Whether you’re planning a backpacking trip with friends in the fall, or a family trip during the school summer holidays, the United States boast so many great national parks that you’ll be simply spoiled for choice!
Here at Mytravelguideposts, we’ve rounded up a list of some of the best national parks to visit in the US besides the big four: Yosemite National Park in California; Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming and Glacier National Park in Montana.
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park in Maine is not only one of the most popular places to visit on the east of USA, but also one of the best places in Maine to spend a family vacation!
Besides being able to soak in the beautiful outdoors and take in the amazing scenery, there are lots of things you can do in Acadia such as:
-whale watching
-taking a horse-drawn carriage up Day Mountain
-catch a sunset or sunrise atop Cadillac Mountain
-kayaking
-Biking and hiking
Another great thing about a trip to Acadia National Park is that it’s located a short drive from the quaint town of Bar Harbor Maine where you can base your vacation.
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park in California is one of the best national parks to visit in the US where you can enjoy day hikes and fun hiking weekend trips. One of the most popular and easiest hikes in Sequoia national park is Big Trees Trail, which is a mile-long trail across from the Giant Forest Museum.
Popular National Parks in California |
Grand Teton National Park
Located on the northwest corner of Wyoming, Grand Teton national park is one of the best national parks to visit in the US where you can experience the great outdoors. Grand Tetons National Park truly offers plenty of opportunity for backcountry trips, wilderness camping, hiking and biking.
Cascade Canyon and Grand Teton peaks are without a doubt two of the most popular destinations in Grand Teton park for hiking trips. Although, Cascade Canyon would have to be one of the best spots in the park because of its close proximity to Jenny Lake and the campground.
You’ll find many trails (i.e. the Jenny Lake trail) from Jenny Lake campground that lead to the foot of Cascade Canyon, or if you prefer you catch a shuttle boat (for around $10) that takes around Jenny Lake and enjoy stunning views of the Grand Tetons.
Zion National Park
Zion Park is undoubtedly one of the best national parks to visit in the US, and when it comes to peculiar canyon formations no other place in the world has as many incredible canyon formations as Zion National Park does!.
Zion Park is located in southern Utah (an hour or so from St George Utah) and it’s, without a doubt, one of the top 10 natural wonders in USA. Zion Park boasts great opportunities for adventurous hiking such as climbing to the top of the Great White Throne and Angels Landing rock formations.
Even if you’re not much of a climber, the great thing about a trip to Zion Park is the park’s shuttle bus, which stops at many great viewpoints through out the park.
Mt Rainier National Park
Mt Rainier National Park in Washington State is a great all year round destination for everyone and perfect for families with kids.
Mt Rainier Park boasts many easy hikes but none of them are as scenic as the memorable hike to "Grove of the Patriarchs" which boasts gigantic cedar trees and surreal scenery. Another great thing about a trip to Mt Rainier is that the national park just minutes away from Crystal Mountain ski resort, which is one of the largest ski resort in the Washington and one of the top 10 places to ski the US.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Carlsbad Caverns National Park is another national park in the US that boasts some of the most stunning natural formations your eyes would ever set sight on!
Carlsbad Cavers in New Mexico is no doubt one of the best national parks to visit in the US with the family since not only you’ll be able to enjoy backcountry pursuits, but also a tour of the caverns’ passages and tunnels and see awe-inspiring such as White Giant Formation and the ‘Witch’s Finger’, which the little ones will absolutely enjoy!
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