The United States has 63 national parks spread from Alaska to the Florida Keys, divided between 31 states and two US territories. From the magical northern lights to the limestone caves, glacier-carved valleys, deep gorges, and steaming geysers; these national parks have lot to offer.
Read on to know 15 breathtaking national parks every American should visit.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Crater Lake was named the most beautiful national park in the US after 45.26% of people called it ‘beautiful’, ‘stunning’, ‘breathtaking’, and ‘gorgeous’ in their Google reviews. Crater Lake is known for its blue-hued lake. Caldera Rim Drive circumnavigates the lake for 33 miles, making for a panoramic car drive or bike ride.
Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier National Park offers spectacular views of the soaring glacier-capped peaks, and shimmering alpine lakes and valleys. Its 700 miles of hiking trails are ideal for people who like to experience the park on foot. Early July to mid-October is the best time to visit the park because the roads are fully open.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Located in southeastern Utah and carved by the mighty Colorado River, Canyonlands National Park offers 527 square miles of canyons, sandstone spires, and flat-topped mesas. Visitors can enjoy hiking, stargazing, camping, rock climbing, and white water rafting in the long Cataract Canyon. This park is open all year round.
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
Home to two of the most active volcanoes in the world, Mauna Loa and Kilauea. Kilauea erupted from 1983 till September 2023, shaping and re-shaping the islands. The park provides hiking, camping, and deep exploration opportunities on its rugged lava fields, rainforests, and craters. The less adventurous can drive along the Chain of Craters Road to see the trails of recent lava and the newest land that Kilauea has formed.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Acadia National Park is the only national park on east of the Mississippi River and in the Northeastern part of the country. It is known for its rugged coastlines, tall coastal mountains, and forests. The popular Precipice and Beehive hiking trails offer visitors uninhibited views of the Gulf of Maine.
Olympic National Forest, Washington
Olympic National Park sprawls across diverse ecosystems – glacier-capped mountains, old-growth temperate forests, and sandy beaches of the Pacific coast, offering its visitors several spectacular viewpoints. The park is best explored by foot to enjoy its remote shorelines and rainforests and the scenic views from the summit of glacier-clad Mt. Olympus.
Denali National Park and Reserve, Alaska
Nothing beats the remote wilderness and mountain-based adventures of this 6-million-acre park. Named after the tallest summit in North America, this park offers scenic views, hiking off-trails in spring and summer, a snow-covered playground for skiers and mountaineers in winter, alongwith a glimpse of aurora borealis.
New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia
The newest national park, New River Gorge was declared as protected land in 2020. Situated in the southern Appalachian Mountains in Lansing, this park offers many hiking trails, river rafting, and beautiful sunrise views from the New River Gorge bridge.
Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
Mount Rainier National Park, southeast of Seattle, surrounds Mount Rainier, the highest volcanic peak in the contiguous United States. Its subalpine wildflower meadows boast hundreds of species of flora and fauna. For hiking enthusiasts, the park offers a 93-mile Wonderland Trail circumnavigating the mountain that takes 10-14 days to complete.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee And North Carolina
Located at the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, this 522,427-acre national park is one of the most visited parks in the US. Known for its biodiversity, the park offers 850-mile hiking trails meandering through streams, rivers, waterfalls, and lush forests in the Appalachian mountains. From the observation tower atop the highest peak, the Clingmans Dome, the early morning hikers can get spectacular views of the sunrise and mist-covered mountains.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
Situated in the colorful North Dakota badlands, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a natural habitat for bison, elk, and prairie dogs. President Roosevelt fell in love with the rugged landscape; you can even visit the Maltese Cross Cabin where he once lived. The park is known for its winding trails and drives, offering stunning views of the Painted Canyon and the Little Missouri River.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon floor, looking down at the 6000-foot-deep gorges carved by the raging Colorado River is an overwhelming and humbling experience. It reveals to its admirers towering buttes, mesas, and pinnacles. Visitors enjoy rim-to-rim hiking, donkey rides, and white water rafting in the Colorado River.
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho
If we are on the subject of breathtaking American national parks, we must mention Yellowstone, which is nestled in the heart of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. This iconic national park sits atop a dormant volcano and is home to a multitude of geysers and hot springs. It boats wildlife like bison, grizzly bears, and wolves. Though the park gets more visitors in the summer months for hiking and backpacking, in the winter, the snow-clad mountains offer backcountry skiing opportunities.
Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
The park is known for its array of different ecosystems, diverse wildlife, gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, and scenic views. Apart from wildlife viewing that consists of large herds of elks, moose, marmots, pika, and bighorn sheep, the park also offers rock climbing, camping, horseback riding, camping, fishing, and picnic areas.
North Cascades National Park, Washington
Less than 3 hours from Seattle, this park boasts mountains, the largest concentration of glaciers (more than three hundred) in a national park outside Alaska, cascading waterfalls, and dense evergreen forests. The park also offers many lakes and ponds for fishing or bird watching.