In 2017, a record-breaking 330 million people visited national parks in America! If you’re trying to find a place to visit this summer, consider one of these fantastic national parks.
1. Acadia
Located in Maine, Acadia National Park is primarily located on Mount Desert Island, which includes seaside villages and parkland. The area is especially popular in July, when Independence Day activities take over the town. There’s also beach camping, which is especially perfect when the weather’s warm.
2. Glacier
Located in Montana, Glacier takes up one million acres and now attracts 3 million people annually. Don’t miss the opportunity to drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, a must-see for first-time visitors. You may even want to pull over to the side of the road to snap a few photos!
3. Grand Canyon
Approximately 6.3 million people visited the Grand Canyon in 2017. The canyon is one mile deep and it can get up to 18 miles wide at certain spots. At its best vantage point, you can still only see 277 miles of it. Needless to say, you could spend days upon days exploring the area.
4. Grand Teton
The peaks of Grand Teton are 7,000 feet higher than the valley floor of Wyoming. This is one of the most gorgeous areas of the Rockies, too. There are stunning lakes, glaciers, and granite pinnacles. Around 3.2 million people visit every year.
5. Yosemite
Every year, Yosemite attracts over 4 million visitors. The Yosemite Valley is the most popular spot to visit. The canyon is one mile deep and seven miles long, and is cut by a river. Staying elsewhere in California? Check out San Francisco hotels.
6. Great Smoky Mountains
Over 11 million people visit this park every year. There are 800 miles of hiking trails that cross North Carolina and Tennessee, making it an ideal park to visit if you plan on getting a lot of exercise.
7. Olympic
Over 3.4 million people visit Olympic National Park every year, which is located in Washington State. There aren’t any roads that cross the park. Three ecosystems make up the area, including wildflower meadow and subalpine forest, temperate rain forest, and the Pacific shore.
8. Rocky Mountains
Located in Colorado, travel photographers love the park’s sweeping vistas. There are 150 lakes and streams that take up 450 miles. There are various ecosystems, alpine tundra and wetlands and forests. No matter what kind of trip you’re after, you’ll find something to suit your needs in the Rocky Mountains.
9. Yellowstone
Yellowstone is the world’s first national park. Every year, over 4 million people pay it a visit. It covers 2.2 million acres in three states: Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. Visitors love the landscapes, which include peaks, alpine lakes, geysers, and forests. There are wild animals around as well, including bears, sheep, moose, wolves, and bison.
10. Zion
Located in Utah, Zion has gorgeous topography, including sandstone canyons, cliffs, and rock towers. It’s no wonder why over 4 million people visit annually! Visit the Narrows as a side trip, but make sure that the area is safe for your trip.
Escape your daily routine, enjoy serenity, and view vistas you’d otherwise never see with trips to these, and other, national parks.
This article was originally contributed by Fiona Moriarty of Hipmunk, a highly comprehensive travel search website allowing you to find the best deals on anything from flights and hotels to train rides and Homeaway rentals.
I love visiting parks but not when it’s too hot. I hope I get to visit everything on your list, though.
We are so lucky to have these parks! I’ve been to a few you have listed — and would love to visit the rest of them. So much beauty!!
Wouldn’t it be great if you had the time and resources to go to each of these parks in one summer? I would love to go to Acadia some day. I have been to most the western parks on the list and think they are fabulous!
I’ve actually thought about going to Acadia. I’d love to see anything in Maine actually. For some reason I’ve always wanted to go there but haven’t ever been.
This are great places to visit will suggest this to my sisters when my parents visit them next year.
I wish to visit all these places some day! Seems wonderful!
I am in the UK so I will need to look at the UK ones, but you have a great list there.
You mentioned some great places. Hope I get to see them soon! I love visiting parks.
I would absolutely love to visit these parks one day. I must visit some of the national parks here in Ireland this summer.
I would love to visit the grand canyon and yosemite. It’s refreshing to visit parks and we learn about and get a better appreciation of nature too.
Wow! Would love to visit these parks! Hope you’ll include photos of these next time! But thanks for sharing, will add this on my bucket list. :)
I found this at the perfect time. I am currently trying to plan a trip for my family.
I have never been to any national parks. Some day I would like to go though I hear they are beautiful and there’s a lot of fun to be had. Thanks for sharing.
We love visiting National Parks and have been to a couple of these parks. We go to the Great Smoky Mountains at least once a year since my family lives close by. Great places to travel and I recommend them all! Our kids love to hike and camp!
I love visiting National parks!! This is a great list of ones to visit while traveling!
I’m definitely planning to do some park visits soon. The hardest thing is finding a time when everyone in the family has a clear schedule.
We love visiting national parks, and have made a habit of doing just that whenever we’re on a road trip. We love camping and exploring all of the different natural landscapes and environments. I think we may enjoy doing that even more than visiting theme parks, lol!
I would love to visit these parks this summer. I am so up for traveling with my boys and to look at natures beauty
Oh these are all gorgeous! I would love to visit some of them but especially the Grand Canyon. That’s been on my bucket list for a while.
I would love to spend at least a week visiting each of the above national parks. I love communing with nature–as long as overnight there is a hotel/motel I can return to!!
There are many I would like to see. I think I’d most like to see Yosemite. I didn’t realize they got that many numbers each year, wow!
I would love to visit all the National Parks before I die! it is something have always wanted to do …don’t know why!
I love going to national parks, this is a great list and I’ll sure look into visiting some this year!
Only one thing stopping me which is we live on a fixed income. I would love to be able to afford to visit all of these places.
All of these would be amazing to visit. Can’t say I’ve seen or visited any, some of them I haven’t ever heard of! They all sound fabulous!
My family and I like to enjoy national parks. There are so many on this list that we need to get to!
I want to visit all of these! I travel all around the world but have definitely neglected some of the most beautiful sights – which are right here in the U.S.