Utah is stacked when it comes to outdoor adventure. Not only does the state have some of the country’s most badass skiing and mountain biking, but it also boasts the nation’s third most national parks in any state, which include some of the world’s best hiking trails.

These protected meccas—Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion, known as the Mighty Five—capture unique and stunning landscapes that represent the desert at its absolute finest, from striking sandstone arches to isolated slot canyons to lush oases. And over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to visit all of Utah’s national parks. Some, during my explorations as a nascent single dude traveling in a diesel VW Jetta with pink bumpers looking for adventure (true story), and others later in life with my wife and kids in tow.

Do I have a favorite? Absolutely. Arches. Wait, Bryce. Definitely Bryce. Or, actually Zion. Okay… truth be told, I can’t pick one. They’re all breathtaking for different reasons, and for me, that’s an impossible task.

I did however pick my two favorite hikes in each park—one for beginners and one for the more adventurous—that you absolutely can’t miss when you go. Especially if you’re a first-timer to Utah’s national parks, consider these hiking trails the ultimate primer. And if you keep coming back as I do, maybe you’ll discover which park you like best. (Good luck with that.)

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Arches National Park

As the name suggests, Arches is loaded with more than 2,000 rainbow-like curved sandstone features within its borders—the highest concentration of such outcroppings in the United States. You’ll also find colorful cliffs, towering pinnacles, and balancing rocks that combine for a red rock landscape like no other.

Best Beginner Hike: Park Avenue

Yes, the national park is named Arches, but takes you through the center of towering cliffs and spires, so tall they’re reminiscent of New York City’s skyscrapers. It’s popular, and can get crowded, but it’s a must-do when you’re in Arches. The 2-mile out and back takes you through the middle of the park’s signature outcroppings, including Tower of Babel, a distinctive, freestanding fin that is part of the larger group of Courthouse Towers. (Some people shuttle themselves via two cars and make it a mile-long point to point.)

Best Advanced Hike: Primitive Loop Trail

The 7.9-mile , the park’s longest maintained trail, accesses a handful of distinctive sandstone features in the Devil’s Garden area and delivers the desert solitude you probably crave after navigating crowds at the park’s entrance. Its landscape-to-arches bang for buck, combined with the opportunity to ditch the masses, make this my favorite trail inside the park. Spur trails lead to Landscape Arch, which at 306-feet across, makes it the longest stone arch in North America. You’ll also be able to see Double O Arch, Private Arch, and the weird Dark Angel, a black sandstone spike emerging from the sand.

Pro Tip: Arches now requires to enter the park (get them up to three months in advance) between April 1 and October 31. But show up after 4 P.M. and you can enter the park without advanced notice. Just bring a headlamp in case your hike goes longer than expected.

Canyonlands National Park

At 337,598 acres, Canyonlands is the largest national park in Utah, with three distinct regions; the day-hike-friendly Needles, Island in the Sky (which covers a plateau between the Colorado and Green Rivers), and the super remote Maze. The Needles has the most developed trails for hikers, as well as some of the park’s signature canyons and spires.

Best Beginner Hike: Mesa Arch

This .5-mile in the easy-to-access Island in the Sky District, delivers hikers to a 27-foot arch that’s perched on the edge of a cliff more than 1,000 feet above Buck Canyon. Peer through the arch and you can see some of Canyonland’s signature features, including the massive monoliths of Washer Woman and Monster Tower, as well as the La Sal Mountains beyond the park.

Best Advanced Hike: Chesler Park Loop

Hike some of the best scenery in The Needles District on this that delivers the slot canyons and arches most hikers come to the area to see. The tread is slickrock and sandy washes as you combine four trails (Elephant Hill, Druid Arch, Joint Trail, and Chesler Park), which will have you squeezing through boulders and scrambling through stone notches. Chesler Park itself is a circular valley surrounded by towering sandstone spires.

Pro Tips: First, try to time your visit to Mesa Arch for sunrise, when the red rock cliffs framed by the structure are set aglow by the emerging daylight. Second, there are no reliable water sources on the Chesler Loop hike, so make sure you bring plenty for a full day in the desert.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Hoodoos are a trip. These tall, stone spires look like huge versions of the drip castles you made as a kid on the beach, and Bryce Canyon National Park is full of them, as well as deep canyons, surprisingly lush forests, and elevations that top out at 9,100 feet.

Best Beginner Hike: The Rim Trail

The traces the edge of Bryce Canyon for 5.5 miles, connecting two popular overlooks, Bryce Point and Fairyland Point. A run by the park service hits multiple overlooks and access points along the Rim Trail, making it easy to treat this as a point-to-point, and there are three overlooks and trailheads along the way, so you can tailor the distance to your own ability. Do the whole thing and you’ll only gain 200 feet of elevation, while the views into the canyon offer peeks of the park’s grandiose canyons and spires, including the appropriately-named Thor’s Hammer.

Best Advanced Hike: Under-the-Rim Trail

At 23 miles, you’ll need at least a couple of days to complete this point-to-point highlight reel of Bryce Canyon. But you’ll be glad you dedicated the extra time, as boasts serious backcountry goods, including views of towering orange cliffs, clusters of the park’s signature hoodoos, and even forests of ponderosa pines and aspens. It’s not an easy stroll as you’ll gain 5,500 feet along the way, but primitive backcountry campsites enable you to break it up into a multi-day effort.

Pro Tip: Bryce has a free park shuttle, but it doesn’t access Rainbow Point Trailhead, so you’ll need to hire a shuttle (, from $15 per person) or have two cars complete Under-the-Rim Trail, or if you’re planning to hike the entire Rim Trail.

Zion National Park

To say Zion protects a desert landscape would be too simple of a description. The 148,733-acre park actually encompasses an area where three distinct ecosystems, the Mojave Desert, the Colorado Plateau, and the Great Basin come together. The result is terrain that’s rich with canyons, lush river valleys, and soaring peaks. It’s also one of the most popular national parks in the entire country, with five million visitors last year.

Best Beginner Hike: Emerald Pools Trail

There are three Emerald Pools in Zion, each of which is an actual oasis in the middle of the desert, located on different tiers of a stream, tucked into the base of a massive, sandstone amphitheater. The Lower Emerald Pool, which is actually a couple of separate pools fed by a small waterfall that tumbles over an alcove, is wheelchair accessible via a 1.2-mile . The Middle and Upper Emerald Pools are a little tougher to reach; a 2.5-mile loop accesses all three, but Upper is worth the effort, as the pool sits at the base of a massive sandstone wall. Show up in spring and all of the pools could be fed by seasonal waterfalls.

Best Advanced Hike: Orderville Canyon

Yes, The Narrows is the park’s most lauded hike, but offers a similar experience over more technical terrain that keeps the masses away. The first few miles are easy going, but as you descend deeper into Orderville, the canyon narrows and becomes a tangle of boulders you have to climb and repel over, interspersed with springs and waterfalls. It’s a 12-mile point to point through a lush playground that should take a full day, and you will need technical skills and gear to tackle it safely. You’ll also need a ($10 per person). (If you’re not comfortable with canyoneering, hire a guide. Commercial guides can’t lead you through canyons inside the national park, but they can take you through similar canyons outside of the park’s boundaries.)

Pro Tip: Zion has a that begins at the Visitor Center and delivers you to popular trailheads, but you need to show up early to get a parking spot. During summer, the first shuttle leaves the Visitor Center at 6 A.M. Be on it.

Capitol Reef National Park

Natural arches and bridges, singular rock pillars, canyons… the 241,904-acre Capitol Reef is home to all of the highlights you’d expect from a national park in the desert of Utah. All of these features are a result of the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile long “wrinkle” in the earth’s crust made by an uplift of an underlying fault about 15 million years ago, which caused massive cliffs to rise and eventually erode into domes, towers, canyons, arches, and monoliths that are found throughout this park. Cool, right?

Best Beginner Hike: Grand Wash

gives you a taste of the narrow canyons that people go ape over, but via a flat hike that’s easy to follow and super family friendly. The entire hike is a 4.4-mile out and back, but if you start on the Highway 24 trailhead, you enter the canyon early, with 200-foot vertical rock walls on either side of you, and can turn back when you’ve seen enough. After hiking a half mile over sandy terrain, the canyon begins to shrink and soon you’ll hit the narrows, which has slot canyon vibes without getting so tight it causes claustrophobia (the walls are about 20-feet apart at their slimmest point). The tan, sandstone walls are pockmarked with holes and small caves, and even offer shade in the morning and late afternoon.

Best Advanced Hike: Sheets Gulch Slot Canyon

Capitol Reef has a bevy of canyons to explore, but might be the best non-technical option. There’s no official trail through the narrow gorge, which can be found 12.7 miles south of Highway 24 on the paved Notom-Bullfrog Road, but the occasional cairn and obvious route through narrow, sandstone walls make this journey relatively straightforward to navigate. (Bring a map, regardless.) While you won’t need ropes, you’ll need to muscle up and over several chockstones and wade through the occasional pool to keep moving forward, but that’s half the fun. It’s a 9-mile point to point, but most hikers turn around when the canyon begins to open back up, roughly 6.5 miles from the trailhead, making it a long, 13-mile all-day adventure.

Pro Tip: Bring a 4WD rig. The hikes I mention here are accessible via paved roads, but if you have a high clearance, 4WD vehicle, the entire backcountry of Capitol Reef becomes your oyster, and you’ll have options for free, primitive camping and an easier time getting into the remote Cathedral Valley—a backcountry district of the park where you can find a cluster of sandstone monoliths.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. He’s fresh off of a trip to Utah, where he was able to hike portions of Capitol Reef National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. He also just survived Hurricane Helene at his home in Asheville, North Carolina and wrote about it, and ranked the best national parks in the nation for fall foliage.

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On November 4, federal authorities issued misdemeanor charges against two Colorado residents for allegedly stealing historic artifacts from a roped-off area within Utah’s Canyonlands National Park this past March.The residents, identified as Roxanne McKnight, 39, and Dusty Spencer, 43, both of Pagosa Springs, allegedly entered the signed closure area around Cave Spring Cowboy Camp on March 23. According to a from the U.S. attorney’s office in Utah, the two then “handled and stole numerous historic artifacts.”

Cave Spring Cowboy Camp sits at the end of a popular, 0.6-mile hiking loop within Canyonlands National Park’s Needles District. The sandstone cavern houses a historic campsite that cowboys used during cross-country cattle drives in the early Twentieth Century. Some of the artifacts displayed there include nails, coffee cans, and bits of horse tack that are more than 100 years old.

Park officials didn’t learn of the incident until later in the spring, when rangers conducted a review of the cave’s trail-camera footage.

“The trail cam footage shows individuals clearly within the site, and the site is fenced off and signed,” Karen Henker, a public affairs specialist for Canyonlands National Park, told şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř.

On May 15, the park alongside images from the footage and asked the public to help identify the man and woman in the video. One photo shows a woman sitting down on one of the artifacts. Another shows a goateed man with a beer in his hand. The request for public input worked.

“I can confirm that the identification was the result of contributions from that tip line,” Henker said.

In a , McKnight claimed she first heard of the charges when they were released online on Monday, November 4, and that they came as a surprise. She confirmed that she was in the desert in March but denied stealing or intentionally harming any artifacts.

She also saidĚýshe had not been in touch with Spencer for several months. Their court case is currently set for November 27, 2024 in Salt Lake City.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř was unable to reach Spencer for comment.

Since the initial news release and subsequent charges, the story of the alleged theft has appeared in a number of major news outlets including and . The story’s popularity is no surprise, Henker told şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř. “National parks are known to preserve important stories from our country’s past, and a lot of people feel strongly about that preservation,” she said.

Artifact theft and desecration are surprisingly common in national parks. According to a , the National Park Service records hundreds of incidences of archaeological theft each year. Only about 16 percent of these cases are ever solved.

When asked how it feels to see this case get some traction, Henker emphasized that all suspects in the case are considered innocent until proven guilty.

“But we’re very grateful for the contributions and involvement from the public,” she told şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř. “To us, it shows just how much the public cares about these places.”

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Hiking in our national parks is high on the list of many visitors, and long trails don’t always equate to the best views. In fact, many short, scenic options are just as worthy.

I love a good short hike, and on my adventures to all 63 U.S. national parks, I discovered that you don’t always have to go big to get big views. Maybe you have young kids in tow or are simply seeking a mellow day in nature. So I’ve compiled a list of my favorite short hikes in national parks, each of which is postcard-worthy. All distances mentioned are round-trip.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Trail name:

Distance: 2.1 miles

I’ve raved about the Bar Island Trail for şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř before, naming it one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in the country. I still maintain that this gravel strip north of downtown Bar Harbor is one Acadia’s most unique hikes, because it’s an utterly accessible stroll that’s technically off-trail. Grab a , because the pathway trail is only water-free for 90 minutes before and after low tide, and say goodbye to those storybook cottages in favor of Bar Island’s rocky beaches.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Trail name:

Distance: Ěý1.6 miles

When I visited Big Bend’s Santa Elena Canyon in 2020, I rushed to get there just as the sun was setting, so I could watch that big fireball in the sky paint the limestone walls of the canyon in hushed, warm hues. But take your time driving the 30-mile to the trailhead, too. It’s home to the aptly named Mule Ears rock formations, as well as impressive Chihuahuan Desert vistas.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

Of all the trails I’ve hiked on my three trips to Moab, Utah, this trek over to Grand View Point in Canyonlands has got to be the best low-effort, high-reward journey. Start from Grand View Point Overlook and, if you’re not afraid of heights and cliff edges, meander along tangerine-tinted cliffs on a relatively flat, 0.9-mile trail, with views stretching into a maw of the earth, where the Colorado and Green Rivers converge.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Trail name:

Distance: 1.25 miles

I couldn’t create a list of the best easy national-park hikes without including something from Carlsbad Caverns, one of the most family-friendly and wheelchair-accessible parks of the lot. This trail can be accessed via the visitor center’s elevator, which travels 750 feet into the belly of the earth, or the 1.25-mile Natural Entrance Trail (yes, you can take the elevator back up to ground level). Then get ready to marvel at thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, many of which resemble hanging jellyfish and posh chandeliers.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Trail name:

Distance: 1.8 miles

July is my favorite month to summit 7,881-foot Watchman Peak, when the high-elevation wildflowers—purple lupine and bright fuchsia beardtongues—are in full bloom. Not only will you glean better views of Wizard Island as you climb, but from the top, you can check out a .

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Trail name:

Distance: 2 miles

There aren’t many maintained trails in Denali (or Alaska, for that matter), but the Savage River Loop is an excellent choice if you’re on one of the park’s famous hop-on, hop-off green transit buses that run between the entrance and the deep interior. In summer, enjoy the verdant tundra and views of the Alaska Range’s foothills as you follow the rushing Savage upstream for a mile before turning around. Bring your bear spray if you’re hiking in Denali–this trail was closed to hikers when I visited in 2020, due to a surly mama bear.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Avalanche Lake Trail is one of the most popular in Glacier–it’s shaded, has moderate elevation gain, and ends at a mirror-clear alpine lake, studded with waterfalls—the scene is like one from middle-earth. You can extend your trip into a six-mile journey if you stroll along the shoreline to escape the throngs at the turnaround point. Pro tip: if you plan to picnic at the lake, be sure to hide your food from crafty marmots out for a free lunch.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Trail name: South Kaibab Trail to

Distance: 1.8 miles

When I first laid eyes on Ooh Aah Point, I chuckled—here was one of the most appropriate signposts for a view that I’d ever seen inside a national park. From this drop-dead gorgeous spot, located just 0.9 miles and 600 feet below the South Kaibab Trailhead, you’ll be able to take in a mind-blowing assemblage of rust-red sandstone plateaus and mesas, stretching out as far as the eye can see. Feeling frisky? Extend your hike to (3.1 miles round-trip) for even more canyon magic.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Trail name: (also known as String Lake Loop)

Distance: 3.6 miles

For easy hikes in Grand Teton, I’d stay near the park’s shimmering , which boast impressive views of the immense, pointed mountains and but are home to trails that are relatively flat. This particular loop circumnavigates String Lake, with scene-stealing vistas of Rockchuck Peak and Mount Saint John along the way. Bring your SUP along and ply the lake’s cool waters after your jaunt.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

When I hiked this path with my partner in late May 2020, we ended up breaking trail in thigh-deep snow, but from June through September, this is an easy trek to many of the oldest trees on earth. Meditate among these gnarled beauties in the shadow of Wheeler Peak—the state’s second highest, at 13,065 feet—and its myriad boulders. Want a longer variation? Continue along the same path to the Wheeler Peak Glacier for a 4.4-mile trip.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Trail name:

Distance: 2.6 miles

Beat the heat in America’s most-visited national park on this shaded stroll to a cascading waterfall, bookended by mossy boulders. You’ll likely spot salamanders near the cool creek as you stroll through an old-growth hemlock forest and end up at the 25-foot-high Grotto Falls. Dip your feet into the refreshing water before turning back the way you came.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii Island

Trail name:

Distance: 2.9 miles

It’s rare to walk through a tropical rainforest, check out hissing steam vents, and witness an active volcano all in a single trail, but Hawaii Volcanoes is not your average national park. For the best experience, park near the visitor center, hike this well-maintained path at sunset, and try to spot the otherworldly pink glow of lava from the as it gets dark.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Trail name:

Distance: 4.3 miles

If you’ve only got one day in Isle Royale, this is the trail to take. Beginning in the popular Rock Harbor area, on the main island’s eastern edge, the trail travels in and out of boreal forest and across dark gray volcanic rocks until it reaches Scoville Point, with its sweeping views of Lake Superior. When you’ve had enough of feeling like you’re standing at the edge of the known world, return via the north side of the peninsula for even better forest bathing.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Trail name: Brooks Falls Trail

Distance: 2.4 miles

Yes, getting to Katmai is a long adventure that involves a floatplane from Anchorage. I’ve had the distinct pleasure of visiting the park twice, and it blew my mind both times. For starters, it’s a fantastic place to watch salmon swimming upstream from July through September. This also means it’s one of the best places in the state to watch hungry grizzly bears fattening themselves up on the spawning fish. Stow your food at , then cross the Brooks River on an elevated boardwalk trail. Once you reach the falls, have that camera ready to snap photo after photo of the ornery beasts feeding.

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3 miles

Want to be wowed by sizzling hydrothermal features, but don’t want to travel all the way to Yellowstone? Lesser-known Bumpass Hell, apart from having an amazing name, is home to some seriously cool steam vents, scalding hot springs, and bubbling mud pots. After stretching your legs on the trail, take a dip in Lake Helen, just across Lassen National Park Highway, and crane your neck up at 10,457-foot-high Lassen Peak.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Trail name:

Distance: 4.7 miles

The Paradise area is my favorite section of this gorgeous park, and while I trekked along this moderate hike, I saw a huge, fluffy mountain goat and had terrific views of Rainier’s serrated glaciers. 72-foot-tall Myrtle Falls is the real showstopper, though, because it’s perfectly framed by trees beneath Rainier. If you’d prefer an ever mellower day out, you can turn this trek into a simple stroll via the Golden Gate Trail.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Trail name:

Distance: 3.2 miles

Though New River Gorge is perhaps best known for its rock climbing and whitewater rafting, I thoroughly enjoyed hiking its many forested trails when I visited in 2021. This out-and-back to Long Point meanders through a forest of spruce and hemlock before popping you out onto a rocky ledge with one of the best New River Bridge photo ops in the park.

Redwood National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

You’ll need to to hike this lollipop loop, which meanders through some of the tallest trees on the planet, but any hassle is well worth it. Drive down a washboard road just east of Orick for roughly 6 miles and park in the designated dirt lot before descending 700 feet to the Tall Trees Grove, keeping your eyes peeled for epic oyster mushrooms and sword ferns along the way. I’d plan on spending at least an hour quietly perusing these ancient redwoods. This is forest bathing at its finest.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail name:

Distance: 5 miles

Technically, the Ute Trail is an eight-mile round-trip hike, but the best thing about one-way hikes is that you can make them as short as your heart desires. Beginning at the Alpine Visitor Center, which sits at a lofty 11,796 feet, this trail winds along moderately graded tundra slopes and offers awesome views of the Never Summer Mountain Range. Hike it in the morning to avoid the dangerous afternoon lightning storms—my partner and I once had to jam to find shelter on a too thrilling post-lunch trek.

Sequoia National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 2.8 miles

If you’re in Sequoia and planning on visiting the , which is the largest by volume on earth), I heartily recommend extending your forest-bathing stroll to include the Congress Trail. A mostly flat lollipop loop, it passes the enormous trees within the Giant Forest. Best of all? A few hundred feet past General Sherman, you’ll escape the lion’s share of the crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

Trail name:

Distance: 2.7 miles

Though this trail starts from an unassuming trailhead, right behind the park’s Cruz Bay Visitor Center, it quickly redeems itself with incredible views of aquamarine water, following a brief climb to 160-foot-high Lind Point. From there, you’ll curve through the lush, humid forest and switchback down, down, down to Salomon Beach, which has all the tropical beauty of nearby Honeymoon Beach—but none of the crowds.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 3.5 miles

After taking obligatory pictures of the and its roaring waterfall, I made a random left turn onto an uncrowded trail and quickly uncovered one of my favorite hikes in the National Park System. This trip out to Point Sublime showcases the churning Yellowstone River, hundreds of feet below, while following a forested edge of the canyon whose crimson-and-marigold-colored slopes plunge toward the current for the entirety of the hike.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Trail name:

Distance: 1.5 miles

This is the trail that most people think of when they picture Yellowstone’s most famous attraction, Old Faithful, with that meandering boardwalk stretching far beyond it. And, to be honest, it’s pretty darn incredible in person. Cross the Firehole River, and check out one of the world’s largest assortments of hydrothermal features on this flat, wheelchair-accessible loop. Be sure to download the app, which offers info on the predicted eruption times. My personal favorite geyser is Castle, which gushes up to 75 feet high and for as long as 20 minutes.

Yosemite National Park, California

Trail name:

Distance: 4.4 miles

Sure, this trek might not routinely crack the top tenĚýYosemite trail listicles, but it’s the first place I take my friends who have never been to the park before. You’ll set off from the iconic Glacier Point viewing area and then enjoy second-to-none panoramas of Half Dome, Liberty Cap, and 594-foot-high Nevada Fall for nearly the entirety of the hike. It’s also an ideal way to remove yourself from the Glacier Point parking-lot crowds and fully immerse yourself in the surrounds.

Zion National Park, Utah

Trail name:

¶Ůľ±˛őłŮ˛ą˛Ôł¦±đ:Ěý1 mile

Move over, Angel’s Landing. In terms of low-effort, high-reward hikes, this is easily the best one in Zion. Park near the Zion–Mount Carmel Tunnel, on the less traveled eastern side of the park; from there this path climbs 163 feet, past vermillion layer-cake-like hoodoos and scrubby pinñon pines. My favorite part is the turnaround point: you’re greeted with jaw-dropping views of the craggy Temples and Towers of the Virgin, sandstone monoliths that appear on park postcards. Keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep.

Emily Pennington is a freelance writer based in Boulder, Colorado. Her book came out in 2023. This year she’s tackling loads of short hikes in the Rocky Mountains to get ready for a trip to remote East Greenland.

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As we started our three-day backpacking trip along the northern rim of Yosemite Valley, the trailhead was a zoo. And this was several years ago, even before the pandemic accelerated visitation to our national park system. Still, Yosemite National Park has always been a popular destination, notorious for crowds over the decades. But after we hiked just two hours on Upper Yosemite Falls Trail, the masses had thinned, and by the time we reached the rim above the valley, our group of six had the place to ourselves.

That’s the beauty of backpacking in our national parks; you can leave the traffic jams and crowded parking lots behind in just a few miles. With some planning and hard work, you can enjoy the country’s most iconic landscapes in relative solitude.

Here, I’ve detailed 10 of the best backpacking trails within our national parks. A few I’ve done myself, while others are still on my bucket list.ĚýI’ve included something for everyone, from quick overnight jaunts to week-long treks that require serious legs and logistics.

1. Chesler Park, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Distance: 14 miles, overnight

Why It’s Great: This lollipop loop in the remote Needles District takes you through the sort of desert terrain, from slot canyons to arches,Ěýthat draws so many of us to the landscape of Canyonlands.

Hike It: The is moderate in length, but the terrain and lack of water and shade make it best suited for experienced backpackers. Starting at the Elephant Hill Trailhead, combine four trails (Elephant Canyon Trail, Druid Arch, Joint Trail, and Chesler Park), following cairns and well-signed trail junctions across slickrock and sandy washes. Most people hike it clockwise, and to get a broad view of the Needles District before descending into Elephant Canyon. There, you’ll squeeze through boulders and climb stairs through notches in vertical stone walls. At the end of Elephant Canyon Trail, you should tack on the four-mile out-and-back side trip to the 150-foot-tall Druid Arch for one of the best views in the Needles district. Carry on to Chesler Park proper, a broad circular valley with tall grasses hemmed in almost entirely by sandstone spires. Continue on the 1.5-mile Joint Trail, on the southern edge of Chesler Park—another highlight, as it has you scrambling along sandstone slopes, squeezing through boulders, and venturing into tall, narrow slot canyons.

Logistics: Elephant Hill Trailhead is accessible via two-wheel-drive vehicles and has pit toilets. Grab a up to four months before your trip ($36 per reservation, plus $5 per person, maximum seven people per permit). Reliable water sources are scarce, so plan to pack in all you need: the National Park Service and other government officials recommend at least one gallon per person, per day. Fall and spring are the best seasons to go, though winter has its charms if you have the right gear, including a zero-degree sleeping bag. Trekking in summerĚýheat is not recommended for safety reasons.

2. North Rim Loop, Yosemite National Park, California

Distance: 17 miles, two nights

Why It’s Great: You’ll see Yosemite Valley—one of the best damn parks in the system, in my opinion—from a whole different perspective and enjoy one of the greatest camp spotsĚýin the country.

Hike It: From Yosemite Falls Trailhead, the begins behind the historic climbers’ Camp 4, ascending Yosemite Falls Trail to the top of the tallest waterfall in North America. The trail ascends 2,700 feet, giving you a spectacular view, and the falls are so close you can feel the spray on your face.Ěý

Yosemite’s backcountry has a dispersed camping policy, which means you can pitch a tent anywhere as long as it’s four miles from a trailhead and 100 feet from water or a trail. We found a quiet campsite tucked under tall pines next to Lahamite Creek, which holds ice-cold swimming holes perfect for summer visits. My group, which was full of climbers, spent hours bouldering near the water.

The highlight of day two is the view from North Dome, across Tenaya Canyon to Half Dome. Take the quick .5-mile side trip to Indian Arch, the only natural arch in Yosemite, before pitching a tent on Snow Creek Promontory, a granite dome directly across the valley from Half Dome and Mount Watkins. This is the finest place I’ve ever pitched a tent in my life, thanks to the view and exposure. Day three drops you off the north rim via the Snow Creek Trail, which loses 2,700 feet in nine milesĚý into Tenaya Canyon, offering panoramas of the stunning monoliths of Half Dome, Quarter Dome, and Clouds Rest. You’ll pass by Mirror Lake in Tenaya Canyon with North Dome, Half Dome, and Mount Watkins in the background.

Logistics: A limited number of are available, designated by trailhead (apply for the Yosemite Falls Trailhead). Exactly 60 percent of the permits ($10 application fee, $5 per person, maximum 15 people per permit) are issued 24 weeks in advance, and 40 percent seven days in advance. This trip is good as soon as the snow melts (usually late April or early May). Do it in June or July if you want to see Yosemite Falls at its peak. You’ll find creeks along the route, so bring a filter You’ll find creeks along the route, so bring a filter (and a backup such as iodine tablets, or be ready to boil water).

3. Coast Trail, Point Reyes National Seashore, California

Distance: 17 miles, overnight

Why It’s Great: This quick trip delivers you to secluded beaches and coastal bluffs in a wilderness area.

Hike It: The 17-mile-long makes the most of the remote landscape of Point Reyes National Park, where rocky headlands meet beaches and the raucous Pacific Ocean. The trail runs through the Phillip Burton Wilderness, reducing the number of people you’ll encounter (no vehiclesĚý allowed in wilderness). It meanders past a series of dramatic beaches that line Drake’s Bay; Wildcat Beach is the biggest, stretching for three miles. Sculptured Beach sits amid tall bluffs, with two creeks carving through the sand into the Pacific.

Coast Trail also dips inland several times, passing natural lakes and climbing to the top of rocky bluffs offering long-range views of the Pacific and its rugged coastline. You’ll have the chance to take a two-mile out-and-back side trip to Alamere Falls along Wildcat Beach, where Alamere Creek tumbles 40 feet over a cliff onto the sand. With multiple trails intersecting the entire Coast Trail, there are many such options for small loops and side hikes. To extend the trip, create a bigger loop incorporating some of the inland trails, some of which follow a ridgeline through a Douglas fir forest. You can even climb the 1,407-foot Mount Wittenburg, the highest point in Point Reyes National Seashore.

Logistics: Camping is only allowed at established campgrounds within Point Reyes, and the Coast Trail has two options. Coast Campground, towards the northern end of the trail, has 14 sites tucked into a valley and protected from the ocean wind, though the beach is an easy 200-yard walk from your tent ($30 per night, max six people per site). Wildcat Campground, towards the southern end, has five sites on a bluff above the beach ($30 per night, up to six people). Get a free up to three months in advance for either campground. There’s potable water at any backcountry campground within the national seashore.

Point Reyes is a treat any time of year, but keep an eye out for beach closures during winter to protect fragile wildlife. Summer is obviously your best bet if you want to go swimming. If you do this hike as a point to point, plan to leave shuttle vehicles at both trailheads.

4. Rim to Rim, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Distance: 24 miles, two to three days

Why It’s Great: This classic Grand Canyon adventure is as challenging as it is beautiful, showing backpackers what’s fondly known as the biggest ditch in America from a variety of perspectives most visitors never experience.

Hike It: The in the Grand Canyon might be the ultimate bucket-list backpacking trail. It’s possible to complete the Rim to Rim in a day, but this is a burly hike with 6,000 feet of elevation drop on the descentĚýand 4,500 feet of climbing on the ascent, so breaking it up with an overnight is kinder to your knees.

The most popular route follows the North Kaibab Trail from the North Rim down to the Colorado River and up to the South Rim via the Bright Angel Trail. The landscape is surprisingly lush as you begin at the North Kaibab Trailhead, with aspens and evergreens flanking the path. You quickly leave the foliage behind while switchbacking down along Redwall cliffs, reveling in the exposure and views deep into the interior.

If you want to break this up into a three-day trip, get a permit for Cottonwood Camp, roughly seven miles from the trailhead (see below for permit instructions). You’ll pass the hundred-year-old Phantom Ranch,Ěýwhich has lodge rooms and a restaurant, just before reaching Bright Angel Campground. Even if you can’t score a reservation at Phantom Ranch, grab a meal from its restaurant, the Canteen, which serves a full sit-down breakfast and dinner (choose from stew or steak) and an old-school “hiker’s sack lunch” with salami and cheese.

After crossing the Colorado on Silver Bridge, a hiker-only overpass, you’ll climb out of the canyon on the Bright Angel Trail. The views are outstanding, with a literal oasis roughly halfway up, and the switchbacks towards the top of the climb will challenge even the most hardcore hiker. I tackled the Bright Angel as an out-and-back in my early 20s, and I still consider it one of my toughest day hikes. It was so easy going down to the river in the morning, and brutalĚýclimbing back up.

Logistics: The top of Bright Angel Trail is closed until mid-April 2024 for waterline replacement work. Check on its before planning your hike. Snag a up to six months in advance for one of the 30 sites at Bright Angel Campground ($10 per permit, $15 per person each night, up to six people per site) through the lottery system via . As for timing, prime season falls between May and October. If you hike in the summer, start your days at sunrise to avoid peak temperatures. If you’re following the North Kaibab/Bright Angel route, you can find water and restrooms along the way. It’s easy to get a shuttle at the end of your hike to take you back to the North Rim. Or, really go for it: plan ahead with permits, water, gear, and food, and you can turn return via the North Kaibab trailhead for a 48-mile out and back.

5. Wonderland Trail, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Distance: 93 miles, seven to 14 days

Why It’s Great: This massive loop is loaded with rainforests, high meadows full of wildflowers, and endless views of Mount Rainier, which has more glaciers than any other mountain in the lower 48.

Hike It: The circles Mount Rainier, climbing a total of 24,000 feet, with immensely varied terrain ranging from temperate rainforests to alpine tundra. The hike is located entirely in Mount Rainier National Park.

Most hikers tackle the route clockwise, starting from Longmire, Sunrise, and Mowich Lake. home to a ranger station and the seasonally open Longmire Wilderness Information Center, is the standard starting point. Longmire was once the site of the park’s original headquarters (now in Ashford). The compound, with an inn and museum, is a National Historic District.Ěý

The Wonderland is hard, but you’ll experience the best Mount Rainer National Park has to offer, from remote alpine lakes to volcanic ridges, and from a bevy of wildflowers to the many perspectives of Mount Rainier. The climb to Panhandle Gap, a high-alpine pass with scree slopes and expansive views, is stunning, as is the glassy St. Andrews Lake, framed by Rainier in the background.

Logistics: Mid-summer (June and July) is the best time to go: the snow has melted and the wildflowers are popping. There are 18 developed campsites along the trail. are released during an early-access lottery beginning in February and ending in March (dates TBA, $26 per permit for up to 13 days (the 14 days above is a conservative estimate, and in that case, the person would walk out on the last day rather than need another night)Ěýand five people per site). The remaining permits are available starting April 25. You can beforehand at certain campgrounds and ranger stations (you can mail food or drop if off in a plastic container such as a five-gallon bucket) to lighten your load. along the trail to lighten your load.

6. Teton Crest Trail, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Distance: 40 miles, three to five days

Why It’s Great: This trail offers a bounty of wildlife spotting, views of glaciated peaks, and travel on high-alpine passes in the southern portion of Grand Teton National Park.

Hike It: The Teton Crest Trail officially starts outside of the park, at Phillips Pass in Jedediah Smith Wilderness, and ends at String Lake, after gaining more than 9,000 feet of elevation along the way. The majority of that gain comes during a couple of gradual ascents, which make this trek Ěýsurprisingly user-friendly.

Many backpackers take the Aerial Tram from Teton Village to the top of Rendezvous Mountain, to cut a few miles and 2,400 vertical feet off the itinerary. No shame in that game. Also, the chances of seeing elk and moose on this hike are high, especially around the backcountry lakes. The 2,800-foot climb up to Paintbrush Divide, toward the end of the hike if you’re headed north, is the toughest. The views into the hearts of various canyons and from above-treeline passes will entertain you the whole way, and you’ll likely only see a few other backpackers.

Logistics: Snag a Ěýearly ($20 per permit, $7 a night per person, max six people per site). The park released them on January 10 at 8 A.M. MST, and they go fast. Fortunately, two-thirds of the permits are withheld for walk-up reservations one night in advance of your trip during hiking season (May through October). Hit this one in late June through August for the warmest conditions.

7. Under the Rim Trail, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Distance: 23 miles, three days

Why It’s Great: Everyone sees Bryce from the top of the canyon, but this trail drops well below the rim, providing solitude and the opportunity to see itĚýfrom the bottom.

Hike It: Bryce CanyonĚýis known for its desert landscape and hoodoos, most accessible by easy trails and overlooks. Still, step into the backcountry on the trail and you’ll see a whole new aspect, because there are trees and creeks in the desert. Honestly.

Hikers will find plenty of Bryce’s signature rock spires on this route, as they descend deep into the eastern edge of the plateau, where meadows and forests of thriving ponderosa pine and aspen trees thrive. Views of towering orange cliffs and vistas extend into the Grand Staircase. And don’t worry: an area dubbed “Hat Shop” is loaded with Bryce’s famous hoodoos, or sandstone columns left by weather and erosion, many capped by boulders of more resistant rock. The trail gains 5,500 feet in 23 miles, so it’s not a leg burner. Most people hike the Under the Rim heading north from Rainbow Point to Bryce Point. Aim to camp at Natural Bridge and Yellow Creek if you’re breaking this up into three days.

Logistics: Get a Ěýfor campsites up to three months in advance ($10 per permit, $5 per person,ĚýĚýmaximum six people per site). Water sources are unreliable, so bring your own (again, one gallon per person, per day).

Bryce has a free park shuttle, but unfortunately it doesn’t run to Rainbow Point, so you’ll need two cars (or can hire a private shuttle from from $15 per person). To preserve the fragile ecosystem, camp only in one of the six designated campsites along this trail. June to September promise the most pleasant weather.

8. Bechler River Traverse, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Distance: 35 miles, four to five days

Why It’s Great: This multi-day backpacking tripĚýhas everything you want out of your Yellowstone National ParkĚývisit: geothermal features, waterfalls, wildlife, meadows…and none of the crowds.

Hike It: Start near Old Faithful and pass the Lone Star Geyser before dipping into the backcountry and leaving the hordes behind. You drop into Bechler Canyon, where the river carves a dramatic gorge through the southwestern corner of Yellowstone, creating a series of waterfalls. Colonnade Falls has to be the best, dropping more than 100 feet in two parts. You’ll pass a number of geothermals, especially in Shoshone Geyser Basin, including “Mr. Bubbles,” a hot spring on the edge of the Bechler River where you can soak safely. Further, you reach an awesome view of the Teton skyline across the grasses and streams of Bechler Meadows. This route also has a high success rate for wildlife sightings, such as of bison and potentially even wolves. Optional side hikes to destinations like the three-mile out-and-back to Shoshone Lake with its excellent trout fishing beg you to tack on extra days.

Logistics: are first allocated through an Early Access LotteryĚýon March 1 at 8 A.M. MST ($10 reservation fee, $5 per person per night). A general-permit sale starts April 26 at 8 A.M. MST. You can also score walk-up permits two days in advance of a trip. There are a few river crossings, so it’s best to wait until August or early September, when the temperature is warm and the snowmelt has settled. Mosquitos can be bad in July, too. Carry bear spray, as this is grizzly country, and know how to use it. Use the food-storage boxes at each designated campsite and never, ever take any food into your tent with you.

9. Appalachian Trail Section in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

Distance: 72 miles, seven days or more

Why It’s Great: This is a gorgeous stretch of the most famous footpath in America. You can spend the night in trail shelters, which helps save weight, while the forest changes from dense hardwoods at the lower elevations to sparse evergreens on the ridgelines. You’ll also cross some of the tallest peaks east of the Rockies, such as 6,593-foot Mount LeConte.

Hike It: The Appalachian Trailtravels north through the length of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, following the North Carolina/Tennessee border from Lake Fontana to Davenport Gap. The trip starts with a big climb that culminates at Shuckstack Fire Tower, then undulates along the roof of the Southern Appalachians for 20,000 feet of elevation gain. I’ve hiked most of the AT in the Smokies as a series of day hikes, and the terrain is surreal.ĚýYou’ll also encounter few people throughout most of the trail, as most hikers in GSMNP choose short trails close to parking.

At the 6,593-foot Mount LeConte, a concrete lookout platform offers views of the park all the way back down to Lake Fontana. Such spectacular moments abound, from the 360-degree vistas from the outcropping Rocky Top to the picture-perfect stone lookout tower on Mount Cammerer. Spending your nights in the AT’s signature three-sided trail shelters is just fun.

Logistics: You need a to stay in or around the AT shelters ($8 per night per person, max eight people per site). Get them up to 30 days in advance. Water is plentiful throughout this stretch, but bring a filter. You can hike the AT year round, although winter will be icy and snowy and requires a whole gear re-think. Summer is delightful, as you’ll be above 5,000 feet for the most part, and fall offers incredible views of foliage.

10. North Country National Scenic Trail, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan

Distance: 42 miles, four days

Why It’s Great: This slice of the 4,800-mile-long North Country National Scenic TrailĚýtraces the edge of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, and is packed with dunes, bluffs, beaches, and waterfalls as you walk along the rim of the biggest, deepest lake in North America.

Hike It: The North Country National Scenic Trail runs east to west for 4,800 miles, crossing eight states. A particularly beautiful portion joins the through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, following the edge of Lake Superior, which at 2,900 cubic miles is so large it could be an inland sea. Much of the trail travels through the forest above the water, though hikers occasionally dip down to the water, where rocky beaches meet tumultuous waves. You’ll pass the Au Sable Light Station, cross over dunes, and spend miles atop sandstone cliffs that rise 200 feet above the waves. The waterfalls along the way include Spray Falls, which drops directly into Superior.

Logistics: Get a starting on Jan. 1 at 10 A.M. EST ($15 reservation fee, $5 per person per night, maximum six people per site). May and October can be snowy and cold, so aim for late summer after the black flies have died down (they’re usually active in June). You’ll find water sources throughout, but bring a filter.

That’s it, coast to coast: brilliant backpacking trails in our national parks, so stop dreaming and start planning. Snag a permit, grab your pack, lace up your boots, and go.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. He thinks day hikes are great, overnights are better, and multiday adventures are best. His favorite backpacking trip ever in a national park? North Rim, hands down.

For more by Graham Averill, see:

Mountain Towns With Cabins You Can Actually Afford to Buy

How to Score the Best National Park Campsites for Summer

The Best Budget Airlines—and şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Locales They Go To

The 18 Best State Parks in the U.S.

To read about historic lodges and architecture in our national parks, see:

The 20 Best National-Park Lodges in the U.S.

The post The 10 Best Backpacking Trails in Our National Parks appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn’t it be something to stay there?We do, too—all the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

In late November, I ran a 50K trail race in Moab, Utah. I planned to spend most of the week posted up with my family in a campsite on the outskirts of town, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized I wanted a nice shower and a comfortable bed before and after the event.

Which is how I ended up staying the weekend at , the coolest new hotel in this popular adventure town. The property opened in April on a 2.6-acre lot just north of downtown with 139 rooms and seven sites for van campers who want access to amenities like Wi-Fi, showers, and the outdoor hot tub and pool. Owned by the same group that runs AutoCamp (a national chain of Airstream glamping resorts),ĚýField Station Moab was the perfect base camp for a tired runner like myself.

Completely redesigned with a minimalist, industrial feel, not to mention a welcoming, easygoing vibe, this is a place where you can walk through the bustling lobby and grab an espresso in muddy bike shorts without getting any stares. In fact, the lobby itself resembles more of a chic outdoor gear shop than a hotel, with local topo maps spread across tables, shelves stocked with guidebooks, and a store where you can pick up energy bars, a reusable water bottle, or a rain jacket in case you forgot your own.

When I checked in, the friendly woman behind the counter was wearing a name tag that read, “Ask me about skydiving,” and she immediately greeted my dog with a treat. We were able to bring our mountain bikes right into our room—a nice feature for security—and she pointed us toward the bike-tuning station out back if we needed it. A gear-rental closet has loaner daypacks, children’s backpacks, tents, and sleeping bags, as well as a luggage room to store your stay-put belongings if you’re headed into the backcountry for a few days.

Accommodations are simple but thoughtful, appointed with quiet nods to the outdoors, such as sporty coolers instead of fridges, bite-size energy bars left on your bedside table, and climbing rope looped through the roll of toilet paper. After running 30 miles, I soaked my sore legs in the hot tub and struck up a conservation with another guest, a woman who had spent the day mountain biking for the first time ever. In that moment, Field Station felt like exactly what an outdoorsy hotel should be: a community gathering place to swap stories about your adventures. Instead of hanging out in our room, I found myself drawn to the outdoor fire pit to enjoy a post-race beer, and the next morning, I lingered over coffee and a breakfast sandwich in the lobby’s comfy seating area. If you like the concept here, Field Station is scheduled to open a second outpost in Joshua Tree, California, in May.

şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Intel

Moab has an endless array of options for outdoor adventures, from canyoneering to rafting. It’s a mountain-biking and rock-climbing mecca and the gateway for exploring nearby Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. I came to Moab mostly to trail-run and mountain-bike, but I did spend time wandering around Arches with my kids.

“If you’re going to do one thing in Arches National Park, go to the ,” Stephen Wojciechowski, Field Station’s assistant general manager, told me. “Everyone who goes into Arches wants to go to Delicate Arch, the busiest spot in the park, but there’s a lot more to see.”

I took Wojciechowski’s advice and got a to visit the Fiery Furnace, a maze of deep canyons with steep walls and hidden arches, and it was my kids’ favorite activity of the week. (During the busier season, you can also reserve a two-hour ranger-led hike; both it and self-guided permits are available up to seven days in advance.)

Wojciechowski also recommended exploring Arches’ , at the end of the park road, walking the Primitive Trail in a clockwise loop. “You can do up to eight miles of hiking and see up to ten arches,” he says. “That gives you a perfect afternoon in the park.”

You can spot arches outside the national park, too. Wojciechowski likes the three-mile round-trip hike to , west of Moab, which we did. It was both dog- and family-friendly. My kids scrambled up a metal ladder while gawking at the amazing view of the arch.

Fascinated by ancient petroglyphs? For a history lesson, we headed up Kane Springs Road and stopped by what’s called the , an accessible boulder with petroglyphs on all sides that’s thought to be sketched by Ancestral Puebloans and Native Ute Tribes more than 800 years ago.

The mountain biking in Moab is incredible in its vastness, offering a wide range of technical rides and more flowy singletrack. I rode the relatively new Trail twice, and with my kids I pedaled a section of the and a loop of the . If you want a guide, Bighorn Mountain Biking leads private guided rides of varying lengths in Dead Horse State Park, or you can book a lift with Hazard County Shuttle to the start of downhill trails like the new or the classic .

Choice Room

At Field Station, my husband and I opted for a spacious group-friendly room with two queen beds and bunk beds for our two kids. If you don’t need much space, standard rooms with a queen bed or two are also available. And starting this fall, Field Station is debuting select rooms with king-size beds designed with built-in portaledges, so you can get a feel for how big-wall climbers sleep.

Eat and Drink

Field Station Moab has a convenient grab-and-go café in the lobby, with breakfast pastries, coffee, smoothies, and snacks. Otherwise, is just up the road and offers an extensive burger menu, which is where we ate our first night in town. After the race, I refueled on tacos at the , and later in the week, we had lunch on the ’s outdoor patio. Sit-down breakfast at is hard to beat. Woody’s Tavern is a legendary dive bar with live music, and about once a month or so, local scientists show up to share their insight on anything from mosquitos to climate change during a series called .

When to Go

Spring and fall are busy in Moab, as visitors tend to avoid the scorching heat of midsummer. If you plan to visit Arches National Park during peak season, from April to October, you’ll need to reserve a time-stamped entry ahead of time. Better yet, come in the off-season, from November through March, and you’ll be treated to smaller crowds and more room to roam. Winters here are mild in terms of weather and snowfall, but temperatures can get chilly; expect averages in the forties in December and January.

How to Get There

Most travelers fly into Salt Lake City, then drive four hours south to Moab. Field Station is located a mile and a half north of downtown. Hotel staff can help book you a seat on one of the mountain-bike shuttles to the popular area trails, but most likely you’ll need a car to get around to various locales.

Don’t Miss

Watching the sun set at is a Moab highlight. This lesser-known state park has plenty of trails for hiking and mountain biking, and fewer visitors than the nearby national parks. Another worthy mention is Back of Beyond Books on Main Street; it’s just the place to pick up a travel-inspiring novel and browse its impressive collection devoted to local history and quirkier aspects of the outdoors.

Details

To Book:

Price: Rooms from $159; van sites $29

Address: 889 N Main St.
Moab, UT 84532

Megan Michelson is an şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř contributing editor and avid traveler who’s originally from a small town in Northern California. She loves visiting desert landscapes in the Southwest because they are so different than the environment she’s used to, and because the sunsets are so much more colorful.Ěý

The post This Is the Coolest New Hotel in Moab appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder. That is mostly true. Outdoor beauty, though, as found in nature, is far less subjective. I don’t think anyone has stood on the lip of the Grand Canyon, peering down 5,000 feet, and thought, Meh. With that sense of scientific objectivity in mind, I’ve developed a list of the 11 most beautiful hikes in our national parks.

This list is about grand beauty—heart-stopping vistas and otherworldly landscapes that would make even the most jaded screen-ages look up from their phones and say, “Cool.” I also considered geography diversity and a range of landscapes to highlight something for everyone. Same with difficulty—you’ll find short half-mile loops and full-day efforts.

I am °żłÜłŮ˛őľ±»ĺ±đ’s national parks columnist, fortunate enough to have hiked a number of these trails myself, and have dragged my kids to many. The rest of the trails haunt my bucket list for when the opportunities arise.

1. Sentinel Dome and Taft Point Loop, Yosemite National Park, California

Distance: 5.1-mile loop

I knew Yosemite National Park was gonna make this list because of the 1,200-square-mile park’s abundance of fertile valleys, dramatic waterfalls, and really big rocks. But choosing which ridiculously scenic hike to feature was agonizing. In theory, all of the best options look at the same stuff—Yosemite Valley and its granite towers—so I picked the hike with my favorite angle of that view. Tunnel View is probably the best-known vista, but it’s just a roadside overlook, so I nixed it. Half Dome is arguably the most coveted (and badass) hike and leads to banger views of Yosemite Valley. But you know what you can’t see from the top of Half Dome? Half Dome itself. So, ixnay.

Finally, I settled on the because it offers two grand but distinct views of Yosemite Valley on the same hike. I had the opportunity to include a piece of this hike during a multi-day backpacking trip through Yosemite and was awestruck. The summit on Sentinel Dome has 360-degree views of the entire park, including west where Half Dome and a large chunk of Yosemite Valley are displayed in all their glory. From the vertigo-inducing Taft Point, you’ll see El Capitan and Yosemite Falls.

The hike itself is moderate, with the only steep section coming as you approach the summit of Sentinel. It’s less crowded than Glacier Point, too.

When to Go: This year late summer or early fall is best because Glacier Point Road is closed until July for snow plowing and road rehabilitation. If you’re dying to see these views before the road opens, you can hike the 12.9-mile (one way) Pohono Trail, which climbs to Glacier Point from the Tunnel View Parking Area. It’s a journey, and you’ll get a series of breathtaking views of the Valley from Taft Point, Dewey Point, Crocker Point, Stanford Point, and Sentinel Dome.

Logistics: Yosemite is not requiring reservations to enter this summer, but you have to pay the park entrance fee ($35 per vehicle). The trailhead for this loop is off Glacier Point Road. Check the status of the road opening .

2. Precipice and North Ridge Trails, Acadia National Park, Maine

Distance: 3.2-mile loop

Do you want to walk along the wild Atlantic Ocean coastline, or take in the entire scene from above? That’s the question when visiting Acadia National Park. Ocean Path is the most popular trail, and some say the most scenic. This 2.5-mile romp along the edge of Mount Desert Island has you traversing the beaches and rock outcroppings that help define this national park. But I’m disqualifying it here because you can drive the Park Loop Road and catch most of the views from pullouts at overlooks.

Instead, climb the difficult to the top of Champlain Mountain for a bird’s-eye view of the coastline, the Atlantic, and the many forested islands that rise from the water. It’s a burly hike, climbing 1,000 feet in just .9 miles, that will have you scaling the sides of granite cliffs using metal rungs. You’ll get a variety of coastal views, and see the vast New England coastline from the top of the trail. Take the Champlain North Ridge Trail off the mountain and the views will continue.

When to Go: Summer is the most popular season, but show up in the fall, and the forest leading from the base of the mountain to the water’s edge will be aflame with red, orange, and yellow.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle. If you’re planning to drive Cadillac Summit Road while visiting the park, make in advance.

3. Watchman Peak Trail, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Distance: 1.6 miles roundtrip

There isn’t a bad view anywhere from the rim of Crater Lake, a 2,000-foot-deep lake nestled inside the bowl of a volcano sitting 7,000 feet above sea level. It sounds like the setting for a diabolical mastermind’s secret base, but simply creates one of the most spectacular national parks in the country. The lake is considered among the most pure in the world, as the water is sourced completely from rain and snow.

The views from the edge of the volcano are one of a kind. is a little harder than “nature walk” territory—it gains 420 feet in under a mile to a historic fire lookout tower—but it gets the same kind of volume of visitors as a paved overlook trail, and the view is why. This is one situation where the hike isn’t about the journey, only the destination, because at the crest of the trail you can see the entire lake from a stone platform below the woodend fire tower. The view encompasses Wizard Island, a smaller volcano set inside a larger volcano. If you want a good view with fewer neighbors along the way, hike the 3.7-mile round trip to Garfield Peak, which takes in most of the lake from a different angle. Bonus for the Garfield Peak hike: In the summer, the hillsides are blanketed in wildflowers.

When to Go: Crater Lake is covered in snow most of the year, so summer and early fall are your best bets. Sunset is stunning, but you definitely won’t have the view to yourself.

Logistics: You’ll have to pay an entrance fee of $30 per vehicle. As of early summer 2023, portions of Rim Drive are still closed for snowplowing. The road is usually cleared by mid-July. Keep an eye on road conditions .

4. Bright Angel to Plateau Point Trail, Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Distance: 12 miles out and back

The Colorado River has carved out quite the ditch as it makes its way south across the Kaibab Plateau, and Grand Canyon National Park protects the most dramatic slice of the 277-mile-long gorge. Because this national park is so damn big, there are amazing views all over. The sights from various easy-to-access overlooks along the rim are awe-inspiring, but the views get even better, if that is possible, as you hike deeper into the gorge. A few trails drop off the rim, but for views, I like the . Based on the number of people who hike it every year, so does everyone else.

Don’t let the crowds dissuade you, though, as this hike is a life-changer, dropping 3,200 feet in six miles as it switchbacks down the side of the Grand Canyon. The views are fantastic the whole way, and you’ll walk through the vibrant Havasupai Garden, an oasis that once supported a Native American population. It’s also quite the challenge; I hiked the full Bright Angel as an out and back in my early 20s and it’s still one of the toughest hikes I’ve ever done. Most people make the full Bright Angel a multi-day hike, staying at either Havasupai Campground or Bright Angel Campground, but I wasn’t able to score a at the time.

The best vista is at Plateau Point on the edge of Tonto Plateau, roughly 2,000 feet above the Colorado River. Reach the overlook by taking a short spur trail at mile 4.5 and hiking the 1.5 miles for a front-and-center view of the inner gorge, as well as the aqua waters of the Colorado River, roughly 2,000 feet below.

When to Go: The South Rim is open year-round, but most agree spring and fall are the best time to visit because of milder temperatures. If you’re visiting in the summer, start your hike as early as possible to avoid the heat.

Logistics: You have to pay the entrance fee ($35 per vehicle). The hike begins at the Bright Angel Trailhead on the South Rim’s Desert View Drive. Bring more water than you think you’ll need as the temperature will rise as you drop deeper into the canyon. Remember, the 6-mile way down to Plateau Point is easy, but the 6-mile climb back up to the rim is hard.

5. Forney Ridge Trail to Andrews Bald, Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee

Distance: 3.6 mile out and back

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of the Southern Appalachians along the North Carolina and Tennessee border. The terrain is a mix of pastoral valleys with historic homesteads and steep, rugged peaks rising to 6,000 feet above sea level. This region is a temperate rainforest, with a lush canopy and dense woods, so long-range views can be tough to find. That’s one of the reasons I love , which ends at Andrew’s Bald, a high-elevation pasture once used to graze livestock, giving the 5,906-foot mountain an above-treeline vibe. Hike Forney Ridge Trail from the Clingman’s Dome parking lot and you’ll travel through a thick forest until reaching the bald proper, where several acres of tall grass offer long-range views of the southern mountains of the park and Fontana Lake. I’ve hiked this trail a couple of times over the years and I’m always amazed to be the only person on the path. Clingman’s Dome can be a zoo of people, especially in the summer, but most of those people stick to the concrete lookout tower and never venture on the actual trails.

When to go: You can hike the Smokies year-round. In the winter you’ll have the park more or less to yourself, and in the fall, the forest blazes with color. But knock out this hike in June and early July and you will find the Rhododendron and flame azaleas in full bloom.

Logistics: The hike begins at the parking lot for Clingman’s Dome, a concrete lookout you will want to spend a few minutes climbing. There’s no entry fee to enter Great Smoky Mountains National Park, but you have to purchase a parking tag ($5) to park at any trailhead.

6. High Dune, Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

Distance: 2.5 miles out and back

Great Sand Dunes National Park is wild, encompassing 30 square miles of off-white mounds of sand within the Rocky Mountains. These are the tallest dunes in North America, rising up to 741 feet. The sheer volume of sand here makes for other-worldly photo opportunities.

There are no established hiking trails throughout the dune field, but most visitors head towards , a 693-foot “peak” on the first ridge beyond the main parking lot here). From the top of High Dune, you can see the rolling hills of sand spread across the landscape, all flanked by the 13,000-foot Sangre de Cristo Mountains. You might feel like you’re in a vast desert, but in the spring and early summer, the hike actually begins with a stream crossing, as Medano Creek runs wide and several inches deep with the snowmelt. Pack an innertube in your car. The crumbling sands send waves down the creek that you can tube, and access is a short walk from the parking lot.

When to Go: The dunes can be covered in snow in the winter, and the sand can get really hot in the summer. Spring and fall are your best bets, but if you do show up in the summer, cool off in Medano Creek.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $25 per vehicle. You can park near the visitor center.

7. Mesa Arch, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Distance: .5-mile loop

I know, all the great sandstone arches are across the street in Arches National Park, right? Wrong. The 258,000-acre Canyonlands has plenty of fascinating sandstone features throughout, and while isn’t the largest natural bridge in the region (it’s 27 feet across), it’s perched on the edge of a cliff, 1,200 feet above Buck Canyon. As a result, the natural bridge provides the perfect frame for peering into (and photographing) the belly of Canyonlands.

Looking through the arch, you can see Washer Woman and Monster Tower, two distinct Wingate formations that are popular with climbers, the White Rim Trail (a classic multi-day mountain-bike route), and off in the distance, the La Sal Mountains. The walk is an easy .5-mile lollipop loop, which makes it extremely popular, but also a great option if you’re toting along children. My wife and I took our twins on this hike when they were age four. They probably had more fun scrambling on the sandstone outcroppings that surround the trail, but Liz was pretty pleased with the family photos of us at the arch. So everyone wins.

When to Go: Any time is a good time to visit Canyonlands, but summer is hot and crowded, and winter can be snowy and empty. Spring and fall can offer ideal weather and fewer crowds. Regardless of the season, show up at sunrise, and the red cliffs below the arch practically glow as the sun hits the sandstone.

Logistics: Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle. While Arches has brought back timed-entry reservations, you don’t need them to visit Canyonlands. The Mesa Arch Trailhead is located in the Island in the Sky district, off Grand View Point Road.

8. Highline Trail, Glacier National Park, Montana

Distance: 12 miles, one way

Glacier National Park is packed with scenery. Hidden Lake might be one of the prettiest in the country, Going-to-the-Sun Road lives up to all the hype, and yes, as the park name suggests, there are glaciers too. Set in that context, at Glacier National Park makes our cut because of the accumulation: it’s not one vista that makes this trail so damn beautiful, it’s the collection.

The highlights start right out of the gate as you traverse along a narrow ledge half way up the side of a cliff, peer back over Going-to-the-Sun Road below, and catch long-range views of Mt. Cannon, Mt. Oberlin and Heavens Peak to the west. The next few miles deliver you into pocket forests and meadows full of wildflowers in the lush area known as the Garden Wall. The wildflowers are nice, but the views deep into the park are even better, and they just keep coming as you climb to Haystack Pass and begin your descent towards Granite Park Chalet, a backcountry lodge with its own views. Take the spur trail to Grinnell Glacier Overlook, and climb a mile to the Continental Divide to see the teal lake at the bottom of the Grinnell Glacier, where Grinnell Falls tumbles over a rock wall.

A forested bowl below the cirque surrounding Upper Grinnell Lake holds a series of alpine lakes. This is arguably the best view on the trail, and some would say in the park as a whole. Backtrack to the Highline Trail and it’s a mile to Granite Park Chalet, and then four miles through mostly forested terrain to the Loop, where you can take the free shuttle back to Logan Pass.

When to Go: Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed from October to early June, so you’re relegated to late summer and very early fall for this hike.

Logistics: Highline Trail starts at Logan Pass, off Going-to-the-Sun Road. This summer, you have to make advance to drive the road between 6 A.M. to 3 P.M. daily ($2). If you didn’t make a reservation four months in advance (when the majority are released), you can roll the dice and try for a slot 24 hours in advance. You’ll also have to pay the entrance fee of $35.

9. Glacier Gorge Trail to Sky Pond, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Distance: 8.5 miles out and back

Rocky Mountain National Park is full of high-elevation peaks and backcountry alpine lakes, and the 9.5-mile out and back to shows you a lot of both. There are more popular lake hikes in RMNP, and certainly easier lakes to reach, but the remoteness of Sky Pond is part of the draw, as is the water itself, mirroring the granite cirque that surrounds it.

On the hike, you will pass the 30-foot Alberta Falls as they drop through a gorge on Glacier Creek; then traverse the shores of Loch Vale, a small lake at 10,190 feet with views of 13,000-foot Taylor Peak and Taylor Glacier on the horizon; and end at Timberline Falls, rushing 100 feet over a granite cliff. Towards the end of the hike, a mandatory rock scramble leads you to the Lake of Glass, which sits beneath a trio of granite peaks (the Sharkstooth, Taylor Peak, and Powell Peak). You think you’re done, but you’re actually hiking to the even prettier lake, Sky Pond, on the other side of those peaks. Sky Pond is surrounded on three sides by sheer granite walls, which descend directly to the edge of the lake.

When to Go: Considering the elevation, summer or early fall is your window. It’s a long, difficult effort, so start early if you can.

Logistics: The hike starts at Glacier Gorge Trailhead on Bear Lake Road. Between May 26 and October 22, you have to ($2) to visit Bear Lake Road between 5 A.M. and 6 P.M., which will give you a two-hour window to enter the road. You’ll also need to pay the $35 entrance fee to the park.

10. Harding Icefield Trail, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Distance: 8.2 miles out and back

There are glaciers, and then there’s the Harding Icefield, a frozen tundra that stretches for 700 square miles connecting 40 separate glaciers, which act as drains. This giant, changing ice cube is the central feature of Kenai Fjords National Park, and the largest icefield in the United States. Mountain peaks, called nunataks, rise from the ice. It’s a tough hike to reach the edge of the , climbing 3,000 feet in just over four miles, but the massive expanse of ice isn’t the only reason to tackle this journey.

The views throughout the trail are outstanding, from the cottonwood forests and meadows in the first portion of the adventure to the Cliffs Overlook at mile 2.4, which shows the Icefield above Exit Glacier. Even the view back towards the trailhead, where the wide Exit Creek bisects the green Outwash Plain, is stunning. Continue across patches of snow to the end of the trail at a rocky outcropping hovering over the edge of the Harding Icefield. A massive expanse of snow and nunataks, black against the white icefield, stretches towards the horizon.

When to Go: The upper portions of the trail can be covered in snow into July, so aim for late summer, and check before your hike.

Logistics: Park at the end of Herman Leirer Road, the only road in Kenai Fjords National Park. There’s a visitor’s center with restrooms at the parking lot. Entrance to the park is free.

11. Hole-In-the-Wall, Rialto Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington

Distance: 3.4 miles out and back

You want landscape diversity? Olympic National Park has landscape diversity. This million-acre park in Washington covers a variety of ecosystems, from glaciated peaks to lush rainforest to wild coastline. You can’t go wrong with any hike inside the park, but the coast, where Washington hits the Pacific Ocean in an abrupt line of rock and forest, is gorgeous. There are 70 miles of coastline to choose from, but I like the hike along to the Hole-in-the-Wall, a large sea stack just off the beach with a small arch forming in its flank.

The hike is a beach walk along a stretch of black sand peppered with big rocks and ghost-white driftwood. Start at Rialto Beach Trailhead, seeing forested islands off the coast to the south, and head north as sea stacks rise from the water beyond the breakers and an impossibly green forest edges the beach to your right. After two miles you’ll hit Hole-in-the-Wall.

When to Go: Summer is your best bet if you’re looking for warm temps and the chance to get in the water (the ocean will still be cold, though). If you time your arrival for low tide, you can scramble up the sea stack and explore the small arch. There’s also a primitive trail that climbs an outcropping on the forest side of the beach, offering a panoramic view of the sea stack, beach and ocean to the south.

Logistics: Entrance to the park is $30 per vehicle. Park at the Rialto Beach Trailhead and walk north.

Graham Averill is şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř magazine’s national parks columnist. In his early twenties, with no training and very little hiking experience, he thought it was a good idea to hike Bright Angel Trail down to the Colorado River and back on the same day. It wasn’t.

The post The 11 Most Beautiful Hikes in U.S. National Parks appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

There’s nothing better than rolling up to an incredible panorama in one of our storied national parks. The following views, of high-desert mesas, moss-cloaked redwoods, vast mountain ranges, and more, have something to stoke the inner wonder of just about everyone.

I’ve visited every national park in America, and some the most awe-inspiring experiences in each are the stunning overlooks. So I’ve selected a list of my favorite vistas in all 63 parks, with a keen eye for easy access and geological diversity. Of course, I threw in a couple of leg-busting treks and arm-churning paddles for those among us who like to sweat to earn their views, too.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Cadillac Mountain Summit

When a national park institutes a vehicle-reservation system, it can feel like a giant red flag to head elsewhere in search of solitude. Not so with Acadia’s famed Cadillac Mountain, which can get quite crowded. From October through early March, this granite dome receives the first rays of sun in the continental U.S., and view-seeking visitors can gaze out at a smattering of wooded islets dotting Frenchman Bay as the sky lights up in hues of rose and coral.

Best Way to Reach This View: Don a headlamp for the predawn pedal 3.5 miles up to the 1,530-foot summit. Or hike the 2.2-mile (one-way) Cadillac North Ridge Trail, with an elevation gain of approximately 1,100 feet. For a hiking route up the North Ridge Trail, check out .

Arches National Park, Utah

Fiery Furnace Overlook

The next time you’re in Arches National Park, skip the masses at Delicate Arch and instead drive west to the labyrinth of striated red-rock pinnacles at Fiery Furnace, a scenic pullout that overlooks Utah’s La Sal Mountains. Serious hikers who want to get up close and personal with this vermillion jumble of rock need to nab a day-hiking permit ($10), or vie for the very popular ranger-guided tour ($16), bookable a week in advance.

Best Way to Reach This View: Motor the 14 miles north from the entrance station and follow the signs to the viewpoint. For a hiking route of the Fiery Furnace Loop—a valuable resource, as the Park Service warns visitors of the dangers of getting lost in the landscape—check out .

Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Big Badlands Overlook

Take a morning to enjoy a drive on Badlands Loop Road via the park’s northeast entrance and pull off at the first signed viewpoint, Big Badlands Overlook, for a sweeping panorama of the eastern portion of the park’s Wall Formation. Geology enthusiasts will marvel at the clay-colored stripes of the Oligocene-era Brule Formation and the charcoal gray of the Eocene-era Chadron Formation.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Wall, take Highway 90 southeast for 20 miles, then turn south on Route 240 and continue for another five miles. The overlook is located just past the northeast entrance station.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

South Rim Viewpoint

Big Bend is a park that defies Texas landscape conventions, encompassing the verdant Chisos Mountains as they rise over 7,000 feet from the Chihuahuan Desert below, and the South Rim Trail is the best way to experience the majestic scenery. The southern tip of this 12.9-mile loop is where the viewpoint lies, with a vista of sprawling arid hilltops that spill into northern Mexico.

Best Way to Reach This View: Start at the Chisos Basin Visitor Center. At the fork, head either southwest toward Laguna Meadows or southeast toward the Pinnacles (the steeper pick). Expect an elevation gain of 3,500 feet and about six and a half hours to finish the entire thing. For a hiking route of the South Rim Trail, check out .

Biscayne Bay National Park, Florida

Boca Chita Key Lighthouse

One of the most scenic keys, Boca Chita is also one of the most interesting, home to a fascinating history of lavish parties thrown by wealthy entrepreneurs in the early 1900s. Legend has it that an elephant was once brought to the island for a wild soiree. These days the raucous festivities have died down, but the 65-foot lighthouse and its observation deck still offer a pretty swell view of shimmering Biscayne Bay, mangrove-lined lagoons, and the hazy Miami skyline.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a guided boat trip with the Biscayne National Park Institute for an expert-led journey through the keys, with a stop at Boca Chita. Call in advance to find out whether a Park Service employee will be around to open the observation deck.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Painted Wall Overlook

If you make it to Black Canyon and don’t want to dirty your hands on the 1,800-foot scramble down into the maw of its craggy cliffs, make a beeline for Painted Wall Overlook, which peers out at the tallest cliff in the state (a whopping 2,250 feet from river to rim). If you’re lucky, you might even spot a few intrepid climbers scaling the face of dark gneiss and rose-tinted pegmatite.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the South Rim Campground, drive or bike five miles north on Rim Drive Road (closed November through April) until you reach the parking lot for the overlook; from there it’s a five-minute walk.

Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Sunrise Point

With its many-layered view of crumbling Technicolor hoodoos and a singular limber pine tree with roots akimbo, Sunrise Point is a fantastic place to start a day in Bryce Canyon. From here, you’re at a fantastic jumping-off point for exploring the rust-colored sandstone of Bryce’s namesake amphitheater via the Queen’s Garden Trail.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park’s visitor center, it’s just 1.2 miles to the Sunrise Point parking lot. The walk to the lookout is another half-mile farther and is both pet- and wheelchair-friendly.

Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Grand View Point

There’s a little something for everyone in this area of the park (Island in the Sky), whether you’re simply craving thoughtful moments gazing at the panorama at Grand View Point, or want to immerse yourself even more amid the natural surrounds with a mile-long cliffside stroll to a second viewpoint (Grand View Point Overlook) with even more jaw-dropping scenery, followed by class-two scramble if you’re so inclined. Whichever you choose, you’ll be wowed by the amber and crimson mesa tops of the Canyonlands as you gaze down at White Rim Road and the churning Colorado River.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Island in the Sky Visitor Center, head 12 miles to the end of Grand View Point Road for the initial viewpoint. It’s an easy amble to the second viewpoint, though unpaved.

Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Panorama Point Overlook

Easily overlooked in favor of crowd-pleasing hikes to Chimney Rock and Cassidy Arch, Panorama Point is at its viewpoint best when the sun starts to set and the stars twinkle into being. The highlight is the cathedral-like red-rock towers that comprise the park’s famous Waterpocket Fold Formation, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the earth’s crust.

Best Way to Reach This View: Panorama Point is a mere 2.5 miles west of the Capitol Reef Visitor Center. From its parking lot, it’s just 0.1 mile to the viewing area.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Temple of the Sun

It’s tough to pick the most notable view in a cave-centric park that actor Will Rogers once called “the Grand Canyon with a roof over it,” but Carlsbad Cavern’s Temple of the Sun, with its mushroom-like stalagmite surrounded by thousands of spindly stalactites, takes the cake. Accessible via a ranger-led tour or a self-guided jaunt along the wheelchair-friendly Big Room Trail, these miraculous natural limestone sculptures are a bucket-list-worthy detour on any road trip.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the natural entrance, it’s 1.25 descent to the Big Room via a paved pathway. Alternatively, you can drop deep into the cavern via an elevator, and then make our way to the Temple of the Sun.

Channel Islands National Park, California

Inspiration Point

In spring, tiny Anacapa Island bursts into bloom, and Inspiration Point is the best place for photographers and flower aficionados to admire the display of brilliant orange poppies, pale island morning glories, and canary-yellow sunflowers. Because the point faces west, head up to see the sun dip into the Pacific.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a day trip to the islands with Island Packers, keeping an eye out for migrating gray whales en route. Inspiration Point is located at the halfway point of its namesake 1.5 mile loop, a flat route that begins at the Anacapa Visitor Center.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Weston Lake Overlook

Years ago, we named Congaree’s Boardwalk Loop Trail one of the best wheelchair-accessible hikes in America, and Weston Lake Overlook is a phenomenal place to soak up the park’s shady expanse of old-growth hardwood forest. It’s also a great spot to birdwatch–keep your eyes peeled for the prothonotary warbler, American woodcock, and red-headed woodpecker.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Sims Trail, branch off on the 4.4-mile Weston Lake Trail (marked by yellow blazes) and continue 2.4 miles along the wooden planks to the lookout.

Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Watchman Overlook

Featuring one of the most spectacular views of Wizard Island, a volcanic cinder cone at the western end of Crater Lake, Watchman Overlook and its eponymous observation station are must-see sites on any trip to this southern Oregon park. Look out for lilac-tinted phlox and delicate yellow buckwheat blossoms in the summertime. When you reach the summit, it’s everything you’d hope for: a 360-degree view of the deep sapphire tarn.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head out from the Watchman Overlook parking lot. You’ll ascend 413 feet to the observation station and encounter a series of switchbacks near the top. The 1.6-mile out-and-back takes about an hour to complete.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Brandywine Falls

Tucked away between the urban centers of Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley is a locally renowned national park full of lichen-splotched sandstone ledges, riverside biking paths, and picturesque waterfalls, of which Brandywine Falls is the most famous. Fall is a spectacular time to visit, when the 60-foot-tall cascade is surrounded by a fiery collage of foliage. Hikers who want more of an outing can stretch their legs on the 1.5-mile Brandywine Gorge Loop to take in bright red sugar maples against the smoke-hued ravine.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there is a designated parking lot for the falls, it’s often full, so plan to arrive before 10 A.M. or after 4 P.M. for a spot. From there, the upper viewing point is just a few hundred feet away via a boardwalk trail.

Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

Zabriskie Point

Catching the sunrise at Zabriskie Point is the stuff of photographers’ dreams. Undulating ripples of golden and umber badlands stretch out all the way to Badwater Basin, a staggering 282 feet below sea level. In the distance, 11,049-foot Telescope Peak (the highest in the park) rises like an apparition as the morning’s first rays paint the summit of Manly Beacon in honeyed tones.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Furnace Creek Visitor Center, within the park, drive five miles south on Highway 190 to the viewpoint.

Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Wonder Lake

With only one byway through its 4,740,091-acre wilderness, Denali is a place where it pays to spend a little extra time exploring. Wonder Lake is about as close as you can get to the High One (as Native tribes refer to North America’s tallest peak) without donning a pack and making that arduous trek, and it’s the best spot to nab a photo of Denali reflected in a pool of mirror-clear water. Pro tip: Plan ahead and book a campsite at Wonder Lake Campground to enjoy dreamy morning vistas and evening ranger programs.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park entrance, drive 85 miles west along the 92.5-mile-long Park Road.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

Fort Jefferson Rooftop View

An enormous structure built with 16 million bricks, Fort Jefferson was a key defensive structure during the Civil War, used to protect Union shipments heading to and from the Mississippi River. Nowadays it’s the defining feature of Dry Tortugas National Park. From its cannon-dotted rooftop, you can spot shallow reef systems and admire the sandy beaches and endless aquamarine ocean.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take the daily from Key West to Garden Key, home to Fort Jefferson; entrance to the fort is included in the price of your ferry ticket (from $200). Head up to the uppermost tier during a guided ranger tour or on your own.

Everglades National Park, Florida

Anhinga Trail Covered Observation Deck

In a mostly flat park full of sawgrass slough, slow-moving brackish water, and tangles of mangrove trees, choosing a memorable view in the Everglades is a tricky task. Wildlife is the real showstopper, and along the Anhinga Trail, animal-savvy guests have a high chance of spotting purple gallinules, great blue herons, nesting anhingas, and the park’s most notorious resident—the alligator. Take a break in the shaded observation deck (and don’t forget the binoculars).

Best Way to Reach This View: The 0.8-mile (round trip) paved Anhinga Trail starts and ends at the Royal Palm Visitor Center. It is wheelchair accessible.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Aquarius Lake 1, Arrigetch Valley

Rising out of the treeless tundra, the towering granite fins of the Arrigetch Peaks, in northern Alaska, look more like gods than monoliths. It’s a view worthy of the arduous journey to get to these reaches of the park, an area sometimes called the Yosemite of Alaska. The experts at Alaska Alpine şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs offer guided trips (from $6,000), or if you’re fine seeing the razor-sharp summits from a plane window, Brooks Range Aviation (from $785) can arrange flightseeing tours.

Best Way to Reach This View: Visitors headed to the Arrigetch Peaks will do so via bush plane, landing on a gravel riverbank. Then it’s an eight-mile hike to set up camp in the valley below the peaks.

Gateway Arch National Park, Missouri

Luther Ely Smith Square

Gateway Arch is a park rife with human history, from the once massive Native city of Cahokia to the famed Dred Scott court case, which hastened the Civil War when the Supreme Court judged that no Black people were entitled to citizenship. The best vantage point from which to take it all in is Luther Ely Smith Square, which, in addition to boasting a sky-high view of the iconic chrome arch, overlooks the historic Old Courthouse.

Best Way to Reach This View: The square, a downtown St. Louis greenspace, is located between the Old Courthouse and the Mississippi River.

Glacier Bay National Park, Alaska

Margerie Glacier

Flip through any traveler’s photos from Glacier Bay, and you’re likely to see snaps of the icy, serrated teeth of the Margerie Glacier, dramatically calving into the Tarr Inlet from the Fairweather Mountain Range. Stay on the lookout for harbor seals and playful sea otters on recently separated icebergs.

Best Way to Reach This View: Book a ($262.44) for the best access to this rapidly changing river of ice.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Swiftcurrent Lake

The Many Glacier area of Glacier National Park is such a coveted road-trip stop that the Park Service instituted a new vehicle-reservation system for it this year. The most striking panorama of Grinnell Point, Mount Wilbur, and Angel Wing—all visible from the —is worth any extra entry-permit effort.

Best Way to Reach This View: Lace up your boots for an easy 2.7-mile hike that circumnavigates the lake. Better yet, book a room at Many Glacier Hotel so you’ll have the view all to yourself when the day crowds disperse.

Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

Desert View Point

Sure, Mather Point steals most of the attention when it comes to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, but I prefer Desert View, near the park’s eastern boundary, for its peaceful campground and dearth of visitors. Plus, the site’s famous watchtower, designed by Parkitecture maven Mary Colter, was inspired by the Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the Colorado Plateau, and it makes a fantastic focal point when snapping photos of “the big ditch.”

Best Way to Reach This View: For the most scenic route, head 23 miles east along Desert View Drive from Grand Canyon Village.

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Jenny Lake Overlook

Go early to skip the Grand Teton’s throngs and park at Jenny Lake Overlook to admire second-to-none views of craggy Cascade Canyon and the razor-like protrusions of igneous granite that rise sharply from its depths. From here, visitors can take in the sheer enormity of the Teton Crest, with outstanding photo ops of Mount Moran and Teewinot Mountain. If you’re up for a hike, try the seven-mile Jenny Lake Loop, which offers even more epic lake scenery, as well as potential sightings of moose and bald eagles.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the town of Moose, within the park, head nine miles north on Teton Park Road to the lake.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mather Overlook

Nearly every national park has a Mather Overlook, named after the first director of the National Park Service, and at Great Basin, in eastern Nevada, his namesake viewpoint offers a grand perspective of 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak, the second highest in the state. Flanked by ancient bristlecone pines, which can live up to 5,000 years, the mountain is split dramatically in two, with the breathtaking Wheeler Cirque crumbling into a sepia-stained bowl beneath the prominent summit.

Best Way to Reach This View: This is an overlook that can only be accessed between June and late October due to hazardous conditions that close roads in winter. From the eastern park entrance, head west along the 12-mile Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. A pullout for the overlook is about halfway.

Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

High Dune on First Ridge

Though it’s the most popular day-hiking objective at Great Sand Dunes, in southeastern Colorado, the trek up to High Dune is sure to leave even the most seasoned hiker huffing and puffing. With a lofty elevation of over 8,000 feet, and the effort required to plod uphill against the drag of sand, be prepared for burning calves and bring plenty of water for the 2.5-mile slog to the summit. The view from the top is truly spectacular, however, with awesome sights to theĚý towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains–home to ten fourteeners.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no trails in the entire park, but you’ll see the High Dune from the main parking lot. Cross Medano Creek and then start making your way up to the top, logging an elevation gain of 700 feet. For most hikers, getting up and back takes two to four hours.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Charlies Bunion

The four-mile (one way) hike to Charlies Bunion is one of the most thrilling in Great Smoky Mountains, due to the sheer number of iconic sights along the way. You’ll be wowed by rolling, verdant mountains and wend through northern hardwood forests and past rhododendron shrubs before topping out at 5,565 feet.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at Newfound Gap, on the Tennessee–North Carolina state line, then hitch a left onto the Appalachian Trail and proceed to the summit. For a hiking route up Charlies Bunion, check out .

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

Salt Basin Dunes

Ask any ranger in Guadalupe Mountains National Park where to watch the sun set over the “Top of Texas,” and they’ll tell you the remote Salt Basin Dunes, in the park’s northwestern corner. Made of bright white gypsum, this sandy expanse showcases the unbelievable prominence of conifer-topped Guadalupe Peak, once a sprawling coral reef when the Delaware Sea covered a large swath of America roughly 275 million years ago.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Pine Springs Visitor Center, it’s a 47-mile drive to the Salt Basin Dunes parking area; from here, hike a mile and a half to reach the actual dunes.

Haleakala National Park, Hawaii

Puu Ula Ula Summit

Much like Acadia’s Cadillac Mountain, you’ll need a special timed reservation to take in the sunrise atop Haleakala’s 10,023-foot summit (reservable up to 60 days in advance), but after 7 A.M., day-use visitors can enjoy the show as well. From this incredible vantage point—the highest on Maui—you can enjoy top-down views of the huge, richly colored crater, as well as the Big Island if the weather’s clear.

Best Way to Reach This View: The drive to the top from the Summit District entrance takes up to three hours and sees a change in elevation of 3,000 feet, so get ready to rise early and be fully awake before you attempt the narrow, winding road.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Kilauea Overlook

If you’re in Hawaii and eager to see some lava, head for this park’s Kilauea Overlook, located near the southern end of the Big Island. A hike will allow you to take in the dramatic aftermath of the site’s 2018 eruption and subsequent summit collapse, but if you’d rather not work up a sweat, park at the viewpoint’s lot at sunset and stand in awe of the otherworldly pink glow emanating from the bowels of the earth.

Best Way to Reach This View: Trek the flat, 2.5-mile (one way) Crater Rim Trail, which can be accessed from a handful of popular tourist spots along Crater Rim Drive.

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

Hot Springs Mountain Pavilion

Much of the joy of a visit to this national park is relaxing in the town’s historic Bathhouse Row. If, however, you’re willing to get in a bit of exercise on your spa-cation, there are some sincerely stellar views to be had of this quaint Ouachita Mountains community—and the hike to this pavilion is at the top of my list. (Many also buy a ticket and ride a 216-foot elevator to the top of Hot Springs Tower for expansive vistas of the surrounding Diamond Lakes area after reaching the initial viewpoint.)

Best Way to Reach This View: Take in the stately architecture of thermal-bath palaces on the Grand Promenade, then ascend the 0.6-mile Peak Trail, just off the promenade, until you reach the pavilion, which faces south.

Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Lake View Beach

Right next to the park’s Century of Progress Homes, a gaggle of experimental houses left over from the 1933 World’s Fair in Chicago, is Lake View Beach, which gazes out from the southern tip of Lake Michigan. On a fair-weather day, visitors can make out the right angles of the Windy City’s high-rises, but at sunset, the sky turns to breathtaking shades of fuchsia and the waves crashing along the sandy shore feel more like an ocean than a Great Lake.

Best Way to Reach This View: It’s 55 miles from the center of Chicago to the town of Beverly Shores. Look for the parking area dedicated to the beach.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Scoville Point

Named some of the best 100 miles of trail in the entire national park system by , the day hike to Scoville Point showcases this region’s boreal forest at its best. Not only does the path run parallel to the shoreline for near constant views of Lake Superior, it also boasts some striking scenery. Hunt for moose munching among stands of balsam fir, and at the end of the trek, feast your eyes on rocky islets dotted with conifers, a trademark of Isle Royale’s archipelago.

Best Way to Reach This View: Though there’s more than one way to arrive at the point via the Stoll Memorial Trail and then the Scoville Point Trail, the easier (and shaded) way is to amble adjacent to Tobin Harbor to the tip of the peninsula.

Joshua Tree National Park, California

Keys View

Named after the Keys family, who built and maintained one of the most successful homesteads in Southern California’s arid Joshua Tree desert, Keys View is a thrilling destination for road-tripping travelers who want to feel as though they’re standing at the edge of the known universe. A 500-foot, fully paved loop allows guests to savor a vista of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, Coachella Valley, and Salton Sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center, drive 21 miles south to the terminus of Keys View Road.

Katmai National Park, Alaska

Brooks Falls

Most travelers to Katmai National Park are there for one thing and one thing only—grizzly bear viewing—and the boardwalk overlook at Brooks Falls is perhaps the best spot in the U.S. to watch these 700-pound mammals fish. You won’t be disappointed.

Best Way to Reach This View: Following a brief, ranger-led bear orientation, take the 1.2-mile (round trip) Brooks Falls Trail to a wooden platform overlooking a roaring waterfall, which, if you’re lucky, will give you the experience you came for—ursine creatures hungrily snatching salmon from the air. For a hiking route to Brooks Falls, check out .

Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Aialik Glacier

It takes effort to get out to Aialik Glacier (typically a two-hour boat ride, followed by three miles of kayaking), but along the way, you can search for wriggling sea otters, playful Dall’s porpoises, spouting humpback whales, and soaring bald eagles. Once face to face with this moving sheet of ice, the most rapidly calving in Kenai Fjords, paddlers have the opportunity to watch and listen for “white thunder,” the sound huge hunks of ice make when they crash into the sea.

Best Way to Reach This View: I used Kayak şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs Worldwide for my adventure to Aialik Glacier (from $489; trips available mid-May through early September), based in Seward. You’ll first take a water-taxi trip south to Aialik Bay, a fantastic way to spot all kinds of wildlife, before suiting up at a beach and sliding into your kayak. Expect to paddle for three hours.

Kings Canyon National Park, California

Evolution Lake

This one’s for all my backpacking brethren. As a predominately wilderness-designated area (meaning that trails can only be used for hiking and horseback riding, and human development is extremely minimal), Kings Canyon is a mecca for trekkers who’d rather don a pack for dozens of miles than motor around to car-friendly overlooks. The lake is a sparkling cobalt gem flanked by glacier-polished granite peaks. One thing’s for certain–you’ll find pristine solitude when you arrive.

Best Way to Reach This View: The lake can be accessed via the 211-mile John Muir Trail, a 36-mile loop departing from Bishop, or a pack-animal trip out of Muir Trail Ranch.

Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska

Great Kobuk Sand Dunes

Kobuk Valley often rounds out the list of least-visited national parks, but there’s a small landing strip situated at the edge of its most noteworthy geological feature, the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, that makes this far-out park accessible for anyone who can tolerate bush planes.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the small town of Kotzebue, hop onto a flightseeing day tour with Golden Eagle Outfitters, or splurge on a 12-day hiking and packrafting trip with Alaska Alpine şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍřs that starts and finishes in Fairbanks.

Lake Clark National Park, Alaska

Turquoise Lake

Flanked by 8,000-foot peaks and a colorful array of tundra plants like crowberry and reindeer lichen, Turquoise Lake is a quintessential example of an outrageously teal, glacially fed tarn. It’ll take a bit of extra effort to get there (compared to commercial-flight-accessible Port Alsworth), but expert guiding services offering kayaking and hiking trips will handle all the logistics for you, so you can relish the extraordinary ridges and ravines of the Alaska Range.

Best Way to Reach This View: There are no roads in the park. You’ll have to take a small plane in to reach the lake. We suggest going on an outfitted trip, again with .

Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

Cinder Cone Summit

After a hamstring-busting two-mile ascent to the top of Cinder Cone, in Northern California’s often overlooked Lassen Volcanic National Park, hikers have a chance to view one of the most eye-catching geological features in the entire park system. The aptly named Fantastic Lava Beds surround the park’s incredible painted dunes, a series of warm-toned hills of oxidized volcanic ash. Grab a site at Butte Lake Campground to revel in marvelous night skies, just a short jaunt from the trailhead.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take Highway 44 about 24 miles from the park’s northwest entrance to a six-mile dirt road that leads to the Butte Lake Day Use Area. Cinder Cone Trailhead is located near the boat ramp.

Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Drapery Room

Home to the longest known cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave, in central Kentucky, is not a park that’s typically recognized for its naturally sculpted cave formations (like those found in Carlsbad Caverns). However, guests who embark on the ranger-led Domes and Dripstones tour can witness remarkable stalactites and stalagmites, plus wavy drapery-style limestone formations that look like a canopy on a princess’s four-poster bed.

Best Way to Reach This View: You’ll have to sign up for a tour at the visitor center and be able to descend and climb back up a series of stairs.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Cliff Palace Overlook

No visit to Mesa Verde is complete without a trip to Cliff Palace Overlook, which offers a majestic view of the largest Ancestral Puebloan dwelling in the park. With over 150 rooms and 21 kivas (ceremonial spaces), this site was thought to be a vibrant gathering place with a population of roughly 100 people. You’ll see and learn about 800-year-old stone structures. Ranger-guided tours are also available for a closer glimpse of Ancestral Puebloan architecture.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head down Chapin Mesa to the six-mile Cliff Palace Loop and pull off at the designated parking area.

Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

Myrtle Falls

The imposing face of 14,410-foot Mount Rainier, the most glaciated peak in the lower 48, looms perfectly above the idyllic cascade of Myrtle Falls, creating a postcard-worthy photo op for passing hikers. Along the hike in, learn about the park’s remarkable wildflower displays and try to spot purple penstemon, crimson paintbrush, and porcelain bear grass from the path.

Best Way to Reach This View: Take a 0.8-mile stroll (round trip) along the Skyline Trail, located in the park’s popular Paradise area.

National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa

Pola Island Trail

Near the tiny village of Vatia, on the northern shore of Tutuila Island, the forested 0.1-mile Pola Island Trail boasts a jaw-dropping view with minimal effort. Park in the shade near a sign marking the well-worn, easy path, then hop over a boulder-strewn beach to soak up incomparable views of ragged Pacific coastline, swaying palm trees, and the craggy cliffs of Pola Island, one of the park’s most important nesting sites for seabirds like boobies and frigates.

Best Way to Reach This View: To reach the trailhead, drive past the last house at the end of the road in Vatia. The road then turns to dirt, and you’ll come upon a small parking area. You’ll see a sign for the short trail leading to the beach.

New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

Long Point

Yes, you could drive up to New River Gorge’s namesake bridge for kickass views, but my favorite photo op of the famous roadway lies at the end of the 1.6-mile (one way) trail to Long Point. Not only will visitors here get to meander through a forest of hemlock, beech, and white oak, but they’ll also glean outstanding glimpses of rafters floating down the New if they time their outing just right.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Long Point Trailhead is off of Gateway Road, about two miles from the town of Fayetteville.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

Sahale Glacier Camp

One of the most memorable things about North Cascades (apart from its generally crowd-free hiking trails) is its plethora of hanging glaciers, strung between high alpine summits. The moderate 3.7-mile (one way) trek to Cascade Pass will wow you with sensational panoramas of granitic cliffs plunging into Pelton Basin, but for a real showstopper, plan an overnight backpacking trip and continue up the broad shoulder of Sahale Mountain, pitching a tent at Sahale Glacier Camp and enjoying its bird’s-eye view of the Triplets, Mount Baker, and Mount Shuksan.

Best Way to Reach This View: You’ll reach the starting point for the Cascade Pass Trailhead at the end of Cascade Pass Road. For a hiking route to Sahale Glacier Camp, check out .

Olympic National Park, Washington

Rialto Beach

Consult a tide chart before heading out, then motor over to Rialto Beach, on the northwestern shoreline of Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. There you’ll find enormous driftwood logs, rocky sea stacks, and bold surfers braving the chilly Pacific Ocean. If you feel like stretching your legs, an easy three-mile (round trip) walk along the coast will bring you past tidepools crawling with life to Hole in the Wall, a volcanic outcropping with a natural arch that’s perfect for pictures.

Best Way to Reach This View: The beach is about 75 miles from Port Angeles. Once you reach Olympic, you’ll be on Highway 101, the road that goes around the park. Exit onto La Push Road and drive eight miles. Then turn onto Mora Road, and after about five miles you’ll find the parking lot for the beach.

Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Kachina Point

Though the park is best known for its logs of crystallized conifers, Petrified Forest is also home to some seriously colorful painted-desert hills. At Kachina Point, located just outside the 1930s-era Painted Desert Inn, the rich reds and tangerines of these undulating knolls are on full display. After a quick photo break, be sure to check out Hopi artist Fred Kabotie’s gorgeous murals on display inside the inn.

Best Way to Reach This View: The point is located about two miles from the north entrance of the park. Stroll on the accessible trail behind the Painted Desert Inn National Historic Landmark to the overlook.

Pinnacles National Park, California

Condor Gulch Overlook

Pinnacles is a funny little sleeper park that’s often overshadowed by California’s celebrity public lands like Joshua Tree and Yosemite, but anyone who’s ventured into the park’s golden breccia spires knows that they’re a worthy road-trip destination. Condor Gulch Overlook gives guests a chance to enjoy an up-close view of the park’s famous pinnacles on a well-worn, family-friendly path. Bring your binoculars and try to spot an endangered California condor.

Best Way to Reach This View: The overlook is one mile from the Bear Gulch Nature Center.

Redwood National Park, California

Tall Trees Grove

When in Redwoods, it’s necessary to make a pilgrimage to Tall Trees Grove, a stand of old-growth sempervirens that protect the tallest trees on earth. Don your hiking shoes for a 4.5-mile (round trip) moderate hike around a lush forest of mossy coastal redwoods that’ll have even the grinchiest people believing in fairies. The whole hike takes around four hours.

Best Way to Reach This View: First reserve a free for an access code to the area’s restricted road to the Tall Trees Trail. It’s an hour drive, parts of which are on a narrow and winding dirt road, from the park visitor center to the trailhead.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Mills Lake

On my first-ever trip to this national park, şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř writer Brendan Leonard told me that if I only made it to one lake inside the park, it had to be Mills Lake, and boy, was he right. Start at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead and hike 2.6 miles—past rushing waterfalls and huge granite boulders—before dipping your toes into the frigid snowmelt of Mills Lake, which overlooks the dramatic northern crags of Longs Peak.

Best Way to Reach This View: Head south on Bear Lake Road for about eight miles and park at the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Ascend the trail from there to Mills Lake. Arrange a vehicle reservation (or free park shuttle) if you’re traveling between May and October. For a hiking route to Mills Lake, check out .

Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Wasson Peak

When you’ve had enough of Saguaro’s thorny, many-armed cacti from the vantage point of your car window and you’re ready to get your heart rate up, head to the commanding summit of 4,688-foot Wasson Peak, the tallest in the park’s western section. Keep your eyes peeled for petroglyphs as you ascend past saguaro, ocotillo, and prickly pear cactus. Once you reach the top, give yourself a high five and look out across the urban breadth of Tucson all the way to the park’s eastern Rincon Mountain District.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park at the Kings Canyon Trailhead and then expect a strenuous four-mile hike (and nearly 2,000 feet of elevation gain) to the summit.

Sequoia National Park, California

Bearpaw Meadow

Bearpaw Meadow is one of those miraculous, only-in-the-parks vistas that dreams are made of, and getting there is an adventure all its own. You’ll be treated to soul-stirring views of the imposing granite domes and summits of the remote Sierra Nevada. Set up your tent at Bearpaw Meadow’s backcountry campground, or, if you’re feeling spendy, get a glamping tent and dinner at High Sierra Camp.

Best Way to Reach This View: From the park’s iconic Crescent Meadow area, which hosts a grove of towering old-growth sequoias, hike for 11.4 miles to Bearpaw Meadow along the High Sierra Trail, taking in inspiring views of Moro Rock, the powerful Kaweah River, and the Great Western Divide.

Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Hazel Mountain Overlook

Rise before dawn and cruise along Shenandoah’s winding, 105-mile Skyline Drive to admire profound sunrise views from this east-facing overlook. An unusual outcropping of ancient granite makes the perfect ledge from which to enjoy Virginia’s rolling pastoral hillsides as the sky turns from apricot to bright blue.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the park at the Thornton Gap Entrance Station. The overlook is at mile 33 on Skyline Drive.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

River Bend Overlook

The large stone shelter at River Bend Overlook, in eastern North Dakota, makes for a picturesque family portrait, with a backdrop of shrub-speckled badlands and a U-shaped swerve in the serpentine Little Missouri River. It’s a vast and gorgeous view out onto the river valley.

Best Way to Reach This View: Enter the north unit of the park on Scenic Drive. The overlook is about eight miles in. Park and walk up a short trail to the viewing deck. For a closer look at the park’s iron-impregnated sandstone and wavering grasslands, hop onto the 0.8-mile Caprock Coulee Trail and saunter away from the automobile crowds.

Virgin Islands National Park, Virgin Islands

Cruz Bay Overlook

So much of Virgin Islands National Park, on the island of St. John, is about appreciating the scenery beneath the waves. But the Cruz Bay Overlook, on the moderate Lind Point Trail, is a great stopover between snorkeling trips. Pull off at the signed viewpoint for a commanding look at the boat traffic sailing to and from gorgeous Cruz Bay, the island’s main port. If you’re looking for a little more exercise, continue on to Solomon Beach for a secluded white-sand oasis.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Lind Point Trail starts just behind the park visitor center and ends at Honeymoon Bay or Solomon Bay. A spur off the trail leads to the Cruz Bay Overlook.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Kabetogama Lake Overlook

Whether you’re just driving through Voyageurs or you’re renting a houseboat for the entire family, this wheelchair-accessible overlook on the edge of enormous Lake Kabetogama will provide a fantastic cross section of the area’s natural wonders. Tiny islets are freckled with boreal forest. White and red pines intersperse with fir and spruce trees. And the distant, mournful call of a loon can often be heard at dusk.

Best Way to Reach This View: It’s an easy 0.4-mile trail to reach the overlook. The trailhead is at the third parking area on Meadowood Drive near the Ash River Visitor Center.

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Roadrunner Picnic Area

In the heart of White Sands, the Roadrunner Picnic Area offers guests a cozy resting place, surrounded by a vast expanse of glowing white gypsum dune fields. The site’s futuristic picnic tables, complete with corrugated metal awnings to protect against ferocious wind and sun, are a fabulous spot from which to enjoy and explore this New Mexico park as the sun sets beyond the Organ Mountains.

Best Way to Reach This View: The picnic area is located about six to seven miles on the main road from the fee station.

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

Rankin Ridge

The historic fire tower atop Rankin Ridge dates back to 1956, and though visitors are not permitted to climb it, it sits on the highest point in Wind Cave (5,013 feet) and makes for an excellent photo backdrop. You’ll look down at the park, which is home to some of the last preserved mixed-grass prairie in the country.

Best Way to Reach This View: From Custer, take Route 16A East for 6.5 miles and turn south on Highway 87. After 13 miles, look for an access road leading to the trailhead. It’s a short and easy half-mile hike through fragrant ponderosa pines to the top.

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Alaska

Root Glacier Trail

Brave the bumpy, winding McCarthy Road all the way to the once thriving mining community of McCarthy and cross the footbridge to get to Kennecott, a historic town that serves as the center for all things Wrangell–St. Elias, including the majestic trail along the colossal Root Glacier. Bring your bear spray and go it alone, or hire a guide to learn more about the site’s copper-mining past. Spoiler alert–you can also book a crunchy crampon trek atop the glacier. Either way, you’ll be treated to awesome views of Mount Donoho and the 6,000-foot-tall Stairway Icefall.

Best Way to Reach This View: The Root Glacier Trail starts in Kennecott, and about 1.5 miles in you’ll reach the glacier. If you plan to walk on the glacier, hire an experienced guide and wear crampons.

Yellowstone National Park, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Artist Point

Named for its proximity to a famous oil painting by 19th-century painter Thomas Moran, Artist Point is the most stunning place from which to gaze at the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and its mighty waterfall. That being said, it does get crowded in summer months. If you fancy a short hike with similarly epic vistas, amble along the signed trail to Point Sublime (2.6 miles round trip) for an even better glimpse of the canyon’s multicolored walls.

Best Way to Reach This View: For a hiking route to Artist Point, check out .

Yosemite National Park, California

Glacier Point

After a yearlong closure in 2022 for road rehabilitation, travelers can once again drive to Glacier Point and see the broad panoramas of Half Dome, Nevada Fall, and Mount Hoffman. Wander around the accessible, paved pathways near the gift shop or hitch a ride onto a portion of the Panorama Trail for a similar view, sans the crowds at this very popular park.

Best Way to Reach This View: Drive 13 miles on Wawona Road from Yosemite Valley, then turn onto Glacier Point Road at the Chinquapin intersection. Hikers: Start at the Four Mile Trailhead in Yosemite Valley. It’s a strenuous 9.6 mile (round trip) hike to the point.

Zion National Park, Utah

Canyon Overlook

Canyon Overlook, in Zion’s eastern section, is one of the most impressive low-effort, high-reward hikes in the country. The reward is a breathtaking view of the cathedral-like golden spires of Towers of the Virgin, in the park’s main canyon.

Best Way to Reach This View: Park near the tunnel on the eastern side of the Zion–Mount Carmel Highway, then take a series of stairs and sandstone slabs for a mere 0.5-miles (one way) until you reach the lookout on the edge of the cliffs.

As our 63 Parks columnist, Emily Pennington, visited and wrote about every single national park in the U.S. She’s also the author of the recent book Feral: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks.

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Long ago, when my brother, Ted, arrived in Yosemite at 18, reporting for volunteer trail work, he thought: This is it. This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.

My friend Karen Eckrich Tyler says that a winter vacation to Yellowstone National Park was the best trip her family ever took. They stayed in the classic Old Faithful Inn, in Wyoming, and beheld geysers, went cross-country skiing, saw eagles, heard the cry of wolves, and marveled at buffalo walking side by side, pawing the snow in search of sustenance.

“Our grumpy teenager did not want to go,” she says. “And even he said he loved it.”

On my first visit to Yosemite, California, one summer in the 1980s, I sat in the back seat of the Mustang my friend and I had hitched a ride in, my head swimming from the driver’s cigarette smoke, the heat, and the sight of towering walls I’d somehow presumed to come climb. That autumn, friends and I hiked and climbed in the moonscape of Joshua Tree, in Southern California, beside stretches of wildflowers. I later camped in Acadia, on the coast of Maine; and as a weekend traveler then living in Boston, welcomed the sound of birdsong and gentle waves.

Visiting a national park, or any of the run by the National Park Service, is a memory you keep and a joy worth sharing. Next Saturday, April 22, admission is free to all of the parks—which include national historic sites, national seashores, national preserves, national monuments, and —to mark the start of , a nine-day celebration that encourages visitation to more than 85 million acres maintained by the Park Service.

“Entrance fees will be waived on April 22, 2023, to kick off the celebration and to encourage everyone to enjoy their national parks,” reads the NPS Celebrations and Commemorations page. “Also discover what the National Park Service does through our programs and partners to preserve natural and cultural heritage and provide recreational opportunities.”

This year has seen designation of two new national monuments—Avi Kwa Ame in Southern Nevada, and Castner Range, near El Paso, Texas—and Camp Hale, near Leadville, Colorado, was added last fall. Park units extend beyond the continental U.S., which includes Alaska, to Hawaii and into the territories of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.

There are numerous ways to take advantage of discounts at the various park units. The Park Service offers five free visitation days annually. This year’s dates are:

• ´ł˛ą˛ÔłÜ˛ą°ů˛â 16—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• April 22—The first day of National Parks Week
• August 4—Great American Outdoors Day 
• September 23—National Public Lands Day
• November 11—Veterans Day

The Park Service also offers free or discounted programs for U.S. military members and families, veterans, and Gold Star families; U.S. citizens or residents with disabilities; and fourth-grade students through the school year and ensuing summer, as part of the Every Kid şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř program. Seniors can buy a lifetime pass for $80—just don’t lose it, as a friend of mine did last week, because they cannot be replaced (i.e., you have to buy it again). An annual pass for seniors is just $20. Check out all the passes’ details .

You can also to score free admission—just know that it is heavy-duty work, with 250 hours of service required. Volunteers can teach history and culture, do scientific research, aid in plant and forest stewardship, help build and maintain trails, and take on other jobs in parks across the country and the U.S. territories.

During National Park Week, the Western National Parks Association is giving a 20 percent discount at all WNPA-managed stores to those in its Park Protector program, whose $25 annual membership supports education, research, and community events.

Our parks may have their issues, from overdevelopment and the distraction of air tourism to increasing crowds (many parks, however, remain quiet). But I can’t imagine having missed seeing places like Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado—where I was awakened, twice, in my sleeping bag atop a large boulder by a mouse chomping on my hair—or Shenandoah, in Virginia, where my husband and I enjoyed a sunny hike among rustling green oak and hickory with our younger son when it was his turn to go off to college.

I remember my father, also named Ted, once saying of Alaska, which was the only state in the U. S. that he’d never been to, “I’d just like to see those sights before I die.” His words gave me a shiver, but he did go to the wilds of Alaska, on a rainy fishing trip, and showed us all pictures when he came home. He died very unexpectedly soon after.

Victoria Carter, a contributing writer for şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř, recalls that her parents raised her and her brother with family hikes, bike and ski trips, and campouts. Every summer they took road trips to national parks, she has written: “My parents made sure my brother and I knew that the magic of this country exists first and foremost in the land itself.” She is still taking those trips. So am I.

Alison Osius is a travel editor at şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř. Prior to beginning the job last year, she’d visited over a dozen of our national parks, and various national seashores and forests. She has learned much about our multitude of parks since, and wants to see more.

The post Free Days Ahead in Our National Parks—and Discounts You Should Know About appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

62 Parks TravelerĚýstarted with a simple goal: to visit every U.S. national park in one year. Avid backpacker and public-lands nerdĚýĚýsaved up, built out a tiny van to travel and live in, and hit the road. The parks as we know them are rapidly changing, and sheĚýwanted to see them before it’s too late.

Pennington has returned to traveling and is committed to following CDC guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of herself and others. She’s visiting new parks as they open and closely adhering to best safety practices.

“This is a no-fall ride, so if you see something that looks intense, feel free to walk it,” ourĚýmountain-biking guide told our group. He’sĚýa curly-headed outdoor addict who wanted everyone to have a good time. “Slickrock stair climbing on a bike is a uniquely Moab skill set,” he added. “There’s no need to push, dude.”

It was my first time mountain-biking intermediate trails. A canopy of diffuse, gray clouds hung high overhead and extended all the way to the snowcapped La Sal Mountains, in stark contrast with the burnt tangerine cliffs of Dead Horse Point State Park, which neighborsĚýthis UtahĚýnational park. We set off on an eight-mile loop skirting Canyonland National Park’s grounds, which affordedĚýpanoramic views of its expanse.Ěý(Bike tours are alsoĚýoffered within CanyonlandsĚýbut weren’t available when I visited, due to the pandemic.). The terrain was rugged and dotted with small junipers as we made our way across Big Chief Trail.

I clicked into a higher gear and tried to balance gracefully on my pedals as the pathĚýswerved sharply and into a rocky descent. Hovering my butt just above the saddle, I thanked my lucky stars for the excellent suspension on my loaner bike. My crotch andĚýI survived the journey unscathed.

With the biking adventure behind me, I had to hustle to make the 107-mile drive to the park’s Needles District before sunset. I cranked up the volume on a banjo-heavy playlist and headedĚýsouth, passing mile upon mile of crumbling tablelands.

Canyonlands’ Needles District is known for its otherworldly landscape of bright-orange spires and giant mushrooms of Cedar Mesa sandstone. Hiking amid its formations feels like being plopped right into a desert-themed version of Alice in Wonderland. You feel unusually small as you make your way throughĚýthe maze. It takes effort to stay on track and not get lost.

Since I had visited two years prior, this time I wanted to spice things up and go backcountry camping. Alone. I shrugged my fully loaded pack onto my shoulders and nervously made my way up and down the rough-cut sandstone stairs leading into Elephant Canyon.

I shuffled throughĚýthe Martian terrain, trekking betweenĚýnarrow slits in huge boulders and up a sandy wash before reaching my picture-perfectĚýnumbered campsite with no one around for miles. Once my tent was up, I ate a simple dinner amongĚýthe glowing, fire-red rocks as the sun sank.

The moon was a ribbon-thin waning crescent, and I found the vast dark, with no city lights, almost terrifying to take in. An incessant wind kept my tent flaps vibrating all night. Sleep came intermittently.

When morning dawned, though, the light felt warmer, kinder. I boiled water and sat on a rock, humming softly. I’d spent the night on Mars, and yet,Ěýsomehow,Ěýhere I was, enjoying coffee with my feet firmly on the Earth.

Who needs NASA when you’ve got Canyonlands?

62 Parks Traveler Canyonlands Info

Size: 337,598 acres

Location: Eastern Utah

Created In: 1964 (national park)

Best For: Backpacking, hiking, mountain biking, four-wheel-driveĚýadventures, geology, river rafting

When to Go: Spring (35 to 82 degrees) and fall (30 to 88 degrees) offer the most temperate weather for those looking to hit the trails. Winters (22 to 52 degrees) are cold but crowd-free. The park is best avoided in summer, when temperaturesĚýhover above 100 degreesĚýand monsoon stormsĚýcan make for dangerous travel.

Where to Stay: Canyonlands National Park has , with assigned, well-spaced campsites available for hikers, bikers, and four-wheel-drive motorists. In the Needles District, backpackers must stay in designated campsites, while other park areas allow visitors to reserve space in an at-large zone.

Where to Eat: in downtown Moab serves a mean turkey panini with a bite-sizeĚýdessert on the side. The entire menu can be prepared for grab-and-go service, which is perfect for social distancing or outdoor lovers eager to quickly get a move on.

Mini şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Hike to the edge of Grand View Point. Located at the southern tip of the park’s Island in the Sky District, this destination featuresĚýa striking, panoramic view of the La Sal Mountains, White Rim Road, and the confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers. Head alongĚýthe accessible, 100-yard paved trail, or traverse the canyon’s rim on a relatively flat two-mile round-trip.

Mega şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř: Go mountain biking. The area is famous for its slickrock cycling trails and red-rock canyons. in Moab offers a stellar variety of options for every level, from half-day introductory rides to multi-day overnight adventures along the infamousĚýWhite Rim Road (starting at $105).

The post Who Needs Mars When You’ve Got Canyonlands? appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.

From filmmakers Ěýand , Standing Man chronicles cyclistĚý’s attempt to set a new fastest known timeĚýon a loop of the White Rim in Utah’sĚýCanyonlands.

The post Cycling’s Battle for an FKT on White Rim appeared first on şÚÁĎłÔąĎÍř Online.