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National Parks Worth the Road Trip 🏞️
15
items America's national parks are the best road trip on earth, and these are the ones I'd put on any first list. Each note covers the best time to go, how long to stay and the one thing not to miss. Rules change often, so check nps.gov for reservations be...
Sections
4
Desert & Canyon Parks
Rocky Mountain Icons
Forests, Waterfalls & Coast
Plan Your Trip
Desert & Canyon Parks
Red rock, slot canyons and the biggest views in the country. Spring and fall are the sweet spot here, because summer afternoons regularly top 100 degrees.
Start at the South Rim, which is open all year, and catch sunrise at Mather Point. Give it two days. The quieter North Rim only opens from mid-May to mid-October.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Hike The Narrows, wading right up the river between canyon walls, and ride the free shuttle into Zion Canyon. Angels Landing needs a permit from a lottery, so apply well ahead. Spring and fall are best.
Zion National Park, Utah
More than 2,000 natural stone arches near Moab. Hike to Delicate Arch for sunset, about three miles round trip. Timed entry reservations are often required in the busy months, so check before you drive in.
Arches National Park, Utah
A forest of orange hoodoo spires that looks unreal at sunrise. The Navajo Loop and Queen's Garden trail takes you right down among them. It sits high up, so nights are cold even in summer.
Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Rocky Mountain Icons
Geysers, glaciers and alpine lakes. Most high mountain roads only fully open in summer, so plan these for July through September.
Old Faithful, the rainbow colors of Grand Prismatic Spring and bison on the road. It is huge, so plan at least three days and book lodging months ahead. Most roads close to cars in winter.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Just south of Yellowstone, so pair the two on one trip. Jagged peaks rise straight up from the valley floor, and an early morning at Jenny Lake or Schwabacher Landing is unforgettable.
Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
The Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the most beautiful drives in America, but it usually only opens fully from July to September. Vehicle reservations have been needed in peak season, so check early.
Glacier National Park, Montana
An easy add-on to a Denver trip. Drive Trail Ridge Road, the highest continuous paved road in the country, and look for elk. Timed entry permits are usually required in summer.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Forests, Waterfalls & Coast
Giant waterfalls, misty mountains and rocky coastline. These are the parks to save for spring waterfalls and fall color.
Half Dome, El Capitan and the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley. Go in late spring when the falls are at full roar. Check nps.gov for peak-season reservation rules before you plan the drive.
Yosemite National Park, California
America's most visited national park and an easy drive for much of the East. Entry is free, but you need a parking tag if you stop for more than 15 minutes. Mid-October fall color is spectacular.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee & North Carolina
Rocky Maine coastline, lobster towns and carriage roads made for biking. Watch sunrise from Cadillac Mountain, which needs a vehicle reservation in the busy season. Early October brings the best fall color.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Three parks in one: wild Pacific beaches, the mossy Hoh Rain Forest and mountain views from Hurricane Ridge. The sights are far apart, so give it at least three days.
Olympic National Park, Washington
Plan Your Trip
The guidebooks and passes that make planning a parks road trip easier, including the bestsellers road-trippers are reading right now.
The one book to own if you are planning more than one park. It covers every national park site with maps, photos and the best things to see, and it is easy to flip through on the road.
Complete National Parks of the United States - by National Geographic
The heartwarming bestseller about a grandson and his grandma visiting every national park together. Read it before your trip and you will want to bring someone you love along.
Grandma Joy and Me - by Brad Ryan
Perfect for building the rest of the road trip around the parks. It is organized state by state with where to go, when to go and what to see, so you can add the towns and sights between parks.
50 States, 5,000 Ideas - by National Geographic