The best national parks in the USA are Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Zion, Glacier, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Grand Teton, Katmai, Great Basin, Isle Royale, Joshua Tree, Rocky Mountain, Olympic and Denali, and the right one for you depends on what you want from the trip: easy access, wildlife, rugged trails, or silence. This guide sorts them by traveler type, then walks through each one the way a good day in the park actually unfolds, from the cold blue hour before sunrise to the stars after the last trail closes.
A national park is never one thing. At dawn it is a hush and a thermos going lukewarm in your hands. By noon it is switchbacks, sunscreen and a stranger pointing at something moving on a far slope. By dusk the light turns every rock the color of embers, and after dark the sky comes down so low you stop talking. The parks below are the ones that deliver all four hours of that day, again and again.
How we chose · Find your park · Comparison matrix · All 64 parks · Families and easy access · Wildlife · Rugged hiking · Hidden gems · Reservations · Reverse itinerary · Altitude and hydration · Road openings · Flash floods and bears · Dogs · Lodging hacks · Fees and passes · Budget · When to go · Questions
How These Parks Were Chosen
A park earns its place here by how it feels across a full day and across a full year. Scenery comes first, the kind that makes you stop walking. After that comes wildlife you can actually see without a guide, a spread of trails from gentle to punishing, how easy the place is to reach and move around in, how thin or thick the crowds run at the hours you will be there, and what the park is like in the shoulder months when the postcards go quiet. Parks that excel at several of these rise to the top, and the ones that do one thing superbly sit in the group where that strength matters most.
Find Your Park by What You Want
- Best for first-timers: Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite. Paved overlooks, clear signage, and a landmark at every turn.
- Best for photographers: Grand Teton for alpenglow, Zion for slot-canyon light, Acadia for sunrise on granite, Joshua Tree for stars over silhouettes.
- Best for families: Grand Canyon's Rim Trail, Acadia's carriage roads, the Smokies' creeks and short falls walks.
- Best for solitude: Great Basin, Isle Royale, Katmai, North Cascades and Chiricahua.
- Best in autumn: Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Shenandoah and Rocky Mountain for elk season.
- Best in winter: Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Saguaro, Everglades and Big Bend, where the heat finally lifts.
- Best for wildlife: Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Katmai and Denali.
Know Before You Go: Quick Comparison Matrix
Use this table to narrow the field in a minute. Fees, reservation rules and road openings shift from year to year, so confirm them on the park's own page before you book.
| Park | Best months | Nearest major airport | Reservations | Dogs on trails | Altitude |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Canyon (South Rim) | Apr-May, Sep-Oct | Phoenix | Lodging and inner-canyon camping | Rim Trail only | About 7,000 ft |
| Acadia | Jun-Oct | Bangor | Cadillac Summit Road in season | Allowed on leash on most trails | Low, peak 1,530 ft |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Apr-May, Oct | Knoxville | Parking tag; some campgrounds | Two short trails only | Up to 6,600 ft |
| Yellowstone | May-Jun, Sep | Bozeman | Lodging books far ahead | Roadsides and parking areas only | 5,300-8,800 ft |
| Grand Teton | Jun-Sep | Jackson Hole | Campgrounds and boat permits | Roads and developed areas only | 6,300-13,770 ft |
| Katmai | Jul, Sep | Anchorage, then a small plane | Brooks Camp lottery and lodge | Not permitted at Brooks Camp | Sea level |
| Glacier | Jul-Sep | Kalispell | Vehicle reservation for Going-to-the-Sun Road in season | Roads and campgrounds only | Logan Pass 6,646 ft |
| Zion | Mar-May, Sep-Nov | Las Vegas | Angels Landing permit lottery | Pacer Trail only | 3,700-8,700 ft |
| Yosemite | May-Jun, Sep-Oct | Fresno | Peak-season entry reservations some years | Paved paths only | 4,000-13,000 ft |
| Great Basin | Jun-Sep | Salt Lake City | Cave tours | Roads and campgrounds | Up to 13,063 ft |
| Isle Royale | Jun-Sep | Duluth or Houghton, then ferry | Ferry, seaplane and campsites | Not permitted | Near lake level |
| Joshua Tree | Oct-Apr | Palm Springs | Campgrounds in season | Roads and campgrounds only | Up to 5,800 ft |
| Rocky Mountain | Jun-Sep | Denver | Timed entry in peak season | Roads and campgrounds only | 7,860-14,259 ft |
| Olympic | Jun-Sep | Seattle-Tacoma | Wilderness permits | Roads and a few short trails | Sea level to 7,980 ft |
| Denali | Jun-Aug | Anchorage or Fairbanks | Park bus tickets | Roads and campgrounds only | Peak 20,310 ft |
All 64 U.S. National Parks at a Glance
| Park | State | Best time | Signature sight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia | Maine | Jun-Oct | Cadillac Mountain sunrise |
| American Samoa | American Samoa | Jun-Sep | Rainforest above the reef |
| Arches | Utah | Apr-May, Oct | Delicate Arch |
| Badlands | South Dakota | May-Jun, Sep | Door and Window Trails |
| Big Bend | Texas | Nov-Mar | Santa Elena Canyon |
| Biscayne | Florida | Dec-Apr | Coral reef by boat |
| Black Canyon of the Gunnison | Colorado | Jun-Sep | Painted Wall |
| Bryce Canyon | Utah | May-Sep | Hoodoos at the amphitheater |
| Canyonlands | Utah | Apr-May, Sep-Oct | Mesa Arch at sunrise |
| Capitol Reef | Utah | Apr-May, Oct | Waterpocket Fold and Fruita orchards |
| Carlsbad Caverns | New Mexico | Jun-Aug for bat flights | The Big Room cave |
| Channel Islands | California | Apr-Nov | Sea caves on Santa Cruz Island |
| Chiricahua | Arizona | Mar-May, Oct-Nov | Rhyolite spires and balanced rocks |
| Congaree | South Carolina | Mar-May | Old-growth floodplain forest |
| Crater Lake | Oregon | Jul-Sep | Wizard Island in deep blue water |
| Cuyahoga Valley | Ohio | Oct | Brandywine Falls |
| Death Valley | California | Nov-Mar | Badwater Basin |
| Denali | Alaska | Jun-Aug | North America's tallest peak |
| Dry Tortugas | Florida | Dec-May | Fort Jefferson |
| Everglades | Florida | Dec-Apr | Anhinga Trail alligators |
| Gates of the Arctic | Alaska | Jul-Aug | Roadless Brooks Range |
| Gateway Arch | Missouri | Apr-Oct | The Arch tram ride |
| Glacier | Montana | Jul-Sep | Going-to-the-Sun Road |
| Glacier Bay | Alaska | Jun-Aug | Tidewater glaciers by cruise |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona | Apr-May, Sep-Oct | Mather Point at dawn |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming | Jun-Sep | Schwabacher Landing reflection |
| Great Basin | Nevada | Jun-Sep | Bristlecone pines and star-filled skies |
| Great Sand Dunes | Colorado | Apr-Jun | Tallest dunes in North America |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Tennessee, North Carolina | Apr-May, Oct | Mist over Clingmans Dome |
| Guadalupe Mountains | Texas | Oct-Nov | McKittrick Canyon fall color |
| Haleakala | Hawaii | Year-round | Summit sunrise above the clouds |
| Hawaii Volcanoes | Hawaii | Year-round | Kilauea crater glow |
| Hot Springs | Arkansas | Mar-May | Bathhouse Row |
| Indiana Dunes | Indiana | Jun-Sep | Lake Michigan shoreline |
| Isle Royale | Michigan | Jun-Sep | Moose and loons on a roadless island |
| Joshua Tree | California | Oct-Apr | Boulders and Joshua trees at sunset |
| Katmai | Alaska | Jul, Sep | Bears at Brooks Falls |
| Kenai Fjords | Alaska | Jun-Aug | Exit Glacier and fjord cruises |
| Kings Canyon | California | Jul-Sep | Zumwalt Meadow |
| Kobuk Valley | Alaska | Jul-Aug | Great Kobuk Sand Dunes |
| Lake Clark | Alaska | Jul-Aug | Coastal bears and volcanoes |
| Lassen Volcanic | California | Jul-Sep | Bumpass Hell geothermal area |
| Mammoth Cave | Kentucky | Apr-Oct | The longest cave system known |
| Mesa Verde | Colorado | May-Oct | Cliff Palace |
| Mount Rainier | Washington | Jul-Aug | Paradise wildflower meadows |
| New River Gorge | West Virginia | Oct | The gorge from the bridge |
| North Cascades | Washington | Jul-Sep | Diablo Lake turquoise water |
| Olympic | Washington | Jun-Sep | Hoh Rain Forest and Ruby Beach |
| Petrified Forest | Arizona | Mar-May | Painted Desert and fossil logs |
| Pinnacles | California | Mar-May | Talus caves and condors |
| Redwood | California | May-Sep | Giant coast redwoods |
| Rocky Mountain | Colorado | Jun-Sep | Trail Ridge Road |
| Saguaro | Arizona | Nov-Apr | Forest of giant cacti at sunset |
| Sequoia | California | Jun-Sep | General Sherman Tree |
| Shenandoah | Virginia | Oct | Skyline Drive in fall color |
| Theodore Roosevelt | North Dakota | Jun-Sep | Bison among painted badlands |
| Virgin Islands | U.S. Virgin Islands | Dec-Apr | Trunk Bay snorkel trail |
| Voyageurs | Minnesota | Jun-Sep | Water routes by canoe |
| White Sands | New Mexico | Oct-Apr | White gypsum dunes at dusk |
| Wind Cave | South Dakota | May-Sep | Boxwork cave formations |
| Wrangell-St. Elias | Alaska | Jun-Aug | Kennecott mill town and glaciers |
| Yellowstone | Wyoming, Montana, Idaho | May-Jun, Sep | Old Faithful and Grand Prismatic |
| Yosemite | California | May-Jun, Sep-Oct | Tunnel View |
| Zion | Utah | Mar-May, Sep-Nov | The Narrows |
Arizona's Chiricahua National Monument is on the verge of becoming the 64th national park. Congress has passed the act that would redesignate it, and the forest of rhyolite spires, balanced rocks and hoodoos in the state's southeastern corner is already free to enter and open around the clock.
It is one of the quietest and darkest places in the Southwest. Our guide to the things to do in Chiricahua National Park covers the trails, the history and the night sky.
Best National Parks for Families and Easy Access
01Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
You arrive before the tour buses, walk the last hundred yards in the half dark, and the rim simply ends. Below you the canyon is a single gray mass, then a hint of rose on the far wall, then layer after layer lit from the top down as the sun climbs. By midday the heat shimmers off the stone and the Rim Trail is a slow river of strollers and cameras. Late in the day the shadows crawl up the buttes and the whole gorge turns copper.
Between the quiet of dawn and the glow of dusk the canyon changes character by the hour. Around midday the temperature climbs, mule trains clop along the rim, and the gorge fills with a pale shimmer that flattens every color, which is the moment to sit in the shade of a lodge with a cold drink in hand. Far below, the Colorado River is a thin green thread you will only glimpse in passing. When the sun slides west the buttes ignite one at a time, a California condor may glide past on a thermal, and after dark the rim becomes a dark-sky stage where the Milky Way arches over the empty canyon and the only sound is wind in the pines.
Sunrise: Mather Point for ease, Hopi Point on the Hermit Road shuttle for fewer people. Sunset: Desert View Drive, where the Watchtower frames the last light. Skip this, do that: skip the crowded middle of the rim at noon; take the shuttle west or drive east along Desert View Drive for the same view with room to breathe.
Sleep: El Tovar, Bright Angel or Maswik lodges on the rim, Mather Campground, or Tusayan outside the south gate. Photographer's note: the rim faces the sunrise, so the east-facing walls catch first light within minutes; shoot the golden hour on either side of the sun with a 24-70 and a polarizer, and bring a 70-200 for the buttes. One day: sunrise at Mather Point, Rim Trail to Yavapai, lunch in the village, the Hermit Road shuttle, sunset at Hopi Point. Three days: add Desert View Drive and the Watchtower, a descent on South Kaibab, and a night under the stars at the rim. The average-traveler hike: South Kaibab to Cedar Ridge, about 3 miles round trip, moderate effort, on the trail by 7 a.m. Peak crowds: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
02Acadia National Park, Maine
Fog sits on the water at first light and the lobster boats hum out of the coves one by one. By mid-morning you are on pink granite with the Atlantic slapping the base of the cliffs, and the spruce smell is so strong it feels like weather. Afternoon belongs to Jordan Pond and a warm popover on the lawn. As evening comes the lighthouse beams start to sweep and the tide pools go quiet.
Days here follow the tide. At low water the shore turns into a puzzle of seaweed, tide pools and barnacled rock, and children crouch over starfish while gulls complain overhead. In the afternoon the carriage roads, built by hand a century ago, unspool through birch and spruce beneath stone bridges that look painted into the forest. By evening the foghorn starts its low call, the lobster boats come home, and the smell of woodsmoke and salt drifts over Bar Harbor. As the easternmost national park in the country, Acadia meets the first light of the day, and in the dark the stars hang low over the water like lanterns.
Sunrise: Cadillac Mountain, which needs its reservation, or Otter Cliff, which does not. Sunset: the shore at Bass Harbor Head. Skip this, do that: skip the summit road in peak crowds; the Ocean Path at dawn is the better walk.
Sleep: Blackwoods or Seawall campgrounds, or inns in Bar Harbor. Photographer's note: Otter Cliff takes the first light from the east, and Bass Harbor Head Light glows in the last light from the west; bring a tripod and a graduated filter. One day: Cadillac sunrise with a reservation, Park Loop Road, popovers at Jordan Pond, sunset at Bass Harbor. Three days: add Ocean Path, a bike ride on the carriage roads, and a quiet morning at Schoodic. Average hike: Jordan Pond Path, 3.3 miles, easy, start at 8 a.m. Peak crowds: midday on Park Loop Road.
03Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
The Smokies earn their name at dawn, when mist lifts off every ridge in long blue folds that seem to go on forever. In Cades Cove a black bear ambles through tall grass while a line of cars idles and nobody honks. The afternoon goes to a creek crossing, wet boots and rhododendron tunnels. At dusk the fireflies come out of the hollows, and the whole valley starts to blink.
These are the most visited mountains in the country, and still the forest swallows people whole. Under the canopy the air is cool and damp, creeks chatter over mossy stones, and the park shelters more kinds of salamander than almost anywhere on earth. Afternoon thunderstorms roll in from the ridges, the rain hisses through the leaves, and then the sun returns and every drop glitters. At nightfall in late spring the synchronous fireflies of Elkmont blink in unison along the creek, thousands of tiny lights rising and fading together in the dark, a show so popular that viewing passes are handed out by lottery.
Sunrise: Clingmans Dome or Newfound Gap. Sunset: the Foothills Parkway pullouts. Skip this, do that: skip Cades Cove on a summer weekend afternoon; go at first light and you will have it nearly to yourself.
Sleep: Elkmont campground, LeConte Lodge for hikers, or Townsend, Gatlinburg or Bryson City. Photographer's note: fog at dawn is the prize, so use a 70-200 to stack the ridgelines into blue layers. One day: Newfound Gap at sunrise, Alum Cave Trail, Cades Cove at dusk. Three days: add Roaring Fork, Cataloochee for elk, and Clingmans Dome. Average hike: Laurel Falls, 2.6 miles round trip, easy, by 8 a.m. Peak crowds: summer and October weekends.
Best National Parks for Wildlife
04Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
The day starts in Lamar Valley, where people stand shoulder to shoulder in the cold with spotting scopes, whispering about a wolf pack on the far hillside. Bison steam in the frost and a coyote trots the road edge like it owns it. By noon you are among the geysers, watching Old Faithful lift its column against a hard blue sky. Evening finds you at a pullout in Hayden Valley as elk bugle in September and the light goes gold on the river.
A single day here can hold a hundred years of wonder. By late morning the geyser basins exhale steam into a cold blue sky, the ground hisses and bubbles beside the boardwalk, and the air smells faintly of sulfur. Bison herds shamble across the road and traffic stops without a single horn. Afternoon thunderheads build over Hayden Valley, elk graze in the golden light, and a grizzly may amble across a far slope. Night brings a deep cold and a sky crowded with stars above the steaming ground. For more ideas on filling your days, read our guide on what to do in Yellowstone National Park.
Sunrise: Lamar Valley. Sunset: Hayden Valley or the Grand Prismatic overlook. Skip this, do that: skip the boardwalk at Grand Prismatic at midday; the overlook trail gives a better look at the colors.
Sleep: Old Faithful Inn, Canyon Lodge, Lake Hotel, or the gateway towns of Gardiner, West Yellowstone and Cooke City. Photographer's note: a 100-400 or longer lens is essential for Lamar Valley wildlife at dawn and dusk, while the Grand Prismatic overlook colors best in high sun. One day: Lamar Valley at first light, Mud Volcano, Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic overlook. Three days: add Hayden Valley, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, and Mount Washburn. Average hike: Grand Prismatic overlook, 1.2 miles round trip, easy, by 9 a.m. Peak crowds: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Old Faithful.
05Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Schwabacher Landing at sunrise is the picture everyone carries home: the range mirrored in a beaver pond, pink then orange, with a moose sometimes wading the shallows. Midday is for the Jenny Lake boat and a climb to Inspiration Point with burning calves. As the evening cools, Oxbow Bend turns glassy and pelicans drift across the reflection of Mount Moran.
The Tetons rise without foothills, a wall of granite that climbs straight from the sage flats to nearly 14,000 feet, and that abruptness is what makes them unforgettable. Midday belongs to the Snake River, where you can float quietly beneath the peaks while eagles watch from the cottonwoods. In the afternoon the weathered barns of Mormon Row stand against the range like a painting, and elk move through the aspens as the air cools. At night the mountains turn to dark outlines against a sky so full of stars that the lake seems to hold a second sky.
Sunrise: Schwabacher Landing. Sunset: Oxbow Bend. Skip this, do that: skip the Jenny Lake boat queue at 11 a.m.; start at 7 a.m. or walk the lake edge.
Sleep: Jackson Lake Lodge, Signal Mountain Lodge, Colter Bay or Jenny Lake campgrounds, or Jackson. Photographer's note: alpenglow lights the peaks before the sun reaches the valley, so be at Schwabacher Landing 40 minutes before sunrise with a wide-angle lens. One day: Schwabacher sunrise, Jenny Lake boat to Hidden Falls, Moose-Wilson Road, Oxbow Bend sunset. Three days: add Taggart Lake, Mormon Row, and a paddle on Jackson Lake. Average hike: Taggart Lake, about 3 miles, moderate, by 8 a.m. Peak crowds: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Jenny Lake.
06Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska
You stand on a wooden platform with the roar of the falls in your chest, watching brown bears stand at the lip with their mouths open while salmon leap straight into them. Hours pass without anyone checking a phone. The Alaska summer light stretches the evening into night, and the bears keep fishing in a pale glow that never quite becomes dark.
Time slows down at Brooks Falls. You stand on a boardwalk in a mist of river spray while a bear takes his place at the lip of the cascade, patient as a fisherman, and the salmon keep leaping into his open mouth. Hours disappear. Between the bear watching you walk the beach under enormous skies, listening to the river and the cry of gulls. Each October the bears fatten for winter, and the online Fat Bear Week turns the biggest of them into celebrities. When evening comes the light lasts and lasts, and the whole valley glows pink and gold long past the hour when anywhere else would be dark.
Sunrise: any viewing platform before the day visitors land. Sunset: the beach near Brooks Camp. Skip this, do that: skip a short day trip; stay overnight so you see the bears at the quiet hours.
Sleep: Brooks Lodge or the Brooks Camp campground, both booked far ahead, with King Salmon as the gateway. Photographer's note: bring a 400 mm lens or longer and shoot at 1/1000 second or faster to freeze leaping salmon. One day: fly in, walk to the falls platform, spend the afternoon at the Lower River platform. Three days: add the Dumpling Mountain trail, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes tour, and a beach walk. Average hike: the Brooks Falls trail, 1.2 miles, easy. Peak crowds: midday, when the viewing platform limits stays.
07Denali National Park, Alaska
A single road runs into the wild, and everything on it moves slowly. Buses stop for grizzlies digging roots on the hillside, caribou crossing a gravel bar, and Dall sheep on far ridges. The mountain itself stays hidden in cloud for much of the summer, and when it finally appears, rising above everything else, people on the bus fall silent.
The park road is a single gravel ribbon that runs ninety-two miles into a wilderness the size of a small country, and the bus ride along it is a slow unfolding. Tundra turns gold and red in late summer, braided rivers shine like silver cords, and grizzlies dig for roots on the slopes while caribou drift across the gravel bars. The great mountain, 20,310 feet high, hides behind cloud on many days; when it finally lifts its veil, riders fall silent. Evening brings long light, the smell of spruce and cold water, and a quiet so complete that you can hear your own pulse.
Sunrise: Wonder Lake on a clear morning. Sunset: the Savage River area. Skip this, do that: skip the shortest bus trip; ride farther in for deeper wildlife. Sleep: a campground, an in-park lodge, or the gateway near the park entrance. Photographer's note: a long lens for wildlife and layers for the cold.
Best National Parks for Rugged Hiking
08Glacier National Park, Montana
The road clings to the cliff as it climbs to Logan Pass, and mountain goats pick their way across the meadow below the parking lot. The Highline Trail runs on a ledge above a valley so deep and green it makes your stomach drop. Evening comes with long shadows across the lakes and a chill that sends everyone back to the lodge for a hot drink.
Everything in Glacier happens at scale. In the morning the red buses wind along the Going-to-the-Sun Road while waterfalls pour from the cliffs beside you, and at Lake McDonald the water is so clear that every colored stone on the lakebed seems to glow. By afternoon mountain goats lounge on the ledges at Logan Pass and the wildflowers shake in the wind. In the evening the peaks of Many Glacier burn pink above a mirror-still lake, and the night brings a cold so clean you can taste it. If you travel with children, read our Glacier National Park family tours guide, and for trail ideas, our best hikes in Glacier National Park.
Sunrise: Many Glacier or Lake McDonald. Sunset: Logan Pass. Skip this, do that: skip Logan Pass at midday; start before 7 a.m. for parking and for wildlife.
Sleep: Many Glacier Hotel, Lake McDonald Lodge, Apgar Campground, or Whitefish, Columbia Falls and West Glacier. Photographer's note: sunrise at Wild Goose Island on St. Mary Lake and sunset at Logan Pass both reward a 24-70 and a tripod. One day: enter at West Glacier, drive Going-to-the-Sun Road, walk to Hidden Lake Overlook. Three days: add Grinnell Glacier, Highline Trail, and Two Medicine. Average hike: Hidden Lake Overlook, 2.7 miles round trip, moderate, by 7 a.m. Peak crowds: the Logan Pass lot fills by about 9 a.m.
09Zion National Park, Utah
Red walls rise a half mile overhead as the first shuttle rolls in, and the Virgin River is the color of tea. By noon you are wading the Narrows in a rented pair of boots, the canyon closing to a slot barely wider than your outstretched arms. The afternoon light slides down the sandstone like honey, and the day ends with cold water on tired feet and a loaf of bread from a roadside shop.
Zion is a day that begins in shadow and ends in fire. At dawn the canyon is a cold blue slot and the Virgin River runs loud and cloudy over the stones. By afternoon the cottonwoods flash gold in the sun, hikers file up the chain-bolted spine of Angels Landing, and children splash in the shallows beneath hanging gardens that weep water from the cliffs. As evening comes the canyon walls catch the last light and burn orange, red and pink, and after dark the sky above the rim is a narrow river of stars that seems to run in the same direction as the river below.
Sunrise: Canyon Junction Bridge. Sunset: the Watchman viewpoint. Skip this, do that: if you lose the Angels Landing lottery, walk Observation Point for a larger view and fewer people.
Sleep: Zion Lodge, Watchman or South Campground, or Springdale. Photographer's note: the canyon walls glow with reflected light after the sun leaves the floor; use a polarizer and a tripod. One day: first shuttle, Riverside Walk, Emerald Pools, Watchman at sunset. Three days: add the Narrows, Observation Point, and Kolob Canyons. Average hike: Riverside Walk, 2.2 miles, easy, by 7 a.m. Peak crowds: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. shuttle lines.
10Yosemite National Park, California
Tunnel View at dawn is the one that stops people mid-sentence: El Capitan on the left, Bridalveil Fall on the right, mist still sitting in the valley like milk. The Mist Trail soaks you to the bone by mid-morning, and the rainbow over Vernal Fall makes it worth the cold. When the sun drops, Glacier Point glows pink and the granite domes hold the light long after the valley is dark.
Yosemite does not ask for your attention; it takes it. In the morning mist drifts off the Merced River and the granite walls stand over the meadow like cathedral doors. By midday the waterfalls roar, the air is cool and wet, and rainbow arcs hang in the spray. In the afternoon the sun slides toward Half Dome, the whole valley turns to honey, and deer step out of the oaks. After dark a hush falls and the stars switch on above El Capitan, where tiny headlamps glow on the wall as climbers settle into their hanging camps. For more ideas, read our guide to things to do in Yosemite National Park.
Sunrise: Tunnel View. Sunset: Glacier Point. Skip this, do that: skip the valley floor shuttle crush at noon; head to Tuolumne Meadows in summer for high-country quiet.
Sleep: The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge, Curry Village, in-park campgrounds, or Mariposa, El Portal and Groveland. Photographer's note: Tunnel View is at its best at dawn when clouds clear off the valley; bring wide and telephoto lenses. One day: Tunnel View, the valley floor, Lower Yosemite Fall, and the Mist Trail. Three days: add Glacier Point, Mariposa Grove, and Tuolumne Meadows in summer. Average hike: Lower Yosemite Fall loop, 1 mile, easy, by 7 a.m. Peak crowds: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the valley.
11Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
The road climbs above treeline into a world of wind and tundra, where marmots whistle from the rocks and the horizon is all peaks. Mornings are for Bear Lake, still as glass, and a climb to Emerald Lake with thin air in your lungs. As autumn arrives, elk bugle in Moraine Park at dusk and the sound carries across the whole valley.
At 12,000 feet the world feels both bigger and quieter. The wind rushes across the tundra, the air tastes thin and sharp, and elk graze in meadows far below as the road folds in switchbacks around the shoulder of the mountain. Longs Peak stands over the whole park, 14,259 feet of granite. In the afternoon, storms form fast over the peaks, so hikers race for the trees while thunder rolls down the valleys. After sunset in autumn the elk bugle across Moraine Park, a high, eerie whistle that rises and breaks, and the stars come out fierce and close in the thin cold.
Sunrise: Sprague Lake. Sunset: Moraine Park. Skip this, do that: skip Bear Lake at midday; arrive at dawn. Sleep: Estes Park or Moraine Park Campground. Photographer's note: a 70-200 for elk, a wide lens for Trail Ridge.
Best Hidden Gems and Dark-Sky Parks
12Great Basin National Park, Nevada
You drive for hours through empty desert and then the road climbs into cold pines, and suddenly you are among trees that were old when Rome was young. The bristlecones twist in the wind like carved driftwood. Afternoon goes underground into the cool dark of Lehman Caves, and then night does something the cities forgot: the Milky Way spills across the whole sky, thick and bright enough to cast shadows.
Everything here is old and slow. The bristlecone pines on Wheeler Peak, some of the oldest living trees on earth, stand twisted and silver in thin soil above 10,000 feet, and they have watched thousands of winters pass. At midday the marble cave of Lehman Caves is cool and still, its ceiling hung with delicate shield formations. When the light fades, the basin below goes violet and the temperature drops fast. Then the sky does what almost no sky can any more: it fills, from horizon to horizon, with a river of stars so bright that your shadow falls on the ground.
Sunrise: Wheeler Peak Overlook. Sunset: the Bristlecone grove. Skip this, do that: skip rushing through in a day; stay for a night of stars.
Sleep: Upper Lehman Creek or Wheeler Peak campgrounds, or Baker, Nevada. Photographer's note: with almost no light pollution, a 14-24 mm lens at f/2.8 and 20-second exposures capture the Milky Way; use a polarizer on the bristlecones by day. One day: a morning Lehman Caves tour, the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive, the Bristlecone Grove trail. Three days: add Wheeler Peak summit (8.6 miles round trip, hard) and Lexington Arch. Average hike: Bristlecone Grove trail, 2.8 miles round trip, moderate, by 9 a.m. Peak crowds: cave tours around midday.
13Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
There are no roads and no cars, only the slow churn of a ferry across cold, deep water and the smell of balsam as you step off the dock. Mornings begin with loons calling across a still bay and a moose standing knee deep in a pond. Days are slow and quiet, and evenings end around a camp stove, with the northern lights sometimes flickering over the lake.
On an island with no roads, time is measured in footsteps and water. In the morning the loons call across a mirror-flat bay, and the ferry that brought you is only a memory. By midday you are on a ridge trail through spruce and birch with the lake glittering on both sides and the smell of balsam in the warm air. Moose browse in the shallows, and the island holds the world's longest-running study of wolves and their prey. Evening comes slowly, a campfire hisses, and as darkness settles the northern lights sometimes ripple green above the black water.
Sunrise: any east-facing shoreline. Sunset: Scoville Point. Skip this, do that: skip a day trip; the island rewards three nights or more.
Sleep: Rock Harbor Lodge, Windigo, or backcountry campsites, with Houghton or Copper Harbor as gateways. Photographer's note: dawn lake reflections are the best frames, and a 200 mm or longer lens helps with moose at the shoreline. One day: arrive at Rock Harbor, walk to Scoville Point. Three days: add Tobin Harbor, Lookout Louise, and a section of Greenstone Ridge. Average hike: Scoville Point loop, 4.2 miles, easy, any time after breakfast. Peak crowds: light, with the busiest moment on ferry arrival days.
14Joshua Tree National Park, California
Morning in the desert is cold and silent, and the Joshua trees stand like strange sentries in the blue light. Climbers scramble the boulders by mid-morning, and the heat builds slowly until the rocks tick. At sunset the whole landscape turns gold and then violet, and once the crowds drift away the stars arrive in numbers that make you whisper.
Two deserts meet here, the high Mojave and the low Colorado, and the plants shift as you drive. In the morning the air is cold and sweet with creosote, the boulders glow pink, and quail scatter across the sand. By midday the heat hums over the rock piles, climbers chalk their hands, and the Joshua trees stand in sparse crowds, their arms raised like figures in a dream. At sunset the whole park goes gold, then violet, then black, and from Keys View the lights of the valley below glimmer faintly while the San Andreas Fault cuts a long line across the plain.
Sunrise: Cap Rock or Keys View. Sunset: Hidden Valley rocks. Skip this, do that: skip a midday summer visit; come at dawn or in the cooler months.
Sleep: Jumbo Rocks or Hidden Valley campgrounds, or the towns of Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms. Photographer's note: shoot Joshua trees in silhouette at sunset and use a tripod for astrophotography after dark. One day: Cap Rock at sunrise, Hidden Valley, Barker Dam, Keys View at sunset. Three days: add Skull Rock, Ryan Mountain, and Cottonwood Spring. Average hike: Hidden Valley loop, 1 mile, easy, any time. Peak crowds: winter weekends at the entrance gates.
15Olympic National Park, Washington
One park holds three worlds. In the Hoh Rain Forest, moss hangs from every branch and the light turns green and soft. At Hurricane Ridge, a meadow of wildflowers faces a wall of snow peaks. On the coast, sea stacks rise out of the fog at Ruby Beach, and the tide pools at low water hold stars and anemones.
Olympic holds three different climates inside one boundary, and a single day can touch all of them. In the morning the Hoh Rain Forest drips, a hundred shades of green under a canopy that collects more than ten feet of rain each year. By midday the air at Hurricane Ridge is crisp, with deer grazing in a meadow ringed by snow peaks. In the afternoon the Pacific pounds the sea stacks at Ruby Beach and driftwood logs lie like fallen giants. At night the coast is wild and loud, the surf booming in the dark. To combine Olympic with other Washington parks, see our guide to the best national parks in Washington.
Sunrise: Hurricane Ridge. Sunset: Ruby Beach. Skip this, do that: skip the busy middle of the Hoh at noon; arrive by 8 a.m. Sleep: Lake Crescent Lodge or Port Angeles. Photographer's note: a tripod and a polarizer help in the green rain-forest light.
Reservations, Permits and Booking Windows
The parks that look effortless in photographs are often the hardest to enter on the day. A few realities that catch travelers out:
- Timed entry and vehicle reservations: several popular parks require a reservation in peak season for certain roads or entrances. Glacier's Going-to-the-Sun Road and the Cadillac Summit Road in Acadia are examples, and Yosemite has used entry reservations in recent summers.
- Permit lotteries: Angels Landing in Zion and Half Dome in Yosemite are both allocated by lottery, with applications opening well before the season.
- Shuttle-only roads: Zion Canyon and the Hermit Road at the Grand Canyon run on shuttles during their busy months, which changes how you plan your mornings.
- Campgrounds: many in-park campgrounds open their booking window about six months ahead and sell out within minutes, so set an alarm for the opening time.
- The annual pass: an America the Beautiful pass pays for itself if you visit three or four fee parks in a year, which a single road trip through the Southwest or the Rockies easily does. Confirm the current price and eligibility on the official park service page before buying.
Reverse Your Day: The 5:30 a.m. Schedule
Most visitors arrive between nine and four, which hands them the hottest hours, the fullest parking lots and the flattest light. Flip the day. Be on the trail between 5:30 and 10:00 a.m., when the air is cool and the animals are moving. Rest through the middle of the day in the shade, in a lodge, or at a café in the gateway town. Come back out for the last light and stay for the stars between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m.
The night is the reward. Great Basin, Big Bend, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Bryce Canyon, Joshua Tree, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands are all certified International Dark Sky Parks, and many run ranger-led astronomy walks and telescope nights in summer. Bring a headlamp with a red setting, because red light protects your night vision and does not startle wildlife.
Chiricahua in southeastern Arizona, certified in 2021, is the newest addition to that list. Its rock pillars frame the Milky Way, and the park stays open all night, which suits the reverse schedule perfectly.
The Two-Mile Rule for Escaping Crowds
Most visitors never wander far from the paved overlooks and visitor centers. Somewhere past the two-mile mark on almost any trail, the foot traffic thins sharply and the park starts to feel like a different place. Choose the quiet cousin of the famous view: skip the midday crowd at Delicate Arch and walk the primitive loop at Devils Garden in Arches, or leave the packed rim of the Grand Canyon and drop a mile down the Hermit Trail. Remember that every mile down is a mile back up, so carry extra water.
Altitude and Dry-Air Hydration
Bryce Canyon sits between roughly 8,000 and 9,100 feet, and Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain climbs past 12,000. Visitors from low elevations often arrive with a headache, a racing pulse and a sudden urge to sit down. Give your body a day to adjust, sleep lower than you hike when you can, go easy on alcohol the first night, and slow your pace to match your breathing.
Dry air creates a different trap. On the high desert of the Colorado Plateau, at Zion, Bryce, Arches and Canyonlands, sweat evaporates so fast that you may never feel sweaty, and dehydration arrives quietly. A common rule of thumb is to drink about half a liter to a liter of water for every hour of hiking in dry heat, and to eat salty snacks along the way. Refill at visitor centers, lodges and major trailheads rather than waiting until you are thirsty, and talk to your doctor first if you have a heart, kidney or blood-pressure condition.
Road Openings and Mountain Passes
High passes open when the snow allows, not when the calendar says summer. The ranges below describe typical years, and a heavy winter can push them later.
| Road | Park | Typical pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Going-to-the-Sun Road | Glacier | Rarely fully open before late June or early July |
| Tioga Pass Road | Yosemite | Often closed into June, sometimes into July after a big winter |
| Trail Ridge Road | Rocky Mountain | Usually closes by mid to late October |
Check the park's road status page on the morning you drive, and keep a backup plan for a lower-elevation day.
Flash Floods, Bears and Backcountry Safety
A slot canyon can flood under a perfectly blue sky. A storm twenty or thirty miles upstream can send a wall of water through a narrow sandstone channel in minutes, which is why flash floods are a real danger in Zion, Capitol Reef and Canyonlands. Check the upstream radar, read the daily flash flood potential rating posted by the Zion Wilderness Desk, and walk away from any slot canyon at the first warning signs: a sudden gust of wind, brown foam on trickling water, or a low roar like a freight train.
Bears are the other lesson. Bear spray is banned from both carry-on and checked bags, and airports in the Yellowstone region take hundreds of canisters from passengers every summer. Rent it instead. Rental services operate in Bozeman and Jackson and inside Yellowstone at Canyon Village, and Yellowstone accepts used canisters for recycling. In Yosemite and Sequoia, black bears have learned to open cars to reach anything scented, even empty soda cans, lip balm and child car seats, so use the metal food lockers in parking areas and campgrounds and leave nothing with a scent inside your vehicle overnight.
Phones lose battery fast in the backcountry because they keep searching for a signal, so keep yours on airplane mode while you walk. For true remote trips, a two-way satellite communicator such as a Garmin inReach Mini or a ZOLEO, or the satellite emergency features on newer phones, can summon help where there is no cell coverage. Before leaving a gateway town, download the offline park maps in the official National Park Service app. Phone mapping apps sometimes send ordinary cars onto unpaved four-wheel-drive roads on public land near Capitol Reef and Death Valley, so stay on paved routes unless you know the road.
Desert Soil Crust and Leave No Trace
The black, bumpy soil in Arches, Canyonlands and other southwestern parks is alive. Cryptobiotic crust is a community of cyanobacteria, lichen and moss that holds the desert together, and a single footprint can destroy what took fifty to two hundred and fifty years to grow. Walk on slickrock, in washes, or on the marked trail. Leave the rock stacks alone too: unofficial cairns confuse hikers who rely on the real ones to find their way.
Dogs in National Parks and the B.A.R.K. Ranger Program
A trip with a dog takes planning. In most national parks pets are limited to roads, parking areas and campgrounds, and they are barred from nearly every trail. At Zion, Arches and Glacier, dogs cannot walk the dirt trails, and the experience can end up being a day sitting in the parking lot. Acadia, Cuyahoga Valley and Shenandoah are the friendly exceptions; Acadia alone allows leashed dogs on more than a hundred miles of trails.
The B.A.R.K. Ranger program teaches the rules: Bag your pet's waste, Always wear a leash, Respect wildlife, and Know where you can go. Many participating parks reward visitors with a B.A.R.K. Ranger tag for the dog's collar, a small souvenir that makes the rules easier to remember.
Lodging Tricks: Cancellations, Dispersed Camping and Shuttles
Park lodges and campgrounds sell out months ahead, but cancellations flow through the system all the time. The concession companies that run the historic lodges often allow refunds up to a set window before arrival, which for many rooms falls about thirty days out and sometimes only a few days out. Check the lodging websites for El Tovar at the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone and Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier around thirty to thirty-five days before your dates and again three to four days ahead. Policies vary by property, so read each one before you book.
When campgrounds sell out, dispersed camping on neighboring public land is free, legal and often more peaceful. Near Grand Teton, try the Bridger-Teton National Forest around Shadow Mountain. Near Zion, the Smithsonian Butte Backcountry Byway on Bureau of Land Management land near Rockville. Near the Grand Canyon South Rim, the Kaibab National Forest. Check current stay limits and fire restrictions, pack out everything you bring, and camp on bare ground.
You can also skip the car in some places. The town shuttle in Springdale drops you at Zion's pedestrian entrance, the free Island Explorer buses serve Acadia and Bar Harbor, and Amtrak's Empire Builder stops at West Glacier and East Glacier Park.
Passport Stamps, Junior Ranger Badges and the Fourth-Grade Pass
The Passport To Your National Parks program turns visitor centers into a collector's game: every site has a free ink cancellation stamp you can press into your passport book. Junior Ranger booklets are not only for children either. Adults can complete the activities, take the oath and earn the badge, and the booklets tend to reveal geology and history that the wayside signs leave out.
If you have a fourth grader, the Every Kid Outdoors program offers a free annual pass for the school year that starts on September 1 and ends on August 31. The fourth grader fills in a short online activity, prints a voucher and swaps it for a pass at a participating site. The pass covers the student, children under sixteen, and up to three adults, or the whole vehicle at drive-in sites, and it does not cover parking, camping or special tours.
Buy Groceries Before You Reach the Gate
Stores in and around park gateways, such as Tusayan near the Grand Canyon, West Yellowstone and Springdale, charge noticeably more for food and gear than ordinary supermarkets do. Make one big grocery run in a larger city on the way, in Las Vegas, Salt Lake City or Denver, and pack it in a cheap foam or soft cooler bought on arrival. A cooler of sandwiches, fruit and cold drinks also frees you to eat lunch at a viewpoint instead of in a long restaurant line.
Rental Cars, Travel Insurance and Gear
Three decisions shape a park trip more than any itinerary. First, the rental car: book as soon as your flights are fixed, pick a free-cancellation rate, check for unlimited mileage, and watch for one-way drop-off fees on a loop that ends in a different city. Second, travel insurance: in-park lodges and many tours are non-refundable, so a policy that covers trip cancellation and medical care is worth pricing, especially for remote parks like Katmai, Isle Royale and Denali. Third, the gear: broken-in boots, a sun hoodie, layers for temperature swings of thirty degrees or more, a headlamp with a red setting, a refillable water system and a paper map as a backup to the app.
Entry Fees and the America the Beautiful Pass
Since January 1, 2026, fees depend on where you live. U.S. residents pay $80 for the annual America the Beautiful pass, while non-residents pay $250. Non-residents without a pass also pay a $100 per person surcharge, on top of the standard entrance fee, at eleven of the busiest parks: Acadia, Bryce Canyon, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Rocky Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Zion. A valid pass covers the pass holder and everyone in the same private vehicle, or two motorcycles, and at per-person sites it covers the holder plus three adults. Passes are now digital and sold through Recreation.gov. Fee-free days in 2026 apply to U.S. residents only.
The pass pays for itself quickly. For a U.S. resident, an $80 pass beats paying at the gate after about two or three fee parks, since standard vehicle entry at the most popular parks has been around $35. A non-resident without a pass pays the surcharge for each person at each of the eleven parks, so a family of three at three of them can spend more on surcharges than the pass costs.
Visiting from Outside the U.S.
Distances are the first surprise. Parks that look close on a map are often four to six hours apart by road, and public transport reaches almost none of them, so a rental car is the sensible default. Book it as soon as your flights are fixed, because summer inventory in gateway cities such as Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City and Bozeman thins out early. Lodging inside parks opens up to a year ahead and the best rooms disappear within hours, so reserve the in-park stays first and fill the gaps with gateway towns. Allow a full day of buffer after a long-haul flight before any early start, and buy the annual pass online before you arrive if you plan three or more fee parks.
A Realistic Budget for a 7-Day Park Trip
For two adults on a week-long road trip, expect roughly these ranges, which move with season and city:
- Rental car: $350 to $600
- Fuel: $150 to $300
- Lodging, six nights in gateway towns: $900 to $1,800, or less if you camp
- Food: $400 to $700
- Park fees: $80 for a resident pass, or $250 for a non-resident pass
- Activities such as shuttles, boat tours and cave tickets: $100 to $300
That puts a comfortable week between about $2,000 and $4,000 for two, with camping and cooking at the low end and in-park lodges at the high end.
Silence or Drama: Pick Your Mood
| If you want drama | If you want silence |
|---|---|
| Grand Canyon | Great Basin |
| Yellowstone | Isle Royale |
| Yosemite | North Cascades |
| Zion | Capitol Reef |
| Glacier | Voyageurs |
| Acadia | Shenandoah |
Same Week, Different Park: Seasonal Swaps
- Fall color: trade crowded Smokies weekends for Shenandoah's Skyline Drive or Cuyahoga Valley.
- Wildflowers: swap Yosemite's June crowds for Mount Rainier's Paradise meadows in late July (our guide to the best national parks in Washington shows the way).
- Snow: choose Bryce Canyon's frosted hoodoos over a packed Yosemite Valley in winter.
- Summer heat: skip Zion in July and head to Glacier or Rocky Mountain instead.
- Winter sun: trade a gray northern week for Saguaro, Big Bend or Everglades.
Drive Times Between Gateways and Parks
| Route | Approximate drive |
|---|---|
| Phoenix to Grand Canyon South Rim | 3.5 to 4 hours |
| Las Vegas to Zion | 2.5 to 3 hours |
| Zion to Bryce Canyon | About 2 hours |
| Bryce Canyon to Capitol Reef | About 2.5 hours |
| Moab (Arches) to Canyonlands, Island in the Sky | About 40 minutes |
| Fresno to Yosemite Valley | 2 to 2.5 hours |
| Palm Springs to Joshua Tree | About 45 minutes |
| Bozeman to Yellowstone, north entrance | About 1.5 hours |
| Jackson to Yellowstone, south entrance | About 1.5 hours |
| Kalispell to Glacier, west entrance | About 40 minutes |
| Bangor to Acadia | About 1.25 hours |
| Knoxville to the Smokies | About 1 hour |
| Salt Lake City to Great Basin | 4.5 to 5 hours |
| Seattle to Mount Rainier | About 2 hours |
| Anchorage to Denali | 4.5 to 5 hours |
When to Go: Month by Month
March-May: Zion, Joshua Tree and the Smokies at their best, with wildflowers and mild air. June-July: the high country opens, with Glacier, Yellowstone and the Tetons in full green and waterfalls at full roar in Yosemite. August: the busiest month almost everywhere, so go early in the day. September: elk bugle in Yellowstone, bears fish at Katmai, and crowds thin. October: Acadia and the Smokies burn red and gold. November-February: the desert parks are at their most comfortable, while the mountain parks turn quiet and snowy.
Road Trip Clusters That Make Sense
The Utah circuit: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands, linked by some of the most scenic highway in the country. The Rockies loop: Grand Teton, Yellowstone and Glacier, with long drives and constant wildlife. The Sierra run: Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon within a day's drive of each other. The Southwest desert: the Grand Canyon, Zion and Joshua Tree, ideal for cooler months. Utah's Mighty Five: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands, linked by Scenic Byway 12 and Highway 24. Alaska: Denali, Kenai Fjords and Wrangell-St. Elias in one arc from Anchorage. The Pacific Northwest: Olympic, Mount Rainier and North Cascades, all within a few hours of Seattle, as our guide to the best national parks in Washington explains.
Add Chiricahua to a Southwest loop and you gain the quietest stop of the trip. Pair it with Saguaro National Park near Tucson, then continue to the Grand Canyon, and read our guide to Chiricahua before you go.
Questions Travelers Ask About the Best National Parks in the USA
Which national park is the best for first-time visitors?
Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and Yosemite give first-time visitors the clearest sense of scale and the easiest access to major sights, with paved overlooks and plenty of services.
Which national park is the cheapest to visit?
The Great Smoky Mountains charges no entrance fee, and its free scenic drives, hiking and wildlife make it the best value in the system, though a parking tag is required.
Which national park has the fewest crowds?
Great Basin, Isle Royale and Katmai see a fraction of the visitors that the famous parks do, because they take effort to reach.
What is the best national park for a 7-day road trip?
The Utah circuit works well, linking Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches and Canyonlands with short drives between them, or the Rockies loop for wildlife and mountain scenery.
Is the America the Beautiful pass worth it?
It is worth it if you plan to visit three or four fee-charging parks within a year. Check the current price on the official park service page.
Which national park is the most visited?
Great Smoky Mountains National Park draws more visitors than any other national park, helped by free entry and its location within a day's drive of much of the eastern United States.
Which national park is the best in winter?
Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Saguaro, Big Bend and Everglades are at their best in winter, when the desert and subtropical heat finally lifts.
Can I bring my dog to a national park?
Dogs are generally limited to roads, parking areas and campgrounds. Acadia, Cuyahoga Valley and Shenandoah are the exceptions, with long stretches of trail open to leashed dogs.
Can I fly with bear spray?
No. Bear spray is not allowed in carry-on or checked bags, so rent or buy it after you land and return or recycle it before you fly home.
How many national parks are there in the USA?
There are 64 national parks, spread across 30 states and two territories, and the system is part of a larger network of more than 400 sites.
Pick the one that matches the day you are dreaming of, set the alarm for the blue hour before sunrise, and let the park do the rest.
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