The National Park System has long been called “America’s best idea” — 63 of these beloved areas of recreation, education and preservation dot the US, allowing visitors to get up close and personal with the natural world. While recent years have undoubtedly seen an uptick in visitor numbers, it’s still possible for savvy travellers to escape the crowds at under-the-radar parks or find less-travelled gateways into the superstar attractions. Whether you seek a gentle hike, an active family break or the frisson of erupting volcanoes, or simply yearn for a slice of peaceful wilderness, there’s an awe-inspiring national park for you. From West Virginian coal country to the tropical delights of Hawaii, read on for our pick of the best national parks in the US.
Main photo: hikers in Joshua Tree National Park (Getty Images)
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1. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Best for getting off the beaten track
There’s never a dull moment at this often underrated park, with scenery that shapeshifts from gentle grass prairies to the otherworldly landscape of the Badlands. It demands a slower pace from its visitors; first to admire the mustang horses and herds of shaggy bison grazing serenely by the roadside, and then to contemplate the surreal towering hoodoo rocks that have been a part of our planet for millions of years. Tucked into the remote west of the state, and often overshadowed by Mount Rushmore in neighbouring South Dakota, a visit to this year-round park in the colder months rewards with blissful solitude. The nearby cowboy town of Medora provides a characterful pitstop, its wooden sidewalks lined with kitschy Old West saloons. A stay at the Maltese Ranch Cabin allows you to live the cabin life like president Theodore Roosevelt, with a few additional mod-cons.
2. New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, West Virginia
Best for watersports
You’ll find the newest US national park, which gained the honour in 2020, tucked into a verdant pocket ofthe south-eastern region of West Virginia. Once a landscape of sooty coalmines, these days paddles have replaced pickaxes. Adventure rafting outfits now dot the frothy white waters flowing through this new-kid-on-the-block park, offering thrill-seekers the chance to ride the roaring rapids. Those with a head for heights can also clip on a harness to walk across the famous steel arc of the New River Gorge Bridge, a feat of engineering. Inside the New River Gorge National Park & Preserve is a rustic cabin that provides an easy gateway to the natural wonders of the park.
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3. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Best for free spirits
Located two-hours from Los Angeles, Joshua Tree’s diverse high desert landscape — with its whimsical Dr Seuss-like yaccas, impressive rock formations and flowering cacti — has been attracting a heady mix of outlaws and creatives for decades. First-timers should head to the Lost Horse Valley in the beating heart of the park, where Cap Rock, made famous by cosmic cowboy Gram Parsons, and the Hidden Valley trail make ideal hiking entry points for getting the lay of the land. Stop by at Pappy & Harriet’s in nearby Pioneertown for a sundowner at this hipster honky-tonk, where everyone from Peaches to Paul McCartney have performed. The vintage Airstream accommodation at AutoCamp Joshua Tree include free bike hire and live music in the evenings.
4. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Best for volcano-spotting
Encompassing not one, but two of world’s most active and accessible volcanoes — Kilauea and Mauna Loa — a visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii is like stepping onto the surface of another planet. The hotspot of Kilauea makes a good entry point for first-time visitors, with its continuous eruptions of molten rock, surrounded by lava deserts. While volcanism rules the day at this park, carve out some time to explore the surrounding pockets of rainforest, its trees filled with tropical birdsong. And after a day admiring the glowing lava, retreat to the health-conscious Dragonfly Ranch for a restorative yoga session.
5. Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska
Best for viewing the northern lights
This playground for outdoor enthusiasts is proudly home to the tallest summit in North America, with a peak that reaches over 20,000 feet above sea level. Visitors will find plenty of ways to engage with this stunning sweep of unspoiled wilderness, from renting an e-bike at the park’s main entrance, or staying overnight in one of the six campgrounds, to shifting down a gear and hopping on a bus tour, which makes frequent stops to allow for ambling bears to cross the road. Stay during the winter season for a chance to glimpse the majestic northern lights dance across the dark night sky. When it’s finally time to take sanctuary from the wilderness, cosy up around the firepit at Alpine Creek Lodge.
6. Yellowstone National Park, Montana/Wyoming/Idaho
Best for spectacular geothermal displays
As America’s original national park,Yellowstone created the gold standard for conservation. The landscape of this pioneering park teams with an abundance of wildlife including roaming bison, grizzly bears and mountain lions, which help to attract over four million nature-lovers each year. But it’s the hissing geysers and glorious technicolour hot springs that transform a trip to Yellowstone into a living, breathing science lesson. From the west entrance, located just across the Wyoming border in Montana, head to the Old Faithful Geyser to witness its fierce geothermal eruption, every bit as dramatic as the iconic photos suggest. The Adventure Inn Yellowstone is a striking cabin resort situated at the west entrance to the park.
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7. Yosemite National Park, California
Best for rock climbing
Over 3.5 million visitors trek through Yosemite annually, but those in the know swerve the bustling crowds and head to the lesser-troddenHetch Hetchy Valley entrance, nestled into the northwest corner of the Californian park. This patchwork of Alpine flowers and rugged boulders flaunts the greatest diversity of flora and fauna within Yosemite. But the colossal mountains are really the headline act, with El Capitan remaining the rock-star attraction for ambitious climbers. If scaling its mighty sheer face sounds a little daunting, then circle the majesty of this granite monolith from above, with an aerial tour in a light aircraft organised by Yosemite Flights. Just a stroll from the mouth of Hetch Hetchy, Evergreen Lodge is a historic cabin resort, spruced up for a new generation.
8. Acadia National Park, Maine
Best for sleeping under the stars
Maine’s zigzagging Atlantic coastline is even longer than California’s and Acadia National Park showcases the best of it. It’s all craggy headlands, granite mountains and forest, with pin-ups including the Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse Station, a 19th-century beacon on Mount Desert Island. Some 158 miles of hiking trails get you to the heart of it: drink in stellar views of the coast on the Great Head Trail or get up high on treks across Cadillac Mountain. Glamping specialist Under Canvas is taking over the US and its offering in Surry, Maine provides plush safari-style tents lined up by the waterfront, with fire pits for late-night s’mores.
9. Zion National Park, Utah
Best for epic hikes
Famed for its fiery red rock vistas and soaring canyons, Zion National Park is the poster boy of Utah’s five national parks. Situated in the southwest of the state, 4.5 million tourists flock to Zion annually. You’ll find many of them pacing the popular Angels Landing Trail, looking for spectacular panoramic views of Zion Canyon. For those seeking the path less travelled, Zion is also filled with hidden-gem hiking trails. Head to Kolob Canyons for blockbuster views of pink Navajo sandstone cliffs and deep-pocket canyons, minus the throng, or get a taste of Zion’s rugged backcountry on the Hop Valley trail. SpringHill Suitesby Marriott, located in Springdale, offers ringside seats to the dramatic red-rock theatre.
10. Olympic National Park, Washington
Best for rainforest exploration
Olympic National Park scoops up the best of the Pacific Northwest’s wilderness — think skyscraping peaks, glacial lakes, rugged shores and woodland. It’s best seen from the water, with paddlers taking to sprawling Lake Crescent, or wiggling their way along the Elwha River. The old-growth Hoh Rainforest is another of America’s great wonders. Explore it on the Hoh River Trail, which routes through Sitka spruces and red cedars green with moss. Operating year-round and within the park proper, Kalaloch Lodge was built from driftwood timber — opt for a Lodge View Room overlooking Kalaloch Creek.
11. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina
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Best for families
There’s something for every age in this leafy patch of east Tennessee wilds, currently the most visited national park in the US (helped by the lack of entrance fee). Outdoor types can strap on hiking boots and venture into the 300-million-year-old temperate rainforest, where the legendary Appalachian Trail weaves through a lush tapestry of cascading waterfalls and misty mountaintops. Keep an eye out for black bears, spotted with thrilling frequency. Kids are kept entertained at the twinkly resort towns that fringe the park, with quirky attractions including a life-sized Titanic ship and Dollywood, the theme park owned by the Queen of Country herself, Dolly Parton. Guests staying at the DreamMore Resort and Spa receive a free shuttle service to Dollywood.
12. Everglades National Park, Florida
Best for wetland wilderness
Mangroves and cypress trees plug the waters of Everglades National Park. A wetland wilderness of mammoth proportions, it’s famous as the only place on Earth where the American alligator and the American crocodile coexist. Keep your eyes peeled for critters as you follow boardwalk trails or kayak through these wild, watery channels. The Nine Mile Pond paddling route is popular, passing marshlands and placing you in prime bird-watching territory. On Florida’s aptly named Paradise Coast you’ll find Port of the Islands Everglades Adventure Resort. It’s a behemoth of a hotel complex with a pool, sports facilities and bright suites.
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13. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Best for the northern lights
This Minnesota park is not normally high on travellers’ hit lists — but it should be, not least because it’s one of the few places in the States where you might glimpse the northern lights. Its ink-black night skies are perfect for stargazing too. Forty per cent of the park is water — from vast lakes to wetlands — so the best way to explore is by boat. Guided tours run from late spring through to autumn. Thunderbird Lodge sits right on Rainy Lake, a stone’s throw from the park. Its cabins are decidedly snug, inviting lazy afternoons spent holed up, drinking in views of the water.
14. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Best for driving views
The fabled Rocky Mountains begin in Canada and sweep right down to New Mexico — and this national park protects a mighty slice of them. Trail Ridge Road is the stuff of legend, skimming along the peaks from Estes Park to Grand Lake and putting drivers above the timberline for at least 11 miles. On foot, the four-mile Emerald Lake Trail punches above its weight when it comes to watery wonders, from Tyndall Creek to Emerald Lake itself. Incredible wildlife like mountain lions roam these parts too. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park is best known as the inspiration for Stephen King novel The Shining. Spooks-aside, the 1909 property is a comfy base replete with old-world touches like brick fireplaces and chintzy wallpaper.
15. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
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Best for stargazing
Only 10 per cent of Grand Canyon visitors make it to the North Rim, a five-hour drive from the celebrated South Rim, but those who do are rewarded with a dazzling astronomy show that’s well worth the trek. Recognised as an International Dark Sky Park, the remote location and lack of light pollution at the North Rim creates one of the country’s finest places to spot the Milky Way against an inky backdrop. Throughout the year the park organises constellation talks and events, including a week-long star party in June, when amateur astronomers from across the globe set up their telescopes. Stay in a log cabin at the Grand Canyon Lodge North Rim, where evenings are spent soaking up the Arizona sunsets from the deck.
16. Glacier National Park, Montana
Best for big skies and ice flows
Visit Glacier National Park and you’ll see why Montana is known as Big Sky Country. The skies here are big indeed — wide open and studded with stars — and so too are the lakes, the forests and the great, jagged mountains. The only things that are sadly shrinking are the glaciers, so make time to see these ephemeral beauties while you still can. You can see the Jackson Glacier from the Going-to-the-Sun road, a scenic drive that routes through the mountains. Plonked right between the peaks and on Swiftcurrent Lake, the Many Glacier Hotel is the place for striking views in a pleasingly woodsy setting.
17. Channel Islands National Park, California
Best for adventurers
Standing in the shadows of Yosemite and Joshua Tree, Channel Islands National Park is often overlooked — though its five islands, arranged like an emerald necklace in the Pacific, are an adventurer’s paradise. Snorkelers exploring waters near Santa Barbara and Anacapa will see rippling kelp forests, while keen surfers can catch stellar waves off Santa Cruz. Whale-watching tours are a popular activity too. The retro trailers at Waypoint Ventura are effortlessly cool — and you can even bring your own vintage ride if you’re road-tripping Highway 1.
18. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
Best for Native American culture
In the far southwestern corner of Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is a glimpse into a Native American culture that flourished here more than 1,000 years ago. The Ancestral Pueblo people left behind an incredible maze of cliff dwellings that spread out like tiny castles in the high desert. Explore them on guided tours and strike out on hikes that take in canyons, ancient petroglyphs and pinyon-juniper forest. Open from spring through to autumn, Far View Lodge has charming western-style decor and an in-park location. The Kiva Deluxe View Rooms promise panoramas across the mesa.
19. Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska
Best for off-the-beaten-track exploration
Due to its remoteness, Gates of the Arctic is one of the least visited national parks in the system. This is real, raw, uncharted Alaska and there are no roads, campgrounds or visitor centres within its eight million acres. Instead, its glacial valleys, razor-sharp peaks and vast lakes are left untouched and wildlife such as lynx and caribou roam undisturbed. Guided expeditions explore the park, which is only accessible on foot or by flight. Iniakuk Lake Wilderness Lodge is a fly-in lodge built for outdoor adventure. Make the most of its organised excursions from wildlife watching to dog sledding.
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