Best National Parks in the USA. There are 63 national parks stretching from the South Pacific to the United States and the Caribbean. These national treasures are filled with scenic drives, hundreds of miles of hiking trails, wildlife, historic sites, and endless opportunities for adventure. In this guide, we cover the 15 best national parks in the USA and what makes them so great.
Every US national park has something amazing to offer, but there are some that stand out from the rest. These national parks epitomize adventure, wildlife conservation and offer a great experience in every way.
The parks we have chosen are not necessarily the most popular or the most visited national parks. There are some lesser-known parks that completely blew us away. And there are some extremely popular parks that we left off the list, simply because the overcrowding ruins the overall experience.
So, below we have listed the best national parks in the USA and explained why we chose them. In the comments section below, we would also like to hear which are your favorite national parks.
Most Visited National Parks in the USA
Here are the 10 most visited national parks in 2023, based on visitation numbers from the National Park Service:
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 13.3 million visitors
2. Grand Canyon National Park – 4.7 million visitors
3. Zion National Park – 4.6 million visitors
4. Yellowstone National Park – 4 million visitors
5. Rocky Mountain National Park – 4.1 million visitors
6. Yosemite National Park – 3.9 million visitors
7. Acadia National Park – 3.9 million visitors
8. Grand Teton Tree National Park – 3.4 million visitors
9. Joshua Tree National Park – 3.3 million visitors
10. Olympic National Park – 2.9 million visitors
To put these numbers into perspective, the least visited national parks only get a fraction of the what the Yellowstone and Zion get.
In 2023, the National Park of American Samoa (the least visited park in the USA that year) had just 12,000 visitors…the Grand Canyon gets that same number in just one day!
Of course, the National Park of American Samoa is one of the most remote US national parks and is challenging to get to. You can read about it in our guide to the National Park of American Samoa. It’s a great park to visit, but not one of our favorites. It takes a lot of time, flights, and money to get here, and it doesn’t have the same awe factor as other US national parks. But it’s definitely worth the trip, especially if you plan to visit all the US national parks.
Advance reservations are required for these US national parks…are they on your travel list?
Best National Parks in the USA
In no particular order, here is a list of the 15 best national parks…our 15 favorites in the U.S. National Park System.
1. Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park, which is nicknamed the “Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast,” protects a portion of the rocky coastline of Maine.
2. Yosemite National Park
Without a doubt, Yosemite is one of the best national parks in the USA to visit. With its iconic landmarks such as Half Dome and El Capitan, its beautiful valley, and long list of hiking trails, this is a park that should go at the top of your list.
3. Badlands National Park
Badlands National Park is one of the most underrated parks in the USA.You can zip through this beautiful national park in one day or spend more time, exploring the backcountry hiking trails and filling your camera’s memory card with extraordinary sunrise and sunset photos.
4. Rocky Mountain National Park
With lofty mountain peaks, hiking trails that lead to alpine lakes and waterfalls, abundant wildlife, and a scenic drive along one of the highest roads in the USA, Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the best national parks in the United States.
5. Canyonlands National Park
Canyonlands National Park is another underrated park in the USA. Even though it is one of the Mighty 5, a very popular collection of national parks in Utah, this park often gets overlooked by many visitors. Canyonlands is both Utah’s largest and least visited national park.
6. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park…this is one of the most popular parks on this list and one that frequently makes the best national parks in the USA list.
7. Katmai National Park
Katmai is one of the least visited national parks in the USA and it is one of our favorites.Katmai is one of the best national parks for wildlife viewing. This is the place to watch brown bears feasting on salmon.
8. Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon makes it onto our list of best national parks for several reasons. The views of the canyon are spectacular, the hiking trails are amazing, and this national park makes a great road trip destination.
9. Virgin Islands National Park
This is one of the most beautiful parks we have visited. With pristine beaches, secluded coves, and snorkeling spots, a visit here really does feel like you are on vacation. Sip on tropical drinks in the shade of a palm tree, go stand up paddle boarding, visit the historic landmarks, or go for a hike.
10. Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier is a glacier-capped, active volcano that can be seen from hundreds of miles away. With its forests of evergreen trees, subalpine lakes, and network of hiking trails, this is an outdoor paradise for many travelers.
11. Capitol Reef National Park
Some people may be scratching their heads at this pick.Where’s Zion? What about Arches?Both Zion and Arches National Parks are great national parks but in recent years, their enormous popularity makes them feel more like a trip to Disney World than a visit to a national park. With timed entry tickets, 2 to 3 hour waits for hiking trails, a new permitting process for Angels Landing, and on some days at Arches, park rangers closing the park at 7:30 am for crowd control, it’s hard to put these on the best national parks list.
12. Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park is one of those great national parks that offers something for everyone.Families will love the short, easy, scenic hiking trails, a boat ride across Jenny Lake, plus the possibility to see elk, moose, and bison. Photographers will have a blast capturing the reflections of the mountain range in the lakes and rivers. Active, adventurous travelers can take their pick from the miles and miles of hiking trails that journey into the Teton range. If you enjoy fishing, this park is world-renowned for its trout fishing.
13. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Wrangell – St. Elias National Park & Preserve is one of the best national parks in the USA, and one that many people probably never heard of.The sheer beauty and size of this national park is astounding.Take Yellowstone National Park, multiply it by 6, and that’s roughly the size of Wrangell – St. Elias. Throw in four mountain ranges (and some of the tallest peaks in North America), massive glaciers, wildlife, and about 100 miles of road, and you have a rugged, remote, spectacular wilderness to explore.
14. Death Valley National Park
Death Valley…just the name inspires a sense of wonder and mystery. With barren salt flats, towering mountains, mysterious sailing stones, shifting sand dunes, rainbow-colored mountains, and canyons to explore, there is a lot to do here.
15. Glacier National Park
With glacier-capped mountains, brilliant aquamarine lakes, stunning alpine scenery, and some of the most exciting hiking trails in the country, it’s no wonder that Glacier National Park is called the “Crown of the Continent.”
So, that concludes our list of the best national parks in the USA. If you have any questions about these national parks, or if you want to write in with your own list of the best national parks, you can do so in the comments section below.
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