KYD’s Top 10 National Parks

We know that most summer road trips include at least one national park visit, so we’ve put together a list of our top 10 favorites (and an honorable mention) to help you plan your summer to remember!

From America’s first and oldest national park to its most popular, our list includes some parks you’ve heard a lot about and others you may not know as well.

#1: Yellowstone

Fun fact: Half of the world’s hydrothermal features are at Yellowstone

Established in 1872, Yellowstone was the world’s first national park. Its unique geothermal features and sheer size (2.2 million acres) make it one of the most popular national parks. And for good reason—half of the world’s hydrothermal features can be found at Yellowstone, which sits on top of a supervolcano. Visitors can see more than 10,000 features like hot springs, mud pots, and geysers, while herds of bison wander the roadways. Yellowstone is one of those parks you keep coming back to because there’s so much to see; drive 20 minutes and you’ll find yourself in a totally different landscape. 

How to visit:

No reservations required

Don’t miss:

• Old Faithful
• Grand Prismatic Spring
• Lamar Valley
• Grand Cayon of Yellowstone

#2: Yosemite

Fun fact: Yellowstone might have been the first national park, but Yosemite was the first land to be protected because of its beauty

President Lincoln signed the Yosemite Land Grant on June 30, 1864, protecting the Yosemite Valley so future generations could enjoy its natural beauty. Later, the efforts of naturalist John Muir and President Theodore Roosevelt turned Yosemite into a national park. Yosemite is known for its striking rock formations. You’ve seen some of the more famous ones like El Capitan and Half Dome in pictures and climbing documentaries. It is also home to one of the world’s tallest waterfalls and the rare chance to see a rainbow at night.

How to visit:

Reservations are required from May 20-September 30, 2022

Don’t miss:

• Half Dome at sunset
• El Capitan
• Yosemite Falls
• Tioga Road

#3: Glacier

Fun fact: Going-to-the-Sun Road appears in the opening credits of The Shining

Glacier has been called “America’s Alps,” and you only have to look at a picture to see why. When Glacier National Park was established in 1910, it contained over 100 glaciers. Today, only 26 remain. The park is one of the best places to see grizzly bears and mountain goats in the lower 48 states and is the perfect park to visit if you like to get out on the water. The largest lake is Lake McDonald, and you’re welcome to paddle it with a permit—but there are over 700 lakes and 2,865 miles of streams in the park!

How to visit:

Reservations are required to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road between May 27-September 11, 2022

Don’t miss:

• Going-to-the-Sun Road
• Grinnell Glacier
• Lake McDonald
• Trail of the Cedars

#4: Rocky Mountain

Fun fact: Rocky Mountain boasts the highest continuous paved road in the United States

The 415 square miles of mountain peaks that make up Rocky Mountain National park were acquired in the Louisiana Purchase. The 30-mile Continental Divide Trail runs right through the middle of the park, attracting backpackers from all over the world. Elevations in the park range from 7,600 feet to over 14,000 feet, so the hiking tends to be steep—but the views are breathtaking. Visitors come to see elk, moose, bighorn sheep, and year-round snowcapped peaks.

How to visit:

Reservations are required between May 27-October 10, 2022

Don’t miss:

• Trail Ridge Road
• Bear Lake
• Deer Mountain
• Copeland Falls

#5: Grand Canyon

Fun fact: The Grand Canyon is bigger than the state of Rhode Island

At one mile deep, 18 miles wide, and 277 miles long, to call the Grand Canyon big is an understatement. It’s so big that the weather changes depending on where you are in/around the canyon! Elevations in the canyon range from 2,000 to 8,000 feet, so the weather at the bottom is dramatically different than the weather at the top. The oldest human artifacts in the canyon are 12,000 years old, so people have been coming to see this natural wonder for a very long time. Nearly 6 million people a year continue that tradition today; it’s the 2nd most visited national park in the United States. While the Grand Canyon contains such desert wildlife as Gila monsters and rattlesnakes, the animal that causes the most injuries each year is the innocent-looking rock squirrel—so don’t feed them!

How to visit:

No reservations required

Don’t miss:

• Bright Angel Trail
• The less-visited North Rim
• Sunset at Mather Point
• Desert View Watchtower

#6: Acadia

Fun fact: Acadia was founded by private citizens rather than government officials

Acadia has been called the Crown Jewel of the North Atlantic Coast, and we have to say, we agree. We love the breathtaking coastline in this park! Visitors can explore 27 miles of historic motor roads, 158 miles of hiking trails, and 45 miles of scenic carriage roads, now accessible on foot. Donations of money, land, and time by private citizens like John D. Rockefeller Jr., George B. Dorr, and Charles W. Elliott are the reason the park exists today; over 12,000 acres of the park are still privately owned lands. Acadia also features the tallest mountain on the Atlantic coast of the United States.

How to visit:

Reservations are required for Cadillac Summit Road from May 27-October 22, 2022

Don’t miss:

• Cadillac Mountain
• Beehive Trail
• Carriage roads
• Otter Cliff
• Sand Beach

#7: Zion

Fun fact: Zion is actually the park’s second name; it was originally the Mukuntuweap National Monument. The name was changed for fear that people wouldn’t visit a park if they couldn’t pronounce the name!

Utah has so many amazing national parks, it’s hard to choose between them. We picked Zion because of its amazing contrasting colors: the blue of the water, the green of the trees and plants, and the pink and red of the rocks. Visitors come to see slot canyons and striking red rock faces. Zion was once home to the ancient Anasazi people of the southwest, and you can still see traces of their sandstone villages and rock art today. While the park isn’t famous for its arches, it is home Kolob Arch, the second-longest freestanding stone arch in the world. It’s also the home of Angels Landing, one of the most dangerous hikes in a national park.

How to visit:

No reservations required

Don’t miss:

• The Narrows
• Angel’s Landing (if you dare!)
• Zion Canyon Scenic Drive (shuttle buses only)
• Observation Point

#8: Grand Teton

Fun fact: Grand Teton is the only national park in the United States with its own airport

The Grand Teton mountain range is the youngest range in the Rocky Mountains and one of the youngest in the world—so of course, it’s a showoff. The jagged peaks are a sight like nothing else. Like Yellowstone, the wildlife is iconic: bald eagles, elk, grizzly bears, and bison roam through the park. “Bear jams” are common on the roadways, so bring your bear spray if you go for a hike. If you’re a paddler, we highly recommend getting out on Jackson Lake or Jenny Lake to enjoy the sights and sounds of the park from the water. 

How to visit:

No reservations required

Don’t miss:

• Jenny Lake
• Scenic Loop Drive
• Jackson Lake
• Mormon Row
• Oxbow Bend

#9: Great Smoky Mountains

Fun fact: Great Smoky Mountains is America’s 19th national park, but by far the most visited with 10+ million visitors each year

Great Smoky Mountains is the most popular national park in the country—in part because it’s free to visit. That’s because the land that is now the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was once privately owned. When the state of Tennessee transferred ownership of the Newfound Gap Road to the federal government, they stipulated that no toll should ever be imposed to travel there. The Smokies are one of the oldest mountain ranges on earth, between 200 and 300 million years old. But it isn’t old age that makes them smoky; the mist is actually a vapor from all the lush vegetation on the mountains. 

How to visit:

No reservations required

Don’t miss:

• Cades Cove
• Clingmans Dome
• Cataloochee
• Rainbow Falls
• Grotto Falls Trail

#10: Arches

Fun fact: Arches didn’t become a national park until 1971—almost 100 years after Yellowstone

Arches contains the greatest density of natural sandstone arches in the world (over 2,000). The most popular arches in the park are Delicate Arch, Landscape Arch, and Double Arch, but you really can’t go wrong. You can also see stone pinnacles, fins, and giant balanced rocks. And when we say giant, we mean it. Balanced Rock weighs an estimated 3,577 tons—as much as 27 blue whales! Like the Grand Canyon, temperatures at Arches can fluctuate wildly within a single day, so bring layers, sun protection, and water no matter how cool the morning seems.

How to visit:

Reservations are required from April 3-October 3, 2022

Don’t miss:

• Delicate Arch
• Double Arch
• Fiery Furnace
• Balanced Rock

Honorable Mention: The Everglades

Fun fact: The Everglades is the only place where American alligators and American crocodiles coexist in the wild

Everglades National Park is home to the largest tropical wilderness in the United States. You can see the largest continuous stand of mangroves in the Northern Hemisphere and over 36 protected species like the Florida panther, American crocodile, and West Indian manatee. The park is also huge, spanning 1.5 million acres of south Florida. Both alligators and crocodiles like it here; crocodiles prefer saltwater, and alligators enjoy freshwater, but both come together in the Everglades. 

How to visit:

Reservations not required

Don’t miss:

• Slough Slog
• Anhinga Trail
• Shark Valley Lookout Tower
• Nine Mile Pond Canoe Trail

National Park Resources:

Please check back from time to time as we plan to update this page with community input. 

Helpful Apps: Search your app store for the REI National Park App and Recreation.gov as these apps are helpful. Below are some tour guide apps that we’ve used to make your scenic drives come to life. 

Just Ahead: The travel app to turn your smartphone into a GPS audio tour guide for your road trip.
GyPSy Guide: Like your own tour guild along for the drive.
HearHere: Every place has a story. Now every story has a place.

National Park Book: We are really enjoying this book. Great information, travel tips and best times to visit. Many people have asked about the National Park Passport. It was very expensive on Amazon. We bought ours at the gift shop of a National Park. You might be able to pick one up there, but if you can’t wait, here is a link.