Haleakalā
Watch sunrise from the summit (reservation required)
Guide · 49 parks
Best National Parks for Hiking
From day hikes to multi-day treks, these parks have the best trails, and timing matters: snow, heat and storms decide when they're at their best.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes
See Kīlauea's summit caldera (and the glow, if erupting)
Mammoth Cave
Take the Historic Tour
Redwood
Walk Lady Bird Johnson Grove
Hot Springs
Take a traditional bath at the Buckstaff Bathhouse
Bryce Canyon
Hike the Navajo Loop and Queens Garden
New River Gorge
Raft the New River (or the Gauley in fall)
Great Smoky Mountains
Drive the Cades Cove Loop for wildlife
Virgin Islands
Snorkel the underwater trail at Trunk Bay
Zion
Hike the Narrows up the Virgin River
Channel Islands
Kayak the sea caves at Scorpion Anchorage
Yosemite
Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall
Capitol Reef
Pick fruit in the Fruita orchards (in season)
White Sands
Sled down the dunes (sleds sold at the visitor center)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Look down from Painted Wall View
Saguaro
Drive the Cactus Forest Loop (east district)
Mesa Verde
Take the ranger-guided Cliff Palace tour
Badlands
Drive the Badlands Loop Road
Cuyahoga Valley
See Brandywine Falls
Congaree
Walk the 2.6-mile Boardwalk Loop
Shenandoah
Drive Skyline Drive end to end
Joshua Tree
Scramble around Hidden Valley
Sequoia
See the General Sherman Tree
Grand Canyon
Walk the Rim Trail from Mather Point to Yavapai Point
Big Bend
Walk into Santa Elena Canyon
Guadalupe Mountains
Summit Guadalupe Peak, the top of Texas
Yellowstone
Watch Old Faithful erupt
Great Sand Dunes
Climb High Dune
National Park of American Samoa
Snorkel the coral reef at Ofu Beach
Olympic
Walk the Hall of Mosses in the Hoh Rain Forest
Pinnacles
Hike the High Peaks Trail to look for condors
Kings Canyon
Stand under the General Grant Tree
Acadia
Watch sunrise from Cadillac Mountain
Indiana Dunes
Swim at West Beach
Canyonlands
Watch sunrise through Mesa Arch
Great Basin
Tour Lehman Caves
Grand Teton
Photograph Schwabacher Landing at sunrise
Rocky Mountain
Drive Trail Ridge Road over the Continental Divide
Crater Lake
Drive the 33-mile Rim Drive
Mount Rainier
Walk the Skyline Trail at Paradise
Lassen Volcanic
Walk the boardwalk through Bumpass Hell
Arches
Hike to Delicate Arch at sunset
Denali
Ride a park bus deep into the wilderness
Kenai Fjords
Take a full-day boat tour from Seward
North Cascades
Stop at the Diablo Lake Overlook
Glacier
Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass
Isle Royale
Backpack the Greenstone Ridge Trail
Wrangell–St. Elias
Tour the Kennecott Mill Town
Gates of the Arctic
Float the Noatak or Alatna River
When to go
More guides
Warm National Parks to Visit in WinterBest National Parks for Fall ColorLeast Crowded National ParksBest National Parks for WildlifeBest National Parks for StargazingBest National Parks for FamiliesNational Parks with BeachesNational Parks with CavesNational Parks with VolcanoesThe Most Remote National ParksNational Parks with the Best Scenic DrivesNational Parks to Visit in the SnowSummer National Parks Without the Crowds
Last reviewed October 4, 2026. Ratings are editorial. Rules and road openings change each year, so confirm on the official NPS site before you go.