Want to transform a walk in the park into a walk in the wild?
The United States offers the world tremendous and exemplary cities, extraordinary national parks, beaches, and enchanting islands in its over nine million square kilometers of geography.
The national parks of the United States are undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of this country. Each park has a peculiarity that makes it unique, and all of them contain many things to see and do that would appeal to any nature lover. If I could have, I would have spent months hiking in all of them!
Hiking was one of the things I intended to tick off of my bucket list. To experience nature in one of the national parks has always been a dream; to have some personal time enjoying the beauty of silence and the soothing, melodious sounds of nature seemed sublime.
There are 63 National Parks in the USA
With paradisiacal beaches, towering mountains, glaciers, dense forests, swamps, deserts, volcanoes, waterfalls, and lakes, the natural beauty of these parks is unquestionable. All of these wonders are managed by the National Park Service, whose goal is and has always been to keep our wild places safe for future generations to enjoy.
Finding an excellent hiking trail in a national park is relatively easy, as there are sixty-three national parks in the USA. Your location predominantly influences your choice, and the US offers options for everyone.
But how did the national parks come to be?
Which one was created first, and what land was considered suitable for a national park? What parameters did we use to select the best twenty hikes and parks? Well, let’s go into a bit of history and get acquainted with how national parks and their hiking activities became a favorite for tourists, Americans, and people from all walks of life.
Yellowstone National Park is the first national park in the world and was established in 1872. Since then, national parks in the US have been considered authentic treasures.
Today, the country has sixty-three of these spaces designated for the protection of nature that extends over an area of about 340,000 square kilometers and receive more than 330 million visitors per year. The national parks offer plenty of hiking activities and are open to everyone, no matter where you come from. There are a wide variety of national parks to explore in the country, with each presenting a different opportunity to view the beauty of nature.
My goal through writing this website is to help you decide which parks should be on your own bucket list. What follows are my top twenty national parks that are worth hiking in during a day trip. From Yellowstone National Park to Gateway Arch National Park, I have rated each park based on its overall accessibility, available amenities, trails and attractions, crowds, and popularity while taking into account incredible photo ops and breathtaking scenery.
Jordan Fisher (singer, dancer, and actor) stated that:
“I encourage everybody to hop on Google and type in ‘national park’ in whatever state they live in and see the beauty that lies in their backyard. It’s that simple.”
However, you won’t need to check Google, as this website provides information for hikers like you who want to know more about the best national parks to visit, get the most out of them, and make the most of your visit!
Information for each national park will be given.
Including the park’s history, the best time to visit, where it is located, and a basic summary of what to expect while navigating your way through the parks. In the designated section for each national park, we will also outline a short but simple hike in each of the twenty national parks. The experiences are awesome, from the sound of the wind blowing through the tall trees to the warm sunshine and the feel of nature as you walk through the trails. As you navigate your way through this website, make sure to take note of the information that is of interest to you.
#1 National Park
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is one of the most important ancient national parks in the world as well as the first national park to be established in the US. Created in 1872, it has achieved the popularity status and privilege of being one of the most visited national parks in the world.
#2 National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
A canyon is nothing more than a crack produced from two elements: a river and enough time for erosion to act. A natural wonder worthy of being on your list of destinations, the Grand Canyon is among the top wonders of nature in the world.
#3 National Park
Yosemite National Park
It is not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra.
#4 National Park
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park, the largest national park outside of Alaska, is an almost immeasurable place. Being separated from the Pacific Ocean by five mountain ranges, the climate of the place is arid. Death Valley is one of the largest desert areas in the US. Its incredible landscapes, almost like one from another planet, have attracted travelers since the beginning of the 20th century.
#5 National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
As one of the most visited and popular national parks, Colorado’s Rocky Mountain National Park is visited by more than three million people every year and features rugged trails. As its name suggests, this is a park with majestic peaks in all directions, with more than 2.5 miles (4,000 m) of land linked by winding roads, 300 miles (483 km) of trails bridging the Continental Divide.
#6 National Park
Arches National Park
As the name suggests, this park in southeastern Utah is home to the most significant concentration of natural stone arches in the US and the world.
#7 National Park
Joshua Tree National Park
Joshua Tree National Park offers the space to pursue freedom for self-discovery away from daily activities as well as a shelter for the human mind. Joshua Tree is the wilderness preserve with a wealth of Joshua trees, unique and multi-colored rock formations, and some of the world’s most difficult rock climbing.
#8 National Park
Bryce Canyon National Park
This is one of the smallest of the five national parks in Utah, covering just 36,000 acres (14,570 hectares) of land. Bryce is an underrated treasure of a park, overshadowed by the larger and more famous Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. Its small size, great views, and the accessibility of its trails make it one of the most comfortable parks to get around in.
#9 National Park
Grand Teton National Park
This is one of the smallest of the five national parks in Utah, covering just 36,000 acres (14,570 hectares) of land. Bryce is an underrated treasure of a park, overshadowed by the larger and more famous Grand Canyon and Zion National Parks. Its small size, great views, and the accessibility of its trails make it one of the most comfortable parks to get around in.
#10 National Park
Olympic National Park
Regarded as a park where glacier-tipped mountains come into contact with a rocky coastline, Olympic National Park is home to everlasting possibilities for recreation, sightseeing, study, and relaxation.
#11 National Park
Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park is recognized as the “crown of the continent” and takes its name from the glaciers that shape this rugged topography. Located in Montana, the wilderness area is full of rock, ice, water, and wood. The park is a habitat to more than a dozen glaciers, massive U-shaped valleys, and hulking granite peaks carved by ice flows long ago.
#12 National Park
The Great Smoky Mountains
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park marks the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. It is famous for the blue haze that covers the rolling mountains. The gray tones of the landscape occur due to the steam emanating from the ancient, thick, and compact forests that cover 95 percent of the park.
#13 National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a popular national park in the US with natural beauty, small-town charm, and opportunities for adventure. Located on Mount Desert Island, Acadia will awaken your senses whether you take a summer dip in the Atlantic or visit during the breathtaking fall season.
#14 National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes Park is famous for its beaches that line the Lake Michigan shoreline. At Indiana Dunes National Park, visitors can explore 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of natural terrain, including hiking through forests.
#15 National Park
Zion National Park
Tour this mystical landscape of dazzling cliffs and green valleys. Zion National Park is a dream for hikers and photographers alike. While it is located in the desert, its terrain is far from inhospitable. Created after millions of years of erosion, its unique rock formations, wide variety of backcountry trails, and unique fauna attract those seeking tranquility and inspiration.
#16 National Park
Hot Springs National Park
National parks often span hundreds of miles and feel removed from cities and an industrial lifestyle, but Hot Springs National Park challenges the status quo. The smallest of the national parks at only 5,550 acres (2246 hectares), Hot Springs National Park borders the city that has benefited from harnessing and distributing the park’s main resource: mineral-rich waters.
#17 National Park
Mount Rainier National Park
Mount Rainier National Park is a site of indisputable beauty with rugged mountain peaks and stunning wildflower blooms in rolling green valleys. Mount Rainier is an iconic section of Washington’s landscape located only 60 miles (96 km) outside of Seattle. Check out more fascinating facts about this magnificent national park below.
#18 National Park
Shenandoah National Park
Shenandoah National Park, stretching for more than 100 miles (160 km) along the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia, is a patchwork of wilderness and pastoral landscapes woven together by stories spanning more than three hundred years of history.
#19 National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park, located in Ohio, is close to Cleveland and Akron and offers recreational opportunities along the Cuyahoga River. Stroll along paths lined with maple and oak trees and walk past towering high-rise gorges in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
#20 National Park
Gateway Arch National Park
The Gateway Arch National Park, formerly referred to as the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, is a tranquil haven in the heart of downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Visitors can discover diverse plant life, including several native species, among the gorgeously forested surroundings within this national park west of the Mississippi River.
