national park trips.com

TTC family of brands

My Trafalgar

Destinations

Get Inspired

866 513 1995

US National Parks

See All US National Parks Tours

See More US National Parks Trips

5 million happy guests and counting

Capital City

Washington D.C.

Good Morning

GMT-5 to GMT-10

Good Evening

"A trip through the US National Parks is an unforgettable experience. You'll come face to face with nature's finest and leave with a deep appreciation for our wonderful planet."

Travel Director

Grand Canyon National Park

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the UNESCO-listed Grand Canyon National Park is a phenomenal feat of nature. You’ll walk the rim and learn from your Local Specialist how it formed over the past 40 million years. From sunrise to sunset, the Grand Canyon is truly mesmerising.

Mesa Verde National Park

Located in Colorado, this UNESCO-listed national park is filled with centuries-old history. You’ll drive the Mesa Top Loop Road past archaeological sites and lookouts, and see the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people, that are chiselled out of the sandstone canyon walls.

Arches National Park

We’ll take you on a journey through the spectacular sandstone arches of Arches National Park. There are more than 2,000 natural arches carved by the wind, including the long Landscape Arch. You can hike to the viewpoint of the iconic Delicate Arch and discover other formations such as Balanced Rock, soaring over the desert.

Yellowstone National Park

Discover the geothermal wonderland of Yellowstone National Park, one of the world’s oldest national parks. We’ll show you the steaming hot springs, alpine forests and rivers, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, mud paint pots, and the remarkable shooting waters of Old Faithful. Keep your eyes peeled for animals like bears, bison, elk and wolves.

Yosemite National Park

Wander in the shadows of Yosemite’s giant sequoia trees, as our Local Specialists reveal the ancient history of these incredible forests. You’ll see the Cathedral Rocks, the plunging Bridal Veil Falls, and the cliffs of El Capitan. We’ll also explore Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows, before taking a special tour of the Yosemite Valley floor.

Our top 5 things to do in US National Parks

When you visit US National Parks with Trafalgar, we’ll show you the top national parks in the country, from the giant Grand Canyon to the ancient trees of Yosemite.

Buffalo wings

Found across the country, buffalo wings are one of the most beloved dishes in the United States. An unbreaded chicken wing is deep-fried and coated in a vinegar cayenne hot sauce with melted butter. They’re best served hot and dipped in blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Cheesesteak

Hailing from Philadelphia, the cheesesteak is now a classic American dish found across the country. It’s a sandwich made from thin slices of beefsteak and melted cheese, stuffed in a long hoagie roll, and it’s a delicious meal after a long day of hiking through national parks.

Also known as the ‘Yankee pot roast’, this is a braised beef dish made from slow cooking a piece of beef with gravy and vegetables such as potatoes, onions and carrots. The cooking method produces a soft, succulent meat drenched in rich gravy, for a warm and hearty meal.

Best food in US National Parks

Exploring the trails of the national parks works up an appetite, and we’ll show you the best places to taste all the famous dishes of the United States.

What to pack for US National Parks

Pack for sustainable travel

Consider your environmental impact when you next take a trip and go single-use-plastic-free by packing a reusable water bottle, a steel straw, your own shopping bags and refillable toiletry bottles.

Hiking shoes

The National Parks of the US are filled with hiking trails, and you’ll need a sturdy pair of shoes to explore these spectacular landscapes.

Versatile clothing

From sun-drenched canyons to snowy peaks, the weather changes throughout the national parks. Come prepared for all climates with layered and versatile clothing.

Reusable water bottle

National parks are pristine protected areas, and whatever you take in, you must take out. Bring a reusable water bottle to avoid adding to waste with disposable plastic bottles.

A book to collect stamps

You can collect unique stamps at the ranger stations of each national park. Bring a notebook to keep them in, as a special memento of your journey.

The national parks are filled with incredible animals like bears and bison, and a pair of binoculars will help you spot wildlife safely from a distance.

Our North & Central America destinations

United States

San Francisco

South Dakota

Other worldwide regions we visit

Africa the Middle East

Australia and New Zealand

South America

Get your free brochure

Find your next escape with the world's leading travel brand

Request A Brochure

Award winning tours

Every year, we're proud to win some of the most prestigious travel accolades around the world - from the Travel Globes to the Agent's Choice Awards

Search Our Tours

Help & Info

WE MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®

Unedited Reviews

Our Destination Management Companies

Frequently Asked Questions

Travel Updates

Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

Travel Planning

Get Your Free Brochure

Booking Conditions

Trip Deposit Level

Recommendations

Trafalgar Tours Limited is a proud member of  The Travel Corporation  family of companies.

#SimplyTrafalgar

Travel House, Rue du Manoir St Peter Port, Guernsey, GY1 2JH

Selected Region

United Kingdom

New Zealand

South Africa

Copyright 2024 Trafalgar. All rights reserved.

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

Cookie Policy

NATIONAL PARK TOURZ

Making the parks personal with small group experiences & passionate guides, explore america's iconic national parks in a meaningful way.

• Users Maximum of 10 People
• Clock 5 Days & 4 Nights

Best of the Southwest

Explore the wonders of the Southwest on our 5-day trip, featuring the Zion River Hike, the unique Bryce Canyon program, the Lake Powell Cruise, and the majestic Grand Canyon. Designed for maximum comfort in a small, friendly group, our house is the perfect option for an unforgettable few days.

• Users Maximum of 11 People
• Clock 6 Days & 5 Nights

Animal Lovers Tour

Join National Park Tourz adventure that blends your love of animals and nature! Volunteer at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and explore four amazing national parks, from Zion’s River Hike to the Grand Canyon, all included in this comprehensive package with lodging, meals, transportation and an owned guide friendly atmosphere.

• Users Maximum of 4 People
• Clock 7 Days & 6 Nights

Alaskan Adventure Tour

Explore the great Northwest with us as we glide through glaciers and hike through the Denali region, famous for the highest mountain in North America! Driving through this vast region will expose our eyes to majestic mountains and crystal clear lakes.

Arches National Park Tour

Take an exciting 7-day trip to explore Arches National Park, home to over 2,000 distinctive sand dunes. With everything covered, from accommodation to food, soak in the fun and beauty of every season without worry. Book online today!

Yellowstone National Park Tour

Join an intimate tour from Salt Lake City through Yellowstone National Park, with exciting experiences like whitewater rafting, western entertainment provided by Bar J Wranglers, and an aerial tram ride through the Grand Tetons Range Dive. Book online!

• MOST POPULAR TOUR!

Best Friends Volunteer Tour

Best Friends Animal Sanctuary seeks help to “Rescue Them All”. We offer trips packed with volunteer opportunities from landscaping to dog walking at Angels Rest. This all-inclusive experience is perfect for animal lovers! Book your Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Utah volunteer experience online.

ABOUT OUR NATIONAL PARK TOURS

Welcome to National Park Tourz! We are a team who loves showing friends the beauties found in our big backyard! We are lucky enough to be passionate about what we do — sharing our love and endless wonder of the natural beauty found throughout the iconic National Parks of The West .

If you’re looking for a vacation that will stay with you for years to come, you can feel confident in choosing our company.  Our goal is to give you a  beautiful experience that will leave you feeling inspired! We consider each guest a new found friend, and once you tour with us, chances are high that you will return. At National Park Tourz, we love to make the parks personal.

KANAB TOUR COMPANY

If you are looking for more fun and adventure during your stay in Kanab, check out our sister company,  Kanab Tour Company!  We have a fantastic range of day tours to the iconic National Parks, as well as awesome ATV tours! If  racing over sand dunes  and  scrambling over rock formations  sounds like your kind of adventure, then come say hi,  we’d love to hear from you!

BEYOND ZION TOURS & RENTALS

Beyond Zion Tours & Rentals aims to provide customers with  high-adventure ATV tours   of East Zion  and  top of the line ATV rentals . With a location right outside of Zion National Park, Beyond Zion is perfectly situated to handle all of your ATV tours and rentals in Southern Utah. If you’re ready to get Beyond Zion, check them out today!

See What Past Guests Have Said! ★★★★★

Words cannot express how much we enjoyed the natural beauty, the stress free travel arrangements, the accommodations, the food, the friendliness of everyone and especially our wonderful guide,Trevor. He made sure we saw all the beauty, while focusing on what was important to us and keeping us safe. Thank you Tiffany for giving us a lifetime of beautiful memories.

Having never been to the national parks of southern Utah, this was an amazing trip. From accommodations to meals to adventure guide/driverTrevor. — all exceeded expectation. Wonderful group, accommodation, allowing privacy and social interaction, home, cooked breakfast daily, incredible restaurants, and so much to see! Of course for dog lovers. Going to Best Friends Sanctuary is certainly a highlight complete with a VIP tour. We certainly will look at National Park Tourz and Trevor for another vacation.

Fantastic tour at Best Friends and National Parks!! Tiffany, Pam and Jeff, the guide were so helpful, caring, knowledgeable, willing to go the extra mile to help, etc….can’t say enough positive things about them! Loved Lake Powell, Bryce, Zion and Peekaboo Canyon! Volunteering at Best Friends was fun and enlightening.

I was on a tour with eight other people and we volunteered at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in the morning and went to various National Parks in the afternoon. It was one of the best tours I have ever been on. We were very well taken care of and our guide, Nick, couldn’t have been nicer or more informative. It was just the right balance of fun, education and exposure to the wonders of southern Utah.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Everything about the Animal Lovers Tour was amazing! My fiend Kelly and I went on this adventure together and met the best housemates on our tour. Our tour guide, Dan, was so knowledgeable, funny, kind and accommodating. Trevor, another guide, was also amazing! He took us on an ATV ride that was incredible! This trip was a trip of a lifetime that has left us with the most beautiful memories possible!

An extraordinary week with great guides (Trevor and Jeff were both knowledgeable, flexible and fun), amazing food and the perfect combination of Best Friends Sanctuary volunteering and exploring beautiful southern Utah!

We've teamed up with the National Park Foundation - join the movement to protect our national parks, donate at checkout!

The Perfect Road Trip to See Every U.S. National Park

by US Park Pass | Mar 9, 2020

The 5 Best National Park Road Trips in the U.S.

From western landscapes to the Blue Ridge Parkway, our national park expert maps out five beautiful road trips—all doable in a week

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Here’s the dream: Quit your job and hit all 64 national parks in one huge multi-month road trip where you live mostly in a van and finally see all of these iconic landscapes for yourself. To call that dream unrealistic is an understatement, at least for me, for a variety of reasons (see “quit job,” above), though it’s been accomplished by an Outside writer.

The closest I’ve ever come was in my 20s, spending a month driving around the Rocky Mountains and American Southwest in my VW Jetta during summer break from graduate school. A decade or so later, I re-created that trip with my wife and our then four-year-old twins. Both experiences were awesome. One of them had more tantrums.

You can plan a great park trip that captures the open-road spirit on a smaller scale. Below, I’ve outlined five itineraries that take in multiple parks, all within a week. I picked a variety of terrain—lonely desert basins, ice-cold swimming holes, perfect hikes, and cultural wonders. There are one or two classic routes.

But mostly, I chose these because they go to parks that don’t get the massive amount of attention some of their cousins receive. So gas or charge up and go.

1. Blue Ridge Parkway, from Shenandoah to Great Smoky Mountains

Virginia/north carolina, distance: 470 miles, duration: four-plus days.

This trip is in my backyard, so I’m biased, but it’s also awesome, because the entire 470-plus-mile route is within a national-park unit. The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles along the peaks and valleys of the Southern Appalachian mountain range, connecting two of the country’s most-visited national parks, Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina/Tennessee and Shenandoah in Virginia.

Driving the entire length of the parkway is slow (speed limit is between 25 and 45 miles per hour) and full of curves in the road, and also overlooks,  side hikes to swimming holes, and mountain hikes through a lush landscape with elevations that top 6,000 feet. And that’s just the road between the two great national parks.

Heading south on the parkway, you will find picnic areas, trailheads, and scenic views. Give yourself at least a couple of days to complete the road alone, making sure to hike the three-mile out-and-back Sharp Top Trail in the Peaks of Otter area near Bedford, Virginia, which leads to a panoramic view of the Shenandoah Valley and the Allegheny Mountains. When you get to North Carolina, hit Grandfather Mountain State Park, where you can climb the 7.6-mile out-and-back Profile Trail , scrambling along outcroppings and climbing ladders to the summit of the 5,964-foot Callaway Peak.

Adventures in Shenandoah: Located just 70 miles west of Washington, D.C, Shenandoah National Park is home to 200,000 acres of 4,000-foot peaks, dense hardwood forest, waterfalls, and historic farmland. The most popular hike is also one of the park’s toughest; Old Rag Circuit is a 9.2-mile loop that requires rock scrambling with some use of your hands to reach Old Rag Mountain, which offers 360-degree views of the park and surrounding farmland. You need a permit to hike the mountain between March 1 and November 30. It’s only $2, but permits are limited to 800 a day, so get them up to 30 days in advance .

If you’re looking to cool off, hike the Whiteoak Canyon/Cedar Run Circuit , an 8.1-mile loop that gains 3,000 feet while traversing two tight gorges packed with waterfalls and swimming holes. Lower and Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls are the highlights, as Upper Falls drops 86 feet between narrow canyon walls, and Lower Falls has a primo plunge pool.

Adventures in Great Smoky Mountains : The Smokies comprise a mix of rocky streams stacked with waterfalls and swimming holes, and steep slopes thick with vegetation. It’s hard to get across just how green this park is. On the northern end, you’ll find Midnight Hole, a deep, cold swimming hole at the base of a small waterfall. The pool is lined with 15-foot boulders, and locals like to jump from them into the deep part. Access is via the easy three-mile out-and-back Big Creek Trail . If you want to ditch the crowds (GSMNP gets 14 million visitors a year), hike deeper into the park. Ramsey Cascades Trail is an eight-mile round trip through stands of old-growth tulip poplars to the 100-foot Ramsey Cascade, the tallest waterfall inside the park.

A few historic fire lookout towers still stand inside the park, but the most scenic is Mount Cammerer, a circular wooden building perched on a rocky outcropping, nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, offering views of 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks as well as the Pigeon River Gorge. Hike this 11.6-mile out and back from Big Creek Parking Area, and you will do a piece of the Appalachian Trail, enjoying scenic stretches along Big Creek before climbing to the ridgeline.

Stay : In Shenandoah, Big Meadows is a historic stone-and-chestnut lodge in the middle of the park. Choose from lodge rooms or rustic cabins (from $251 a night ), and wander the mile to Big Meadow after dark for stargazing . Lodges and campgrounds are spaced all along the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, so it’s easy to break the journey up into chunks if you’re not in a hurry. Julian Price Campground is one of the most popular overnights ($20 per night, reserve six months in advance). The 190-site facility sits next to Julian Price Lake, where you can rent canoes . Under Canvas has a glamping resort on 182 acres of hardwood forest near the Gatlinburg entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each fully furnished safari-style tent has a private bathroom, and the place features live music, campfires at night, and yoga in the morning, not to mention an on-site restaurant with seasonal dishes and craft beer.

2. Joshua Tree to Death Valley, California

Distance: 250 miles, duration: at least three days.

This route will take you to an underappreciated gem.

Is it weird to spend several days in Southern California and not go to the beach? Well, this desert romp is packed with so much wild terrain you won’t miss the Pacific Ocean. Joshua Tree National Park is 800,000 acres of sandstone boulders, crusty desert floor, and stands of the eponymous trees, while 250 miles north, Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48, at 3.5 million acres. Inside are 14,000-foot peaks, expansive craters, dunes, and slot canyons.

Weather is a factor with this itinerary because both parks are in the desert and hot as hell in the middle of summer (temps can reach 120 degrees). So consider this a late-spring or early-fall trip. (If you ever go in summer, do all of your adventures at dawn, take a ton of water, and be back at your place or camp before lunch. Also tell someone exactly where you are going.)

The 250-mile drive is mostly two-lane highway that offers a mix of desolate beauty (you’ll drive between Leghorn Lakes Wilderness and Sheephole Valley Wilderness) and California weirdness (the World’s Largest Thermometer is on this route). Want more adventure? As you drive between these two standout parks, try a pitstop at Mojave National Preserve, which has the largest grove of Joshua Trees in the world, natural springs, and towering dunes.

You can fly into Las Vegas or Los Angeles. L.A. to Joshua Tree is about 150 miles and not terribly interesting, so let’s just go straight to the park.

Adventures in Joshua Tree : J-Tree is a bucket-list rock-climbing destination, but the hiking is easily as good, and just being in the place is amazing. The 2.5-mile Split Rock Trail gives hikers a chance to see and scramble on some of the park’s signature boulders, including Split Rock, a 20-foot-tall formation with a fissure in the middle, and to explore a few small caves. If you want to see a lot of Joshua Trees (who doesn’t?), hike the Panorama Loop in Black Rock Canyon, a 6.5-mile lollipop that traverses one of the densest groves of Joshua Trees in the park, or sections of ridgeline trail, with long-range views of the 11,000-foot peaks inside the nearby Sand to Snow National Monument .

Adventures in Mojave National Preserve: Just 70 miles north of Joshua Tree, Mojave NP offers a convenient diversion on your way to Death Valley. Stretch your legs by hiking the three-mile out-and-back trail into Kelso Dunes , a 45-square-mile field with mounds of sand that rise 650 feet from the valley floor. The Kelso Dunes actually produce “booming,” which is a deep, rumbling vibration that you can hear and feel from the crest of one. Be aware that hiking in dunes is tough, as the sand shifts below your feet with every step.

Adventures in Death Valley : You hiked dunes in Mojave, so in Death Valley National Park, let’s focus on the canyons and peaks. Fall Canyon is a six-mile out and back through a slot canyon so narrow that at points you can touch both sides from the middle.

If it’s your first time to the park, you’re obligated to visit Badwater Salt Flats, the lowest and hottest point in the U.S. There’s no designated trail through the flats, so wander at will through the flat, crispy valley, flanked by the Panamint Mountains and Black Mountains.

Stay: The Inn at Death Valley is a historic lodge located inside the park, with five-star accommodations. Consider this an oasis in the desert, complete with a spring-fed swimming pool (from $359 a night). At Joshua Tree, try to reserve a spot at Indian Cove Campground , which has sites tucked between massive boulders. There are no hookups, but RVs are allowed ($25 a night). If you can’t score an advance reservation there, Hidden Valley Campground has first come/first serve sites ($15 a night). Also, Field Station is opening a new location outside of Joshua Tree in May, with campsites for van-lifers and private rooms, all of which have access to the property’s gear shop, coffee shop and communal spaces (rooms from $127 a night).

3. White Sands National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park

New mexico and texas, distance: 300 miles, duration: four to five days.

Want variety? This trip has a trio of national parks that are close geographically, but a world apart in terms of terrain. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is all about the subterranean, protecting 119 caves, the biggest of which are open to exploration. Guadalupe Mountains National Park covers a swath of 8,000-foot peaks in West Texas, and those include eight of the 10 tallest in the entire state. White Sand Dunes National Park is home to a 275-square-mile gypsum dune field that rolls towards the horizon in a series of white tidal waves.

All three parks are within a couple hundred miles of each other, and El Paso serves as an ideal starting point to fly into the area and rent a car. These parks don’t see the crowds that some of the big-ticket units draw in summer, so there’s a better chance for quiet and good campsites. The three also have totally different climates. White Sand Dunes is hot (but not like J-Tree or Death Valley), Carlsbad is underground, and Guadalupe is chilly.

Other than a brief period where you skirt around the edge of El Paso, you’re driving mostly two-lane highways with a real “middle of nowhere” vibe between the parks. Think sand and scrub brush for as far as the eye can see.

Adventures in White Sand Dunes: Alkali Flat Trail is a five-mile loop through the heart of the sand dunes, following red trail markers. You’re climbing and descending 60-foot dunes the entire time, so pace yourself and expect your legs to be worked at the end. Bring a sled (sold at the visitors’ center if you don’t have your own), as you’re allowed to slide down the steepest slopes along the route.

Adventures in Guadalupe Mountains National Park : The signature adventure is hiking the 8,751-foot Guadalupe Peak , with a craggy, treeless summit, the tallest in the state of Texas. The views stretching east over the plains are endless, but to earn them you will climb 3,000 feet in just over four miles. Bring a jacket, as the summit is notoriously windy. But the real treat of Guadalupe Mountains is Devil’s Hall Trail , a four-mile out-and-back that’s rocky with mandatory scrambling to traverse a dry river wash. Towards the end, you’ll climb Hiker’s Staircase, an easy hand-over-hand natural rock ladder out of the wash and into a narrow slot canyon.

Adventures in Carlsbad Caverns : Start with a self-guided tour of the Big Room, the largest single-cave chamber in the U.S., loaded with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. An elevator could deliver you into the cave, but instead walk the switchbacks down via the Natural Entrance, and feel what it’s like to go from the surface into the cold, dark underground. The full hike down the Natural Entrance and into the Big Room is 2.5 miles and should take a few hours; without the walk in, the hike is 1.25 miles, with a .6-mile shortcut also possible, and parts of the Big Room are wheelchair accessible . If you want something spicier, sign up for a ranger-led tour of Lower Cave , which requires descending 60 feet of ladders and ropes to a series of smaller rooms with crazy rock features, like the skinny, tall “Texas Toothpick” or “cave pearls,” which look like clusters of eggs ($20, reservations required).

Where to Stay: Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns are close enough that one campground works as a base camp to explore both. Check out Pine Springs Campground in Guadalupe Mountains, which has 20 tent sites and 13 RV sites you can reserve in advance ($20 a night). A number of hiking trails (including Devil’s Hall) begin here. The closest campground to White Sands is in Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, which has private desert sites ($10 per night). The backcountry campsites in White Sands are closed indefinitely, but nearby Alamogordo has a variety of chain hotels.

4. Denali National Park to Kenai Fjords National Park

Distance: 400 miles, duration: five-plus days, but if you’re flying all the way to alaska, take your time.

Alaska is an awe-inspiring collection of giant mountains, permanent ice fields, and jagged coast, and Denali and Kenai Fjords national parks encapsulate choice slices of that unique topography. Denali National Park covers more than 6 million acres of Alaska’s interior, including the 20,310-foot Denali, but also the tundra and spruce forest that surround it and attract big-time wildlife like caribou and brown bears. Kenai Fjords National Park couldn’t be more different; instead of forest and towering peaks, it’s home to 600,000 acres of glaciers, inlets, bays, and islands. More than half of the park is covered in snow and ice year round, and the majority is accessed by water. While much of Alaska isn’t conducive to road trips because of a lack of roads, these two parks are less than 400 miles apart and connected by highways.

The two-lane blacktop between the main destinations rolls out like a highlight reel of Alaska, offering views of Denali’s snow-capped peaks at one point and the Cook Inlet at another. Keep an eye out for Beluga whales, which live and breed in the inlet. Chugach State Park , with its 3,000-foot mountains, is also on the route.

A visitor can fly into Anchorage, halfway between the two parks. You’ll basically have to ditch the car at each destination, as car travel is limited in both parks. There are few roads in Kenai, and the main road through Denali is limited to shuttle traffic to minimize impact on the landscape. But that’s part of the charm here.

Adventures in Denali: Denali isn’t a “drive through” park. In fact, private vehicles aren’t allowed past mile 15 of the scenic Denali Park Road, though bikes get the green light. To ride in, start at the Savage River Visitor Center (mile 15) and bike to Sable Pass between miles 37 and 42, where the final 1,500-foot climb to the pass is rewarded by views that stretch all the way to Denali itself. But Sable Pass is best known for its wildlife. Mostly treeless and full of berry bushes, it attracts brown bears, caribou, and Dall sheep, which often graze in the tundra near the road. From the top of the pass, you can turn around and bike back, or, if you pre-arrange it, hop on the free Savage River Shuttle , which has bike racks. Bike Denali offers rentals (starting at $75 per day).

Or consider a guided rafting trip on the Nenana River, a glacier-fed stream that forms the eastern border of Denali. Book a mild or wild day trip with Denali Raft Adventures . The 11-mile canyon run is packed with class IV rapids with names like “Coffee Grinder,” and the full ride, for ages 12 and up, is a brisk two hours. A different short option, the two-hour-long Wilderness Run, is ideal for young families, as it contains mostly class I-II rapids and offers a good chance to see wildlife like moose and caribou. (From $130 a person, May through September).

Adventures in Kenai: Kenai is a coastal park with most of its goods accessed via boat, but land lovers have options, too. Hike on the edge of the Harding Ice Field , the largest permanent ice field in the U.S., stretching for 700 square miles and feeding Exit Glacier, which forms a half-mile-wide river of ice that melts into Exit Creek. Start at the Exit Glacier Nature Center and hike the 8.2-mile out-and-back Harding Icefield Trail , which climbs a total of 3,000 feet through the surrounding forest to gigantic views of the icefield. If you really want to throw yourself into the landscape, book an intro-to-ice climbing trip with Exit Glacier Guides , exploring crevasses and climbing pitches of vertical ice with use of rope, crampons, and axes ($249 per person).

For a water-borne adventure, head to Bear Glacier Lagoon, 12 miles south of Seward, where a thin beach separates a glacier-fed lake from the Gulf of Alaska. The lake sits in a deep bowl rising to green ridges, and the water is littered with house-sized icebergs. Liquid Adventures offers fully outfitted day trips to the lagoon ($550 per person).

Where to Stay : In Denali, book a spot at Savage River Campground , which has 32 sites tucked into a spruce forest ($49 a night). Located on mile 13 on the Denali Park Road, it’s easy to reach with a car (some campgrounds in Denali are only accessible by shuttle bus), but the real prize is access to Savage River and incredible views of Denali via a short gravel-road walk. Reservations are recommended, but not required. In Kenai, Exit Glacier Campground has 12 walk-in tent sites, first-come, first-served. They’re free, but fill up most nights during July and August. The Seward Adventure Lodge , in the middle of downtown Seward, is a seven-room mid-century-era motel with renovated rooms located just minutes from the edge of Kenai ($190 per night, two night minimum).

5. Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks

Distance: 160 miles, duration: three days.

Rocky Mountain National Park gets most of the love in Colorado, and while it’s incredible, the Centennial State has other unforgettable national-park units. Mesa Verde National Park and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are nestled into the southwest corner of the state, proximal enough to make for an ideal weekend road trip. Mesa Verde is a cultural treasure, containing more than 5,000 archaeological sites, including the early cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is altogether different, enveloping a nearly 2,500-foot-deep gorge surrounding the Gunnison River. It’s a deep, dark chasm with sheer vertical walls, rugged hiking and climbing, boating, and world-class trout fishing.

You can fly into Durango to kick the trip off, and Telluride is smack dab in the middle of the route between parks if you want to throw in a visit to a classic mountain town. The Jud Weibe Trail , a locals’ favorite and handy but fantastic afternoon outing, offers views of the ski area and entire valley on varied and forested terrain.

The majority of this road trip cruises through San Juan National Forest on a highway with views of some of Colorado’s tallest and most iconic peaks, including the 14,158-foot Mount Sneffels and 14,023-foot Wilson Peak. You’ll pass right through Telluride, but you can also make a 22-mile roundtrip detour to Ouray to soak in the hot springs.

Adventures in Mesa Verde: Get your bearings by driving the six-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, which winds along past excavated mesa-top villages, with overlooks to see cliff dwellings, including the Cliff Palace, which archaeologists believe could house up to 100 people. There are 30 miles of hiking trails inside the park, so you can see a lot of the area in a day. If you’re limited on time, hike the 2.4-mile Petroglyph Point Trail , which will have you squeezing through boulder passages and traversing cliffside singletrack to a large petroglyph panel. To see the cliff dwellings up close, reserve a spot on a ranger-led Cliff Dwelling Tour ($8 per person, reservations possible 14 days in advance). The Balcony House Tour is the most adventurous: you ascend a cliff face into the 700-year-old dwelling via a series of ladders, then worm through a narrow tunnel that connects rooms.

Adventures in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison : The BCOG is a tough canyon to navigate, as there are no bridges connecting the North Rim and South Rim, so it’s a circuitous two-hour drive between the two sides of the park. The South Rim is the more developed, with a dozen overlooks, a visitors’ center, and an 88-site campground. The North Rim is more primitive, with a gravel road providing access to a few developed trails and a handful of overlooks. Both sides are stunning, but I’m pointing you to the South Rim for its hiking and scrambling routes. If you want to stretch your legs and enjoy the view, stroll the two-mile Rim Rock Nature Trail for shots of the canyon and river below. But you’re here for the scramble to the bottom of the gorge via the unmarked Tomichi Route , which drops 1,960 feet in just one mile (the park allows use of the trail and offers a video about it). There’s a lot of down climbing and loose rock, but at the bottom you’ll have the Gunnison River all to yourself. Bring a fly rod; the Gunnison is a gold-medal trout stream. This is a full-day adventure, and you’ll need a permit (free) to descend into the canyon. Get one at the South Rim Visitor Center.

Where to Stay : Both parks have large campgrounds, if you want to keep it simple and budget friendly. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s South Rim Campground is convenient (only a mile from the visitors’ center), but don’t expect a ton of privacy ($20 a night, reservations recommended). The North Rim has a smaller campground , with 13 sites separated by piñon and juniper trees ($20 a night, first-come, first-served). Morefield Campground , in Mesa Verde, is large, with 267 sites within a broad, grassy canyon ($38 a night, reserve in advance).

If you want to spend a night in Telluride, check out The Bivvi , an upscale hostel with private or shared rooms that caters to road trippers (from $40 per night).

Graham Averill is Outside magazine’s national parks columnist. He’s currently trying to convince his 15-year-old twins to re-create the national parks road trip they undertook a decade ago. It’s not going well.

For more by this writer:

The 9 Most Fun Adventure Lodges in North America

The 9 Best Gateway Towns to U.S. National Parks

The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is …

11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

• Denali National Park and Preserve
• Fly Fishing
• Joshua Tree National Park

Popular on Outside Online

Enjoy coverage of racing, history, food, culture, travel, and tech with access to unlimited digital content from Outside Network's iconic brands.

Healthy Living

• Clean Eating
• Vegetarian Times
• Yoga Journal
• Fly Fishing Film Tour
• National Park Trips
• Warren Miller
• Fastest Known Time
• Trail Runner
• Women's Running
• Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
• FinisherPix
• Outside Events Cycling Series
• Outside Shop

© 2024 Outside Interactive, Inc

Wealth of Geeks

18 Unforgettable National Park Road Trips

Posted: April 23, 2024 | Last updated: April 23, 2024

With the weather getting warmer, it’s time to plan your next road trip. What better way to escape the troubles of our everyday lives than a trip to a National Park? Parks are secluded and  act as protected havens for flora and fauna while offering humans a glimpse into that world.

Because of their isolated nature, it’s often easiest to visit national parks by car. And if you’re going to visit one park, why not throw another one on the agenda and turn the trek into a good old-fashioned road trip?

Yosemite/Pinnacles

This road trip pairs one of the oldest national parks in the country with one of the newest. Yosemite was declared a national park way back in 1890 , and ever since, it’s become a renowned destination known for its waterfalls and geological formations like Half Dome. For a special drive to add to the trip, check out the 46-mile stretch along Tioga Road.

You’ll drive almost four hours from the forest to the coast to your second national park: Pinnacles. Established as a national park in 2013 , Pinnacles is a rock climber’s paradise, with hundreds of routes to explore. For those who prefer to stay grounded, there are countless hiking paths and even some caves to check out.

Rocky Mountain/Great Sand Dunes

Rocky Mountain National Park is exactly what you expect to see if you visit a nature preserve in Colorado. There are expansive views wherever you are, giant forests of trees, and mountains in seemingly every direction. The park is well-suited for road trippers, as the park is massive in size. To reach the 11,000-foot peaks , be prepared to wind your way up two-lane roads with steep drop-offs.

The five-hour drive to Great Sand Dunes offers spectacular views similar to those you see as you travel through the mountains. But when you reach the dunes, it’s like you’ve landed on a completely different planet. The park houses the tallest sand dunes in North America, with the tallest rising 750 feet from the ground. Visitors regularly rent sleds or sandboards to fly down the sand hills.

Mesa Verde/Black Canyon of the Gunnison

Suppose you’re looking for two national parks with entirely different focuses. In that case, the Mesa Verde/Black Canyon of the Gunnison combination is the road trip for you.

Mesa Verde is known for its archaeological significance, specifically the famous cave dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people , which were built over 700 years ago. Black Canyon of the Gunnison leans more into the epic geological views, as visitors can stand atop some of North America’s steepest cliffs .

Badlands/Wind Cave

Situated just an hour apart from each other, the two national parks of South Dakota naturally lend themselves to a quick but beautiful road trip.

At Wind Cave National Park, you can tour different sections of the 150-mile-long cave system . Then, enjoy a pleasant drive through the prairies to Badlands National Park, where visitors can spot bison and prairie dogs throughout the park.

Everglades/Biscayne

If you want a road trip with a water focus, the Florida combination of Everglades and Biscayne will check all the boxes.

In Everglades National Park, you can book a tram tour or bike around a 15-mile loop. Flanked by water on both sides, visitors can see countless alligators, native birds, and even crocodiles. After a hot day under the sun, if you want to get in the water, Biscayne National Park is for you. You can snorkel, kayak, or fish in the protected marine area.

Kenai Fjords/Denali

Alaska houses some of the most remote, untouched landscapes in the entire country. This is likely why it’s home to seven of the ten largest national parks in the United States.

While the parks are quite spread throughout the massive state, two can be reached on a road trip from Anchorage. The first is Denali National Park, which spans over six million acres and is home to countless animals, including bears, moose, and caribou. Heading south, Kenai Fjords National Park offers visitors a view of the gorgeous bays of Alaska. One of the best ways to explore this park is by boat, where you can see puffins, dolphins, and orcas.

Yellowstone/Grand Teton

The Yellowstone/Grand Teton road trip is perfect for anyone who wants to explore the American West in all its glory.

To kick off the trip, enjoy the scenic drive up to Yellowstone, the birthplace of the national park. Among other things, the world’s very first national park is famous for its geysers, particularly Old Faithful.

While Grand Teton is often overshadowed by its famous neighbor, the park also has breathtaking views and opportunities for animal sightings. Summertime offers the chance to kayak on one of its pristine lakes, while winter brings cross-country skiing and snowshoeing options.

Sequoia/King’s Canyon

With nine national parks (the most of any state), California offers many road trip options for park lovers. One of the most accessible road trips on a weekend is the drive between Sequoia and King’s Canyon, which are less than two hours apart.

Sequoia National Park is known for its namesake: the giant sequoia trees that live throughout its forests. The trees can reach 300 feet tall and be anywhere from 20 to 35 feet in diameter.

King’s Canyon also boasts many sequoias but offers additional landscapes to enjoy outside the trees, including waterfalls and overlooks. For a particularly scenic portion of the road trip, add the hour-long Generals Highway drive .

Arches/Canyonlands/Capitol Reef

Utah’s national parks are among the most popular in the country. If you’re looking for a balance between busy and more relaxed parks, a journey between Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef is a great option.

Arches is a relatively small park that attracts many visitors during the high season. Arrive early in the morning to bypass the crowd and experience sunrise at the top of the famous Delicate Arch. Then, you can drive the short 30-minute stretch to Canyonlands, where the expansive canyons and buttes stretch far into the distance.

Finish up your exploration by driving the two hours to Capitol Reef, where you can see the Waterpocket Fold , a giant wrinkle on the earth that spans 100 miles.

Bryce Canyon/Zion

Bryce Canyon and Zion, two of the most beloved parks in the country, aren’t far from Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef. 

Driving through Bryce Canyon, you’ll notice the tall columns of misshapen rocks. These are called hoodoos, and Bryce Canyon has the largest concentration in the world. After walking between the stone giants, you can hop in your car and drive over to Zion. While you can drive around a large portion of Zion, you’ll need to ride in a tram to explore the Zion Canyon Scenic Drive during peak season. Hiking is one of the most popular activities in Zion, including two renowned hikes, The Narrows and Angels Landing.

White Sands/Carlsbad Caverns

From lush forests to sprawling caves to expansive sand, the New Mexico National Parks road trip has a little bit of everything.

Starting in Carlsbad Caverns, visitors can explore the caverns independently (specifically the popular Big Room and Natural Entrance trails) or book a guided ranger tour to learn more about how the caverns first formed.

On the three-hour drive over to White Sands, you’ll drive next to the trees of Lincoln National Forest. This landscape quickly changes to sand as far as the eye can see once you reach White Sands. The national park houses the world’s largest gypsum dune field (the white sand the park is known for).

Grand Canyon/Petrified Forest

Are you looking to see hundreds of millions of years of history? The Grand Canyon and Petrified Forest road trip definitely delivers.

One can’t help but stare in awe at the Grand Canyon, the 277-mile-long canyon carved by the Colorado River. Some of the oldest rocks exposed in the canyon are over 270 million years old.

On the way to Petrified Forest, curious drivers can stop by Walnut Canyon National Monument, highlighting the cliff dwellings of the Indigenous Peoples of Arizona. After the pit stop, visitors can go to Petrified Forest National Park to see rocks that are over 200 million years old , along with artifacts from human history that date back over 13,000 years.

And the road trip wouldn’t be complete without checking out a section of the original Route 66 . Petrified Forest is the only national park that contains part of the historic road.

Redwood/Lassen Volcanic

A journey between Redwood and Lassen Volcanic National Park offers a bit of everything. Redwood National Park is home to the giants of the tree world: coast redwoods. Reaching heights of 360 feet , the redwoods are, on average, between 500 and 700 years old, with some as old as 2,000 years.

Driving along the coast, you’ll pass through several national forests on the five-hour journey to Lassen Volcanic National Park. Here, you’ll be able to explore beautiful lakes, hiking trails, and even steaming fumaroles — surface vents where volcanic gases are emitted.

Olympic/Mount Rainier

Mountains and beaches are options on a road trip from Olympic National Park to Mount Rainier. Olympic is situated just off the Strait of Juan de Fuca. At sea level, visitors are invited to enjoy tidepooling, boating, or fishing on several beaches within the park’s borders.

After enjoying the water, you can take the scenic drive through the Olympic National Forest on the three-hour ride to Mount Rainier National Park. You’ll ascend in elevation along your drive. Once in the park, you can be anywhere between 1,900 to 5,400 feet in elevation (or 14,000 if you climb to the top of Mount Rainier itself!).

North Cascades/Glacier

What takes the North Cascades/Glacier road trip to the next level is the chance to drive a legendary road within one of the parks.

Glacier National Park is renowned for its hundreds of miles of gorgeous hiking trails. However, one of the most popular activities is to drive the Going-to-the-Sun road (which is not for the faint of heart). Make sure to allow plenty of time for the 50-mile trek, as driving can take three to eight hours.

After getting your fill of cliff driving, buckle up for a long (but beautiful) ride as you go through multiple national forests on your 10-hour trek to northern Washington. Upon arriving, you can dust off your boots and enjoy splendid hiking throughout the mountainous terrain of North Cascades National Park.

New River Gorge/Shenandoah

Shenandoah is a perfect national park for a road trip. Why? Because one of the most popular activities is driving the Skyline Drive, the 105-mile road stretching the park’s length. Visitors can stop along the way to explore trails or spot the wildlife that lives amongst the trees.

About four hours away in West Virginia lies one of the newest national parks: New River Gorge. The focus of the park is the river it was named for, and visitors can enjoy whitewater rafting, fishing, or paddleboarding on one of the oldest rivers in America.

Mammoth Cave/Great Smoky Mountains

When people think of famous national parks, a few immediately come to mind: Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Grand Canyon.

However, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee is the most visited national park, with nearly 13 million visits in 2022 . Visitors can enjoy the park’s wildflower viewing, biking opportunities, and waterfall overlooks. If you are driving through the park, get a parking tag if you want to stay in one spot longer than 15 minutes.

After being around so many people, the five-hour drive to Mammoth Caves can be a nice break. When you arrive at the park, you can book guided cave tours of the longest cave system in the world .

Big Bend/Guadalupe Mountains

If you want more of an off-road experience, Big Bend National Park has you covered. While the park offers 100 miles of paved roads to view the mountains and desert, several dirt road options provide even more unique views of the area.

After leaving Big Bend, you can drive the four hours north to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This park is all about the mountain peaks, as eight of the ten highest peaks in Texas are within the park’s boundaries.

Read More From Wealth of Geeks

• Best Countries To Live In Across the World

12 Record-Breaking Roller Coasters Across the Globe

More for You

Report: Former Bears quarterback died from cancer

19 Things People Treat As Safe That Actually Are Pretty Dangerous

The 11 Smells That Squirrels and Chipmunks Hate

We Ordered 7 Fast-Food Breakfast Sandwiches to Find the Best One

Netflix viewers threaten to cancel memberships after ‘dumb’ price change

The songs that spent the longest at the #1 spot on the Billboard charts

17 Traditions Gen Z Don’t Want to Continue Following

Bill Belichick rips Tom Brady, former Patriots players in hilarious appearance at Netflix roast

What Is the Most Poisonous Spider in the World?

A supercomputer simulation just predicted when humans will go extinct

Doctor shares what happens to our bodies moments before we die

I Cut My Food Expenses In Half Using The Viral "6-To-1" Grocery Method — Here's How

17 Phrases Confident People Use to Stand Up For Themselves

18 ‘Normal’ Things From the ’80s and ’90s That Are Considered Luxuries Now

Trump's speech at a libertarian convention reflects a new desperation for votes

7 Smells That Ants Absolutely Hate

20 country artists you need to watch in 2024

Your senses will shut down in a specific order when you’re about to die

Employers Are Avoiding Hiring Gen Z Workers- Here's Why

25 of the most famous final shots from Hollywood history

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

What to Know Before Booking a National Park Trip This Summer

Additional routes in popular parks now require reservations, the annual pass gets a big change, Juneteenth is now a new free entrance day and more changes for 2024.

By Lauren Matison

In 2023, the seashores, lakeshores, battlefields, historic sites, monuments and more that make up the National Park Service had 325.5 million visits , an increase of 4 percent from the year before.

The National Park Service director, Charles F. Sams III, praised the surge of interest in “learning our shared American story throughout the hidden gems of the National Parks System.”

Expecting an even greater turnout in 2024, the Park Service and Recreation.gov , the booking platform for federal land reservations, have implemented new measures to streamline the park experience, manage overcrowding and safeguard the environment.

More parks are requiring reservations

To better avoid congested trails, packed parking lots and overflowing trash cans, additional parks are joining Rocky Mountain , Arches and Glacier National Parks this year in requiring day-use permits, timed entries and other reservations for travelers who wish to visit, particularly during peak hours, holidays and the parks’ high seasons. Yosemite National Park is reinstating a timed-entry system it instituted in 2020, but paused in 2022.

Many park enthusiasts expressed mixed feelings about the reservation policies, with some lamenting a lack of first-come, first-served campsites while others find comfort in knowing they have a confirmed booking. As nearly 75 percent of visitors each year descend on national parks from May to October (and often on weekends), park officials stand by the system.

“In some parks, the level of demand is exceeding the capacity for which infrastructure was designed or is outpacing the National Park Service’s ability to sustainably support visitation,” said Kathy Kupper, a public affairs specialist for the service. “This trend is resulting in the need to explore new strategies to protect natural and cultural resources and provide opportunities for safe and meaningful visitor experiences.”

It can be confusing.

New to implementing timed-entry reservations for vehicles is Mount Rainier National Park , in Washington, for its popular Paradise and Sunrise Corridors during certain times in the summer season. Reservations cost $2, are valid for one day and must be purchased along with the park ticket, but do not apply for visitors with wilderness permits or camping or lodge reservations. Similar vehicle reservations are now required for certain periods for viewing the sunrise at Haleakalā National Park in Maui, Hawaii , and driving the Cadillac Summit Road in Maine’s Acadia National Park .

Visitors wishing to hike Old Rag Mountain in Virginia’s Shenandoah National Park must obtain a day-use ticket between March 1 and Nov. 30, and in Zion National Park, in Utah, hikers wishing to visit Angels Landing , the dramatic 1,488-foot-tall rock formation, also need to purchase a permit. Fees range from $1 to $6, in addition to the parks’ entrance fees.

As each destination is managed differently, check the park’s webpage for the type of reservation required. Although most bookings can be made through Recreation.gov, some sites, such as Muir Woods National Monument, use a different system.

New features on Recreation.gov

In 2023, Recreation.gov reported that more than 4 million camping reservations and 2 million timed-entry reservations were booked online, and 1.5 million permits were issued. Some 2.9 million new users signed up for the site. With its expanding user base, the booking platform has added 58 reservable national park locations — including 17 campgrounds — such as Central Avenue Walk-in Sites at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and Bluff Hike In Camping in South Carolina’s Congaree National Park.

Recreation.gov has also improved an alerts feature, piloted in July 2023, that can notify users through email or mobile push notifications when a sold-out campsite becomes available. After Recreation.gov notifies you of availability, you must book the campsite yourself online — and quickly, as you’ll be shown how many other people (possibly hundreds) have received the same alert.

While its customer support center and mobile app are still only available in English, Recreation.gov recently introduced a Spanish language translation option. The Park Service partners with Latino Conservation Week , which hosts nationwide hikes and events on environmental education and in-park stewardship, and will celebrate its 10th year in September.

A limit to the annual America the Beautiful pass

The 2024 America the Beautiful pass no longer allows two owners. The annual interagency pass, which costs $80 and covers the entrance fees for more than 2,000 federal recreation sites (of which roughly 100 do not charge for admission year-round), is now marked by a single signature line on the back of the card. The pass owner must show I.D. and be present with any accompanying travelers wishing to access the park with the pass. (Annual passes issued in 2023 will still be valid until their expiration date.) The pass covers all passengers in a vehicle — up to four adults, and children under 16 are admitted free — or up to four cyclists riding together. Active military or veterans and people with permanent disabilities are eligible for a free lifetime pass; 4th grade students may receive a free annual pass; and senior citizens may purchase a $20 annual pass or pay $80 for a lifetime pass.

At the parks, more accessible features, E.V. chargers and new lodging

To better protect against global warming, the Park Service is putting more than $65 million from the Inflation Reduction Act and Great American Outdoors Act into climate mitigation and ecosystem restoration.

Using $15.9 million budgeted for zero-emission vehicle deployment, charging capacity and infrastructure, the Park Service is prioritizing a reduction in carbon emissions, said Mr. Sams, by installing new electric-vehicle charging stations and running electric buses.

An interactive online locator tool created in 2023 shows E.V. charging stations throughout 27 national parks and the type of chargers available. In addition to the tool, every national park page displays alerts on road closures, parking lot capacities, construction work and other incidents.

Mr. Sams also said the Park Service is investing $1.3 billion from the Great American Outdoors Act to improve accessibility features, ranging from a new A.D.A.-compliant visitor center at Morristown National Historic Park in New Jersey to new beach wheelchairs at Sleeping Bear Dunes , Channel Islands and Virgin Islands National Parks . Each destination’s website has an accessibility tab to help visitors plan their trip, and Recreation.gov now has a search filter on its homepage to make it easier to locate accessible accommodations.

New lodging options now available across the country include the Flamingo Lodge , which opened inside Everglades National Park last fall with 24 guest rooms built from repurposed shipping containers. In March, along the southeastern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Cataloochee Ranch reopened with 11 renovated cabins and a new restaurant. This spring, the Clubhouse Hotel & Suites will welcome its first guests in Rapid City, S.D., the closest major town to Badlands National Park , and opening in May in Idaho is the Yellowstone Peaks Hotel , a 30-minute-drive from Yellowstone National Park. This fall, California-bound travelers planning a visit to General Sherman, the largest known tree on Earth, might book at AutoCamp Sequoia , just outside Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park .

Also in California: Those who don’t score a highly coveted (and contentious) spot at the newly reopened High Sierra Camps in Yosemite could book Wildhaven Yosemite in Mariposa, which offers more affordable rates, hiking trails and views of the Sierra Nevadas. Reservations for its first season are available beginning May 1.

Celebrating milestones and a new free entrance day

On the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act, visitors can pay tribute to African American heritage at over 100 parks , including the Frederick Douglass National Historic Site in Washington, D.C., Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument , and the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail . This year also marks 100 years since Indigenous people were recognized as United States citizens. Although many parks have Indigenous programming , Mr. Sams, who is the first Native American to serve as N.P.S. director , suggested visiting Hopewell Cultural Historical Park in Ohio and Whitman Mission Historic National Historic Site in Washington, where he recently brought his daughter.

“In order to celebrate the diversity that makes our country great, we must share the complete story of America, which includes both the successes and challenges encountered on the way to form a more perfect union,” Mr. Sams said.

Juneteenth National Independence Day is the National Park Service’s newest free entrance day . Visitors can also take advantage of free admission on April 20, the first day of National Park Week; Aug. 4, the four-year anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act ; Sept. 28 on National Public Lands Day ; and Nov. 11 for Veterans Day .

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

An earlier version of this article misstated the location of the Flamingo Lodge. It is inside Everglades National Park, not outside the park.

How we handle corrections

• Latest Latest
• The West The West
• Sports Sports
• Opinion Opinion
• Magazine Magazine

Great foods to bring on your national park trip

Stay with easy to pack and simplistic meals or snacks to stay full and energized throughout the day.

By Alyssa Bradford

Planning on bringing some snacks to your next national park trip?

Food is permitted within national parks; however, it’s important to remember that every individual contributes significantly to the preservation of the parks. When bringing food, consider how it might impact the ecosystem.

Follow the Leave No Trace guidelines, specifically in relation to disposing of waste properly, provided by the National Park Service :

• Clean up areas after eating.
• Clean food preparation areas.
• Bring leftover food back home with you.
• Dispose of trash properly.

Snacks and meals for day trips to national parks

During a national park trip, you, your family or friends might have to bring a lunch and snacks to eat during the various activities throughout the day. Here are some easy suggestions of foods to bring:

• Sandwiches: Peanut butter, bagels and cream cheese, wraps, egg or deli are all great options.
• Trail mix: Buy a pack from the store or make your own. I enjoy add pretzels, mixed nuts, Cheerios, and lots of peanut or peanut butter M&Ms.
• Fresh, canned or dried fruit: Apple slices and nut butter, applesauce pouches, canned pears, dried mangoes or anything you would enjoy.
• Beef jerky.
• Crackers and cheese.
• Protein bars.

Snacks and meals for staying overnight in national parks

Depending on how many nights you’re staying, bringing foods that need to be refrigerated is not a great idea unless you will use them by the first night. Many individuals also prefer meals that that are quick and easy to make so more time can be spent enjoying the park.

Usually done for breakfast, oatmeal is an quick meal that can be made by warming up some water over a camping stove or fire. Feel free to bring a small bag of oats or an instant oatmeal packet.

While visiting a national park, you might be heading out for hikes or other activities which may cause more calorie loss than normal. Consider picking packets or bringing add-ins that contain protein and fats so that you are energized throughout the day. My favorite instant oatmeal is is Kodiak Nuts and Seeds protein oatmeal packet. It adds almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, pumpkins seeds and more.

Canned meat

While canned meat doesn’t always sound good by itself, it mixes well in larger dishes and does not need to be refrigerated.

Here are some great camping recipes that could use canned meat instead of fresh:

• Chicken salad sandwiches — Prepare a chicken salad beforehand or bring the ingredients to a campsite with some bread. If you want to follow a recipe, look at Once Upon a Chef .
• Quinoa salad — There are so many ingredients that could be added to a quinoa salad to help as you’re active throughout the day. Outside Magazine has a great recipe where items could go without being refrigerated for some time. You can choose to cook the quinoa, or any type of pasta, beforehand or at the campsite. Try this recipe from Outside Magazine and add your preferred canned meat.
• Tacos — Grab some tortillas, canned meat, chosen veggies, cheese and any toppings — like salsa — and warm them up to create a quick and delicious meal. Bringing and adding seasoning will help enrich the flavor.

Foil dinners

A camping foil dinner consists of seasoned meat and vegetables wrapped in aluminum foil and cooked over an open flame or on coals. After you’re done cooking, just unwrap and enjoy the contents straight from the foil packet or with bread.

Wanting a recipe? Look at the selections below from High Heels and Grills .

• Beef, carrots and potatoes .
• Philly cheesesteaks .
• Santa Fe Chicken .

Roasted hot dogs on a stick

Roasted hot dogs on a stick make for the perfect camping meal. They’re incredibly easy to prepare and clean up. Simply skewer a hot dog on a stick and roast it over the fire until it’s perfectly cooked and slightly charred. Furthermore, hot dogs appeal to both kids and adults alike.

Feel free to bring buns or any toppings as needed.

When it comes to camping desserts, you can’t go wrong with classics like s’mores, Rice Krispies Treats and Starbursts roasted over the fire. If you’re looking for more options, bringing along chips and drinks adds variety and ensures everyone finds something they enjoy while gathering around the campfire.

Dear friends and followers! I’m beyond thrilled to invite you to my first solo art exhibition at Gallery MAR in Park City, UT this May 31st. It will be the backdrop to my dreams, fears, and hopes, translated into art. pic.twitter.com/8LGcT6SLDe — Katherine Heigl (@KatieHeigl) April 3, 2024

• Skip to global NPS navigation
• Skip to this park navigation
• Skip to the main content
• Skip to this park information section
• Skip to the footer section

Exiting nps.gov

Alerts in effect, field trips.

Last updated: April 25, 2024

Park footer

Contact info, mailing address:.

Mill Springs Battlefield National Monument 9020 West Highway 80 Nancy, KY 42544

606-636-4045

Stay Connected

I've visited nearly every US National Park. These 7 are perfect if you don't like to hike.

• I've visited nearly every US national park and love hiking. 
• However, many national parks can be  enjoyed without hiking .
• Even popular parks like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite can be enjoyed without hiking.

National parks are hotter than ever. In fact, the National Park Service saw over 325 million visits in 2023 — the highest visitation since 2017 . However, not everyone who visits the parks likes to hike.

Although most national parks offer a variety of activities, some are definitely more hiker-friendly than others.

As someone who's been to almost every US national park, I've found that many have incredible hiking opportunities as well as some of the best views from viewpoints or parking lots.

Here are the parks I'd recommend for travelers who don't like to hike.

Dry Tortugas National Park offers great opportunities for relaxation.

Dry Tortugas National Park is a cluster of seven small islands about 70 miles west of Key West, Florida . This park is unique because it's only accessible by boat or seaplane.

While Fort Jefferson, located on Garden Key, offers some walking opportunities, most of your time in Dry Tortugas National Park will likely be spent lounging on the beach or snorkeling.

The waters around the park are home to some of the most vibrant coral reefs in the Florida Keys, making visiting a once-in-a-lifetime experience — and no hiking is required.

It's easy to visit Grand Canyon National Park by shuttle or personal car.

Although hiking into the Grand Canyon is a bucket-list experience for many — and a great way to see the impressive canyon from a different perspective — you can still experience the grandeur of this iconic park without getting on a trail.

Instead, visitors can easily take a shuttle or personal car and get out near the South Rim to see the incredible views from above.

You don't have to hike to experience the beauty of Yosemite National Park.

Although Yosemite is undoubtedly home to some of the best hiking and backcountry trails I've ever experienced, many of the incredible views are accessible without stepping foot on a trail.

For example, the iconic Tunnel View comes into sight after driving through the Wawona Tunnel. The Merced River also flows through Yosemite Valley, just a few steps away from the lodges, restaurants, museums, and bus stops.

Many visitors will likely want to spend some time on the trails, but those who don't can still enjoy some of the country's most beautiful views.

There's so much to do in Maine's Acadia National Park.

Like many parks on this list, Maine's Acadia National Park offers incredible hiking opportunities. But you can still see a lot if you're not in the mood for the trails.

For a unique experience, drive directly to the top of Cadillac Mountain, which sees the first sunrise in the United States between October 7 and March 6 (with a timed entry permit).

I also recommend lounging on Sand Beach, driving the 27-mile Park Loop Road, getting out on the water for a guided boat tour, or having lunch at the historic Jordan Pond House — all of which can be done without getting on a trail.

You can visit Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park by boat.

Because most of Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park is water , many visitors travel there by boat. Only two cruise ships are allowed into the park's waters per day, and park rangers climb aboard to lead programs and provide commentary.

For many visitors, the most walking they'll do will be from their cabin to the decks. From there, it's easy to watch the towering, icy glaciers calving into the sea and look for whales and other wildlife among the stunning Alaskan scenery .

Death Valley National Park offers many incredible scenic drives.

Death Valley National Park has several scenic drives that take visitors past spectacular sights. These include Dante's View, which offers panoramic views from 5,575 feet up, and Artist's Drive, which offers views of the colorful hills.

I recommend walking out onto the vast salt flats of Badwater Basin, which is located 282 feet below sea level, making it the lowest point in North America . And don't forget to stay until the sun goes down for some truly epic stargazing.

Virgin Islands National Park is perfect for nature lovers who don't want to hike.

Virgin Islands National Park is truly a paradise for nature lovers who don't necessarily enjoy long hikes. Unlike many national parks, it's on an island and offers a variety of ways to experience its beauty off-trail.

Visitors can relax on a pristine white-sand beach with calm, clear waters or go snorkeling and scuba diving among incredibly vibrant coral reefs.

• Main content