The best national parks in the USA for a first trip are Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Glacier, Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains, Arches, Acadia and Olympic. The United States has 63 national parks managed by the National Park Service, and each protects a very different landscape, from geysers and glaciers to red rock canyons, rainforest and active volcanoes. The smartest way to plan is to pick a region and a season first, then build the trip around two or three parks that sit close together.
Planning more of the trip? Start with our guide to the most famous landmarks in the USA.
Yellowstone became the world's first national park in 1872, and the system has grown into one of the great travel experiences anywhere. This guide covers the parks that reward visitors most, what to see in each, when to go, how the entry rules work as of October 2026, and which parks pair well on one road trip. If you want a world view, our guide to the world's most spectacular national parks covers the other continents.
Besides the 63 national parks, the Park Service runs hundreds of other sites. Late spring and September suit most parks, and winter suits the desert ones. A rental car is close to essential, and the usual gateway airports are Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City, San Francisco and Seattle. You will need a visa or ESTA depending on your passport, and in-park lodges and campsites book out months ahead for summer.
Which US national parks to visit first
Choose by landscape and season. The table below sets the ten headline parks side by side, and the sections that follow explain what makes each one worth the trip.
The ten headline US national parks, compared
| Park | State | Known for | Best months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yellowstone | Wyoming, Montana, Idaho | Geysers, wildlife | May to September |
| Yosemite | California | Granite cliffs, waterfalls | April to June for falls |
| Grand Canyon | Arizona | Canyon views, rim hikes | March to May, Sept to Nov |
| Zion | Utah | Canyon hikes, the Narrows | April to June, Sept to Oct |
| Glacier | Montana | Alpine lakes, mountain road | July to mid-September |
| Grand Teton | Wyoming | Jagged peaks, moose | June to September |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Tennessee, North Carolina | Forests, autumn colour | April to May, October |
| Arches | Utah | Stone arches | March to May, Sept to Oct |
| Acadia | Maine | Rocky coast, sunrise | June to October |
| Olympic | Washington | Rainforest, wild coast | July to September |
For a first trip, cluster parks and leave the rest of the list for later. From Las Vegas, Zion, Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon's South Rim fit into a week by car; from Salt Lake City, Arches and Canyonlands around Moab pair well; and Yellowstone and Grand Teton sit next to each other in north-west Wyoming. Yosemite works on its own from San Francisco, and Glacier and Olympic each need a dedicated trip. Match the cluster to the season in the table: the south-west desert parks are best in spring and autumn, the northern mountain parks only reliably open from early summer.
Best national parks in the USA, park by park
Yellowstone is the best US national park for wildlife and geysers, Yosemite for granite cliffs and waterfalls, the Grand Canyon for sheer scale, Zion for canyon hikes, and Glacier for an alpine road trip. Grand Teton, the Great Smoky Mountains, Arches, Acadia and Olympic complete the ten, each described below with its main sights and season.
Yellowstone National Park: geysers and wildlife
For wildlife and geothermal sights, no US park beats Yellowstone. It holds over half of the world's geysers, including Old Faithful, which erupts on average about every 90 minutes, with intervals ranging from under an hour to around two. Rangers post predicted eruption times at the visitor centre.
Walk the boardwalks of the Upper Geyser Basin and look down on Grand Prismatic Spring, a hot spring ringed in orange, yellow and deep blue (the best view is from the overlook trail above it). Drive the Lamar and Hayden valleys at dawn for bison and elk and, with patience and binoculars, wolves and grizzly bears. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone adds waterfalls and yellow cliffs. Stay well back from all wildlife and never leave the boardwalks in thermal areas: the ground is thin and the water scalding.
Summer, from May to September, is the main season. Most park roads close to regular cars in winter, when access is by snowcoach or snowmobile tour. Give it three to four days and stay in the in-park lodges or in West Yellowstone or Gardiner; it suits families and first visits well.
Yosemite National Park: granite and waterfalls
Sheer granite walls and waterfalls made Yosemite famous. Yosemite Valley packs El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall into a valley short enough to tour in a day, and the National Park Service lists Yosemite Falls as the tallest waterfall in the United States. Climbers and photographers can easily fill two to three days, staying in the valley or in gateway towns.
April to June is the best time to see the falls at full power from snowmelt, and many dwindle by late summer. Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall (expect to get wet), drive up to Glacier Point when the road is open for the view across Half Dome, and walk among giant sequoias in Mariposa Grove. Yosemite dropped its peak-season reservation system for 2026, but rules have changed almost every year, so check the park's official page before you travel.
Grand Canyon National Park: the view that stops you
About 277 river miles long and more than a mile deep, the Grand Canyon is one place no photograph prepares you for. One or two days of rim walks and big views is enough for most visitors, ideally in spring or autumn, staying at the South Rim lodges or in Tusayan.
The South Rim is open all year and has the most viewpoints, lodges and services. The North Rim is higher, cooler, quieter and open only from late spring to autumn. Watch sunrise at Mather Point or Yavapai Point, walk part of the paved Rim Trail and ride the free shuttle buses to the western viewpoints.
If you are fit, hike a short way down the Bright Angel or South Kaibab trails and turn around well before you feel tired: the climb back up takes about twice as long as the descent. Park rangers warn every summer against trying to reach the river and return in one day, because heat at the bottom is extreme.
Zion National Park: canyon hikes in red rock
Utah's most visited park has sheer sandstone walls in red, pink and cream. A free shuttle runs through Zion Canyon for much of the year, and private cars are not allowed on the scenic drive during shuttle season, so park in Springdale or at the visitor centre early. Springdale is also the place to stay for two to three days, ideally from April to June or in September and October.
The Narrows, where you wade up the Virgin River between towering walls, is one of the best hikes in America; rent canyoneering shoes in Springdale and check the flash-flood forecast first. Angels Landing, with its chain-assisted final ridge, needs a permit through a lottery on Recreation.gov. Hikers and adventurous families get the most from Zion, and Bryce Canyon, with its orange hoodoo spires, is about a 90-minute drive away and pairs well with it.
Glacier National Park: the alpine road trip
Montana's Glacier is the best US national park for alpine scenery. Its Going-to-the-Sun Road crosses the Continental Divide at Logan Pass and is one of the most beautiful mountain drives in North America. The full road usually opens only from early July into autumn, depending on snow, so July to mid-September is the window.
Hike to Grinnell Glacier or along the Highline Trail, and look for mountain goats and bighorn sheep near Logan Pass. The park's glaciers are shrinking, which gives a visit some urgency. Glacier also dropped its vehicle reservation system for 2026; arrive at Logan Pass early anyway, because the car park fills by mid-morning in July and August. Hikers and scenic drivers should plan two to four days, based in the in-park lodges, West Glacier or St. Mary.
Grand Teton National Park: peaks without foothills
Just south of Yellowstone, Grand Teton is easy to combine with it on one trip. The jagged Teton Range rises straight from the valley with no foothills, which makes it one of the most dramatic mountain fronts in the country, especially reflected in Jackson Lake or the Snake River.
Go to Mormon Row at sunrise for the classic barn-and-mountains photograph, take the shuttle boat across Jenny Lake to hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, and watch for moose along the rivers in the early morning. One or two days between June and September is enough. Jackson, the nearest town, has the most hotels and restaurants, and there are in-park lodges too.
Great Smoky Mountains: the most visited park
On the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the USA. There is no entrance fee, though you need a parking tag to park anywhere in the park for more than a short stop. Its forested ridges are wrapped in the blue haze that gave the range its name.
Drive the Cades Cove loop for historic cabins and white-tailed deer, climb to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park, and visit in October for autumn colour or in April and May for wildflowers. Traffic at Cades Cove is heavy at weekends, so go early on a weekday. Two days suits families and easy hikers, with Gatlinburg, Townsend or Bryson City as a base.
Arches, Acadia and Olympic
Near Moab in Utah, Arches has more than 2,000 natural stone arches, including Delicate Arch, the symbol on Utah licence plates, and the long, thin Landscape Arch. The park dropped timed entry for 2026, which makes sunrise visits easier, but midday heat in summer is severe, so spring or autumn is best. Pair it with Canyonlands next door and stay in Moab.
Acadia, on the coast of Maine, combines granite peaks, a rocky Atlantic shoreline and historic carriage roads that cyclists love. Cadillac Mountain is among the first places in the US to see sunrise for much of the year. Summer is the season, and Bar Harbor is the base.
Olympic, in Washington State, covers three ecosystems in one park: the glaciated Olympic Mountains, the moss-draped Hoh Rain Forest and a wild Pacific coastline with sea stacks and tide pools. Distances inside the park are long, so allow at least three days, based in Port Angeles, and go in summer. The other two need one to three days each.
Lesser-known US national parks worth the trip
Beyond the famous ten, the lesser-known US national parks most worth the trip are Crater Lake in Oregon, with the deepest lake in the United States; Mesa Verde, with Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings; Sequoia, home of the General Sherman Tree; Denali in Alaska; the Everglades in winter; and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes. Each rewards travellers who want something different.
- Crater Lake. Oregon's only national park holds the deepest lake in the United States, formed when a volcano collapsed thousands of years ago. The water is an intense, almost unreal blue, best seen on a summer rim drive.
- Mesa Verde. Ancestral Puebloans built cliff dwellings here around 1100 AD, and ranger-led tours take history and archaeology fans into some of them.
- Sequoia. Home of the General Sherman Tree, by volume the largest living tree on earth, with forest walks that suit families.
- Denali. North America's tallest peak at 6,190 metres, with caribou, moose, grizzlies and wolves across a vast tundra.
- Everglades. A slow river of grass with alligators and wading birds, best in winter. Birdwatchers should walk the Anhinga Trail or take a kayak tour.
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes. Kīlauea and Mauna Loa, two of the world's most active volcanoes, with lava fields, craters and steam vents, easy to combine with a beach holiday.
Some of these are lesser-known only to overseas visitors; Sequoia and Hawaiʻi Volcanoes are busy in US holidays, so the same advice applies: arrive early and book lodging ahead.
National park road trip itineraries
The two best national park road trips in this guide each take seven days: Yellowstone and Grand Teton from Salt Lake City or Jackson, and the Utah and Arizona canyons from Las Vegas. Group parks that sit close together like this and you will spend your time in the parks, not on the interstate.
Seven days: Yellowstone and Grand Teton from Salt Lake City or Jackson
- Day 1, Arrive and drive to Grand Teton: Fly into Jackson or drive north from Salt Lake City. Evening at Jenny Lake or Oxbow Bend.
- Day 2, Grand Teton: Mormon Row at sunrise, boat across Jenny Lake, hike to Inspiration Point.
- Day 3, Into Yellowstone, Old Faithful: Drive north to the Upper Geyser Basin and time your visit to Old Faithful's predicted eruption.
- Day 4, Grand Prismatic and Midway: Overlook trail for the best view, then the Lower Geyser Basin.
- Day 5, Canyon and Hayden Valley: Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone viewpoints; wildlife at dusk.
- Day 6, Lamar Valley: Dawn drive for bison and wolves, then back south.
- Day 7, Departure: Return to your gateway airport.
Seven days: Utah and Arizona canyons from Las Vegas
- Day 1, Las Vegas to Zion: About a three-hour drive. Sunset walk along the Pa'rus Trail.
- Day 2, Zion: The Narrows by shuttle, or Angels Landing if you won a permit.
- Day 3, Bryce Canyon: Sunrise at the rim, then the Navajo Loop among the hoodoos.
- Day 4, Drive towards the Grand Canyon: Via Page for Horseshoe Bend, then on to the rim.
- Day 5, Grand Canyon South Rim: Sunrise, Rim Trail and a short hike below the rim.
- Day 6, Return towards Las Vegas: Stop at the Hoover Dam on the way.
- Day 7, Departure: Fly out of Las Vegas.
How US national park entry works in 2026
Entry is by vehicle or per person at most parks, and the annual America the Beautiful pass covers entrance fees at every national park for a year. If you plan to visit three or more parks, it usually pays for itself. Some parks still use reservations or permits for specific roads, trails or seasons.
Entry and permit rules at popular parks, as of October 2026
| Park | What you need | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Arches | Entrance fee or pass | Timed entry dropped for 2026 |
| Yosemite | Entrance fee or pass | Peak-season reservations dropped for 2026 |
| Glacier | Entrance fee or pass | Vehicle reservations dropped for 2026 |
| Zion | Entrance fee or pass; Angels Landing permit | Permit by lottery on Recreation.gov |
| Great Smoky Mountains | Parking tag | No entrance fee |
These systems have changed almost every year since 2020, so treat this table as a starting point and confirm on each park's official NPS page in the weeks before you travel.
The biggest change for international visitors in 2026: since 1 January, non-US residents aged 16 and over pay an additional $100 per person, on top of the normal entrance fee, at 11 of the most-visited parks, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Zion, Glacier, Grand Teton, Acadia, Rocky Mountain and the Everglades. The America the Beautiful annual pass now costs $250 for nonresidents, compared with $80 for US residents, and covers the pass holder and passengers in one private vehicle. For a road trip taking in two or more of the surcharged parks, the nonresident pass is usually the cheaper option. Fee-free days do not apply to nonresidents. Keep your passport or ID with the pass, as rangers may check residency.
Where to stay near US national parks
National park campgrounds are the cheapest option. Book them on Recreation.gov months ahead and bring layers, because nights are cold at altitude. Gateway towns such as Springdale, Moab, Jackson and Tusayan give the most choice, with motels, chain hotels and cabins a short drive from the park gate. The historic in-park lodges in Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Glacier have the best location, with sunrise on the doorstep, and they sell out early for summer.
Compare stays on our hotels page, and book summer rooms as early as you can.
The main trade-off is time against money. Staying inside a park, at a lodge or campground, saves an hour or more of driving each day at large parks such as Yellowstone and Yosemite, where the gates are far from the main sights, and puts you on the trail before day visitors arrive. Lodge rooms and campsites usually open for booking many months in advance and the summer dates go quickly; cancellations reappear, so check again closer to your dates. Gateway towns offer more choice and lower prices outside July and August, but some, like Springdale for Zion, still fill up on spring and autumn weekends. Hotels in larger towns an hour or more away, such as Kanab for Zion or Flagstaff for the Grand Canyon, are a fallback when nearby options are full. Many gateway motels have few dining options after dark, so stock up on food on the way in.
Practical tips for visiting US national parks
Before visiting US national parks, check whether your passport needs a US visa or an ESTA, then plan to rent a car, since parks are far apart and public transport is limited. Start at dawn for wildlife and empty car parks, carry extra water in desert and mountain parks, keep well back from bison and elk, and download offline maps.
- Check entry rules for your passport. Depending on your nationality, you need a US visa or an ESTA. Check well before booking, and see our visa page.
- Rent a car. Parks are far apart and public transport to them is limited. Fly into a gateway city and drive.
- Start at dawn. Wildlife is most active, light is best and car parks are empty in the first hours after sunrise.
- Respect the heat and altitude. Desert parks are dangerous in summer heat, and mountain parks sit high. Carry more water than you think you need.
- Keep your distance from wildlife. Bison and elk injure visitors every year. Use binoculars, not your feet, to get closer.
- Download offline maps. Mobile signal is patchy or absent in many parks. Download maps and the NPS app before you arrive.
Compare flights into Las Vegas, Denver, Salt Lake City or San Francisco, then build your road trip from there. Search flights
Many first-time international visitors prefer an organised trip; browse our tours for packaged options.
Build in buffer days: wildfires, rockfall, floods and snow close roads and trails at short notice, so check each park's "current conditions" page the night before.
Planning a trip to United States? Read our United States travel guide, compare hotels in United States or search flights.
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