A trip to a national park is one of the best examples of a traditional American vacation. Travelers get just what they need from these parks, which can be found in 30 states and cover millions of acres across dry deserts, lush forests, freezing mountains, and the crystal-clear seas of the tropics. And it’s hardly surprising that people are flocking to these open-air bulwarks of optimism at this time. Nearly 300 million people enjoyed visiting the national park system in 2021, which also includes national forests, monuments, and scenic byways.
- Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, and Yellowstone National Park
Readers of Travel + Leisure focused on national parks in the American West once again, such as Yosemite National Park in California, which is home to Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, and Katmai National Park in Alaska, which was praised by tourists for its breathtaking vistas and capacity to thrill. One reader said, “Flying into this incredible park and going along pathways where grizzlies are also wandering was one of phrazle the most fantastic experiences of my life.
Although the National Park Service was established by President Woodrow Wilson on August 25, 1916, the first U.S. National Park was really established earlier. This year’s top pick, Yellowstone National Park, was established on March 1, 1872, by President Ulysses S. Grant. Discover why this park is so amazing and which other national parks made the list by reading the information provided below.
- Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park
At this stunning national park, the mountaintops seem to brush the skies. Grand Teton is one that will steal your breath away. It is home to a variety of fauna, including its fair share of moose and more than 300 kinds of birds (and not just because of the altitude). The top concerns include preserving the environment of Yellowstone, providing visitors with a top-notch experience via interactive displays, honoring the Indigenous people who live in the region, and more. Readers gave the park excellent marks for its animals, accessibility, and natural features, all of which are well-maintained so that it may continue to be a top option for readers for years to come.
On March 1st, 2022, Yellowstone National Park will celebrate its 150th birthday. It’s a place that only appears to become better with time, becoming more valuable to preserve. More than 500 geysers are there, along with several unusual natural features and endangered species. In order to assist guarantee that this area stays unchanged for future generations, the park established “five primary strategic objectives” in 2019. Each of these goals is intended to promote the purpose of the National Park Service and is “essential to Yellowstone’s success.”
- California’s Yosemite National Park
Explore Yosemite’s 1,200 square mile wildness at your leisure. Stroll across its grasslands, awe at its waterfalls, and get a glimpse of Half Dome at dusk. T+L invites readers to weigh in on travel experiences across the world every year for our World’s Best Awards poll. Readers are asked to express their ideas on the best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and more. The natural features, activities, housing, wildlife, accessibility, and cleanliness of U.S. national parks were evaluated.
- Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park
Observe, hikers: That park is Rocky Mountain National Park. Over 300 miles of hiking paths covering a total area of 415 square miles wind through a variety of environments, from floral meadows to rugged mountains. When the park was initially created in 1910, there were around 150 glaciers there. However, with just a few hundred left today, they are swiftly fading into obscurity. Get there as soon as possible to capture a once-in-a-lifetime view and find some Cretaceous era fossils.
- Utah’s Zion National Park
Let Zion’s splendor steal your breath away. Zion is an amazing area with heart-pounding sandstone cliffs and small slot canyons. Wow, the views, said one reader. “Amazing narrows, I must say. With our three children, we trekked back for around 2.5 kilometers. They were pleading with them to go on. This will always be a treasured memory.”
Even though Katmai is a beautiful site, it’s not only for show. The national park is home to hundreds of brown bears, who are honored each year during the popular Fat Bear Week when a new, chubby champion is named. The Kenai Fjords are where you can travel across time without a special device. Visitors may hike over glaciers and see moose, coyotes, and beavers while doing so in an area where the Ice Age still seems like the current day reality.
- Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park
To prepare for a trek across the Great Smoky Mountains, you may need to do a little training, but you may also want to strengthen your “ooh” and “ahh” muscles since this area is brimming with breathtaking views. One reader said, “My favorite spot to go is to the Great Smoky Mountains. “The wildlife is abundant and simple to observe, and there are a ton of activities to check out. I could not imagine being anywhere else on the planet.”
The Olympic National Park has traditionally been a place where social distance is the norm. It’s a place where you may travel for days without seeing another person since it has approximately 1 million acres. There are several national parks that don’t have craggy mountains and pine trees. Consider Virgin Islands National Park as the ideal illustration. Sugar-sand beaches and crystal-clear water may be found throughout this park. Visit its coral reefs; just remember to pack reef-safe sunblock.
- Alaska’s Denali National Park
It’s true that the vistas at Denali National Park appear to stretch on for days. The park is enormous, covering 6 million acres. Nevertheless, its biggest draw is Denali, which stands at 20,310 feet and is North America’s highest mountain. The Grand Canyon may serve as the model for all other parks, while not being the oldest. Any time of year, it makes for a picturesque vacation because to its stunning scenery, world-class hiking routes, and rough rivers.
Swim at one of the nicest national parks in the nation. Thanks to its proximity to Lake Superior, Isle Royale provides water aficionados with something to gush about, including boaters, kayakers, and even scuba divers, making it the perfect place to spend hot Michigan summers. Need extra room to move around? One of the biggest protected places in the world, Glacier Bay National Park has a total size of 3.3 million acres and is a component of a 25 million square mile World Heritage Site. You could go back every day for all of your life and yet not see everything.