Grand Canyon National Park : Arizona. Grand Teton National Park : Wyoming. Indiana Dunes National Park : Indiana. Mount Rainier National Park : Washington. Redwood National Park : California. Yosemite National Park : California. Zion National Park : Utah. By Madeline Bilis Updated January 08, Save Pin FB More. Glacier National Park. Credit: Getty Images. Zion National Park. Yellowstone National Park. Arches National Park : Utah.
Badlands National Park : South Dakota. Big Bend National Park : Texas. Bryce Canyon National Park. Capitol Reef National Park : Utah. Congaree National Park : South Carolina. Crater Lake National Park. Cuyahoga Valley National Park : Ohio. Dry Tortugas National Park : Florida. Gates of the Arctic National Park : Alaska. National Park System.
National Battlefields National Battlefield Parks 4. National Battlefield Sites 1. National Military Parks 9. National Historical Parks National Historic Sites International Historic Sites 1. National Lakeshores 3. National Memorials National Monuments National Parks National Parkways 4. Thermal works here in an area known as Bumpass Hell rival some of those you can find in Yellowstone. The catch here is distance from a major airport or conveniences. Of all the underrated national parks out there, this one is near the top of the list.
For those who love Black Canyon, this is great news as it means more of the park for us. The scenery here is mesmerizing and warrants the same long gazes afforded to places like the Grand Canyon and Yosemite.
The major drawback here is its distance from, well everything, and out-of-the-way relativity to national park road trips. Getting to Katmai typically requires multiple flights and thousands of dollars which puts it squarely out of reach for most Americans. While the hurricanes forever changed the landscape here, leveling most of the towering palms and mangroves, it is still stunningly beautiful albeit in a different way than before.
Warm crystal waters, palm trees, white sand beaches, sea turtles, iguanas, ocean sunsets and more await you here. Getting to the island is a bit tricky as you have to fly to the neighboring island of St. Thomas first, rent a car, and then take the car on the ferry to St.
John where the park is located. The layout of this park is a bit funky, somewhat like that of Acadia with roads on St. Named for the cactus that has become the emblem of the southwest the saguaro , Saguaro National Park is relatively small but packs a punch.
Sunsets here are truly magical and visitors from outside the area will be surprised at just how large the saguaro cacti can be. Located on the island of Maui, this tropical park is a feast for the eyes with two main areas to explore. The other section is the more tropical side near Hana with jaw-dropping waterfalls, ocean, palm trees, and rainforest.
The greater of the two Texas parks both in size and scenery, Big Bend is a hot time. Named for the great conservationist and president, Theodore Roosevelt National Park is home to magnificent high plains landscapes complete with the iconic American Bison.
There are even badlands here that are similar in stature to those found to the south in Badlands National Park. Getting there. This park is located way out in North Dakota where no average American road trips will take you. We also knock it a few points due to the proximity of large-scale industrial fossil fuel activity within view of the park.
Wind Cave is the lesser of two South Dakota Parks and as a result is an underrated park. For starters, there are some impressive herds of bison which roam some beautiful high plains landscapes.
The second of two Texas parks, both in size and scenery, Guadalupe Mountains still has a lot to offer. Impressive high country desert landscapes, a diversity of wildlife even the rare Mexican black bear , and no crowds to speak of. Perfect, right? Almost — accessibility is an issue here as it is kinda out in the middle of nowhere. Sounds like the makings of a great road trip! Getting to the park is exceedingly difficult, requiring a flight and then either another flight or ferry. It also comes with quite a hefty price tag and for that reason it ranks lower on our list despite the incredible sites.
Clocking in as one of the least visited parks in the entire system including the Alaska parks , Isle Royale is a place often overlooked by park-goers. Its location, a network of islands mostly very small out in Lake Superior, makes it difficult to get to.
The fact that you cannot drive to the park seems to serve as quite the deterrent to visitors. Known for its reptiles, Everglades National Park represents the best chance people have to see the American Alligator in a national park. While the park itself is actually quite massive third largest in the lower 48 , the hike-able regions of it are somewhat limited. The best user experience is on a boat and the most popular iteration of this is the fan boat where folks can travel at high speeds and cover a lot of ground.
This park falls into the underrated category for sure as it is a place full of superlatives. Great Basin is an anomaly in the high desert of Nevada and rises from the hot desert floor with very little vegetation, up into lush coniferous forests high above.
Fall is a great time to see the park as the foliage is pretty grand. Today, White Sands has achieved park status, and if you can figure a way to add it to a road trip without adding 8 hours , it is definitely worth the stop! Boardwalks out into the sands make for a great user experience along with decent facilities. Lake Clark is home to some of the most extraordinary landscape scenery on the planet. The only problem, as is the case with most of the Alaska parks, is getting there.
Getting to Lake Clark, while not quite as difficult as Gates of the Arctic or Kobuk Valley, is still pretty darn tough. Visitors must take a seasonal ferry or small plane to reach jumping off points into the park. Located just off the coast of Southern California, this eight island chain is another bucket-lister for park-lovers.
Getting to the islands themselves presents a bit of difficulty as visitors have to take a ferry and usually make reservations well in advance. Once arriving to the islands activities including hiking, kayaking, diving, and relaxing. Amenities are a bit limited so make sure to pack water and food for your trip. What was once a strategic fort far out on the Florida Keys is now an incredible island national park. And making the trip is half the fun.
Getting to this park requires an additional plane ride from Key West or ferry ride out to the island. Once there, visitors can snorkel, swim, relax, and otherwise enjoy the remains well-intact of Fort Jefferson. New River Gorge has lots of great recreational opportunities including rafting, kayaking, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and more.
All of these parks are still worth a visit, just not as worthwhile as the others. While the scenery here is a bit one-dimensional it is indeed grand. Crystal blue waters meet tall, lush mountains in the heart of the South Pacific creating one of the dreamiest looking national parks in the system.
Getting there, however, is going to cost you. Average flight prices from the mainland US typically range from 1, — 3, dollars putting it out of reach for most of us.
The most recent addition of the California National Parks is a beauty featuring some lovely dry mountain scenery, caves exploration, condor viewing, and lots of great rock climbing opportunities. A great time to check out the park is in the spring when the wildflowers are blooming.
Gates of the Arctic is a breathtakingly beautiful place that is nearly impossible for the average person to get to. Getting into the park requires multiple flights, a guide to do it safely , and thousands of dollars.
It seems to us this park would have been more fitting for a wilderness designation than a National Park. For that reason it ranks near the bottom of our list. What was once a superfund cleanup site is now a beautiful national park. Cuyahoga is a great place to spend a day and soak in the natural beauty of Ohio. Its location near Cleveland makes it an easy stop for any park-lover to add on their trip to the city.
Indiana Dunes is a really cool spot and one of the most recent additions to the NPS system. Carlsbad Caverns is a really amazing place, home to over a hundred caves and some of the most spectacular subterranean sites in the world.
What drags it down on our list is the accessibility, limited recreation opportunities, and overall scenery while beautiful being pretty one-dimensional. See our Gates of the Arctic justification above. Kobuk Valley is a jaw-droppingly beautiful place that is nearly impossible for the average person to get to.
In our estimation it seems it would be perfect for a National Historic Park designation or perhaps even a National Monument designation. We were not alone in our head-scratching upon hearing the news that Gateway Arch had been elevated to full park status alongside the likes of Yellowstone and Yosemite. Receiving a coveted congressional designation as a national park is usually a long and hard fought process with long justification statements and passionate debate.
In this case the justification statement is a mere paragraph long and does not, in and of itself, hold up to the criteria set forth by congress. We are very much for the creation of new parks and different kinds of parks, but the system we have allows for diverse designations. Typically parks under consideration need to demonstrate a need for the designation which was not done so at least publicly in this case.
When the bill to create this was brought to the house floor it seems that getting it done quickly so that it could be celebrated by the 4th of July was a leading justification for elevating it to park status.
Clocking in at 62 acres it is by far the smallest park and could fit into the next smallest park Hot Springs more than 88 times with room to spare.
Might make for some interesting investigative journalism. There are many different types of designations within the national park system, like national monuments, national historical parks, national battlefields, national historic sites, national parks, and so on.
Each one of these specific designations carries with it a different meaning, a different type of administration, and affords the area different levels of protection. For a more in-depth explanation of these designations visit our designations article, What Exactly Is A National Park? To be clear, there are 63 national parks in the US. National parks can only be designated by an act of congress — unlike many other units in the national park system which can gain their designation through executive action or even secretarial orders.
Confused yet? The national park system is full of incredible places that constitute the all-important natural and cultural heritage of the United States. These special places, from Gettysburg National Military Park to Yosemite National Park, are of immense importance and are equally deserving of preservation and administration that fits their unique place in the story of this country. If you made it this far you can give yourself a nice pat on the back!
Time to plan that next trip and get out there into the wide world of National Parks. Feel free to subscribe to our mailing list at the bottom of the page to stay up to date with our adventures in the parks!
Where do you think the parks stack up with one another? Really liked reading through this listing. Then, you gave me food for thought: monument, park, historical site, or wilderness.
We have experienced all but American Samoa and just recently returned from the newest.. New River Gorge. We have our favorites and rarely are disappointed. We also have found ways to access the remote Alaska parks without costing a fortune. Where there is a will there is a way. Thanks for the article. Alaska is my next round of national parks.
Thanks Will!! Great list! There are several parks with no entrance fee that have nowhere near the visitation Congaree, Hot Springs, Mammoth Cave, etc. Last thing: only giving the Smokies a 8. That hurts! Thanks for reading and sharing your thoughts Lori! All this being said, it deservedly makes the top ten of our list! Really enjoyed the list with a few surprises but most were justified in your explanations.
The list and rankings are top notch and should have the locations fixed as they are very misleading. Thanks so much, Thomas! Really appreciate you taking the time to read through. Hi Wesley, thanks for taking the time to read the article! The designation system can be a bit confusing. The National Park Foundation has a great article on it here. A list comprising of all these sites would be over Perhaps a list of all the National Parks is plenty.
Well done. I totally agree with all your findings having visited all but 4 of the 63 the two out of the country and the two newest. Other national park memories include a ranger lighting the evening program campfire at Kalaloch in Olympic np, on the beach, using one match, and a ranger in Redwood np who handed out porcupine quills from a recent roadkill to every child in the audience.
So many wonderful memories of so many national treasures. We look forward to visiting the two newest parks. Thanks for excellent article. Sharon Bishop. Thanks so much, Sharon! Cheers, Will. Thanks, Maize! Gotta wonder what sort of behind the scenes deals went on to enact that one….
Cuyahoga Valley. I agree with most of the rankings. I will say that while I enjoyed the scenery at Petrified Forest, my favorite part was flipping through the binder of letters from people returning the petrified wood.
My wife and I visited Zion in in April and even then there were crowds. Thanks, Ryan! We missed the binder full of letters on our trip — will have to see that next time. Zion is wild. A friend of ours was there last week — got to the shuttle at 6am and the wait time was already over 90mins….
Love this article, read every word, saved it for future reference. Just got back from Great Smoky and loved it. Headed out in October for 3 weeks to visit all 4 Colorado parks! Thanks so much! We were weighing all sorts of options, whether it be bonus points, negative points, etc.
Your idea seems pretty solid to us! Thanks McGeorge for pointing that out! Looks like we included the correct overall score in but just like you said, the Yosemite individual rankings were copied in by mistake. It has now been updated. Saguaro National Park should be close to the top of this list. First off the Saguaro Cactus is found in only a few locations on earth, Tucson being one of them.
Furthermore, the hike to the Manning Camp on top of Mica Mountain goes through multiple biomes over 18 miles and feet of elevation gain, at the camp you have a natural spring and a camp ground that almost never gets above 80 degrees even when Tucson is Grand Canyon is also an amazing park, if your worried about crowds go in November, early Nov is the best time to hike down into the canyon.
Thanks Ed! Saguaro is a great park for sure. We plan on updating the rankings each year and so this kind of feedback is perfect. Thanks for stopping by! Great article. A group of friends and I are on a journey to see all 63 national parks.
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