While each park offers up its own reasons for visiting—whether it’s unique wildlife viewing, like the bighorn sheep at Badlands National Park, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, like seeing the lava flowing at Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, or boating alongside crocodiles at Everglades National Park—some parks are always going to be more popular than others. Yellowstone National Park, the first national park in the country and one of the system’s most famous, is an exceedingly popular summer vacation destination, recording 4.8 million visitors in 2021. Unfortunately, for travelers this summer, much of the park remains closed as it has suffered from extreme flooding, dashing some summer trip plans. But, not to fear—there are dozens of other parks that can be a part of your travel plan this year. Here are some of the best national parks that need to be on your bucket list. And next, don’t miss the 10 Best U.S. Islands You Don’t Need a Passport For. When you picture a national park, you’re most likely picturing a mountain range or large open area in the great outdoors. But, some of the country’s most interesting parks aren’t located outdoors at all… instead, they’re underground, like New Mexico’s Carlsbad Caverns National Park. The park, located in the Guadalupe Mountains, contains more than 100 different caves. “The main chamber, appropriately called the Big Room, is the largest cave chamber in North America by volume, approximately four thousand feet long, 625 feet wide, and 255 feet high at its tallest point,” says Alex Tiffany, a travel planner and blogger at Just Go Exploring. “The caverns contain thousands of stalactites and stalagmites, some of which are over 60 feet tall.” The caves aren’t the only reasons travelers make the trek out to southern New Mexico: The park also has a free Bat Flight Program where visitors can watch bats take to the skies every night at sundown. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. While it’s named for the New River that runs through the park, the New River Gorge National Park is also aptly named because it’s the country’s newest national park and the state of West Virginia’s first. The park, which doesn’t charge an entrance fee, covers 70,000 acres of the Appalachian Mountains and is a great base for taking part in activities like whitewater rafting and, of course, hiking. “[The park is] steeped in rich history and outdoor recreation, including hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and whitewater rafting,” says Chelsea Ruby, Cabinet Secretary of the West Virginia Department of Tourism. New River Gorge National Park was redesignated from a national river to the park that it currently is in 2021, and it features regular guided hikes along the river led by park rangers. “The park also encompasses the New River, which is one of the oldest rivers on the continent, and the world’s third longest single span arch bridge, spanning 3,030 feet and sitting 876 above the New River Gorge—making it the second highest vehicular bridge in the world,” says Ruby. “You can even walk across the catwalk beneath the bridge, which takes you 1.25 miles from one end to the other.” When you picture a trip to a national park, you’re probably not imagining a tropical beach vacation, but that’s what you can get at Virgin Islands National Park, which is located on the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Caribbean Sea. “Encompassing more than half of the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, you can relax on some of the best beaches in the world,” says Kristin Young of the travel website Snorkel and Hike. A trip to Virgin Islands National Park isn’t just a day on the beach. Well, it can be. But it can also be so much more, as the park offers boating, snorkeling, and ancient sites. It’s also one of the lesser-frequented and more underrated parks, with around only 304,000 visitors in 2018, given that it’s a bit trickier to travel to than some of the mainland parks. “It will require a bit more work to get there, as you’ll need to fly to St. Thomas and then take a ferry to St. John, but it’s worth the effort for such a unique national park experience,” Young says. There’s something about the Florida Keys that makes it feel like a different world, and there’s something about Biscayne National Park, located in the Keys, that helps it stand out from the rest of the country’s parks as well: it’s almost entirely underwater. Approximately 95% of the park is set out on the water, and some of the best activities to do there are exploring coral reefs, kayaking, or partaking in one of the park’s guided tours, like snorkeling past shipwrecks. “Biscayne Bay is a marine sanctuary home to manatees, turtles, exotic fish, and shipwrecks,” says Kacy Matthews of K. Sutherland PR, a company that focuses on travel and lifestyle. One of the reasons that the park is underrated is because it can be a little tricky to get to, as a majority of it is underwater, but Matthews says that the park is quickly becoming more accessible. “The drive to the park can be a little taxing, but Biscayne National Park Institute offers a new Coconut Grove Snorkel Adventure that picks visitors up from Dinner Key Marina and takes them through the bay and right into Biscayne National Park,” Matthews says. RELATED: The 10 Best U.S. Cities Every Traveler Should See. One of California’s nine national parks, Lassen Volcanic National Park, not far from Redding, is one of the most unique locations in the country. The park’s star features are its volcanoes, and it’s the only place in the world where all four types of volcanoes (shield, plug dome, cinder cone, and composite) are visible.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb “Lassen Volcanic National Park boasts incredible mountain scenery reminiscent of Yosemite, as well as fascinating thermal wonders similar to Yellowstone with just a small fraction of the visitors,” says Nicole Ayllon, a destination marketer at Development Counsellors International. During the summer, the park isn’t just great for exploring during the day—it has a ranger-led Starry Night program and an annual Dark Sky Festival, a three-day event filled with stargazing and astronomy activities. “Although Lassen Park is open year-round, access is usually limited from December to May,” Ayllon says. “Excellent cross-country skiing is available, as well as interpretive snowshoe tours led by park rangers. During the warm summer months in Redding, enjoy hiking, stargazing, biking, swimming, and more.” Located in Oregon’s Cascade Mountains, Crater Lake National Park is named for exactly what it sounds like: a nearly 2,000-foot-deep lake formed in the crater left after a volcanic explosion. Tthe water is extraordinarily clear because there are no rivers flowing into or out of it. “Seven millennia of rain and snowmelt have filled the crater, which has resulted in one of the world’s clearest bodies of water,” says Emele Hibdon, a public relations representative for Travel Southern Oregon. “Scientists have measured the water’s clarity to as deep as 120 feet.” While you can sit and be memorized by the crystal-clear water all day, there’s also an abundance of other activities to take part in, like hiking and wildlife viewing. Or, if you prefer to drive, take a venture out on Rim Drive, a road that circles the lake and has more than 25 overlooks. “Crater Lake National Park has 183,224 acres of mountains, peaks, old growth forests, volcanic fumaroles, two waterfalls, and the lake,” Hibdon says. “The ranging elevations throughout the park provide diverse habitats for an array of wildlife and make for an outstanding outdoor laboratory and classroom.” RELATED: The Best National Park in Every State. If you’re looking for a Game of Thrones sort of setting with fields of ice, sharp mountain peaks, and a vast ocean, then look no further than Kenai Fjords National Park, home to approximately 35 named glaciers. “Kenai Fjords National Park in south-central Alaska offers an incredible mix of both land- and water-based activities,” says Gaby Pilson, an outdoor educator and climbing instructor. “In Kenai Fjords, you can hike to the bottom of a massive glacier, trek to the edge of the largest icefield that’s wholly contained within the U.S., and take boat tours out to see orcas, humpback whales, and Steller’s sea lions.” The park is one of Alaska’s eight national parks; it trails California by one for the title of most national parks in an individual state. Compared to some of Alaska’s other parks, Kenai Fjords, located just outside of Seward, Alaska, is one of the easier parks to access. “It’s relatively easy to get to as far as Alaskan parks go,” Pilson says. “There’s a road that leads right to it from the city of Seward, and you can take boat tours out of Seward, too.” By far, the most popular national park in the Rocky Mountains is Yellowstone National Park, which saw nearly 5 million visitors in 2021. But, head a bit further south down the range and you’ll run into the 415 square miles of Rocky Mountain National Park, located just outside of Estes Park, Colorado. One of the highlights of the park is that it includes something for every traveler, according to Steve Warren of Maps Over Coffee. “The adventurous backpacker could hike for weeks at a time on new trails, the rock climber will find some challenging routes, those with limited mobility will find accessible trails, and families will find wildlife and ice cream nearby,” Warren says, adding that the park’s proximity to the town of Estes Park makes it easy to find a hotel to stay in and a restaurant to visit. Wildlife viewing is also one of the perks of visiting the park (which is about a 90-minute drive from Denver), as bighorn sheep make appearances throughout the summer and elk and moose can be seen all year-round. RELATED: The Best Travel-Planning Hacks You Need to Know Right Now. It’s only 75 miles away from Washington D.C., but the peacefulness of Shenandoah National Park feels like a world away from the nation’s capital. The park, located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, has more than 500 miles of trails for hikers of all levels. “Nestled between Shenandoah Valley and the Piedmont region, this land is bursting with cascading waterfalls, diverse flora and fauna, and breezy summits,” says Barbie Mission, a travel research analyst at Trip 101. “It also has mountains with unique formations towering over 4,000 ft high. With peaceful wooded valleys, kid-friendly hiking trails, and swimming holes, it’s a great place to visit, especially for families.” The park is also home to a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, so you can either make your way there to do a day hike or arrive and hike through the park for days with other travelers. If you don’t feel like hiking too extensively, you can also take a drive through the park. “One thing that sets this slice of heaven apart from other parks is Skyline Drive, the only public road running through the park,” Mission says. “This scenic byway offers several overlooks, including Range View and Spitler Knoll where visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of nature.” There’s a lot of firsts associated with Acadia National Park. It’s the first park alphabetically, the first (and only) park in New England, and one of the first places the sun rises in the country, making it an ideal spot for travelers who love to watch sunrises in extraordinarily beautiful settings. “One of the best sunrise spots can be found here in Acadia, on top of Cadillac Mountain,” says New England travel writer Samantha Hamilton. “It’s actually one of the very first places to see the sun rise over the horizon each morning in the entire U.S., and you can either hike to the summit, or drive the auto road up for an easier, more carefree experience.” Hamilton recommends visiting the park in the autumn to see the leaves as they change color (something New England is famous for) and avoid much of the summer crowds that pack the park each year. “The con for visiting Acadia National Park is that during the summer, it’s incredibly busy,” Hamilton says. “New Englanders live for the summer season after a cold winter and potentially rainy and cold spring season. Prices will be at their highest in the summer for accommodation, and the park will be at its most crowded.” Conveniently, the park is open year-round and is ranked as the third best place in the world to visit during October by U.S. News & World Report. For more travel news and tips, check out The Best Tourist Attraction in Every State.
