic landscape of Death Valley National Park at dusk, with layered desert mountain ridges receding under a deep blue twilight sky.

Season guide

Best National Parks in Winter

Winter splits the parks into two good options. Warm desert parks finally cool to comfortable hiking, and a few snow-country parks turn into quiet, white landscapes for snowshoeing and winter wildlife. The trick is picking the right kind of winter park for the experience you want.

See the shortlist

Wide desert landscape in the western district of Saguaro National Park, Arizona, with towering saguaro cacti scattered across rolling Sonoran Desert terrain under a clear sky, with mountains on the horizon.

Season guide

Best National Parks in Spring

Spring is the season of water and bloom. Snowmelt drives waterfalls to their peak, wildflowers carpet deserts and foothills, and the desert parks get their last comfortable window before summer heat. The catch is mud, high water, and snow still lingering in the high country.

See the shortlist

An ancient bristlecone pine on a rocky slope below snow-streaked Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park.

Crowd-avoidance guide

Least Crowded National Parks Worth the Trip

Some parks are quiet because they are remote, and some are quiet because they sit next to a more famous neighbor. This shortlist favors parks that are genuinely worth the effort, not just empty. Expect more solitude, fewer services, and longer drives in exchange.

See the shortlist

A wide landscape view of Kings Canyon National Park from the Don Cecil Trail, looking out over forested ridges and the steep granite canyon walls of the Sierra Nevada under a clear sky.

State guide

Best National Parks in California

California has nine national parks, more than any other state, spanning granite high country, the tallest and largest trees on Earth, the hottest desert in North America, foggy redwood coast, and islands offshore. This guide ranks them by overall payoff while being honest about access and season.

See the shortlist

Panoramic view of Delicate Arch, the freestanding sandstone arch in Arches National Park, Utah, with the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the distance under a clear sky

State guide

Utah's Mighty 5 National Parks Ranked

Utah's five national parks, the Mighty 5, cluster across the southern half of the state in red-rock canyon country: slot canyons, hoodoos, arches, mesa overlooks, and quiet orchards. This guide ranks them by overall payoff and explains the access and crowd tradeoffs for each.

See the shortlist

A rare foggy morning in Joshua Tree National Park, with iconic Joshua trees scattered across the open desert plain and low fog rolling over the mountains beyond a winding park road.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Las Vegas

Las Vegas is one of the best national park launchpads in the country. Within a half-day drive you can reach the lowest, hottest desert in North America, the slot canyons of Zion, the rim of the Grand Canyon, and the hoodoos of Bryce. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

Glacier Gorge and rugged peaks rising above the still waters of Bear Lake, framed by pine forest, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

State guide

Colorado's National Parks

Colorado has four national parks, and they could hardly be more different: high alpine tundra at Rocky Mountain, the tallest dunes in North America at Great Sand Dunes, ancestral cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde, and a sheer, dizzying gorge at Black Canyon of the Gunnison. This guide compares all four.

See the shortlist

Cedar Creek winding across Ruby Beach toward the sea stack of Abbey Island under a soft Pacific Northwest sky, the rugged Olympic National Park coastline in Washington

Regional guide

Best National Parks in the Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest packs extraordinary variety into its national parks: rainforest and wild coast at Olympic, a glaciated volcano at Mount Rainier, jagged alpine spires at North Cascades, and the deepest, bluest lake in the country at Crater Lake. This guide compares the four.

See the shortlist

Wide panoramic view of the colorful badland hills and eroded geological formations of Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona under a clear sky

City guide

Best National Parks Near Phoenix and Arizona

Phoenix sits within a half-day drive of some of the Southwest's best national parks, from the saguaro forests just south near Tucson to the rim of the Grand Canyon to the north. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff, mixing easy day trips with bigger overnights.

See the shortlist

Wide landscape view from the Green River Overlook in the Island in the Sky district of Canyonlands National Park, looking out over layered red rock canyons and mesas carved by the Green River under a clear sky.

Regional guide

Best National Parks in the Southwest

No other corner of the country concentrates national parks like the Southwest. The Colorado Plateau alone packs canyons, arches, hoodoos, and cliff dwellings into a few hundred miles, with giant cactus forests, painted badlands, and the largest cave chambers in North America rounding out the region. This guide ranks the dozen most worthwhile.

See the shortlist

Scenic vista of the rugged red and tan sandstone cliffs and canyon ridgeline of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, under a clear sky

City guide

Best National Parks Near Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is the natural gateway to Utah's Mighty 5 and a surprisingly strong launchpad for the northern Rockies too. Capitol Reef and Arches sit closest among the famous five, while Grand Teton and Yellowstone open up to the north. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

Warm alpenglow light on the rippled sand dunes of Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, with the snow-dusted Sangre de Cristo Mountains rising behind them at sunset.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Denver

Denver puts one of the country's great alpine parks within a couple of hours and opens the rest of Colorado's parks on longer drives. Rocky Mountain is the easy headliner, with Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Mesa Verde reaching deeper into the state, plus Arches and Grand Teton on road-trip range. This guide ranks them by drive time.

See the shortlist

The Everglades sawgrass marsh stretching flat to the horizon at golden hour, with open water and tree islands.

Regional guide

Best National Parks in the Southeast

The Southeast's national parks trade the West's big peaks for forested mountains, underground rivers, wild rivers, and subtropical wetlands. The Great Smoky Mountains anchor the region as the most visited park in the country, with Florida's Everglades and a string of caves, gorges, and swamps filling out a varied list. This guide ranks the nine.

See the shortlist

Calm turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay at Biscayne National Park, Florida, looking out past Boca Chita Key toward the open ocean under a bright sky

State guide

Florida's National Parks

Florida's three national parks all sit in the state's far south, and all three are defined by water: the vast subtropical wetland of the Everglades, the coral reefs and mangroves of Biscayne, and the remote island fort of Dry Tortugas. This guide compares all three.

See the shortlist

Jagged glacier-capped peaks of The Triplets, Cascade Peak, and Johannesburg Mountain rising above forested ridges along the Cascade Pass Trail in North Cascades National Park, Washington.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Seattle

Seattle is ringed by three very different national parks, all within a few hours: the glaciated volcano at Mount Rainier, the rainforest-and-coast variety of Olympic, and the jagged alpine spires of North Cascades. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

El Capitan, the signature limestone peak of the Guadalupe Mountains, rising above the Chihuahuan Desert in Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

State guide

Texas National Parks

Texas has two national parks, both in the remote west of the state: the vast desert-and-mountain wilderness of Big Bend and the rugged high country of Guadalupe Mountains. Carlsbad Caverns sits just across the line in New Mexico and pairs naturally with Guadalupe. This guide compares all three.

See the shortlist

The snow-capped peak of Denali (Mount McKinley), North America's tallest mountain, mirrored in the calm waters of Wonder Lake under a clear sky in Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska.

State guide

Alaska's National Parks

Alaska holds eight national parks, more than any other state, and they range from relatively accessible to among the most remote places on Earth. Denali and Kenai Fjords welcome most visitors, while Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk Valley have no roads at all. This guide compares and ranks all eight.

See the shortlist

Arch Rock, the iconic 40-foot natural sea bridge at the east end of Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park, rising from the blue Pacific Ocean off the California coast under a clear sky

City guide

Best National Parks Near Los Angeles

Los Angeles sits within a half-day reach of a remarkable spread of national parks: desert boulders at Joshua Tree, an island archipelago off Ventura, the giant sequoias of the southern Sierra, and the lowest, hottest desert in North America. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

The rock spires of Pinnacles National Park rising above golden chaparral hills at sunset.

City guide

Best National Parks Near San Francisco

San Francisco is one of the best park launchpads in California, within a half-day drive of Yosemite's granite walls, the volcanic spires of Pinnacles, the steaming geothermal basins of Lassen, the giant sequoias of the southern Sierra, and the tall coast redwoods to the north. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

Cedar Creek winding across Ruby Beach toward the sea stack of Abbey Island under a soft Pacific Northwest sky, the rugged Olympic National Park coastline in Washington

State guide

Washington's National Parks

Washington has three national parks, and together they form one of the most varied trios in the country: a glaciated volcano at Mount Rainier, the rainforest-and-coast diversity of Olympic, and the jagged alpine spires of North Cascades. All three ring Seattle. This guide compares and ranks them.

See the shortlist

St. Mary Lake with tiny Wild Goose Island in the foreground, framed by towering peaks of Glacier National Park, Montana, seen from Going-to-the-Sun Road.

State guide

Montana's National Parks

Montana lays claim to two of the country's greatest national parks: Glacier, with its alpine peaks and the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road, and Yellowstone, whose northern entrances and Lamar Valley wildlife sit on the Montana side. This guide compares the two.

See the shortlist

The vast Big Room cavern of Carlsbad Caverns, dramatic stalactites and stalagmites under soft uplighting.

State guide

New Mexico's National Parks

New Mexico has two national parks, and both are otherworldly: the vast underground chambers of Carlsbad Caverns and the rolling white gypsum dunes of White Sands. They sit a few hours apart in the southern part of the state and pair naturally on one trip. This guide compares them.

See the shortlist

Dawn light over the layered red and orange cliffs and buttes of the Grand Canyon, seen from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

State guide

Arizona's National Parks

Arizona has three national parks, and they could hardly be more different: the immense gorge of the Grand Canyon, the towering cactus forests of Saguaro near Tucson, and the colorful fossil-log fields of Petrified Forest along I-40. This guide compares and ranks all three.

See the shortlist

An elevated wooden boardwalk trail winding through the old-growth bottomland hardwood forest and swamp of Congaree National Park, South Carolina, framed by towering trees.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Atlanta

Atlanta sits within reach of a strong spread of Southern and Appalachian national parks, from the misty ridges of the Great Smoky Mountains to a flooded old-growth forest in South Carolina and the longest cave system on Earth in Kentucky. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

Towering old-growth coast redwood trees rising through a misty green forest in Redwood National and State Parks, Northern California.

Theme guide

Best National Parks for Coast and Islands

Some of the most striking national parks are defined by water: wild islands off California, the rainforest coast of the Pacific Northwest, the rocky shore of Maine, the coral reefs of Florida and the Caribbean, and a volcanic island in Hawaii. This guide ranks the best parks for coast and islands.

See the shortlist

The deep blue water of Crater Lake under a clear sky, with the forested cinder cone of Wizard Island rising from the caldera and steep rim cliffs in the background, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

City guide

Best National Parks Near Portland

Portland sits within reach of some of the most varied national parks in the country: a glaciered volcano, a rainforest-and-coast giant, an alpine spire field, the deepest lake in America, and the world's tallest trees just over the California line. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

Wide desert landscape in the western district of Saguaro National Park, Arizona, with towering saguaro cacti scattered across rolling Sonoran Desert terrain under a clear sky, with mountains on the horizon.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Tucson

Tucson is the rare city with a national park inside its own limits, and it makes a strong base for the desert Southwest beyond it: a petrified-wood and painted-desert wonderland, the rim of the Grand Canyon, and a vast underground cave system over the New Mexico line. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

The Teton Range rising behind a calm meander of the Snake River at Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, with forested banks and snow-flecked peaks reflected in the water

City guide

Best National Parks Near Jackson Hole

Jackson Hole is one of the best national park basecamps anywhere: the jagged peaks of Grand Teton begin minutes from town, and the geysers and wildlife valleys of Yellowstone sit just up the road. Two of the country's marquee parks share a border right above you. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park viewed from the southeast hillside, its vivid blue center ringed by orange and yellow microbial mats and rising steam, set against the surrounding forest and sky.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Boise

Idaho has no national park of its own, but Boise sits at the western end of a classic road-trip corridor: drive east on US 20 and you reach Yellowstone's geysers and, just beyond, the jagged peaks of Grand Teton. Both are a long but very doable haul. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park viewed from the southeast hillside, its vivid blue center ringed by orange and yellow microbial mats and rising steam, set against the surrounding forest and sky.

City guide

Best National Parks Near Bozeman

Bozeman is one of the best national park gateways in the northern Rockies: Yellowstone's north and west entrances are a short drive south, Grand Teton sits beyond it in Wyoming, and Glacier's alpine wall waits to the north. This guide ranks them by drive time and payoff.

See the shortlist

The steep, dark canyon walls of Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park glowing in golden sunset light, with the deep gorge of the Gunnison River cut into ancient Colorado rock.

Region guide

Best National Parks in the Rocky Mountains

The Rockies run from northern Montana to southern Colorado, and the national parks along the range could hardly be more varied: geyser basins, jagged peaks, alpine tundra, the tallest dunes in North America, ancient cliff dwellings, and a vertigo-inducing gorge. This guide compares the standouts.

See the shortlist

By place

Find your park

All 63 national parks. Hover for a name, tap to open the guide.

Browse and filter the full list

Beyond the lower 48

Most visited

Start with a popular park

Forested ridges of the Smoky Mountains receding into blue haze within Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains

Dawn light over the layered red and orange cliffs and buttes of the Grand Canyon, seen from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Grand Canyon

The Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park viewed from the southeast hillside, its vivid blue center ringed by orange and yellow microbial mats and rising steam, set against the surrounding forest and sky.

Yellowstone

The Watchman, a sharply pointed red sandstone peak in Zion National Park, rising above the Virgin River and autumn cottonwoods at golden hour

Zion

Glacier Gorge and rugged peaks rising above the still waters of Bear Lake, framed by pine forest, in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain

Yosemite Valley seen from Tunnel View, with El Capitan rising on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, and Half Dome in the distance under a clear sky

Yosemite

Browse by state

State guides cover the national parks where they exist, plus the state parks, forests, shorelines, and routes that shape the trip.