Are you thinking of visiting one of the National Parks in the USA but not sure which one is best for you? In this blog, we are sharing what National Parks we have enjoyed the most and which ones we think you should visit first.
National Parks in the USA are one of our favorite places to visit, especially in the summer. But since 2020, there are a lot of new requirement,s especially related to entry permits, making it a little more challenging to plan a trip to the US National Parks.
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The #1 Reason You Should Visit a National Park
The US National Parks are in some of the most gorgeous locations! For me, hiking and camping in the national parks are some of the best things on Earth.
National Parks are so easy too! With well-marked trails and infrastructure either inside the park or very close by, you don’t have to be a hardcore adventurer to enjoy nature and the outdoors.
If you’re a national park newbie, be sure to read all the way to the bottom, where I give you some great tips on visiting the national parks.
The #1 Reason You Might Not Want to Visit a US National Park
They are often super crowded. Our family has been visiting a lot of national parks over the past decade and I was shocked at how much more crowded National Parks in the USA are getting. Plus, the headache of entry reservations makes it more work than it’s worth.
Reserving a Day-Use Access Pass To Visit Some National Parks
The following National Parks require advanced reservations for their busy season. Each park has different rules in regards to which dates, for what specific times of day, how far in advance you can purchase, and if your hotel, campground, or wilderness permit counts as a reservation. Check their individual website for the exact details. Note that National Parks require an entrance fee in addition to the entry reservation.
- Arches National Park (April 1 through October 31)
- Glacier National Park only for Going-to-the-Sun Road and North Fork areas (May 24 through September 8) and Many Glacier (July 1 through September 8)
- Haleakala National Park for sunrise 3am to 7am
- Mount Rainier National Park for both the Paradise Corridor and Sunrise Corridor
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park requires a parking tag
- Shenandoah National Park just for the Old Rag Mountain area
- Acadia National Park for Cadillac Summit Road (May 24 through October 22)
- Rocky Mountain National Park for Bear Lake corridor (May 24 through October 20) and the rest of the park (May 24 through October 15)
- Yosemite National Park on weekends (April 13 to June 30 and August 17 to October 27) and daily (July 1 to August 16)
- Zion National Park, but just to hike Angel’s Landing (year-round)
If I wasn’t so obsessed with hiking mountain peaks, I’d probably look into spending more time in the less popular national parks. However, I must say, the popular ones are popular for a reason and if this is your first trip to a national park you probably want to see the most epic ones!
Pack List For The National Parks
- REI Co-op 22L Pack: In 7 years of serious hiking, this is the best day hiking backpack we’ve ever used. The REI Co-op 18L is also great but it doesn’t have water bottle holders on the outside or the zippered pocket on the top.
- La Sportiva Bushidos: Our all-time favorite hiking shoes for both men and women. Read why we love them here!
- Hydroflask water bottle [w/ Defy the Norm Stickers]
- Stance Socks: Our favorite absorbent and warm socks for hiking.
- [Womens] Hylete Fleece-Lined Leggings: Stylish, sturdy, and warm. They are great for hiking, climbing, and yoga.
- [Mens] Kuhl Renegade Pants: Sturdy and midweight for rugged mobility and warmth.
- [Women’s} Kuhl Splash Roll Up: I’ve hiked all over the planet with these awesome pants. They’re durable, comfy, and also great to rock climb in. We also love Kuhl’s Trekkr sytle pants.
- Hoodie: Check out durable Defy the Norm hoodies and spread good vibes while staying warm and in style out on your hike!
- Our favorite women’s hiking shorts are great for all our adventures.
- Defy the Norm long sleeve sun layer: A lightweight long sleeve is essential in the summer to protect and you can do so in style with our Defy the Norm series.
- Patagonia Nano Puff: We carry these jackets with us on all our hikes as you can see in the picture above. I love that they pack down really small and are warm and comfy. If you tend to get cold easily, I recommend getting the Patagonia Down Sweater.
- Sun Bum sunscreen: Lightweight and protective. Great for when you have to re-apply often because it’s not goopy or oily.
- [Mens] Black Diamond Notion Shorts: The boys’ favorite sturdy and lightweight hiking shorts.
- Lightweight Defy the Norm tee or tank: Early in the morning before the sun gets harsh, you’ll want to have apparel that keeps you cool. Check out our radical line of outdoor apparel to Defy the Norm with us.
- Hat & Sunglasses
12 Things I Love About Visiting National Parks
1 | Hiking is safe and easy
We love that the trails in national parks are so well marked and even labeled beginner, intermediate and advanced to ensure you don’t bite off more than you can chew.
2 | Camping in the parks is so much fun
Camping inside the National Parks makes visiting a National Park even more memorable. While they often don’t have full hookups, most do have water, toilets, and a camp host to help you.
The only downside to camping in the national parks is that, because they are so wonderful, it’s often hard to get a campsite at them. Some are reservable, but you often need to book 6 months in advance. If you are planning last minute and don’t have reservations, try using Camp Scanner or use our How To Find Free Camping blog.
3 | Ranger talks are so informative
In the summer, the campgrounds often have ranger presentations in the amphitheater and my kids absolutely love attending these. One year, at Kalalau campground in Olympic National Park, a ranger gave a one-hour PowerPoint presentation that taught me more than I had learned in all my high school science classes.
4 | My younger kids love earning junior ranger badges
If you’ve never been to a national park and have kids, be sure to go straight to the visitor center (assuming it’s open this summer) and get a junior ranger book. After they complete the book, you take it back to the ranger and they receive a badge and will be sworn in as “junior rangers”. My kids loved doing this when they were younger and in Denali NP, they give the kids full backpacks filled with science projects for free!
5 | No cell service is common
This may be a downside, however, I definitely see it as an upside considering how much time I spend working on my computer. There is rarely cell service inside the national parks which means I get to disconnect and chill out.
6 | Wildlife Viewing
One of the most powerful gifts you can give yourself and your family is seeing the animals inside these parks. We have been to some pretty amazing places and have had the opportunity to share space with bears, bison, raptors, elk, fox, wolf, and moose.
Be smart. These are wild animals; give them their space. I highly recommend to mind by the rules the park recommends about the distance you give each animal.
Invest in a good pair of binoculars or many places you can rent. When we went to Lamar Valley to view the wolf packs, we learned you can rent high-powered viewing equipment to see the animals from 1/4 mile away. Thankfully, some kind strangers allowed the kids to take a peek through their lenses so they could see the wolves and the pups.
7 | It’s easy for RVs to get around
If you are traveling in an RV, know that most of the major attractions and popular trailheads have parking lots for RVs. Now, I wouldn’t tow my 5th wheel into these parking lots, but if you are traveling in a 35 ft class C or smaller, you’ll probably be fine.
Tips For Visiting The USA National Parks
1. Journal the memories
If I knew back then how much I was going to love the national parks and how often I would be visiting them, I would’ve been better at documenting the memories. We did buy the National Park Passport book, and that has been fun, but I wish I had bought a vest or something like this to save all the kid’s badges on.
2. There are amazing adventures just outside the National Park boundaries
While I love the national parks, there are a lot of great hikes and camping spots just outside the parks too. If crowds aren’t your thing and you are going to visit during the peak of summer, you might want to plan your trip so that you can go early in the morning or late in the evening and do something else during the day.
For instance, you can hike Angel’s Landing in Zion by starting before sunrise and then go spend the day exploring all the great hikes in St. George or drive Kolob Canyon.
3. An early start can make all the difference
I know you’re on vacation, but crowds and noise tend to scare off animal life, so if you can, get up early to explore. Plus, early morning provides the best photo ops, the trails are less crowded, and you will have better luck getting parking.
4. Visit during the shoulder season
If you want nice weather with fewer crowds, try to plan your trip for May, early June, September, or early October.
5. Leave no “emotional” trace
While, yes, everyone wants to protect the outdoors, and you should absolutely pack out what you pack in and stay on the trail, I want to end this blog post with a mindfulness message. Hey! Emotions are hot these days. When you go to a national park, you see people from all walks of life, which means you are guaranteed to see or talk to people with different opinions. The Golden Rule still applies post-COVID: ‘Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you.’ Enjoy your national trip vacation and tag us on IG @nomadswithapurpose
Top 8 MUST SEE National Parks in the USA
These are the National Parks that we think you have to check off your bucket list and should prioritize before visiting the others. They are not ranked in any specific order.
Denali National Park
Raw nature and an abundance of wildlife are what make Denali National Park a must-see. While we find it not the best national park for hiking, the feeling of being in the open wilderness and getting to see Mount McKinley is pretty rad.
Glacier National Park
Driving the Going-to-the-Sun-Road is a must-do when visiting Glacier National Park. But there is more to Glacier than just a steep, windy road. We love the number and diversity of hikes here and that there are numerous areas to explore between Apgar, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine. If you love mountains, alpine lakes, and wildlife, then Glacier is a must for you. Plus, we think the nearby town of Whitefish is pretty rad.
Zion National Park
You have to experience the magic of Zion’s red rocks looming over you and the beauty of Zion’s Virgin River meandering through the narrow valley. Unlike Glacier, you don’t really need to love hiking to experience the beauty of this National Park. While Angel’s Landing is a popular hike, you can just ride the shuttle and take short strolls at various stops and soak in the positive energy field here.
North Cascades
The first time I visited North Cascades I was impressed with the beautiful teal green of Diablo Lake however, it wasn’t until this last time, when we finally got to explore the area of North Cascades by Mount Baker ski area and the beautiful hikes near Cascade Pass made me really fall in love with this National Park.
There are actually more glaciers here than in Glacier National Park, making the hiking even more jaw-dropping than the other National Parks on this list. The only negative is that everything is spread out, and there isn’t a lot of infrastructure in the park.
Yellowstone National Park
Like Denali, this park is a must-see if you love seeing wildlife. While you may not see a bear, there is a really good chance you will see bison and possibly even wolves, moose, and elk.
The geothermal activity is pretty impressive, and even though it’s not one of my favorite National Parks, I do think it is something everyone should get to experience once in their life.
Grand Teton National Park
Pretty much every summer, we come to the Tetons to do some epic hike or climb one of the many of peaks. The nice thing about visiting the Tetons is that you don’t have to hike or climb to take in its beauty
Just driving Teton Road and stopping at the various overlooks is worth the effort.
Of course, you could easily spend a week here, adding in Jackson Hole and the area of Driggs and Grand Targhee on the back side of the Tetons.
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year, both locally and internationally. It’s not hard to see why when you gaze at the glaciated summit from the lush meadows of Paradise (rightfully named).
The cool part of Mount Rainier is the various regions and aspects of the mountain for you to explore and the abundance of beautiful hikes. Paradise is the most popular area and a must-see, but be sure to explore the less crowded Sunrise side.
Mount Rainier is also home to an iconic backpacking route called the Wonderland trail, a worthy objective if you can manage to get a permit.
Yosemite National Park
Home to legendary granite cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and towering sequoias, Yosemite is a haven for nature enthusiasts and avid hikers. For those seeking a memorable day of exploration without the constraints of obtaining a hiking permit, you’ll love hiking the Four Mile Trail to the Panorama Trail to Mist Trail.
Click here to read about our favorite hike in Yosemite and why we prefer camping in Tuolumne Meadows.
Rocky Mountain National Park
As the prized gem of Colorado’s mountains, Rocky Mountain National Park is a hub of alpine beauty that offers endless adventures for every skill level. From the easy hikes around Bear Lake to summiting the prestigious Long’s Peak, every view and trail throughout the park will take your breath away.
You could spend days here if the park allowed it! Unfortunately, this is one of the few parks that requires a reservation permit just to get inside, which can be a challenge if you don’t plan ahead. Make sure you read our blog about how to get a reservation to visit Rocky Mountain.
Runners Up National Parks in the USA
The following national parks are not our favorite despite the fact that we realize many people would disagree. This is just our two cents and is mostly based on the fact that we love sharp, jagged, and snow-capped mountains.
- Death Valley
- Mesa Verde
- Joshua Tree
- Badlands
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