Joshua Tree National Park is my favorite desert landscape. There’s something magical about its collection of tan, monzogranite boulders, craggy peaks and hidden oases with lush palms and cool pools. I’ve spent countless days in the park, knocking out short hikes close to paved roads, and rambling for hours off trail through a maze of rocks, canyons, and cacti. The park might be most famous for its rock climbing (the bouldering, in particular, is world class), but I’d argue it’s a hiker’s dream with endless opportunities to explore two unique desert landscapes within its borders; the low, flat, and hot Colorado Desert in the eastern section of the park, and the high elevation, mountainous Mojave Desert to the west.

The majority of the 800,000-acre park is designated Wilderness and free of established trails, and while I’ve had a lot of fun “bushwhacking” my way across slices of this desert landscape, I’m going to stick with established trails to keep it easy. (There are plenty.) If you’re interested in a long off-trail journey, check out the local suggestion for a area of the park in this Backpacker story.

Pro Advice for Hiking in Joshua Tree

My advice for trekking through Joshua Tree: Don’t overlook the nature trails. Normally, I avoid hiking routes that are less than a couple of miles long because they’re the most crowded in any given national park, but the easy “nature trails” inside Joshua Tree travel through the ±èČč°ù°ì’s most interesting terrain, delivering you to boulder gardens, patches of wildflowers, and Joshua trees galore. And given the rocky nature of Joshua Tree, a 1-mile loop through a field of boulders can offer a day’s worth of scrambling potential. So tack one of these nature trails onto the end of your adventure, or better yet, spend an entire day driving around the park, knocking off 2-mile loops and out-and-backs until your legs quit.

And remember that you’re in the desert here. People visit in the summer (I’ve done it myself) but expect triple digit temps, so plan your adventures for early morning or evening and carry plenty of water. Fall and spring are more civilized seasons, as the temps rarely exceed the 80s.

By Far and Away, Here Are the Best Hikes in Joshua Tree

It’s hard to pick “the best” trails in any park, because it’s a subjective concept. The truth is, I really like hard trails where there’s a high probability of getting lost, and Joshua Tree has plenty of those. But scrambling through the desert while rationing your last drops of water isn’t everyone’s bag, so I’ve cast a wide net in curating my list below, considering a variety of abilities and interests. With that in mind, here are hands-down the 11 best hiking trails inside Joshua Tree National Park.

Arch Rock Trail

Distance: 1.4 miles
Why I Love It: It’s an easy hike to cool rocks with lots of optional scrambling.

One of the most popular trails in Joshua Tree, is a flat and easy 1.4-mile lollipop loop that crescendos at a small natural arch. Most of the trail to the arch is a straight forward, sandy walk through the desert, but I still like this hike because the area surrounding the arch is loaded with sandstone boulders and canals. It’s like an all-rock playground for scramblers and explorers.

Hidden Valley Trail

Distance: 1 mile
Why I Love It: It might be the coolest “nature trail” in this park.

You want to see some rocks? This 1-mile has stones galore, as it circles through a flat expanse of land enclosed in a ring of massive boulders forming imposing tan walls. It’s a flat cruise, with full “nature trail” status, complete with interpretive signage about the plants and animals that inhabit the Mojave Desert landscape, but it offers a short highlight reel of the terrain, including Joshua Trees, cactus, and often climbers sending the rock walls throughout the valley.

Split Rock Loop

Distance: 2 miles
Why I Love It: Lots of wildflowers in season, big rocks, and the chance to add on mileage.

This easy, wanders through clusters of tan, sandstone boulders, the most famous of which is Split Rock, a 20-foot tall, rounded boulder with a sinuous fissure right through its heart. The trail is also a great place to see wildflowers, including the orange desert mariposa lily, blooming in April and May, and the bright red desert paintbrush, in summer. You can combine this hike with Skull Rock Loop (see below) for a nearly 3.5-mile loop from the same trailhead.

Skull Rock Trail

Distance: 1.8 miles
Why I Love It: The namesake rock is cool, but the real fun happens on optional rock scrambles deeper on the trail.

This boulder, which does indeed look like a skull, might be the most iconic feature inside the park (you might find a line of people waiting for photos with the boulder on busy days). That skull is also visible from the main park road, so you’re not on this hike for the rock. You tackle it because this gives you a chance to explore so many other sandstone features as it passes through the Jumbo Rocks area of the park, cruising through tight canals and giving you the opportunity to scramble to the top of countless boulders. The whole area reminds me of the terrain from the Saturday-morning live action series from my childhood, “Land of the Lost.”

Ryan Mountain

Distance: 3 miles
Why I Love It: It’s a steep climb to a big-time view.

People might not automatically associate Joshua Tree with towering peaks with sweeping views, but delivers just that, rising to 5,456 feet in the center of the park. The 3-mile out and back is tough, gaining more than 1,000 feet to the summit. It’s a broad peak, with views in every direction taking in taller peaks beyond the park, including the 10,000-foot San Jacinto and 11,000-foot San Gorgonio, the highest peaks in the region. A pile of stones marks the true summit.

FortyNine Palms Oasis Trail

Distance: 3 miles
Why I Love It: It leads to an actual oasis!

Yep, this is a legit oasis in the middle of the desert. The hike is moderate, climbing 300 feet over a ridge before descending into a desert canyon, which directs water into an oasis that supports surprisingly lush flora, including the eponymous palm trees. As you might imagine, the oasis attracts all kinds of animals, even bighorn sheep. Just don’t try to take a swim; the park asks you to stay out of the oasis to protect the habitat and the wildlife that depend on it. In fact, during the summer (from August to October) the trail is closed entirely to protect the sheep herds that rely on the surface water that can be found in the oasis.

Panorama Loop Trail

Distance: 6.5 miles
Why I Love It: It’s a longer trek that gets you away from the crowds.

Much of this , which begins on the edge of Black Rock Canyon Campground, has you climbing and descending the 4,000 and 5,000-foot ridges of the Little San Bernardino Mountains, where you’ll find long range views of the 11,000-foot peaks within the Sand to Snow National Monument just outside the park, as well as the mountains inside the Mojave National Preserve. But you’ll also hike through a dense grove of Joshua Trees, and enjoy it all without the crowds; this trail receives less hikers than many others inside the park because it’s difficult (more than 1,200 feet of gain) and just note there are no boulders that look like faces along the path.

California Riding and Hiking Trail

Distance: 37.5 miles (point to point)
Why I Love It: The challenge and the solitude of this long trail are enticing.

This is as close as you can get to a Joshua Tree thru-hike on a maintained path, as the forms a 37.5-mile horseshoe from Black Rock Canyon Campground, on the northwestern edge of the park, to the northern entrance of the park, traversing a valley on the edge of the Little San Bernardino Mountains through the heart of the park. Multiple access points and side trails allow you to go after pieces of the CRHT, but if you want to hike end to end, most people take at least two long days, staying at Ryan Mountain Campground as their overnight ($20, up to six months in advance). You’ll get solitude, long range views into the park, and more Joshua Trees than you could possibly count. Bring water, or stash water caches beforehand, as there’s no water along the route.

Boy Scout Trail

Distance: 16 miles
Why I Love It: Mandatory scrambling, groves of Joshua Trees, and cool canyons await the hardy.

This is popular as an overnight backpack (get a and only camp in designated areas) that begins with an open desert landscape speckled with Joshua Trees before dropping into the Wonderland of Rocks, an area full of cliffs, canyons, and domes. The trail continues to descend into Indian Cove and will drop more than 1,000 feet before it’s over, so plan ahead for that climb back to your car. There’s some mandatory scrambling through the Wonderland area, and much of the descent and ascent is over sandy terrain, so it’s not an easy hike by any means, but the terrain is varied as you’ll travel over broad desert, through slot canyons, and over boulders as you access the ±èČč°ù°ì’s remote backcountry.

Mastodon Peak

Distance: 3 miles
Why I Love It: This short trail has a lot of diversity, from groves of palm trees to historic relics.

This could be one of the best short loops in the park, as the passes through a spring supporting an oasis before climbing to the top of the peak for a view of the southern portion of the park. Follow the Lost Palm Springs Trail from the Cottonwood Springs Oasis parking lot through the aforementioned spring where tall palms and wildflowers bloom. Once you branch off onto the Mastodon Peak Loop, you’re in for some stair climbing and switchbacks before an optional, but fun, scramble delivers you to the true summit. It’s a 360-degree view from the top, taking in much of the park and the surrounding mountain ranges. You’ll also pass the remnants of a gold mine that was in operation until the 1970s.

Barker Dam Trail

Distance: 1.1 miles
Why I Love It: This easy trail leads to super cool rock art created by the original occupants of this land.

This easy, has the boulders and Joshua Trees that you might expect, but also visits a rock art site and a historic dam that was built by early ranchers, so you get a look at the human history of the park as well. The rock art consists of a collection of petroglyphs and pictographs found inside a small cave next to the trail. And of course, there’s a small pond trapped by the dam, collecting water, although the depth of water depends entirely on the amount of rain the area receives.

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online’s national-parks columnist. He loves hiking in Joshua Tree and tries to get back to the park every chance he gets. He also recently wrote about the most beautiful towns in the southeastÌęand theÌębest ways to get outside in West Virginia, as well as an on-the-ground account ofÌęwhat it was like to survive Hurricane HeleneÌęin Asheville, and why he absolutely regrets notÌęvisiting Capitol Reef National Park sooner.

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Described as “America’s best idea,” the National Park System was established in large part to protect the nation’s most precious landscapes, from the deepest canyons to the tallest peaks. Some of the parks are so dang beautiful, they’ve been known to make people contemplate their own existence.

But not everyone traveling to a national park is moved to existential enlightenment. Some visitors come away angry, frustrated, or disappointed, and they turn to the internet to express themselves. Recently, for my annual end-of-year wrap up of the worst national-parks reviews,ÌęI spent an unhealthy amount of time perusing visitor comments on national parks on Google Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor to find the best of them.

I learned a few things in the process. I learnedÌęthat a lot of people don’t like the timed entry and reservation systems that many parks have put in place to combat overcrowding. Like, a lot of people; I saw thousands of complaints on that topic. Also, the general lack of parking gets people fired up.

I discovered some really interesting and funny one-star (out of a possible five stars) reviews that spanned quite a spectrum, from someone complaining about the weather (apparently Canyonlands is too hot and sunny) or questioning humanity’s fascination with nature in general (to this person, Joshua TreeÌęis just a load of big stones).

Here are my favorite bad national-park reviews of 2024. As ever, we nod to , grandmaster collector of such information, which, as autumn lit up the multitude of colors in the national forest of Vermont, noted this doozy: “Not a memorable place to go.”

(Note: Some reviews below were edited for brevity, but I left spelling errors and grammar mistakes intact.)Ìę

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects 500,000 acres of mountains, rivers and historic farmland that is widely recognized as the most biodiverse landscape in North America. But not everyone loves it.

“This is the Walmart of national parks.” —Google Maps

“A terrible experience! This national park is the largest and most popular park in the middle of the United States and famous for their beers (sic). Every staff of the park told us that beers (sic) were everywhere. However, this park was really disappointing that I did not see any beer (sic). I only saw many turkeys and one fox
[S]ummer might not be a good time to visit here because beers (sic) or other wild animals could hide in trees and bushes.”—Google Maps

2. Death Valley National Park, California and Nevada

This 3.4 million-acre park, straddling California and Nevada, is known for its deep canyons, salt flats, and ghost towns. The first commenter reviewed it without ever having been there.

“Haven’t gone yet, will go soon, sounds hot tho.”—Google Maps

“Don’t go, nothing to see
.The rock formation is not that great, quite dusty, hot, etc. Feels like an open pit mine. The only use case I can see is if you want to 
 test yourself or your car AC.”—Google Maps

3. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana

Designated a national park in 2019, Indiana Dunes protects dunes and forest on the edge of Lake Michigan, all less than 50 miles from downtown Chicago. But apparently the park has some policies on parties.

“Can’t grille, can’t smoke, can’t drink, can’t play loud music…who wants to just sit on sand.”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Maps

4. Redwood National and State Parks, California

This collection of state and federally protected parks houses the world’s tallest trees, with landscapes spanning from rugged coastlines to thick interior woodlands. Tree color may be a subjective thing.

“California sucks so I don’t know why I was surprised when I was very disappointed. The trees aren’t as big as everyone says and they’re not red either, terrible name. The National park should just sell the land and turn the trees into paper.”—Google Maps

5. Joshua Tree National Park, California

One of my personal favorite units in the park system, Joshua Tree is home to gorgeous desert landscapes full of boulders that attract climbers and gawkers alike.

“It’s just a load of big stones. If you go make sure to take a packed lunch and drinks, you’ll certainly thank me.” —TripAdvisor

6. New River Gorge National Park, West Virginia

The newest unit to be granted full park status, New River Gorge is a multi-adventure playground with world-class paddling, rock climbing, hiking, and mountain biking. Other than that


“If you hike or like white water rafting, this is a great place. Otherwise, not much else to do.”—Google Maps

7. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

I haven’t visited Dry Tortugas yet, but it’s on my list because these islands west of the Florida Keys offer some of the most remote spits of land in America, with beautiful snorkeling and paddling. Some feel waterlogged though.

“I paid full price for only 1% of land??? Park is literally 99% water….. my shoes got wet too like what????? More like the NOT dry Tortugas”—Google Maps

8. Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado

Couple the tallest sand dunes in North America with long-range views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains and you’ve got


“The only reason people go here is to buy a piece of fudge or a T-shirt. That’s about it. This is literally a dumping area for the fine sand used to make volleyball courts. The funniest thing to do here is simply people watching. They act like they never seen dirt before.”—Google Maps

9. Everglades National Park, Florida

Everglades protects the largest wilderness east of the Mississippi. This review is close to being a haiku.

“No cocodrilos.

no crocodiles seen

money is lost.”—Google Maps

10. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

This national park encompasses the 14,000-foot peak Mount Rainier, which also happens to be an active volcano. The duality of the situation is driving one visitor crazy.

“They market this place as a beautiful mountain paradise full of pastoral hikes and woodland creatures but at the same time remind you it is ready to kill you and your entire family and surrounding towns without a moment’s hesitation. Come here if you want to be gaslit by a mountain.”—Yelp

11. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Picture alpine lakes set beneath craggy, 13,000-foot peaks, and you’ll have an idea of the scenery within Grand Teton National Park. Meh.

“I’ve seen better in video games smh. Mother nature better step it up.”—Google Maps

12. Sequoia National Park, California

California’s jointly managed Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are famous for their groves of giant Sequoia trees, a species that only grows on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains. The drive in to reach them is irking some visitors.

“A road that is truly too long and winding
I’m still recovering from the tiredness and motion sickness of the 5 hours driving around tight curves.”—TripAdvisor

13. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

I recently decided that Capitol Reef is the country’s most underrated park for adventure. It has arches, canyons, domes, rock climbing, and gravel rides galore. One reviewer seems to be upset that the park didn’t take enough of his money.

“THIS PLACE SHOULD NOT BE A NP. It’s beyond mids and a waste of taxpayers money. Doesn’t even have a fee station to support itself
Protect the land no doubt but either charge everyone that comes through or make it a monument.”—Google Maps

14. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park is one of the most visited parks in the country, with more than 4 million people clamoring to experience it annually. The park is so popular that management deemed a timed-entry system necessary to mitigate crowds. A visitor was not psyched.

“What kind of communist came up with this system and why? I thought I lived in America, land of the free …. For all the Americans that didn’t even protest at all, thanks for nothing.”—Yelp

15. Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

North Dakota’s Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the lesser-visited of our national parks, shown in the annual listings as attracting 750,862 visitors, when each in the top five attracts over 4 million (and Great Smoky Mountains NP receives over 13 million). So maybe it’s unsurprising that one visitor mixed it up with a different park.

“Maybe I missed it but I didn’t see his face in any of the cliffs or mountains. Probably erosion. Time for a touch up.”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Maps

16. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho

Is there a landscape more dynamic than what you find inside Yellowstone National Park, where water boils and shoots into the sky like the fountains in Las Vegas?

“Water bubbling out of the ground. Wow.”—Google Maps

“Same thing (e.g. geysers) everywhere. I got bored the second day.”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Maps

17. Yosemite National Park, California

łÛŽÇČő±đłŸŸ±łÙ±đ’s granite peaks, valleys, and mountains might have captivated Ansel Adams, but nobody ever mentions how uncomfortable nature is, do they?

“All the hikes are uphill, and you’re practically climbing cliffs. I got soaked by several incredibly large waterfalls just by standing at the bottom.”—Google Maps

18. Badlands National Park, South Dakota

Dubbed “the land of stone and light,” Badlands holds 224,000 acres of vast prairie and striking geological formations that seemingly rise out of nowhere. That didn’t satisfy this reviewer.

“Not enough mountain.” —Google

Ìę19. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

This national park is known for its deep, steep gorge and rugged terrain, and it has a savvy reviewer who wants it all to himself.

“JK. It’s the best spot in CO. I went one star so that everyone stays away and keeps it this way!”—GŽÇŽÇČ”±ô±đ Ìę

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national parks columnist. He has complained about many ridiculous things during his life, but never once looked at the Teton Range and thought “video games are cooler than that.” See also his recent articles on ten years’ worth of awful reviews on the revered Grand Canyon, or what makes the perfect mountain town, loving surfing and surf towns, and why he plays golf two days a week and thinks about it even more.

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Claire Nelson was more than a mile off the trail when she fell 30 feet in Joshua Tree National Park. As she lay there with a broken pelvis, she realized she had no cell service, and no one knew where she was. As three days alone and broken in the desert turned into four, she was forced to reckon with all of the choices that had brought her there, and ask: What does it mean to be truly alone?

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We get it—not everyone wants to pitch a tent and forego showers when visiting our public lands. And honestly, because of a recent boom in new national-park lodging, you don’t have to. In 2020, I moved into my minivan and traveled to nearly every park in the U.S., penning dispatches about them for șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű. When I wasn’t catnapping in the back of my vehicle, I occasionally splurged on fun motels and lodges in gateway towns.

Whether you’re headed to the rust red maw of the Grand Canyon or the wooded summits of Great Smoky Mountains, loads of new hotels and glamping retreats are popping up to meet the demands of park visitors, whose numbers have exploded since the pandemic. From retro-futuristic roadside motels to Dolly Parton-themed resorts and remodeled national-park lodges, there’s a little something for everyone on this list.

1. Ofland Escalante

Closest national park: Bryce Canyon, Utah

Best for: Chic glamping, tiny homes, post-hike hot tubs

With its modernist cabins, spa-inspired bathhouses, and food truck that serves up Americana fare (like meatloaf patty melts and cornbread French toast), this newer outpost on Southern Utah’s stunning Highway 12 just rebranded and added deluxe cabins in 2024 and is a true outdoor-lover’s paradise. Situated a mere ten minutes from Hole in the Rock Road, the washboard byway leading to many of Grand Staircase Escalante’s top slot canyons, is the ultimate, pet-friendly base camp for exploring the Beehive State’s red-rock country.

An hour’s drive delivers you to the colorful hoodoos of Bryce Canyon, while a 90-minute car ride gets you up to my personal Utah fave, Capitol Reef. In the evening, enjoy a steamy outdoor shower, followed by a drive-in movie with free popcorn at Ofland’s own big-screen theater, or plop into the property’s pool and hot tub before enjoying the snap, crackle, and pop of your personal fire pit. If it’s not too hot, spend an afternoon clambering around in Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons.

2. Populus Hotel

Closest national park: Rocky Mountain, Colorado

Best for: Eco-friendly amenities, luxe dining, nearby art museums

Set in downtown Denver, a stone’s throw from the State Capitol, the Denver Art Museum, and Civic Center Park, is making history in 2024 as the nation’s first carbon-positive hotel. It has been designed from the ground up to utilize solar and wind power, highlight locally sourced ingredients from Colorado in each of its dining concepts, and closely monitor all emissions so that remaining carbon is balanced out by supporting projects that capture carbon elsewhere. The hotel has already planted over 70,000 trees (and counting).

A stay at Populus is ideal for the Denver-bound traveler who wants to experience the best of two worlds: city-focused creature comforts with the option to hike amidst the Rocky Mountain National Park tundra or scramble up . With the Wild Basin entrance roughly 66 miles away, it’s an easy day trip to the park. Rooms here are jaw-droppingly gorgeous and themed after the state’s famous aspen trees, with ultra-soft earth-toned bedding, natural forest sounds in the elevators, and eyelet-shaped windows overlooking the Denver skyline.

Chow down on post-hike grub with dreamy sunset views at the on-site rooftop restaurant Stellar Jay or enjoy fresh, seasonal Colorado fare at the downstairs restaurant Pasque, both helmed by executive chef Ian Wortham.

3. The Pathmaker Hotel

Closest national park: Acadia, Maine

Best for: Exploring downtown Bar Harbor, ocean strolls, simple elegance

With a primo location in downtown Bar Harbor, two blocks from the Bar Island Trail, whale-watching tours and the delicious, creamy rolls at Stewman’s Lobster Pound, opens in late 2024. Featuring suites, double queen, and classic king-sized rooms decorated in elegant neutral tones, this hotel also offers kitchenettes with mini-fridges and microwaves. What’s even better is that breakfast is included, making it easy to start your morning hike up neighboring or a stroll around Sieur de Monts’ historic gardens with a full belly.

It’s also worth noting that Acadia is home to 45 miles of crushed-stone carriage roads, which are all bike- and dog-friendly. Rent a bicycle at Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop, a five-minute walk from the hotel’s front door, and spend a day zipping around the park without your car before relaxing with a pot of tea and freshly made popovers at Jordan Pond House–it was one of my favorite things I did on my giant parks road trip.

4. The Rusty Parrot Lodge and Spa

Closest national park: Grand Teton, Wyoming

Best for: Spa getaways, Jackson ski and hiking trips, luxury mountain vibes

Just remodeled and reopened in early July, following a devastating 2019 fire, this Jackson Hole favorite is back and better than ever. rooms and suites boast a bit of a chic hunting-lodge feel, complete with stone fireplaces, tufted headboards, and the occasional pop of cowboy-themed art.

Fly fish in the Snake River, feel the leg burn on a hike up , or pop on over to the nearby National Elk Refuge for a . When you’re done exploring the toothy Teton Range, fill up on Idaho Trout Saltimbocca at the lodge’s Wild Sage Restaurant, or indulge in a CBD-infused herbal sugar scrub at its Body Sage Spa. Either way, you’ll leave feeling full and rejuvenated.

5. Wildhaven Yosemite

Closest national park: Yosemite, California

Best for: Affordable glamping, Yosemite Valley exploration, communal hangs

is making waves this year as the newest glamping resort outside the Free Solo-famous Yosemite National Park. Situated 34 miles from the Arch Rock Entrance Station on 36 rugged acres of rolling Sierra Nevada foothills, the property offers 30 safari tents and 12 tiny cabins, well-appointed with amenities like fire pits and private decks.

A communal BBQ area boasts grills and shaded picnic tables, while glamping sites share communal bathrooms and showers. After a day of hiking and snapping photos of from Cook’s Meadow, recharge your electronics with electricity access in every tent.

Complimentary coffee and tea help start your day off, and every stay at Wildhaven includes access to on-site classes and events, like Yogasemite yoga classes and Sierra Cider tastings, for when you’re not huffing and puffing up Upper Yosemite Falls for those epic views. Looking for even more regional glamping news? A top national-park lodging purveyor, , has announced that it’s also opening a brand-new Yosemite location near Big Oak Flat in 2025.

6. Field Station Joshua Tree

Closest national park: Joshua Tree, California

Best for: Mountain bikers, large groups, pool hangouts

are designed with the intrepid outdoorsperson in mind. Bike racks for your hardtail are in every room, hooks for hanging packs are in ample supply, and an on-site gear shop makes it easy to grab any of the Ten Essentials you might have forgotten before speeding off and into the park, which is just 13 miles (a 20- to 25-minute drive) away by car. If you’re a diehard coffee drinker, you’ll be thrilled that the lodge has a small espresso bar, Little Station Coffee & Kitchen, which serves everything from cold brew to toasted bagels to start your morning out right.

Choose between standard king-bed rooms and double-queen bunk rooms (which sleep up to 10) and have plenty of space for your whole crew to spread out and save cash, then head on over to the North Entrance (it’s the closest one) of Joshua Tree and enjoy epic trails like the or bouldering along the formation-filled .

When you’re not adventuring in the park, don’t miss the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum in town, which exhibits loads of large-scale found-object art, like TVs and rubber tires.

7. Dollywood’s HeartSong Lodge & Resort

Closest national park: Great Smoky Mountains, Tennessee and North Carolina

Best for: Families, pool time, East Coast hikers

Opened in November 2023, seems tailor-made for families traveling with young kids. Even the hotel’s standard-issue rooms offer fun extras, like murphy beds, sleeper sofas, clothing-storage space, and mini fridges. Lovely mid-century modern furnishings combine with a massive stone fireplace in the four-story, atrium-style lobby, where guests can chill out when they’re not splashing about in the large pool complex or dining at one of the lodge’s four restaurant options.

Though the resort is clearly geared towards travelers heading into the Dollywood theme park (there’s complimentary trolley service from the hotel), it’s also a brief 15-mile (20-minute) drive to Great Smoky Mountains’ Sugarlands Visitor Center. From there, visitors can easily drive to the exceedingly popular , or gaze out at verdant, forested hills at Newfound Gap, which marks the border between Tennessee and North Carolina. Best of all, adjoining rooms and roomy family suites with cozy bunk beds make it easy for you and your loved ones to spend loads of time together, whether that’s in the lodge or trekking to the ±èČč°ù°ì’s many rushing waterfalls.

8. Flamingo Lodge

Closest national park: Everglades, Florida

Best for: Birders, paddlers, Tropical Florida ambiance

Initially opened in the 1960s as part of the National Park Service’s retro-futuristic Mission 66 Project, Flamingo Lodge was forced to shut its doors in 2005, after suffering extensive damage from Hurricane Wilma, when storm surges swelled up to nine feet. Thankfully, , which is named after the distinctive pink birds that once migrated to the area in droves, before plume-hunters nearly poached them out of existence, has been fully rebuilt and reopened in October 2023.

It’s the only non-camping, non-houseboat option for accommodations inside the parklodging available inside Everglades National Park, and given the ±èČč°ù°ì’s enormous acreage (at 1.5 million acres, it is roughly twice the size of Yosemite), creates a welcome bastion for beachgoers exploring the state’s coastal prairie and boaters enjoying the sunshine and warm, tropical air of the Florida Bay.

Inside the lodge’s four eco-friendly container buildings are 24 spacious guest rooms, ranging from studios to two-bedroom suites, in clean neutral hues with the occasional pop of tropical jewel tones. Also onsite are a restaurant serving organic, locally sourced cuisine (think breakfast burritos and pineapple pulled-pork sandwiches) and a marina, where visitors can rent anything from bicycles to double kayaks and pontoon boats. Spend a day cycling the and keep your eyes peeled for huge herons.

9. Americana Motor Hotel

Closest national park: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Best for: Travelers with dogs, EV road trips, hipster pool scene

There’s so much to love about the Jetsons’-style that it’s hard to fit it all into a single paragraph, but we’ll do our darndest. Set in the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, one hour from the Grand Canyon and 90 minutes from Petrified Forest, this vintage-style motor lodge should check every box on your Route 66 daydream list. First of all, there are EV chargers aplenty, free morning coffee, and communal fire pits with outdoor hang space.

But this site truly goes above and beyond the standard-issue motel amenities by offering loaner telescopes for optimized night-sky viewing, year-round heated pool, and a fenced-in “barkyard” with a dedicated dog-wash station to rinse off your muddy trail pooch. They’ve even got free hotel bicycles for those wishing to take a spin around Flagstaff.

The interiors of the rooms are just as fabulous as the resort’s exterior, with space-age dĂ©cor (think astronaut sculptures and galaxy wall art), walk-in showers, and disco balls. Hungry? After a trek down to or a stroll along the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, fill up at the Americana’s Pacific Mexican seafood truck, Baja Mar, which dishes out badass shrimp ceviche and battered fish tacos to hungry hikers.

Emily Pennington is a freelance journalist specializing in outdoor adventure and national parks. She’s traveled to public lands on all seven continents and visited all 63 U.S. national parks. Her book, , was released in 2023. This year, she’s getting more acquainted with her new backyard, Rocky Mountain National Park.

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This is your sign to get behind the wheel and go on your dream desert getaway. With their Lexus GX 550 Overtrail+, Freida Pinto and Cory Tran took full advantage of everything Joshua Tree has to offer: thrilling mountain bike trails, scenic rock climbs, jaw-dropping hikes, and beautiful vistas for stargazing.

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Here’s the dream: Quit your job and hit all 64 national parks in one huge multi-month road trip where you live mostly in a van and finally see all of these iconic landscapes for yourself. To call that dream unrealistic is an understatement, at least for me, for a variety of reasons (see “quit job,” above), though it’s been accomplished by an șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű writer.

The closest I’ve ever come was in my 20s, spending a month driving around the Rocky Mountains and American Southwest in my VW Jetta during summer break from graduate school. A decade or so later, I re-created that trip with my wife and our then four-year-old twins. Both experiences were awesome. One of them had more tantrums.

You can plan a great park trip that captures the open-road spirit on a smaller scale. Below, I’ve outlined five itineraries that take in multiple parks, all within a week. I picked a variety of terrain—lonely desert basins, ice-cold swimming holes, perfect hikes, and cultural wonders. There are one or two classic routes.

But mostly, I chose these because they go to parks that don’t get the massive amount of attention some of their cousins receive. So gas or charge up and go.

1. Blue Ridge Parkway, from Shenandoah to Great Smoky Mountains

Virginia/North Carolina

Distance: 470 miles

Duration: Four-plus days

This trip is in my backyard, so I’m biased, but it’s also awesome, because the entire 470-plus-mile route is within a national-park unit. The Blue Ridge Parkway stretches for 469 miles along the peaks and valleys of the Southern Appalachian mountain range, connecting two of the country’s most-visited national parks, Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina/Tennessee and Shenandoah in Virginia.

Driving the entire length of the parkway is slow (speed limit is between 25 and 45 miles per hour) and full of curves in the road, and also overlooks,Ìę side hikes to swimming holes, and mountain hikes through a lush landscape with elevations that top 6,000 feet. And that’s just the road between the two great national parks.

Heading south on the parkway, you will find picnic areas, trailheads, and scenic views. Give yourself at least a couple of days to complete the road alone, making sure to hike the three-mile out-and-back in the Peaks of Otter area near Bedford, Virginia, which leads to a panoramic view of the Shenandoah Valley and the Allegheny Mountains. When you get to North Carolina, hit Grandfather Mountain State Park, where you can climb the 7.6-mile out-and-back , scrambling along outcroppings and climbing ladders to the summit of the 5,964-foot Callaway Peak.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Shenandoah: Located just 70 miles west of Washington, D.C, Shenandoah National Park is home to 200,000 acres of 4,000-foot peaks, dense hardwood forest, waterfalls, and historic farmland. The most popular hike is also one of the ±èČč°ù°ì’s toughest; is a 9.2-mile loop that requires rock scrambling with some use of your hands to reach Old Rag Mountain, which offers 360-degree views of the park and surrounding farmland. You need a permit to hike the mountain between March 1 and November 30. It’s only $2, but permits are limited to 800 a day, so get them up to .

If you’re looking to cool off, hike the , an 8.1-mile loop that gains 3,000 feet while traversing two tight gorges packed with waterfalls and swimming holes. Lower and Upper Whiteoak Canyon Falls are the highlights, as Upper Falls drops 86 feet between narrow canyon walls, and Lower Falls has a primo plunge pool.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Great Smoky Mountains: The Smokies comprise a mix of rocky streams stacked with waterfalls and swimming holes, and steep slopes thick with vegetation. It’s hard to get across just how green this park is. On the northern end, you’ll find Midnight Hole, a deep, cold swimming hole at the base of a small waterfall. The pool is lined with 15-foot boulders, and locals like to jump from them into the deep part. Access is via the easy three-mile out-and-back . If you want to ditch the crowds (GSMNP gets 14 million visitors a year), hike deeper into the park. Ramsey Cascades Trail is an eight-mile round trip through stands of old-growth tulip poplars to the 100-foot Ramsey Cascade, the tallest waterfall inside the park.

A few historic fire lookout towers still stand inside the park, but the most scenic is Mount Cammerer, a circular wooden building perched on a rocky outcropping, nearly 5,000 feet in elevation, offering views of 5,000- and 6,000-foot peaks as well as the Pigeon River Gorge. from Big Creek Parking Area, and you will do a piece of the Appalachian Trail, enjoying scenic stretches along Big Creek before climbing to the ridgeline.

Stay: In Shenandoah, Big Meadows is a historic stone-and-chestnut lodge in the middle of the park. Choose from lodge rooms or rustic cabins (from ), and wander the mile to Big Meadow after dark for stargazing. Lodges and campgrounds are spaced all along the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, so it’s easy to break the journey up into chunks if you’re not in a hurry. is one of the most popular overnights ($20 per night, reserve six months in advance). The 190-site facility sits next to Julian Price Lake, where you can . has a glamping resort on 182 acres of hardwood forest near the Gatlinburg entrance of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Each fully furnished safari-style tent has a private bathroom, and the place features live music, campfires at night, and yoga in the morning, not to mention an on-site restaurant with seasonal dishes and craft beer.

2. Joshua Tree to Death Valley, California

California

Distance: 250 miles

Duration: At least three days

This route will take you to an underappreciated gem.

Is it weird to spend several days in Southern California and not go to the beach? Well, this desert romp is packed with so much wild terrain you won’t miss the Pacific Ocean. Joshua Tree National Park is 800,000 acres of sandstone boulders, crusty desert floor, and stands of the eponymous trees, while 250 miles north, Death Valley is the largest national park in the lower 48, at 3.5 million acres. Inside are 14,000-foot peaks, expansive craters, dunes, and slot canyons.

Weather is a factor with this itinerary because both parks are in the desert and hot as hell in the middle of summer (temps can reach 120 degrees). So consider this a late-spring or early-fall trip. (If you ever go in summer, do all of your adventures at dawn, take a ton of water, and be back at your place or camp before lunch. Also tell someone exactly where you are going.)

The 250-mile drive is mostly two-lane highway that offers a mix of desolate beauty (you’ll drive between Leghorn Lakes Wilderness and Sheephole Valley Wilderness) and California weirdness (the World’s Largest Thermometer is on this route). Want more adventure? As you drive between these two standout parks, try a pitstop at Mojave National Preserve, which has the largest grove of Joshua Trees in the world, natural springs, and towering dunes.

You can fly into Las Vegas or Los Angeles. L.A. to Joshua Tree is about 150 miles and not terribly interesting, so let’s just go straight to the park.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Joshua Tree: J-Tree is a bucket-list rock-climbing destination, but the hiking is easily as good, and just being in the place is amazing. The 2.5-mile gives hikers a chance to see and scramble on some of the park’s signature boulders, including Split Rock, a 20-foot-tall formation with a fissure in the middle, and to explore a few small caves. If you want to see a lot of Joshua Trees (who doesn’t?), hike the in Black Rock Canyon, a 6.5-mile lollipop that traverses one of the densest groves of Joshua Trees in the park, or sections of ridgeline trail, with long-range views of the 11,000-foot peaks inside the nearby Sand to Snow National Monument.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Mojave National Preserve: Just 70 miles north of Joshua Tree, Mojave NP offers a convenient diversion on your way to Death Valley. Stretch your legs by hiking the three-mile out-and-back trail into , a 45-square-mile field with mounds of sand that rise 650 feet from the valley floor. The Kelso Dunes actually produce “booming,” which is a deep, rumbling vibration that you can hear and feel from the crest of one. Be aware that hiking in dunes is tough, as the sand shifts below your feet with every step.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Death Valley: You hiked dunes in Mojave, so in Death Valley National Park, let’s focus on the canyons and peaks. is a six-mile out and back through a slot canyon so narrow that at points you can touch both sides from the middle.

If it’s your first time to the park, you’re obligated to visit Badwater Salt Flats, the lowest and hottest point in the U.S. There’s no designated trail through the flats, so wander at will through the flat, crispy valley, flanked by the Panamint Mountains and Black Mountains.

Stay: The is a historic lodge located inside the park, with five-star accommodations. Consider this an oasis in the desert, complete with a spring-fed swimming pool (from $359 a night). At Joshua Tree, try to reserve a spot at , which has sites tucked between massive boulders. There are no hookups, but RVs are allowed ($25 a night). If you can’t score an advance reservation there, has first come/first serve sites ($15 a night). Also, is opening a new location outside of Joshua Tree in May, with campsites for van-lifers and private rooms, all of which have access to the property’s gear shop, coffee shop and communal spaces (rooms from $127 a night).

3. White Sands National Park, Carlsbad Caverns, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park

New Mexico and Texas

Distance: 300 miles

Duration: Four to five days

Want variety? This trip has a trio of national parks that are close geographically, but a world apart in terms of terrain. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is all about the subterranean, protecting 119 caves, the biggest of which are open to exploration. Guadalupe Mountains National Park covers a swath of 8,000-foot peaks in West Texas, and those include eight of the 10 tallest in the entire state. White Sand Dunes National Park is home to a 275-square-mile gypsum dune field that rolls towards the horizon in a series of white tidal waves.

All three parks are within a couple hundred miles of each other, and El Paso serves as an ideal starting point to fly into the area and rent a car. These parks don’t see the crowds that some of the big-ticket units draw in summer, so there’s a better chance for quiet and good campsites. The three also have totally different climates. White Sand Dunes is hot (but not like J-Tree or Death Valley), Carlsbad is underground, and Guadalupe is chilly.

Other than a brief period where you skirt around the edge of El Paso, you’re driving mostly two-lane highways with a real “middle of nowhere” vibe between the parks. Think sand and scrub brush for as far as the eye can see.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in White Sand Dunes: is a five-mile loop through the heart of the sand dunes, following red trail markers. You’re climbing and descending 60-foot dunes the entire time, so pace yourself and expect your legs to be worked at the end. Bring a sled (sold at the visitors’ center if you don’t have your own), as you’re allowed to slide down the steepest slopes along the route.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Guadalupe Mountains National Park: The signature adventure is hiking the 8,751-foot , with a craggy, treeless summit, the tallest in the state of Texas. The views stretching east over the plains are endless, but to earn them you will climb 3,000 feet in just over four miles. Bring a jacket, as the summit is notoriously windy. But the real treat of Guadalupe Mountains is , a four-mile out-and-back that’s rocky with mandatory scrambling to traverse a dry river wash. Towards the end, you’ll climb Hiker’s Staircase, an easy hand-over-hand natural rock ladder out of the wash and into a narrow slot canyon.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Carlsbad Caverns: Start with a self-guided tour of the Big Room, the largest single-cave chamber in the U.S., loaded with bizarre stalactites and stalagmites. An elevator could deliver you into the cave, but instead walk the switchbacks down via the Natural Entrance, and feel what it’s like to go from the surface into the cold, dark underground. The full hike down the Natural Entrance and into the Big Room is 2.5 miles and should take a few hours; without the walk in, the hike is 1.25 miles, with a .6-mile shortcut also possible, and parts of the Big Room are . If you want something spicier, sign up for a ranger-led tour of , which requires descending 60 feet of ladders and ropes to a series of smaller rooms with crazy rock features, like the skinny, tall “Texas Toothpick” or “cave pearls,” which look like clusters of eggs ($20, reservations required).

Where to Stay: Guadalupe Mountains National Park and Carlsbad Caverns are close enough that one campground works as a base camp to explore both. Check out in Guadalupe Mountains, which has 20 tent sites and 13 RV sites you can reserve in advance ($20 a night). A number of hiking trails (including Devil’s Hall) begin here. The closest campground to White Sands is in Oliver Lee Memorial State Park, which has private desert sites ($10 per night). The backcountry campsites in White Sands are closed indefinitely, but nearby Alamogordo has a variety of chain hotels.

4. Denali National Park to Kenai Fjords National Park

Alaska

Distance: 400 miles

Duration: Five-plus days, but if you’re flying all the way to Alaska, take your time

Alaska is an awe-inspiring collection of giant mountains, permanent ice fields, and jagged coast, and Denali and Kenai Fjords national parks encapsulate choice slices of that unique topography. Denali National Park covers more than 6 million acres of Alaska’s interior, including the 20,310-foot Denali, but also the tundra and spruce forest that surround it and attract big-time wildlife like caribou and brown bears. Kenai Fjords National Park couldn’t be more different; instead of forest and towering peaks, it’s home to 600,000 acres of glaciers, inlets, bays, and islands. More than half of the park is covered in snow and ice year round, and the majority is accessed by water. While much of Alaska isn’t conducive to road trips because of a lack of roads, these two parks are less than 400 miles apart and connected by highways.

The two-lane blacktop between the main destinations rolls out like a highlight reel of Alaska, offering views of Denali’s snow-capped peaks at one point and the Cook Inlet at another. Keep an eye out for Beluga whales, which live and breed in the inlet. Chugach State Park, with its 3,000-foot mountains, is also on the route.

A visitor can fly into Anchorage, halfway between the two parks. You’ll basically have to ditch the car at each destination, as car travel is limited in both parks. There are few roads in Kenai, and the main road through Denali is limited to shuttle traffic to minimize impact on the landscape. But that’s part of the charm here.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Denali: Denali isn’t a “drive through” park. In fact, private vehicles aren’t allowed past mile 15 of the scenic Denali Park Road, though bikes get the green light. To ride in, start at the Savage River Visitor Center (mile 15) and bike to Sable Pass between miles 37 and 42, where the final 1,500-foot climb to the pass is rewarded by views that stretch all the way to Denali itself. But Sable Pass is best known for its wildlife. Mostly treeless and full of berry bushes, it attracts brown bears, caribou, and Dall sheep, which often graze in the tundra near the road. From the top of the pass, you can turn around and bike back, or, if you pre-arrange it, hop on the free , which has bike racks. offers rentals (starting at $75 per day).

Or consider a guided rafting trip on the Nenana River, a glacier-fed stream that forms the eastern border of Denali. Book a mild or wild day trip with . The 11-mile canyon run is packed with class IV rapids with names like “Coffee Grinder,” and the full ride, for ages 12 and up, is a brisk two hours. A different short option, the two-hour-long Wilderness Run, is ideal for young families, as it contains mostly class I-II rapids and offers a good chance to see wildlife like moose and caribou. (From $130 a person, May through September).

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Kenai: Kenai is a coastal park with most of its goods accessed via boat, but land lovers have options, too. Hike on the edge of the Harding Ice Field, the largest permanent ice field in the U.S., stretching for 700 square miles and feeding Exit Glacier, which forms a half-mile-wide river of ice that melts into Exit Creek. Start at the Exit Glacier Nature Center and hike the 8.2-mile out-and-back , which climbs a total of 3,000 feet through the surrounding forest to gigantic views of the icefield. If you really want to throw yourself into the landscape, book an intro-to-ice climbing trip with , exploring crevasses and climbing pitches of vertical ice with use of rope, crampons, and axes ($249 per person).

For a water-borne adventure, head to Bear Glacier Lagoon, 12 miles south of Seward, where a thin beach separates a glacier-fed lake from the Gulf of Alaska. The lake sits in a deep bowl rising to green ridges, and the water is littered with house-sized icebergs. offers fully outfitted day trips to the lagoon ($550 per person).

Where to Stay: In Denali, book a spot at , which has 32 sites tucked into a spruce forest ($49 a night). Located on mile 13 on the Denali Park Road, it’s easy to reach with a car (some campgrounds in Denali are only accessible by shuttle bus), but the real prize is access to Savage River and incredible views of Denali via a short gravel-road walk. Reservations are recommended, but not required. In Kenai, has 12 walk-in tent sites, first-come, first-served. They’re free, but fill up most nights during July and August. The , in the middle of downtown Seward, is a seven-room mid-century-era motel with renovated rooms located just minutes from the edge of Kenai ($190 per night, two night minimum).

5. Mesa Verde and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Parks

Colorado

Distance: 160 miles

Duration: Three days

Rocky Mountain National Park gets most of the love in Colorado, and while it’s incredible, the Centennial State has other unforgettable national-park units. Mesa Verde National Park and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park are nestled into the southwest corner of the state, proximal enough to make for an ideal weekend road trip. Mesa Verde is a cultural treasure, containing more than 5,000 archaeological sites, including the early cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Pueblo people.

The Black Canyon of the Gunnison is altogether different, enveloping a nearly 2,500-foot-deep gorge surrounding the Gunnison River. It’s a deep, dark chasm with sheer vertical walls, rugged hiking and climbing, boating, and world-class trout fishing.

You can fly into Durango to kick the trip off, and Telluride is smack dab in the middle of the route between parks if you want to throw in a visit to a classic mountain town. The , a locals’ favorite and handy but fantastic afternoon outing, offers views of the ski area and entire valley on varied and forested terrain.

The majority of this road trip cruises through San Juan National Forest on a highway with views of some of Colorado’s tallest and most iconic peaks, including the 14,158-foot Mount Sneffels and 14,023-foot Wilson Peak. You’ll pass right through Telluride, but you can also make a 22-mile roundtrip detour to Ouray to soak in the hot springs.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in Mesa Verde: Get your bearings by driving the six-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, which winds along past excavated mesa-top villages, with overlooks to see cliff dwellings, including the Cliff Palace, which archaeologists believe could house up to 100 people. There are 30 miles of hiking trails inside the park, so you can see a lot of the area in a day. If you’re limited on time, hike the 2.4-mile , which will have you squeezing through boulder passages and traversing cliffside singletrack to a large petroglyph panel. To see the cliff dwellings up close, reserve a spot on a ranger-led ($8 per person, reservations possible 14 days in advance). The Balcony House Tour is the most adventurous: you ascend a cliff face into the 700-year-old dwelling via a series of ladders, then worm through a narrow tunnel that connects rooms.

șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs in the Black Canyon of the Gunnison: The BCOG is a tough canyon to navigate, as there are no bridges connecting the North Rim and South Rim, so it’s a circuitous two-hour drive between the two sides of the park. The South Rim is the more developed, with a dozen overlooks, a visitors’ center, and an 88-site campground. The North Rim is more primitive, with a gravel road providing access to a few developed trails and a handful of overlooks. Both sides are stunning, but I’m pointing you to the South Rim for its hiking and scrambling routes. If you want to stretch your legs and enjoy the view, stroll the two-mile for shots of the canyon and river below. But you’re here for the scramble to the bottom of the gorge via the unmarked , which drops 1,960 feet in just one mile (the park allows use of the trail and offers a about it). There’s a lot of down climbing and loose rock, but at the bottom you’ll have the Gunnison River all to yourself. Bring a fly rod; the Gunnison is a gold-medal trout stream. This is a full-day adventure, and you’ll need a permit (free) to descend into the canyon. Get one at the South Rim Visitor Center.

Where to Stay: Both parks have large campgrounds, if you want to keep it simple and budget friendly. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison’s is convenient (only a mile from the visitors’ center), but don’t expect a ton of privacy ($20 a night, reservations recommended). The North Rim has a smaller , with 13 sites separated by piñon and juniper trees ($20 a night, first-come, first-served). , in Mesa Verde, is large, with 267 sites within a broad, grassy canyon ($38 a night, reserve in advance).

If you want to spend a night in Telluride, check out , an upscale hostel with private or shared rooms that caters to road trippers (from $40 per night).

Graham Averill is șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű magazine’s national parks columnist. He’s currently trying to convince his 15-year-old twins to re-create the national parks road trip they undertook a decade ago. It’s not going well.

For more by this writer:

The 9 Most Fun șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Lodges in North America

The 9 Best Gateway Towns to U.S. National Parks

The 8 Most Adventurous States in America. Number 1 Is 


11 Remote Destinations That Are Definitely Worth the Effort to Visit

The post The 5 Best National Park Road Trips in the U.S. appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

Put off by summer’s heat, crowds, and high prices, many of our editors pushed their big travel plans to fall this year. They’re also not explicitly headed to do any leaf-peeping but rather are intent on bagging a peak or two in the Berkshires, surfing the swell in Maine, forest-bathing in Japan, and giving van life a go in New Zealand (where it will soon be spring), among other active pursuits.ÌęOne editor was so excited about her upcoming trip, she guiltily confessed she’d been “trying not to wish away the summer.” Here’s what’s in the works.

Keeping the Love Alive in Savannah and Surrounds

My husband and I willÌęhead to Savannah, Georgia, to celebrate our first anniversary. I was skeptical when he suggested it—Savannah is flat, and I imagined climbing a massive mountain near our home in Taos, New Mexico—but after Google revealed a shocking amount of wilderness nearby, I got on board. Here’s why I’m stoked: We’ll post up at the downtown Kimpton Brice Hotel (a sweet splurge for us, as we’reÌęchronic campers), where we can walk to several city parks and the Savannah River. The hotel offers free bikes, so we plan to cruise the cobblestone streets and then hit Truman Linear Park Trail and Lake Mayer Park, stopping for fresh seafoodÌę(a luxury we don’t have in the high desert). On the day of our anniversary, we’ll ferry to Tybee Island, a paddling mecca just 18 miles east. We’ll rent kayaks from , scope out sheltered waters between the 1,200 or so surrounding barrier islands, and picnic from the boats before renewing our vows at the Tybee Island Lighthouse. Then it’s back to town and the bar to wrap up the trip. One of the many reasons I married this wonderful man is because he plans unexpected adventures that wouldn’t otherwise be on my radar. —Patty Hodapp, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online interim digital director

Freewheeling on New Zealand’s South Island

My son is studying in New Zealand, so I’m inspired to do something I’ve always dreamed of: live the van life, if only for a while. I’m headed to the South Island in mid-October and have reserved a sweet rig from for about a month. Other than that, my plans are loosey-goosey. I’ll road-trip around in search of the best “freedom-camping” spots: some 500 locations that are free but offer basic amenities.ÌęMy friend Patrice La Vigne wrote a book about her exploration of the country, ÌęandÌęI’ve already cherry-picked some of her favorite spots, including the Queen Charlotte Track and the Nelson Lakes and Aoraki/Mount Cook National Parks, to name a few. I’ll hang in Wanaka for a few days—a supercool mountain town, kind of like the Chamonix of New Zealand—and I’ll check out Queenstown and probably indulge in a or two (according to Patrice, the city’sÌęiconic fast-food joint is not to be missed). When my son finishes up his semester in mid-November, I’ll pick him up in Christchurch and we’ll hit the Kepler Track, one of the country’s ten Great Walks. —Kristin Hostetter, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Inc. head of sustainability and contributing editor

Getting Off the Tourist Track in Japan

Japan has long been on my bucket list, but I didn’t want to take a group tour and was afraid the language barrier would prevent me from adequately planning a trip myself. How wrong I was—you don’t, in fact, need a travel agent or tour operator to build your own trip to this country, but you will need time for research. In mid-October, my brother and I are flying into Osaka and will stay two nights at a ryokan in Kyoto, then fly south to the island of Yakushima, a Unesco World Heritage site whose ancient cedar forests set the scene for Studio Ghibli’s film Princess Mononoke. (I highly recommend the outfitter , whose staff promptly emailed responses and booked our accommodations, a guided hike and stand-up-paddleboard river tour, and a rental car). After roaming around there, we’ll hop an hourlong flight to the city of Fukuoka to pick up another rental car,Ìęand then off we’ll drive to the onsen community of Kurokawa, two hours southeast, for forest bathing while we soakÌęin various hot springs. I’m looking forward to wearing the yukata (a casual kimono) as we walk from bathhouse to bathhouse. We’ll return to Fukuoka, board the bullet train to Osaka (a limited-service that runs this route is just the cutest), and spend our last days hiking two sections of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trail. Props to the tourism bureau that maintains this for English speakers: it answered all of our questions, on baggage transfer, nightly stays, bus service, altitude gain and loss, and estimated hiking duration. Aside from feeling anxious about driving on the opposite side of the road, and possibly getting lost, I’m fully confident that this is going to be a bucket-list adventure for the books. —Tasha Zemke, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűÌęmagazine associate managing editor

Running the Desert in Perfect Weather in Joshua Tree

I’m heading to Joshua Tree National Park to race a half marathon with my mom in November. Fall is a great time to visit this national park in California, as the weather cools down from the scorching summer heat, so you can enjoy exploring without feeling like you’re melting. And while the nights can get a little chilly, it’s nothing a cozy jacket can’t handle. We’ve chosen to stay at , a chic and modern cluster of spacious Airstream campers and cabins. A hike around the park is a must! You’ll come across crazy Joshua trees that look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book, cool rock formations, and even hidden oases that you won’t believe exist in the desert. (I like the , a three-mile out-and-back.) Oh, and the sunsets here are mind-blowing. Joshua Tree is also a hub for bouldering, with loads of granite formations to climb, no matter your skill level. In town, don’t miss the Joshua Tree Coffee Company, just a block from the ±èČč°ù°ì’s visitor center. Its espresso con panna will wake you right up. —Sierra Shafer, Ski magazine editor in chief

Hiking the Hills over a Wedding Weekend in Williamstown

Over Labor Day, my husband, Mike, and I will travel to Williamstown, in northwestern Massachusetts, for the wedding of a dear former coworker. It will be a reunion, with others from the old crew at Big Stone Publishing coming in from London, Las Vegas, and Asheville, North Carolina. Mike and I will fly into Albany, New York, 40 miles west, on Friday. I always figure that you can hike—or walk, in a city or a park—in most places, even if a trip is not recreational. Of course, it helps that we’re headed to a hiking haven like the Berkshires. For Saturday I’ve pegged , a three-to-four-mile out-and-back up 1,893-foot Pine Cobble Mountain, where we can look out over historic Williamstown (once Mohican hunting grounds, and settled by others in 1749) and the Hoosic River valley. I hope to rally friends! Before the ceremony, we have a window where we could walk around the Clark Art Institute, with its marble gallery, backdrop of rolling green hills, and 140 acres of wooded trails. Mike also wants to head up 3,491-foot Mount Greylock, the highest peak in the state, boasting a 90-mile view; for Greylock, we could fit in the 2.6-mile before flying home late Monday afternoon (the 5.5-mile also looks great but would necessitate way too early a start). And we might as well pack climbing shoes in case of available bouldering. (I wonder if we could pass as students at the Williams College wall?) The town has a good farm-to-table scene, and my friend recommends Mezze, though pricey. Another option, the Barn looks casual, just right. —Alison Osius, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűÌęmagazine senior editor

Celebrating the End of a National șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű in Hawaii

This fall I’m completing a challenge a quarter-century in the making. I grew up going on a bunch of road trips (the most notable being a 19-day, 5,000-mile adventure with my parents and brother in the family Prius), and before I was even able to drive, I’d already visited 30 states. So I turned my penchant for road trips into a project to visit all 50 states before my 25th birthday. The only criteria: I had to do something fun or memorable in each state, and layovers didn’t count. Everyone always asks what my least favorite states have been; I don’t have a least favorite, because there’s something in every state for everyone. That said, I do have two favorites: Utah and Vermont. I love hiking through red rocks and dense hardwood forests, and I’ve gone back many times just to hit my favorite trails in both locales. As the clock ticks closer to my birthday in mid-November, there’s only one state left to check off: Hawaii. I thought it fitting to visit the 50th state as my 50th and final one. I have big plans to fly to Kauai and hike the in Na Pali Coast State Wilderness Park. Because it won’t beÌępeak season, wasn’t too hard. My dream is to cap off that day with a hefty scoop of Hanalei Sunrise ice cream at Pink’s Creamery. Or maybe two scoops. It is my birthday, after all. —Emma Veidt, Backpacker assistant editor

Anticipating a HomecomingÌęin Asheville

My mom grew up in Asheville, North Carolina, and has always wanted to show my brothers and me around her hometown. My boyfriend has ties there, too—his sister moved there from New Mexico several years ago. So I’m headed to this popular outdoor destination in October with both my parents, my siblings, and my partner for four days. We’ve rented a home on a nice plot of land just outside of town, where we’ll be able to have campfires and soak in a hot tub under the stars. Hopefully our trip will happen right as the leaves are firing in all their fall colors. It’s an active bunch, so we’ll hike, maybe ride some singletrack, or fly-fish for trout in the streams of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Beyond that, we’re excited to sample the highly touted food and drink scene. My boyfriend’s sister runs The Garden, a food truck that often posts up at one of three Wedge brewery locations around town, so we’ll definitely check that out. șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű has also run some great stories about Asheville recently, with recommendations from singer Angel Olsen on her favorite hangouts and tips from other locals, so we’ll consult those when planning our day-to-day. –Abigail Barronian, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűÌęmagazine senior editor

Larch-Peeping Beneath the Peaks of the Dolomites

For part of a longer trip to Europe this fall, I’ve carved out a weekend in the Italian Dolomites when the larches change color. As deciduous conifers (which feels like an oxymoron but surprisingly isn’t), larchesÌęhave needles that turn yellow before droppingÌęoff each autumn. I’ve been obsessed with these weird and wonderful trees since I first saw a photo of them in Washington’s Cascades, and was delighted to learn that they grow thickly near the Italian ski town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. My husband and IÌębooked a bed-and-breakfast in town—the options are many, and quite affordable in the autumn off-season—and plan to spend a few days in late October hiking through the forests under the towering peaks. While I have more trails on my list than I know we’ll be able to accomplish, I’m most excited for the 7.8-mile Croda da Lago circuit. The highlight of this moderate day hike is Lago Federa, a larch-ringed lake beneath the face of one of this area’s most distinct peaks.ÌęLunch at Rifugio Palmieri, one of the only mountain huts in the region that stays open through October, is a no-brainer. —Mikaela Ruland, National Park Trips associate content director

Surfing and Kayaking in Maine

I grew up visiting Maine almost every summer, but next month I’ll be traveling to Portland for the first time, for my older brother’s wedding. Both my brother and his fiancĂ©e also went to school in Maine (she’s a many-generation Mainer), soÌęit feels bizarre that I haven’t been to the state’s largest cityÌęyet. We’re staying in an Airbnb close to the wedding-party venue—, an old church turned restaurant—in between the West End and Old Port districts. The neighborhood is a ten-minute walk from the harbor, where we plan to rent some sea kayaks and explore the plethora of islands that dot Casco Bay. So far my summer has mostly consisted of outings on rivers and lakes, so I can’t wait to get some ocean time in. And if I can swing it, I’ll go surfing at Higgins Beach, nine miles south of Portland. Fall is the best time to surf in New England, and by mid-September there should be some good swells. I also can’t wait to check out Portland’s burgeoning food scene. My friends tell me the is a special low-key place to get a lobster roll overlooking the ocean. —Kelly Klein, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűÌęmagazine associate editor

The post We’re Headed to These șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Destinations This FallÌę appeared first on șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű Online.

For much of last week, the southwestern U.S. and parts of Mexico Ìębraced for a Category 4 hurricane that the World Meteorological Organization called “Hilary.” After making landfall on Sunday, August 20, in Mexico’s Baja California peninsula, as he attempted to cross a stream, Hilary—which was downgraded to a tropical storm—barreled on toward California. On Monday, August 21, officials downgraded the storm again, labeling itÌęa . Still, the weakening storm—which has already slammed California with heavy rain and flooding—could still cause significant damage as it moves northward into Nevada.

Anticipating dangerous conditions this weekend, officials closed California’s Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Manzanar National Historic Site, and Nevada’s Lake Mead National Recreation Area.Ìę

Here’s what to know about the closures.

Death Valley National Park

By 1:30 P.M. on Sunday, August 20, America’s “hottest, driest, and lowest” national park had recorded one inch of rain, enough to cause flash floods and prompt officials to close the park.ÌęÌęÌę

“Park rangers are reminding travelers to ‘Turn around, don’t drown,’” the park service said . “Flash floods are rivers of mud and rocks that can easily sweep cars off roads. Emergency responders may not be able to reach people in need.”ÌęÌę

An additional one to three inches of rain were expected overnight. During an average year, Death Valley only receives 2.2 inches of rainfall.

Joshua Tree National Park

On Saturday, August 19, Joshua Tree National Park closed to visitors. A flash flood watch is in effect at the park until 5 P.M. on Monday, August 21, with six to eight inches of rain expected.

“Just a few inches of water can be strong enough to move cars,” officials said in a Facebook post. “Washes can quickly turn into streams and rivers after heavy rainfall.”

Mojave National Preserve

The Mojave desert is being hit with torrential rains just after sections of it were burned by the York Fire, which ravaged more than 80,000 acres of its delicate ecosystem. The park service closed Mojave National Preserve on Friday, August 18, anticipating historic flooding. , the preserve was open to visitors, but many roads and facilities remained closed.

“The storm is expected to cause substantial debris flows and washing out of road shoulders in the preserve, making roadways dangerous and impassable,” officials said . “Of particular concern is erosion and sediment mobilization exacerbated by the recent York Fire.”

Manzanar National Historic Site

closed to visitors on Sunday, August 20, and is under a flash flood watch until 5 A.M. on Tuesday, . Located six miles south of Independence, California, the site is one of ten former concentration camps where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II.ÌęÌę

Lake Mead National Recreation Area

On Monday, August 21, park rangers at Lake Mead National Recreation Area were out assessing overnight storm damage, . “We will be doing assessments and bringing operations back online in an orderly fashion throughout the day, and we expect the park to re-open and return to normal operations Tuesday,” officials said.

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In early June three years ago, waiting in line for a table at Flyers Bar and Grill on a marina in St. Croix, I looked on in amazement as a group of kayakers gathered at the waterfront for a tour. Watching them paddle off into the dusk, I wondered what was so interesting that people would skip dinner in exchange for insect bites and navigating barely visible waters. Bioluminescence was not yet a word in my vocabulary.

I’ve since warmed right up to nighttime sights outdoors, having witnessed the Northern Lights dancing in Iceland or the Milky Way above a remote cabin in New Hampshire. While I had begun experimenting with astrophotography during a 2018 trip to Virgin Islands National Park, these once haphazard sessions have now become a full-fledged hobby.

If my growing fascination with the natural world after sundown has taught me anything, it’s that the night sky offers endless adventure. Our national and state parks and other organizations are working to protect dark skies and host events to engage people of all ages and abilities to see nighttime landscapes, nocturnal critters, and to stargaze and contemplate UFOs.

The park nighttime activities below offer curious minds a chance to explore moonlit paths and bays that glow.

1. Stargazing and UFOs

Trade an evening of Netflix for a chance to gaze at galaxies and be reminded that, like those stars above you, earth is just a tiny dot. The big question is: could it really be the only life-supporting dot?

Learn About the Cosmos—and UFOs—at Joshua Tree National Park, California

There’s a lot to marvel about in Joshua Tree National Park, known for its lunar landscapes and energy vortices. Located in the Morongo Basin, a hotbed for claims of UFO sightings, and a certified International Dark Sky Park site, Joshua Tree regularly attracts stargazers and truth seekers. In fact, it’s the 2013 birthplace of the annual Contact in the Desert Conference, the “Woodstock of UFO conferences,” which draws thousands of attendees.

Though the conference has since moved to Indian Wells, California, you can still seek signs of extraterrestrial life while in Joshua Tree by joining a 90-minute Stargazing and UFO Tour run by ($150) using Gen 3 military-grade night-vision binoculars. This technology delivers an even more captivating stargazing experience than is available to the naked eye, so you can see stars, nebulas, planets, and distant galaxies in a way that far surpasses what was observable even to our ancestors gazing at pitch-black skies a thousand years ago.

Attend a Star Party at Glacier National Park, Montana

Far from the brightness of big cities, Glacier is a go-to destination for visitors who not only want to see the Milky Way but also the elusive northern lights, visible any time of year but especially September through April.ÌęAlso an International Dark Sky Park,ÌęGlacier embraces its role as a steward of the night sky.ÌęEvents like are held every year to make visitors aware of the ecological and cultural importance of dark skies, offering a chance to gaze at our galaxies through high-powered telescopes while learning about the solar system from park rangers, astronomers, and members of the Big Sky Astronomy Club.

Star parties are held on select summer nights from 10 P.M. until midnight and cost $5 per vehicle (in addition to the park entrance fee). Unable to attend? See the above link for other astronomy programs in the park throughout the year.

2. Bioluminescence

If you don’t believe in magic, you’ve never witnessed the blue-green glow of microorganisms in a dark saltwater bay.

Paddle a See-Through Kayak in the Salt River Bay, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands

Enjoy one of nature’s most wondrous displays with a glass-bottom kayak tour of one of St. Croix’s bioluminescent bays.ÌęSalt River Bay National Historic Site and Ecological Preserve, which for two millennia served as an entry point for Indigenous people and colonizers, is home to one of just seven full-time bioluminescent bays in the world.Ìę tour ($55) sets out at dusk and heads about three-quarters of a mile past the mangroves to Salt River Bay, where kayakers paddle around in amazement, watching as the water disturbance triggers a chemical reaction in plankton known as dinoflagellates, which light up beneath them. Children ages eight and up (who must be accompanied by an adult) are welcome to explore these rare ecosystems. No prior kayaking experience is necessary.

Paddle the Magical Waters of Castine Harbor, Maine

Combine time in the quaint seaside town of Castine with an epic evening adventure exploring what local tour operator Castine Kayak șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs refers to as a “floating planetarium”—a bioluminescent bay located just one hour from Acadia National Park. These waters—located between the Penobscot and Bagaduce waterways—are off the radar for most tourists, and offer an awe-inspiring glow, thanks to the nutrient-rich silt floor of Castine Harbor.

An hour after sundown, visitors can join on a tour ($90) that leaves from the harbor to watch these waters come to life. Children ages ten and older are welcome (and must be accompanied by an adult), and prior kayaking experience is recommended as tidal currents can be strong. For first-timers, the company offers a day-and-night kayak package ($155) from May through mid-October for those who would prefer to learn paddling basics in the daylight.

Note: To protect these fragile ecosystems for future generations, participants are asked to avoid the use of bug spray, deodorant, perfume, or sunscreen out of an abundance of caution, as they often contain harmful chemicals that kill the bioluminescence.

3. Night Hikes

Whether you’re interested in a moonlit stroll or one in the darkness of the new moon, exploring at night affords a different experience of landscape viewss.

Follow the Ram Head Trail in Virgin Islands National Park, St. John

This 2.3-mile out-and-back trail on a peninsula in Virgin Islands National Park covers mostly exposed terrain, with the sound of crashing waves. You’ll have expansive views across sea and sky as you approach the Ram Head, a rocky abutment at the trail terminus, to watch the moonrise over the endless horizon. This hike is self-guided and does not require prior registration, so take extra precautions. The peninsula has some small rocky cliffs, so stay on the trail, bring a headlamp or flashlight, and consider a daytime familiarization hike.

Hike Under the Full Moon in White Sands National Park, New Mexico

This monthly ranger-led hike shows off the ±èČč°ù°ì’s famous white sands illuminated under the light of the moon. Hikers cast shadows onto the bright landscape as they follow the 1.3-long, moderately difficult Dune Life Nature Trail loop, an adventure that can last up to two hours round trip. The path is initially flat but then ascends up the steep sand dunes—a boost in difficulty eased by listening to the guide’s tales about the park. Guests must , and ticket sales open up two months before each scheduled hike. Cost is $8 (or $4 for children under 15), not including the park-entry fee.

Hike Under the New Moon in the Valley of Fire, Nevada

Valley of Fire State Park offers monthly guided or self-guided new-moon hikes (see the guided here, although hikes may not be published until about a week ahead, or check on a rotating array of trails. Located an hour northeast of Las Vegas, the ±èČč°ù°ì’s red-rock landscapes are obscured at night, but the setting offers a reprieve from the bright lights of the Strip in exchange for a wander under the Milky Way. Hikes start at 6:30 P.M. and distances range from one to two and a half miles. These excursions are family-friendly and open to all ages. A red-light flashlight is suggested to safely navigate the trails without impairing your night vision, and expect to pay a $15 park fee ($10 for Nevada residents).

See Twilight in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

This guided three-hour mountaintop amble through Shenandoah National Park’s Big Meadow sets out at the golden hour and ends under the stars. Watch the colors of sunset erupt across the sky as an expert guide identifies signs of wildlife and points out seasonal plants. Twilight hikes ($25) run from May through August and are scheduled in . Each covers about one mile round trip, with frequent stops for discussions of unique flora and fauna. All ages and abilities are welcome. Preregistration is required, and the fee does not include park admission.

Stay safe on nighttime hikes with Gaia GPS maps for and (recent excursions include Fire Wave and White Domes Loop).

4. Nighttime Nature Tours

Discover creatures that roam the night and other wonders that otherwise lie hidden.

Tour El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico

While many visitors to the island are heading out for dinner and drinks to wrap the day, the nocturnal residents of the El Yunque Rainforest are only just starting up. For the richest wildlife experience here, visit in the evening, as 60 percent of its inhabitants are nocturnal. A guided evening walk with ($55) departs close to sunset and ends just after dark. With expert help, you’ll be able to identify various species of tree frogs, glimpse screech owls, and see scorpions and tarantulas just before they scurry into the shadows. Expect to be out for two and a half hours and cover minimal ground (about three-quarters of a mile out-and-back).

Go Yooperlite Hunting in theÌęUpper Peninsula, Michigan

What in the world is a Yooperlite, and why should you care?ÌęTwo words: glowing rocks.Ìę Discovered by Erik Rintamaki in 2017, Yooperlites are syenite rocks rich in the fluorescent mineral sodalite, which causes them to glow neon shades of orange and yellow at night when subjected to UV light.ÌęNo two rocks are the same. Some are merely speckled with the luminescent mineral, while others display brilliant patterns or emit an all-over radiance.ÌęRintamaki offers on select dates from July through October along Lake Superior to hunt for Yooperlites, which you otherwise might overlook as eemingly ordinary gray rocks.

Watch Synchronous Fireflies at Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

These magical summertime creatures come in a variety of species, some of which even have the ability to synchronize their flashing patterns. One of the few viewing spots on earth to observe synchronous fireflies is Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the Elkmont area near the Little River and Jakes Creek Trailheads, which are temporarily closed off to ordinary visitation. An annual is held in April for permits for people in 960 cars over eight nights to witness the only American species of synchronous firefly during its brief annual appearance. The lottery costs $1 and allows applicants to select two potential viewing dates. Those people selected are automatically charged $24 and assigned a specific evening to view the fireflies between late May and mid-June.

Search for Scorpions in Maricopa County, Arizona

Scorpions are known as fearsome, venomous creatures to avoid. So it might come as a surprise that various parks around this county, which contains the state capital of Phoenix, hold summertime events where families can go looking for the pincered predators. Sound unsettling? Rest assured that scorpions are far more likely to run from humans than sting them, and that people are unlikely to die from scorpion venom.

To take part in these outings, join rangers at Lost Dutchman State Park, in Apache Junction, or McDowell Mountain Regional Park, in Fountain Hills, on select summer nights ($5).ÌęBring your own flashlight to illuminate the path, as well as a black light to spot the tiny scorpions scurrying through the dirt (the UV light gives them a fluorescent green glow).ÌęTo find an upcoming scorpion hunt, check the Lost Dutchman State Park , or head to the Maricopa County Regional Parks and select the Animals filter on the events calendar.

Author Bio: Always a lover of quiet and fresh evening air, Theresa McKinney (see ) has a growing appreciation for the night sky. In annual trips to Virgin Islands National Park, she has expanded her adventure repertoire from snorkeling and hiking to include late-night astrophotography sessions and pitch-black beach walks. On her second visit to Iceland, she proudly achieved her bucket-list goal of seeing the northern lights.

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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 ±èČč°ù°ì’s northeast entrance and pull off at the first signed viewpoint, Big Badlands Overlook, for a sweeping panorama of the eastern portion of the ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs 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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 theÌę 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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs 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 șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍűs 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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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, șÚÁÏłÔčÏÍű 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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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 ±èČč°ù°ì’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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