Haleakalā
Watch sunrise from the summit (reservation required)
Guide · 27 parks
National Parks with the Best Scenic Drives
Some of the best views in the national parks are from the car. Many of these roads are seasonal, so timing is everything.
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes
See Kīlauea's summit caldera (and the glow, if erupting)
Redwood
Walk Lady Bird Johnson Grove
Great Smoky Mountains
Drive the Cades Cove Loop for wildlife
Yosemite
Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall
Capitol Reef
Pick fruit in the Fruita orchards (in season)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Look down from Painted Wall View
Saguaro
Drive the Cactus Forest Loop (east district)
Badlands
Drive the Badlands Loop Road
Shenandoah
Drive Skyline Drive end to end
Sequoia
See the General Sherman Tree
Grand Canyon
Walk the Rim Trail from Mather Point to Yavapai Point
Yellowstone
Watch Old Faithful erupt
Theodore Roosevelt
Find wild horses in the South Unit
Kings Canyon
Stand under the General Grant Tree
Petrified Forest
Walk the Crystal Forest trail
Acadia
Watch sunrise from Cadillac Mountain
Death Valley
Stand at Badwater Basin, 282 feet below sea level
Canyonlands
Watch sunrise through Mesa Arch
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
Denali
Ride a park bus deep into the wilderness
North Cascades
Stop at the Diablo Lake Overlook
Glacier
Drive the Going-to-the-Sun Road over Logan Pass
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 VolcanoesBest National Parks for HikingThe Most Remote National ParksNational 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.