Before we go into detail on each Park, I want to give a brief synopsis and overview of the 32 parks we have visited so far. I have decided to do this by listing the National Parks from favorite to least favorite (but believe me they're all good!) Obviously, this list will be updated as we visit and re-visit the Parks. So let us commence on my absolutely subjective rankings of the National Parks:
#1 Zion
Observation Point overlooking the canyon and Angels Landing
What can I say? It's the best. It contains two absolutely classic hikes: The Narrows and Angel's Landing. Observation Point is also a must-do hike. The canyon is easily accessible thanks to the Park Shuttle with lots of stops along the way. Lots of high adventure that's totally doable for even the slickest of city slickers. We visited in November so we didn't have to worry about crowds. Unsurpassed beauty in southern Utah. An absolute gem.
#2 Yellowstone
Grand Prismatic Spring
The grand-daddy of the National Parks is one of the best. It is THE quintessential national park. Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Artist's Point at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, countless geysers, springs, and paint pots. (Also plenty of odd smells 😉) Endlessly rewarding vistas of mountains and waterfalls. And if you want to see wildlife?...Yellowstone is unmatched.
#3 Grand Canyon
As Andy from Parks & Rec would say "Where are the giant heads?"
Suppose you wanted to see the most spectacular view possible by barely venturing out of your car? It's hard to beat the Grand Canyon. And of course, as you hike into the canyon the views are even more rewarding. There's a reason this is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Teddy Roosevelt said it best: "Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it...One great sight that every American should see."
#4 Yosemite
Tunnel View
You have to see it to believe it. An absolutely incredible valley. Start your day at Glacier Point for incredible views of Half Dome. Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, Tuolumne Meadows. I can't believe we only spent a day here. I want to go back...SO...BAD.
#5 Mt. Rainier
Magnificent Mt. Rainier and Reflection Lake
Rounding out the Top 5 is majestic Mt. Rainier, the crown of the Cascades. Divide your time between Sunrise and Paradise. And if you do one hike, make it the Skyline Trail. Hands down, the best hike that Tara and I have done in the National Parks. Incredible.
#6 Acadia
Top of Cadillac Mountain, overlooking Frenchman Bay
The first park east of the Mississippi almost...*almost* cracks the top five. I love this place. Maine's Mount Desert Island is non-stop fun and the scenic views will constantly take your breath away. Hike the Beehive or Precipice if you're feeling adventurous. Try a pop-over at the Jordan Pond House, take a boat tour to observe the lighthouses and the million dollar "cottages" along the coast. And don't forget to eat plenty of lob-stah!
#7 Arches
Delicate Arch
Arches is a great park because there are so many wonderful things to see in such a compact space. Fill your day by gazing in awe at Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, Park Avenue, the Windows, and my personal favorite, Double Arch.
#8 Glacier
Two Medicine Lake
No trip to Glacier would be complete without driving the Going to the Sun Road. Lots of great hikes around Lake McDonald, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine. This is another park that we want to go back to. So much to explore.
#9 Mesa Verde
Cliff Palace
Mesa Verde is an archaeological treasure. Tons of ancient cliff dwellings to see and explore. Take a tour of Cliff Palace or if you're feeling adventurous, the Balcony House Tour.
#10 Carlsbad Caverns
Hall of the Giants
Rounding out the Top 10 is Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. This massive cave system was famously described by Will Rogers as "the Grand Canyon with a lid on it." Hiking from the Natural Entrance down to the Big Room is one of the greatest experiences that the National Park system has to offer.
#11 Grand Teton
Jenny Lake
Grand Teton NP sometimes gets overshadowed by nearby Yellowstone, but WOW! This place is awesome. I feel kind of bad it didn't end up in Top 10.
#12 Bryce Canyon
The Silent City
Another great Utah park that can be easily visited in one day. Enjoy the scenic vistas from the Park Road, if you do one hike do Queen's Garden Trail down into the canyon.
#13 Crater Lake
Wizard Island
The fantastic blue waters of the deepest lake in the country are so incredible you might think you're looking at a painting.
#14 Olympic
Ruby Beach
The Olympic peninsula is home to this massive national park that has an incredibly diverse and unique ecosystem. Do you want high alpine lakes and mountains? Got it. Do you want incredible waterfalls and rainforests? Got it. Do you want incredible ocean views and sea stacks? Got that too.
#15 Rocky Mountain
Alberta Falls
Take the Trail Ridge Road for some white-knuckle driving and incredible alpine views.
#16 Sequoia
General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world
Big Trees. Big massive trees. A hike through these giants is awe-inspiring and somewhat humbling. Also hike Moro Rock for great views of the Sierra Nevada.
#17 Death Valley
Badwater Basin
Death Valley is a lot more than the lowest spot in North America, Badwater Basin at 282 ft below sea level. This desert is a harsh beauty, but a beauty nonetheless. If you want to do some hiking, make sure to visit in winter.
#18 Petrified Forest
The Painted Desert
Petrified Forest is a great park to visit in a day. There's a beautiful scenic drive right off the freeway with plenty of overlooks and short hikes to enjoy desert scenery and see tons and tons of petrified wood.
#19 Joshua Tree
the eponymous Joshua Tree
This mesmerizing park just outside of Los Angeles makes for a great day trip. If I was a rock climber this would probably be ranked higher, but it still has lots of nice short hikes and impressive desert vistas.
#20 Badlands
view along the Notch Trail
This beautiful and unique landscape makes for a great detour if you're driving along the freeway in South Dakota or visiting Mt. Rushmore.
#21 Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Painted Wall
This compact park makes for a great day trip. The canyon views are dramatic and will take your breath away. The South Rim has lots of good short hikes and beautiful overlooks. The north rim is much more remote and the very adventurous can venture down into the canyon.
#22 Guadalupe Mountains
Devil's Hall
This corner of West Texas is home to the highest peak in the State, Guadalupe Mountain, which can be summited with a long day hike. Also enjoy McKittrick Canyon, Devil's Hall, Frijole Ranch, and great views of the stars at night. There's nothing better than night in the desert.
#23 Capitol Reef
Chimney Rock
I don't feel like I can truly rank this Park because we just drove through and only spent about an hour there. So we definitely have to go back. Even though it was only a short time, the views were very rewarding.
#24 Theodore Roosevelt
Badlands along the Little Missouri River
Teddy Roosevelt later said that he never would have become president if it wasn't for the time he spent in this beautiful corner of North Dakota. It's easy to see why this land inspired Roosevelt to champion conservation issues as President.
#25 Canyonlands
The Colorado River lies far below the Grand View Point Overlook
Some might be disappointed by the low ranking here, but I feel that Canyonlands is more geared towards avid back-country folks than day trippers. That's not to say it's not worth a visit. Lots of scenic drives and overlooks.
#26 North Cascades
Diablo Lake
The views in North Cascades are outstanding. But like Canyonlands, if you really want to explore the park, you need to be quite the experienced hiker or backpacker (or at least more experienced than us). This is a true wilderness park.
#27 Channel Islands
Prisoners Harbor
This probably isn't fair, but the Channel Islands experience goes down a bit because we could not go to our scheduled destination of Scorpion Ranch due to the weather and the dock had been destroyed by a storm earlier in the year. Instead we went to Prisoners Harbor, which was fine, but the highlight of the trip was the ferry ride to the island, we saw tons of wildlife, including 2 humpback whales!
#28 Great Basin
Parachute Formation in Lehman Cave
This park is off the beaten path quite a bit, and really isn't on the way to anything. The clouds obstructed the views of Wheeler Peak the day we we're there, but the tour of Lehman Cave was lots of fun.
#29 Kings Canyon
General Grant Tree
Like Capitol Reef, this probably isn't a fair ranking. We only visited one small part of Kings Canyon, which is entirely separate from the rest of the park. This part, home to General Grant Tree, the widest tree at its base, is somewhat of an extension of Sequoia NP. Next time we go we'll have to explore the larger portion of the park that contains the King's Canyon.
#30 Great Sand Dunes
Medano Creek, the Sand Dunes, and the Sangre de Cristo Mountains
I love the contrast between the sandy dunes and the snow-capped mountains. If sledding down a gigantic sand dune is your thing, then this is the place for you. Sand sledding is not quite my thing.
#31 Hot Springs
Buckstaff Bath House
Hot Springs is certainly a unique National Park, but it's kind of odd. It preserves the historic section of the resort town of Hot Springs, Arkansas. You can still experience the traditional bathhouse treatment (which is awkward 😊) or you can head up the mountain for great views of the city and hikes through the forest.
#32 Saguaro
A sea of saguaro
I hate to do this to my home state of Arizona, but one of the parks has to be at the bottom. Tara loved the giant cacti, so maybe if you don't grow up seeing saguaro every day like I did, this park might hold more appeal. It is beautiful desert scenery though. If you find yourself in Tucson, take some time to do the scenic drive.
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