America's National Park System protects everything from remote wildernesses filled with forests and lakes to centuries-old landmarks with poignant histories. Be it a big-hitting national park or a lesser-known monument or historic site, we've picked the finest NPS offering from every US state. Due to COVID-19, remember to check state travel advisories and park websites before you head out.
Not every state has the big, mind-bending landscapes we associate with the National Park System but that doesn't mean they're without fascinating NPS sites. In Alabama, the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument is a must visit. It brings together seven sites associated with the struggle for Civil Rights and most sobering of all is the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, where four young girls were killed in a bombing by the Ku Klux Klan. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, meanwhile, gives a blanket overview of the Civil Rights movement in the city.
The Last Frontier is blessed with a whole roster of national parks, which portion up the state's stirring wilderness. Down in southern Alaska, Denali is among the most famous and accessible, named for the gigantic peak that shoots to 20,310 feet (6,190m). It's a land of titanic mountains, lakes, spruce woodland and glaciers, the latter of which cover one sixth of the park, and it's prime territory for wildlife viewing. Travellers strike out in search of hulking grizzlies, moose, caribou, Dall sheep and wolves, which together make up Denali's 'Big 5'.
Arizona is home to a grande dame of America's National Park System – the fabled Grand Canyon. It's the epic result of millions of years of tectonic plate action and, following that, millions more years of the Colorado River forcing its way through layered rock. From whichever way you approach the canyon, you'll find soaring viewpoints (the West Rim's Skywalk guarantees wobbly knees) and mind-blowing backcountry hikes. Desert View Drive spills out from Grand Canyon Village, taking over 23 lookout-studded miles (37km) and offering textbook views over the red landscape.
The wonders of Arkansas are often underrated, but they're on fine display in this national park, which marries early 20th-century architecture with natural delights from peaks to ancient springs. This place was once known as the 'American Spa' and a series of eight beautifully preserved bathhouses can be seen on Bathhouse Row. You can still have a soak in two of them – Buckstaff or Quapaw – or content yourself with exploring hiking trails weaving through mountain landscapes.
Travel the breadth of California and you'll hit upon stark desert, champagne beaches, mountains, lakes and soaring forests – so it's little wonder that the Golden State has such a large volume of national parks. Chief among them is Yosemite, whose celebrity sights include crescent-shaped Half Dome. Yosemite Valley is spectacular, but you'll shake off some of the crowds if you make a beeline for subalpine Tuolumne Meadows, with its lakes and tree-flecked spires.
A craggy thread running from Canada down to New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains are among the most spectacular in North America. A great swathe of the range is protected in this national park, which also takes in lakes, lush valleys and evergreen forests. The place is a hiker's dream, with 355 miles (571km) of trails wiggling through the landscape, while Lumpy Ridge and Longs Peak are popular with climbers.
Stepping into this Connecticut park is like walking into a painting. Literally so, because these landscapes, made up of verdant woods, meadows and streams, served as inspiration for Impressionist artist Julian Alden Weir. His home and studio were located here and both buildings remain preserved today, each filled with original furniture and a priceless collection of artworks. From May through to October visitors can book guided tours of the park as well as painting workshops and yoga sessions.
This park delves deep into the history of Delaware, the very first US state to ratify the Constitution, hence the name. It encompasses six sites across the state, including Fort Christina, where Swedes first settled in the 1630s – their colony, perched at the edge of the Christina River, was called New Sweden. Some 55 miles (89km) south lies the John Dickinson Plantation, the childhood home of the Founding Father. Pictured are the quarters where enslaved people once lived on the plantation.
Sultry and soupy, the wetlands of Everglades National Park are a cradle for incredible wildlife, from American crocodiles and alligators to skulking Florida panthers. All roads lead back to the water here, so join a guided kayak tour or paddle out among the mangroves yourself. The park makes for a magical camping trip too – you'll find the best spots on raised wooden jetties known as 'chickees' that can be reached by water.
Georgia is known for its wiggly, island-fringed coastline and southerly Cumberland Island National Seashore is one of its prettiest stretches. The park protects about 9,800 acres of coastal wilderness, folding in beaches, marshes and woodland, and providing a habitat for more than 100 majestic feral horses. Wild swimming is a much-loved activity here (though take care as there are no lifeguards) and you'll get breathtaking views from a kayak too.
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Visit this Hawaiian jewel and you'll soon understand why it's called the House of the Sun. It's one of the greatest places on Earth to watch the sunrise and you'll need a reservation to see it bleaching the surrounding volcanic landscapes orange and butter yellow. Hiking on the summit of the park's namesake – the 10,023-foot (3,055m) Haleakalā shield volcano – is bucket-list stuff. About 30 miles (48km) of trails, varying in length and difficulty, cut across the Summit Area.
Reach the Craters Of The Moon National Monument and you'd be forgiven for thinking you'd left America and been whisked away to Iceland. The volcanic views here – made up of cinder cones, sage brush and cracked lava fields – rival those in the Land of Fire and Ice. It's best to get out and explore on foot. You'll get unparalleled views on the steep Inferno Cone trail, or you could go underground and explore one of four craggy lava tubes, home to resident bats.
The first NPS-designated site in the Windy City, the Pullman National Monument protects a preserved, planned industrial community that was built up in the 1880s. The former Chicago company town was developed for the Pullman Car Company, best known for manufacturing railroad sleeper cars. Take a ranger-led or self-guided tour and you'll also see a handsome string of red-brick row homes, which housed workers from the late 19th century. The colossal Administration-Clock Tower Building (pictured) is also among its most impressive vestiges.
Indiana is a place whose natural beauty is often overlooked, but this relatively new national park (it was designated in 2019) has put the Midwestern state on the map. It's a vast 15,000 acres and it ripples out alongside Lake Michigan, all rolling dunes, waterways and wetlands. Keen birdwatchers will find plenty to satisfy them here: the park is home to at least 350 species, from cranes and egrets to herons and hawks.
This national monument in far northeastern Iowa is shrouded in mystery. Little is known about why the animal-shaped mounds here were built (they could have served as burial sites or as a way to mark significant events) and, indeed, who built them – though archaeologists think they might date to the Late Woodland Period (circa AD 600-1200). Still, they're held sacred by no less than 20 indigenous American tribes and the best way to see them is on a guided tour, with rangers musing on their significance and pointing out shapes from birds to bears.
Exactly what it sounds like, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve protects a now rare landscape in North America. Once, upwards of 170 million acres of the continent was tallgrass prairie but it was gobbled up as farmland until just 4% remained. Taking over a pocket of Kansas' Flint Hills, this preserve showcases 11,000 acres and its peaceful hiking trails are the highlight. They extend over 40 miles (64km), offering the chance to see quaint farm buildings, seasonal wildflowers and wildlife like bison and deer.
While Kentucky is famous as bourbon and horse country, you might not know that it's also home to the world's longest cave system: Mammoth Cave. Most visitors come to this park for a cavern tour. Exciting underground expeditions pass through sinkholes, revealing intricate sections of dripstone and echoing chambers, while guides tell fascinating tales of prehistory. Above ground, super dark skies provide incredible opportunities for stargazing.
The Big Easy is pretty much synonymous with jazz and this national historical park gets you to the heart of its musical heritage. On the trail is shuttered Eagle Saloon (pictured), a listed building associated with big names such as Louis Armstrong and King Oliver. Mainly, though, the site is about live music. Travellers should swing by the visitor centre (currently at a temporary location at 419 Decatur Street) to find out where and when they can catch a show.
Acadia National Park is postcard Maine – rocky capes dotted with trees, neat-as-a-pin lighthouses, the Atlantic swirling below – and it offers some of the most incredible drives on the East Coast. Park Loop Road spools out for 27 miles (43km), skirting around the east side of Mount Desert Island and reaching poster-worthy spots like Jordan Pond. The park is a joy in winter too when cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing are favoured activities.
Wild horses frolicking by the side of the Atlantic is the classic image of Assateague Island National Seashore, which stretches across the border of Maryland into Virginia. No-one's quite sure how these creatures got here (it's thought that they might be survivors of a historic shipwreck) but, why ever they turned up, their presence makes this already beautiful coastal park all the more stirring. Snap a photo from a distance and set about exploring the beaches, dunes, forests and marshes – hiking and nature trails route through the park's diverse landscapes.
Jutting out into the Atlantic in the shape of a flexed arm, Cape Cod is one of Massachusetts' great pride and joys. And the National Seashore protects a waterfront swathe of the clenched fist and forearm. In the summer months, ranger-led tours teach visitors about the varied ecosystems, from salt marshes to the ocean, while a trio of bike trails take in water views, forests and cranberry bogs.
One of the most underrated parks in the system, Isle Royale is a wild island in the westerly part of Lake Superior. It noses right up to the US border with Canada and it's the perfect place for a back-to-nature adventure. You'll have many of the island's trails, which pass through forests of pine, fir and spruce trees, all to yourself – though keep your eyes peeled for wildlife like moose and red foxes. And with water all around, it's a kayakers dream too. Pictured is Rock Harbor, the island's main access point.
Minnesota's Voyageurs National Park gets you about as far north as you can go on the continental US before you hit Canada – and that means, if conditions are just so, you might sneak a peek of the northern lights. Or at the very least you'll see some glittering starry skies painted above a landscape of cliffs, lakes and woodland. A night or two camping in the park's backcountry is the ultimate remote escape – campsites are only accessible by water and you can pitch up on the lakeshore, nestled in forest, far from another soul.
The beaches in the Gulf Islands National Seashore, which spans Florida and Mississippi, are pretty close to paradise: limpid Gulf waters lap white sands and trails beat past beaches and through bayous. Water babies will find plenty of opportunities for diving or snorkelling – look out for flamboyant lion fish and stingrays on your underwater adventure. Five species of turtle nest on these shores too.
Gateway Arch National Park has no lakes, mountains or sandy beaches but it's spectacular all the same. Its centrepiece is the soaring Gateway Arch, the largest of its kind in the world at 630 feet (192m), which was built to celebrate the westward expansion of the United States. Panoramic views over St Louis and the surrounding area await at the top and the summit can be reached via a tram made up of eight little capsules. Stop by the Tucker Theater to see Monument to the Dream, a short film detailing how the structure was built.
This is what America's national park system is all about: giant landscapes gift-wrapped with some 700 miles (1,127km) of hiking trails, plus camp sites and historic lodges. Places like Lake McDonald, a ten-mile (16km) long body of water carved out by glaciers, are famous, but the whole park has views worth of a painting. The Huckleberry Mountain Lookout trail is one for keen hikers: it's pretty strenuous but the vistas over mountains and evergreen forests are well worth the effort.
There's not just outdoor adventure on offer at this Midwestern National Monument – there's a big dose of history too. Scotts Bluff soars to about 800 feet (244m) and was a significant landmark for those following the Oregon, California and Mormon Trails in the 19th century. It's thought that various indigenous tribes have also lived and camped in the area through the centuries and guided ranger programmes speak to this history. Scenic views unfold on the 1.6-mile (2.6km) Scotts Bluff Summit Road and four miles (6km) of hiking trails get you even closer to the ochre rock.
A dramatic name for a dramatic park – state-straddling Death Valley has recorded some of the hottest temperatures on Earth, while Badwater Basin (in the California side) sinks to the lowest elevation in North America. Landscapes are stark here with rippling badlands, salt flats and dune fields, plus eerie ghost towns on the outer edges. Unsurprisingly, skies are dark. Death Valley offers top opportunities for stargazing, plus unforgettable sunrises and sunsets too.
Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park is one for art lovers. This was the seasonal home of revered sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens until he died in 1907. The light-filled Little Studio is the most fascinating place on the property: it was in this diminutive space that the artist worked on many sketches and early models. There are also trails spilling out into the surrounding woodland and lots of arty workshops to get involved with and sculptural exhibitions to take in too.
Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area sprawls out over 70,000 acres and that means you'll probably be able to find a pocket of it that's just yours. It's richly forested, so you can hike or camp under a canopy of lush green or fiery fall foliage, depending the season. The main draw is the water, though. Boating is popular here and there are a trio of pretty river beaches, two of which have canoe launches.
It's hard to get your head around the fact that this landscape exists in the United States – it'd look better placed in outer space. This is the largest gypsum dunefield on the planet and the 16-mile (26km) Dunes Drive round-trip shows off some of the most breathtaking spots. Three otherworldly looking picnic areas are located off the driving route – Yucca, Roadrunner and Primrose – and each is named for a fascinating species of flora or fauna that you might spot within the park.
One of the most famous views in all of America, the Statue of Liberty was a generous gift from France in 1886 and has since become synonymous with both the United States and the idea of democracy and freedom. The statue became a National Monument in 1924 and, though the main attraction is the giant copper effigy of Lady Liberty herself, it's worth ducking into the The Statue of Liberty Museum to learn her history too. You can also climb up to the pedestal for classic bay and skyline views.
Part of North Carolina's wonderfully wild and windswept Outer Banks, Cape Hatteras is the place for beach adventures and coastal wildlife spotting. Some 400 species of bird visit or live on the seashore, which is also home to a herd of Banker ponies – you can see them from a pair of viewing decks on Ocracoke Island. Of the three historic beacons within the park, two are typically open to the public too. Climb up Cape Hatteras Lighthouse or the Bodie Island Lighthouse for panoramas over the park and the North Atlantic.
Think of the Wild West and you'll probably imagine something just like this. In this park gloriously rugged badlands ripple out for miles, studded with roaming bison and sliced up by the Little Missouri River. The park is carved into three units: the North Unit, the South Unit and the Elkhorn Ranch Unit. The latter is where future president Theodore Roosevelt set up home after his wife and mother passed away – the stone foundations of his cabin still remain.
One of America's lesser known national parks, Cuyahoga Valley is centred on the Cuyahoga River, which has carved out a world of gorges and waterfalls. It's an emerging mountain biking destination with a series of diverse trails, plus a new one under construction. Then there's hiking along forest-draped river banks and through wetlands – on some trails fun obstacles like stepping stones add to the sense of adventure.
The Sooner State is blessed with some beautiful waterways and they're abundant in this NPS-protected recreation area. From boating across the vast and jagged-edged Lake of the Arbuckles to paddling out on smaller Veterans Lake, the park is perfectly primed for watery adventures. Make time to pop into the Travertine Nature Center too – the visitor centre has exhibits on some of the site's fascinating critters, from lizards to armadillos.
Oregon's poster child, Crater Lake is the deepest (and we'd say the bluest) in the United States. It was formed by a volcanic eruption that collapsed a soaring peak more than 7,000 years ago and the cinder cone of Wizard Island, which slices through the lake's surface, is one of the most jaw-dropping views. Head-spinning vistas are aplenty along the park's Rim Drive too: the 33-mile (53km) route is strewn with pullouts that look out onto the expanse of emerald and sapphire.
Philadelphia is one of the most important historic cities in the States. It was here that both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution were signed in the 18th-century Independence Hall, where you can take a guided tour. The cracked Liberty Bell, which has become a symbol of freedom, is another park highlight. It's located in the Liberty Bell Center, where you'll also find exhibits on the bell itself and other topics like the Civil Rights movement and the fight for women's suffrage.
A slice of America's industrial history is explored at this historical park, which spreads into both Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In fact, the Blackstone River Valley is tipped as the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution and the first textile mill in the country – Slater Mill – sprang up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. It's still possible to visit Old Slater Mill on a ranger tour and the historic site is filled with exhibits too. The Blackstone River Bikeway here is also being extended.
This beguiling park in the American South is one of the least-visited in the system, which means its boardwalks are joyfully peaceful and quiet. It wriggles out over 26,000 acres and paddling trails reveal its crowning glory: an epic expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest, the largest tract in the southeastern US. There's plenty of resident wildlife too, from mule deer to bobcats and wild dogs.
Mind-boggling rock formations, layered up and eroded over millions of years, are the top-drawer attraction of this park. They come in all shapes and sizes, from jagged pinnacles and spires rising like needles across the landscape, to great, flat buttes splashed with ochre and red. You can take a whistle-stop tour on the Badlands Loop Road, which has plenty of stop-offs with knock-out views.
Always topping the list of America's most visited national parks, the Great Smoky Mountains – which spills over the border into North Carolina – can't help but pull in the crowds. The Smokies look gorgeous all time, whether hazy and morning-mist-cloaked in spring or ablaze in riotous colours for fall. And they're home to an abundance of wildlife too, from black bear to elk and deer. The Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is one place to go in search of it.
It's not just the name that's big in this national park – so too are the flat-topped mountains, the canyon-carving Rio Grande River and the elusive wildlife like mountain lions. There's near-endless opportunity for outdoor adventure here: you can hike through desert and peaks, canoe along the river flanked by soaring ravine walls, or pitch a tent and gaze up at the stars. Carve out some time to visit the Fossil Discovery Exhibit too: fascinating displays will whisk you back to an ancient worlds of dinosaurs and woolly mammoths.
There's a reason this is one of the most famous parks in America. It serves up awesome views at nearly every turn, whether you're wading through the Narrows on the canyon floor or lording it over the landscape from the summit of Angel's Landing, the park's most popular hike. Zion pulls in the crowds, but you can shake some of them off if you hike lesser-touristed trails like the Sand Bench Loop, which'll still get you up close to some of those orange-red rocks.
The focus of this Vermont park is conservation history – it honours environmentalist George Perkins Marsh, who grew up on the site, as well as Frederick Billings, a lawyer who bought the Marsh Farm and was an early pioneer of Vermont forestry management. Now ranger-led hikes route through the woods and retell these early conservation stories. The park really shines in winter too when cross-country skiing is a favourite activity.
It's almost impossible to believe that the bucolic landscapes of Shenandoah National Park are just a one-hour-thirty-minute drive from the nation's capital. The park is covered in thick forest and wildflower-studded meadows with waterfalls rising up above hiking trails. The trek to the summit of Old Rag Mountain is a challenge, but it'll afford you some of the finest views over the park. The 105-mile (169km) Skyline Drive, which weaves along the Blue Ridge Mountains, is not to be missed either.
The Pacific Northwest is known of its incredible wilderness with colossal peaks and aquamarine lakes. Olympic National Park has all of that, as well as a rugged stretch of coastline and its very own rainforest. Hoh Rainforest has a campsite, so you can really revel in this moss-covered wonder-world. For the initiated, alpine climbing is a popular past time here too.
One of America's newest national parks, the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve proves that West Virginia really is 'Almost Heaven'. The New River, one of the oldest on the planet, has paved a path through the landscape, creating deep, craggy canyons in its wake. Now it's a haven for whitewater rafting with runs for varying abilities. The New River Gorge Bridge is the park's crown jewel – on Bridge Day, it's open to pedestrians and brave BASE jumpers take advantage of its great height.
Lake Superior's shoreline has bounteous wonders and a slew of them are protected by this park, which takes in 21 islands. With its caverns and rugged beaches, it's a beautiful spot year-round, but the Mainland Ice Caves, forming in winter, are out of this world. There's a two-mile (3km) hike on frozen terrain, before these intricate ice sculptures reveal themselves, but it's well worth it. Out of season, visitors come to boat, kayak, fish and hike.
America's oldest national park is also one of the most dazzling. This is a wonderland of epic proportions with geysers spitting fiery water into the air, mud pots gurgling and belching and the park's star, Grand Prismatic Spring, unfolding in bands of blue, orange and yellow. Yellowstone's resident animals draws visitors too – you've the chance of spotting lumbering black bear and grizzlies, bison, elk, moose and more. Lamar Valley is a wildlife-watching hot spot.
Now take a look at historic photos of America's national parks