What is the best national park?

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IllustriousRanger934@reddit

The answer you’re not looking for:

The National Mall. Of all the places I’d recommend to a tourist to visit to see and experience America, it will always be Washington DC.

Probably not the natural beauty you’re looking for, but makes up for it in so many other ways.

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atheologist@reddit

No such thing as best. They’re all incredible in different ways. In terms of seeing something iconic, though, I’d suggest Grand Canyon or Redwoods.

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Throwawaydontgoaway8@reddit

And some the oldest. A lot of them are around 3000 years old

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eyetracker@reddit

Oldest tree was in Great Basin National Park but unfortunately found the age when they killed it. Current oldest is in Inyo National Forest sort of near Death Valley.

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FWEngineer@reddit

Even older ones at Bryce Canyon, with the high-altitude bristlecones. They aren't that impressive in size, because they grow in such a harsh environment, but they can get up to 5000 years.

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Afaflix@reddit

If you want to see molten rock flying through the air, Volcano National Park is the one.

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SquashDue502@reddit

TIL we have a Volcano National Park wtf

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PerennialGeranium@reddit

Technically we have a lot, but only Hawai'i Volcano National Park and Lassen Volcanic National Park put it in the name.

There's more active and extinct volcanoes around than people tend to think.

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I've been to Craters of the Moon in Idaho (technically a national monument, not a national park), and Yellowstone is an ancient caldera. I've been to Volcano National Park, but not much was going on at the time. Also, traffic out of Hilo was terrible and we got there pretty much at sundown, so it was a rush job.

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atheologist@reddit

I was at a wedding on the Big Island back in 2016 when Mauna Loa was very active, so I got to see a fair amount of activity, which was pretty cool.

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AlexandraThePotato@reddit

Yep. I ALMOST made it to Lassen volcano national park this weekend (my car killed itself like 30 miles away). But coming in from the north you can see Lassen Volcano. She’s huge

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Afaflix@reddit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK2N99BDw7A

episodes are every 2-4 weeks for a few hours

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Hoopajoops@reddit

I loved the Redwood National Forest. It was also my first and only time actually seeing a wolf in the wild

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FWEngineer@reddit

I grew up in timber wolf country, but I don't think I've ever seen a wild one. I've seen plenty of coyotes, especially here in the suburbs, but wolves are a different beast altogether.

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leeloocal@reddit

I remember going after I saw Star Wars, and was like, “Endor.”

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AlexandraThePotato@reddit

I went a few weeks ago and they had a star war day there for May the fourth

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TheTaoThatIsSpoken@reddit

Technically, Endor would be closer to Yosemite or even the Stanislaus National Forest given George was living in Mi-Wuk, Tuolumne County at the time he wrote the screenplay.

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leeloocal@reddit

He filmed it in the Redwood forests in NorCal. Specifically, Grizzly Creek Redwood state park, on private logging lands near Smith River and Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park.

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nippleflick1@reddit

Twain Heart is for the rich, the Dardenells, Merced River in the valley is nice, and up and over Sonora pass in late spring is nice, Kennedy Meadows....

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twowrist@reddit

We managed to see a small herd of Roosevelt Elk. Not as difficult to find as a wolf, but we were still quite pleased we managed to find them.

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A_LoneBall@reddit

My first time seeing a bobcat was in redwood national Forrest just a few weeks ago. Although it’s not my favorite national park, I would absolutely drive 10 hours again to camp there.

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Curmudgy@reddit

I’ve gotten pictures of bobcats on my trail camera at home. Not quite the same as seeing a wild one in person, but still no need to leave suburbia.

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Hoopajoops@reddit

I was kinda lucky because I went on a weekday and there were very few people there for being a popular national park. The banana slugs and old WWII buildings were cool, too

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mvanpeur@reddit

We spend 2-3 weeks a summer road tripping through national parks. Redwoods were so anticlimactic to me. If you want to see cool trees, Olympic National Park is the most impressive trees I've seen so far (I have not seen the Sequoia National Park yet).

My favorite parks include Arches (cool rock formations), Acadia (tide pools), Yellowstone (geysers and hot springs), Oregon Lava Beds (so many caves to explore made from volcanic activity), and Olympic (rain forests, huge trees, mountains, tide pools, rocky beaches). If I could only see one, I would probably choose Yellowstone. Arches can be combined with Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, and lots of other parks though though to be an AWESOME road trip.

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AlexandraThePotato@reddit

Except The Gateway arch. Fuck that one. Should of stay a national monument

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Requiredmetrics@reddit

If you wanna see big trees the best is either Redwoods or Sequoia. The tallest vs the biggest by volume.

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lo-lux@reddit

Start with the Utah Mighty 5

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jfchops3@reddit

For me it's Zion, I've explored every corner of the place via spending summer 2020 out there working remote and hiking with all my free time. Transformed my body and mind and found so much shit it has to offer that the typical visitors have no idea exists. Endless amounts of beautiful views to earn there and there's nothing else in the system quite like The Narrows. The mountain and other canyon parks are incredible but they're comparable and less geographically diverse

And I get that this is insensitive to the disabled/immobile/injured/lazy but I absolutely love that you are required to earn your view there if you want to see the iconic stuff. You can't pull up in a car and walk 50 feet to the famous viewpoints at Zion like you can at so many other parks, you have to endure a difficult hike first. Nobody actually likes annoying tacky sightseeing tourists so it's nice to have a park where they're not involved

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__The_Kraken__@reddit

For me, it’s Glacier National Park. Just stunning.

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Hawk13424@reddit

For me, Yellowstone.

But I also love Yosemite, Redwood, Zion, Glacier, Grand Tetons, Smokey Mountains, Volcanic.

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New-Cicada7014@reddit

No such thing. Every national park is different and beautiful in it's own unique way.

The most iconic are Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite, if you wanna knock the big ones off first. I've been to the last two and they were incredible. Highly recommend.

I'd also recommend the White Sands in New Mexico. Absolutely gorgeous, and not as hot as you'd expect. Check out the surrounding cities, too. They're awesome. I went there so long ago and I still look back at it happily. Listen to High as Hope by Florence and the Machine for the full package!

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Plus-Asparagus7746@reddit

Yellowstone. This history, the wildlife, the fact that it’s the largest intact ecosystem in the temperate zone anywhere on earth, and oh yeah, it’s all on top of the largest active volcano on earth. We wouldn’t have any national parks if it wasn’t for the success of this one.

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twowrist@reddit

How active is it? Kilauea erupts frequently, so it’s the best chance for actually seeing lava flowing, though spewing fountains of lava are less frequent.

Does active just mean it’s still capable of erupting?

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ComtesseCrumpet@reddit

You don’t want to see Yellowstone erupt. It’s a supervolcano and would result in a nuclear winter in the US and other parts of the world if it erupted. There are no lava flows there or anything like that but Yellowstone has half of the world’s geothermal features. It’s really an amazing place.

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twowrist@reddit

What does it mean for it to be active then? We know Kilauea is active because it erupts so often.

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Plus-Asparagus7746@reddit

The volcano still has a magma chamber that erupts both lava flows and big explosive eruptions. It’s erupted about 70 times in the last 600,000 years or so, but the last lava flow was about 70k years ago. It will erupt again at some point, unlikely in our lifetimes. The “super eruption” thing gets a lot of attention on the internet because yes, it has had eruptions that sent the world into several years of winter, but most of its eruptions are not like that.

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ComtesseCrumpet@reddit

The activity is under the surface and you can see the evidence in active geysers and hot springs but not lava coming to the surface.

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FWEngineer@reddit

Interesting point that it led the way to all the others. It is a great place to see megafauna, and of course the geysers and mudpots and terraces.

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Wild_Ticket1413@reddit

I don't think that there's truly one National Park that's better than all the rest. They're very different.

I've been to about 1/3 of the 63 National Parks, and every single one was great. (I've visited over 100 units of the National Park system in total.)

I'd say it depends on what you're looking for and where you're located. Some of my personal favorites are Acadia, Grand Canyon, Arches, Rocky Mountain, Glacier Bay and Denali.

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FWEngineer@reddit

Grand Canyon should be on everybody's bucket list, but that's a one-and-done in my opinion. Unless you take the time to get to the bottom, there's only so much you can do at the surface level.

I haven't seen Yellowstone on many lists here, which is surprising. That's got some very unique geography, you can see megafauna and big landscapes, and you can get a long way from the crowds if you want to. Mesa Verde was pretty cool too.

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Wild_Ticket1413@reddit

I've been to Grand Canyon at least a half dozen times. I've been to both rims, and rode the mules down to Phantom Ranch. I also spent two weeks rafting the Colorado through Grand Canyon. It was an amazing experience. So, I have to respectfully disagree that it's "one and done."

I have yet to make it to Yellowstone or Mesa Verde.

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Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit

Holy shit I didn’t know mesa verde was so close to Durango. I’m driving right by it in about 1.5 months. Adding it to the list and will let you know lmao

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FWEngineer@reddit

You won't regret it. I really enjoyed it, including the hike to one of the villages. Which one you go to depends on your hiking ability and how you can handle heights. The biggest village is the most popular I think.

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Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit

I’m physically disabled (above knee amputee). I’m not so much afraid of heights as much as the possibility of plummeting to my death. I just came from Zion and Bryce and did 5-10 miles at both, which is the equivalent of walking like 7-15 miles for people with 2 meat legs

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FWEngineer@reddit

You've done more than the average tourist at Grand Canyon. There's a sharp division between those that see it from the overlooks and those that take the time to really get into it. You either spend 3-4 hours there, or you spend days there, there's not much in-between.

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twowrist@reddit

Mesa Verde was amazing. We don’t often think of national parks in terms of ancient buildings. Unfortunately I didn’t trust my knee to do the hike for the big cliff dwelling guided tour.

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buried_lede@reddit

Plus wasn’t that classic drop dead gorgeous WPA-era park-owned lodge on the North rim lost in a fire recently? Very sad.

I agree as to going to the bottom. The top is a dazzling view that overwhelms your sense of perspective and is incredible and then what? If you ho to the bottom there’s another world to explore on the Colorado River.

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geronimoandbowties@reddit

Personally, I enjoy Theodore Roosevelt National Park in Western North Dakota. Extremely under rated.

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LogicalFallacyCat@reddit

My person favorite is Isle Royale

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OctoMatter@reddit

Yosemite is my personal favorite

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blkhatwhtdog@reddit

pretty much all the NP are the best of the best. I mean you could argue that Yosemite is better than Sequoia but you still won't be disappointed.

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Birdywoman4@reddit

Yosemite

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No-Coyote914@reddit

Very unpopular opinion: Yosemite is overrated. I've been to dozens of national parks, and Yosemite would not make my top 10.

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Ecstatic-Compote-399@reddit

It’s overcrowded, not overrated. Important distinction.

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No-Coyote914@reddit

The overcrowding certainly made the experience less enjoyable, but I didn't find the scenery that interesting or impressive relative to some other national parks. Not to say that it wasn't interesting or impressive, just that I think there are national parks that exceed Yosemite.

I honeymooned camping in Death Valley. THAT is an interesting national park.

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buried_lede@reddit

Really? Your first recommendation to a visitor who hasn’t yet been to any national parks is to visit Death Valley? I agree it’s interesting, but it’s, let’s just say, a little advanced for beginners.

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No-Coyote914@reddit

I didn't say Death Valley is my first recommendation. If you read my comments, I recommended Acadia because OP is in New York, and Acadia is very integrated with a tourist town.

I said Death Valley was a lot more interesting to me than Yosemite. As were Sequoia and Kings Canyon which are close to Yosemite, but no one talks about them, and few visit them.

Hence my comment that Yosemite is overrated, based on my trip there which was admittedly not in the spring when people say it's better.

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buried_lede@reddit

I also wouldn’t go to Yosemite in the summer. The crowds … you’re right

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No-Coyote914@reddit

The crowds … you’re right

Disney World and national parks are totally different vacation destinations, but one commonality is that they make the presence of others very annoying.

I think it's worse in the social media age. "Influencers" spend 3 hours doing makeup and hair to get a selfie with an understandably annoyed bison. Or, in the name of Instagram, tourists go places they are told not go and touch things they are told not to touch. One guy boiled to death because he fell in a geyser.

No way to enforce it obviously, but I wish national parks would be limited to those who appreciate the parks and are grateful that they exist, whether they are visiting for the first time or have a lifetime pass.

Wild animals are not props. Safety signs are not mere decorations. And high heels are not acceptable footwear to hike the Grand Canyon.

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Birdywoman4@reddit

Yes it is

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twowrist@reddit

I’m on your side.

Our road trip took us to Pinnacles, then Sequoia/Kings Canyon, then Yosemite, then Redwoods. The sequoias in Yosemite weren’t more impressive than the Generals in S/KC, though we didn’t make it to Yosemite’s sequoia grove. The waterfalls were nice to see. But for me at least, once the granite mountains get above a certain size, they’re all the same. The Old Man of the Mountain was a more interesting formation than El Capitan (until it collapsed).

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Birdywoman4@reddit

I loved the Sequoias, a very peaceful place.

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Nahgloshi@reddit

The closest one to your location first

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1Negative_Person@reddit

I love Indiana Dunes, but it’s not the best National Park.

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Realtrain@reddit

Beats Gateway Arch at least lol

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IWearClothesEveryDay@reddit

Grand Canyon National Park imo.

But my favorite park is actually a state park. Waimea Canyon State Park on Kauai. Being in Hawaii it's obviously not something you can just roadtrip to but it should be on anyone's bucket list.

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Sumo148@reddit

Just came back from Kauai. Waimea Canyon was great! The “Grand Canyon” of the Pacific.

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Sp00nD00d@reddit

Yellowstone.

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Retalihaitian@reddit

My favorite is Badlands, but I wouldn’t say it’s the best necessarily. It is super special though, which is why I love it.

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theeCrawlingChaos@reddit

I'd say Denali

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Ok_Bar4002@reddit

North Cascades

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Tillie_Coughdrop@reddit

North Cascades is breathtaking.

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LetterheadClassic306@reddit

If you are choosing your first national park, i’ve found this to work better than trying to crown a single winner. Some people want big crowds and drama, while others want silence and easy hikes, so i’d pick fit first and scenery second. In my experience, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Great Smoky Mountains cover very different levels of infrastructure and weather risk, making them dependable starter options for different travel styles. I’d keep the first list to a handful, then lock a season and compare access windows before finalizing. If you are buying for the trip, a lightweight hiking backpack and a portable water filter are easy upgrades that improve comfort for first visits and keep the focus on the trail.

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SabresBills69@reddit

everyone has their favorite— there is no best one

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Meatgortex@reddit

If you are planning a U.S. trip I grab a car, fly to Salt Lake or Vegas and do a circle around Utah. Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion, Canyon Lands, Arches. Just insane amounts of beautiful wild landscape, that will likely be anything like anyone’s home country. And at a density that lets you see a bunch.

Yosemite’s main valley is absurdly beautiful, Yellowstone is a geological wonder. Glacier is also fantastic landscape.

Honestly you can’t really go wrong visiting parts but for density the Utah road trip takes the prize.

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Loud_Inspector_9782@reddit

I love Yellowstone. The geysers thermal springs, and mud pots are just so unique. Add the waterfalls and wildlife, it’s incredible.

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xyzqwa@reddit

It's hard to call one the best but if I had to choose it would be Yellowstone.

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Southern_Blue@reddit

Most of them are great. My personal favorites are Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah, mostly because I visit them often.

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TigerPaw317@reddit

Second this! I go to Sevier County, TN at least once a year, and each trip includes a mandatory drive out to Cade's Cove for a picnic.

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i_am_tim1@reddit

Congaree National Park. Gets a lot of flak for being really hot and humid, and all of the mosquitoes that come with that, and that’s fair criticism. If you can get over the sweat and bring enough bug spray it’s really, really cool to walk on the boardwalks over the blackwater swamp. There are Cypress trees in South Carolina that have been growing for over 1,000 years.

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WorthConfusion9786@reddit

None. They are all fantastic.

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WarrenMulaney@reddit

Jellystone

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BlueFuzzyCrocs@reddit

Be careful with your food here. You might loose your pic-a-nic basket

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freeze45@reddit

Bryce Canyon or Arches

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Seeggul@reddit

As a completely unbiased resident of Utah, hard agree (my personal preference is Bryce)

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kiwipixi42@reddit

In the area of Bryce I would take Zion every time. Though when I go to Zion I do always take a day trip to Bryce.

Really they are so close you very much can and often should do them as one trip. And together they are really hard for any other park to compete with (at least for my taste in NPs).

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OkArmy7059@reddit

Bryce is my least favorite of the southern Utah parks. Objectively I think Zion is cooler but since it's so popular nowadays I'd prefer to go to Capitol Reef.

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FWEngineer@reddit

No, Bryce just blew me away when I visited (many years ago) because I didn't know what to expect and hadn't ever seen geography like that. Zion is nice, no question, but I've seen many pictures of slot canyons and rock hills.

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twowrist@reddit

I’m with you. It was a beautiful drive into Zion via the east entrance, but at the time my hiking was limited. The one relatively short trail up from the main road that I was capable of climbing back then was little different from trails outside of Boston. I’m sure there are better ones in Zion, but I couldn’t get to them. But the day before I had been able to do one of the semi-loops off the main road at Bryce, getting to the Queen Victoria hoodoo.

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Tommy_Wisseau_burner@reddit

I literally just left southern Utah today. If we’re going band for band Bryce is probably better, which shocked me as I thought Zion would be superior. However, Zion is just west of the red slot canyons. Technically part of escolantes. I thought they were part of Zion. I didn’t do peekaboo but they have other locations and antelope canyon on the rez near page. The pictures do not do them any justice

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ExitingBear@reddit

100% prefer Canyonland to Arches. But it may just be that I like canyons. (I also prefer Bryce to Zion).

But it isn't like there's a wrong answer.

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wrigh516@reddit

My top three are Voyageurs, Olympic, and Grand Canyon. I'm in Voyageurs often, even as a type this.

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spitfire451@reddit

Zion, Bryce Canyon, or Capitol Reef

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i-might-do-that@reddit

One only been to a few but I visited Arches in Utah yesterday. Absolutely spectacular scenery there.

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MatrixMichael@reddit

Death Valley is surprising

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nippleflick1@reddit

Glacier NP

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Scooooter@reddit

… the next one I visit. And then the next …

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Slight_Manufacturer6@reddit

I was going to say there is no such thing… normally for “what is best” questions, that is true.

But this one has an answer… it’s Yellow Stone.

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buried_lede@reddit

Home of Yogi Bear, Boo Boo and Touche Turtle

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JimmyJackJericho@reddit

Acadia

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twowrist@reddit

We enjoyed Acadia, but the best part of the trip for me was the bird watching boat trip, which was outside the park. It’s just thrilling to see wild puffins and other sea birds.

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TheTaoThatIsSpoken@reddit

Do a tour of NorCal: Lassen for the vulcanism, Yosemite for the granite, Sequoia/Kings for the epic trees, Pinnacles just to say you did.

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twowrist@reddit

You skipped Redwoods.

We did Lassen many years ago. It was a very different experience from Hawaii Volcanoes, but definitely moving. One section felt like walking on the moon.

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Guinnessron@reddit

Well it’s NOT the Gateway Arch.

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MarksmannT@reddit

Just got home from Yosemite and it would have to say it's been my favorite so far.

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No-Coyote914@reddit

Is it true that it's better in the spring? I visited in the summer and was unimpressed relative to the dozens of other national parks I've been to.

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twowrist@reddit

We were there just over a year ago, early May. It was certainly a much more enjoyable experience than when I was last there, about 50 years ago, because that trip was in the winter with my mother. I don’t think the waterfalls are reliable any time but spring, but maybe someone can confirm that. The spring weather was at least comfortable outside, and I didn’t have to worry much about slipping on ice. Had my husband not caught a cold, we would have done a hike.

We stayed in the Yosemite Valley Lodge, in one of the motel-like sections. It was unimpressive.

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MarksmannT@reddit

We were just hoping to beat the memorial day rush on timing but it was great timing. Tioga had just opened the day before I got there. The waterfalls were in full swing and it was warm enough to wear shorts and a tshirt and be comfortable.

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Shiney_Metal_Ass@reddit

How late in the summer did you go?

Spring = no Tioga or Glacier Point road but massive waterfalls
Summer (depending when) = no/tiny waterfalls, but open roads + crowds
Fall = open roads, zero waterfalls, but less crowding
Winter = closed roads, but zero crowds and snowscapes + waterfalls

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No-Coyote914@reddit

The no waterfalls + crowds part of summer 😞

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CasaBonitaCryptid@reddit

I've been to Yosemite three times - in winter, spring and summer.

When I went in April or early May it was fantastic. It was before all the crowds showed up, waterfalls were flowing and the trails were snow free. Absolutely fantastic. This was also back in 2004, so maybe the crowd situation has since changed.

Winter was beautiful, but there was too much snow to hike anywhere or do much of anything.

Summer was just way too crowded for it to be fun.

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Nakagura775@reddit

Glacier

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voltairesalias@reddit

In the US - Glacier. I can see if from my place in Canada and I'm so thankful for that.

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Dizzy_Chapter2383@reddit

I loved Yosemite. It would be perfect if it wasn't for the people..

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RHS1959@reddit

The “best” one might be one you’ve never heard of. There are 433 areas included in the National park system. In addition to “parks” these include national monuments, historic battlefields, seashores, recreation areas etc. Yellowstone, Yosemite, Everglades, Grand Canyon etc. are spectacular, but there are smaller and less known ones all over the country. Best might mean most accessible to you at this particular time. It might mean best weather conditions for the time of year you are visiting. It might mean best historic sites for your interests, be that the Civil War, the Industrial Revolution, Railroads or just peace and quiet. You should check them all out.

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twowrist@reddit

The best one I’ve seen is Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Few things can compare to going to bed with the faint glow of Kilauea quietly erupting overnight. Or hiking across a lava lake.

But as someone else said, it depends on what you value. I love terrain, which in addition to Hawaii Volcanoes, includes Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Bryce Canyon, Arches, and Joshua Tree.

I don’t have the patience to seek out wildlife. Maybe Yellowstone is better for that. We were lucky to see elk at Redwoods, but had worn ourselves out by then, it being the fifth national park on that road trip. We didn’t see any notable wildlife at the first four.

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SkyPesos@reddit

St Louis Arch... said no one ever

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Apprehensive_Run6642@reddit

They are all the best.

It’s really a question of which to prioritize first. What do you like? What are you interested in? Want to see something familiar or totally new? Do you want a nature park or history park? Maybe a scenic river?

The parks are so varied that there will never be a best one.

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drnewcomb@reddit

Yellowstone or Grand Canyon

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urnbabyurn@reddit

Yosemite probably, though it’s subjective. Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited but that’s also a location thing. Zion is the best for taking drugs.

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quothe_the_maven@reddit

This is like asking what’s the best book. If you ask ten people you’ll get ten different answers.

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milkandsugar@reddit

My personal favorite and the most visited national park in the US is https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks/great-smoky-mountains-national-park

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gofindyour@reddit

My favorites so far are the grand canyon and big bend

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yurinator71@reddit

Yellowstone

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nowhereman136@reddit

Yellowstone and Yosemite are neck and neck for what most people consider the best.

Grand Canyon, Zion, and Great Smokey Mountains round out the top 5 in terms of popularity and imagery

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ReggieBucoDelCulo@reddit

My favorite so far has been Grand Teton

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GOTaSMALL1@reddit

I live in the Land Of National Parks and I agree.

I motorcycle tour and don’t “hike” (and very rarely camp inside them) so for my personal method of how I see and experience parks…Teton is absolutely amazing.

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nevermindthatyoudope@reddit

My vote too. Camped at Jenny Lake and had a blast.

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Frequent-Froyo-5483@reddit

Wrangell-St. Elias

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No-Coyote914@reddit

The sheer size of Wrangell-St Elias is staggering. If you're ever talking to a European who doesn't grasp the size of the United States, tell them that the US has a national park larger than the Netherlands.

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gmwdim@reddit

And that it’s just one of 8 national parks just within Alaska.

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Minimalistmacrophage@reddit

Yellowstone, Yosemite and Grand Canyon are all great. There are so many, with unique features.

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RealFlatworm-@reddit

Not rocky mountain

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No-Coyote914@reddit

Interesting. Why didn't you like it?

It's one of my favorites. I went in May when there is still enough snow on the mountains to hike up snowy trails. If the snow melts in the summer, it's probably not as enjoyable.

https://imgur.com/a/pW7hdU3

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CasaBonitaCryptid@reddit

I used to live an hour away from RMNP. It's just become so damn crowded these days. Back in the early 2000's it was fantastic because you could just drive in on a random weekend and actually park and hike at a trailhead.

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RealFlatworm-@reddit

I live 25 mins away. There are far better places to go for free with no crowds

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

The most under-rated is Canyonlands. I highly recommend it if you're in the area — go in the Islands in the Sky entrance.

If you're there, then you're near Arches, and not that far from Zion, Bryce, the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and Mesa Verde. All of these have their fans and are also worth a visit. The North Rim has basic facilities (gas station, general store) so you can take day trips there, but other structures and services were destroyed in the fire last year and have not been restored.

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Fun_Machine7346@reddit

The one you are currently hiking.

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PGHRealEstateLawyer@reddit

My vote is for Zion National park.

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CasaBonitaCryptid@reddit

I think the "best" national park is very subjective and highly depends on what you want to see. Do you want to see mountains, canyons, wildlife, water? I also think crowds can have a hug effect of your enjoyment of a park. I loved Yosemite in the spring but I'd never go there in the summer again.

Zion is probably my favorite NP. Grand Teton is a close second. But then again, I've really like almost every NP I've been to and I think I've been to around 20 or so.

For whatever reason, Yellowstone is probably my least favorite even though it's so many people's favorite.

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No-Profession422@reddit

Death Valley

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No-Coyote914@reddit

https://imgur.com/a/Ml7hzxV

Highlights from my Death Valley honeymoon.

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No-Coyote914@reddit

I spent my honeymoon camping in Death Valley. It's so stunning in March. There's also incredible variation within the park.

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No-Profession422@reddit

It is beautiful. My wife and I enjoy camping and hiking there.

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Sad_bippy@reddit

It really depends on personal preference. There’s so much variety.

BUT, if you’ve never been to a national park and you want the most iconic, national park-y experience, then Yellowstone is hard to beat. It was the first national park to be created. It is truly one of a kind. There’s a reason it was the first one to be designated.

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Itchy_Pangolin_394@reddit

South Park

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Possible-Cicada-9662@reddit

Purely basied in what scene you enjoy the most. Every park is beautiful in their own way and theres isn't one way to define the best.

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kartoffel_engr@reddit

Denali National Park and Preserve.

It’s huge and not crowded like all the ones in the Lower 48. I like to experience my nature with the least amount of people possible.

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No-Coyote914@reddit

ADVICE: If you are female, make sure you know how to pee while squatting before you visit most national parks. It doesn't apply to Acadia, where I recommend you start because you're in New York, but it does to a lot of the parks.

I've lost count of the number of times I've had to pee on the ground in a national park.

I got married inside Joshua Tree National Park and had to sneak away in my wedding dress to pee.

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Peoplechangetoo@reddit

Yellowstone. You have to see the US's largest volcano caldera.

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GSilky@reddit

All of them have their unique charms. TBH, unless you are comfortable backpacking, some of the more famous options are boring and, IMO, not worth hitting up right away.

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StarnSig@reddit

Carlsbad Caverns

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leeloocal@reddit

I’ve been to Zion, Joshua Tree, Redwoods, Death Valley, White Sands, Great Falls, Manassas, Antietam, Big Bend, and Chaco Canyon, as well as TONS of historical sites run by NPS, and they’re all awesome.

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teh_maxh@reddit

What do you want to see?

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buried_lede@reddit

You’re in NY? I hope you have been to your own magnificent park, Adirondack Park

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Impulse2915@reddit

Yosemite and Yellowstone are goat, I think if you also combine Grand Tetons with Yellowstone it becomes the best.

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BaxGh0st@reddit

Glacier is my favorite. Yellowstone has features you won't find in many other places. But the Grand Canyon is truly awe inspiring

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buried_lede@reddit

They’re all good. It might depend on what you like best or are most curious about.

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Ecstatic-Compote-399@reddit

Yosemite. Driving out of Wawona Tunnel and seeing the entire Yosemite Valley in view is such an unmatched experience imo.

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ocean_art@reddit

Yellowstone is amazing!

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IcyEstablishment5811@reddit

Mt. Rainier NP

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WhyOhWhyOhWhy333@reddit

Yosemite. Period

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Senior-Tip-21@reddit

The American west is great. You could fly to Las Vegas NV or Phoenix AZ drive to Flagstaff AZ and do the Grand Canyon and about 5 other parks and monuments.

Or fly to Salt Lake City UT and visit Zion Arches and Capital Reef NP.

Lots of driving are involved.

It is so different from the Eastern USA

The Smokies in the east are great.

Don’t forget looking at the State Parks as well these are hidden treasures that visitors miss.

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JewelerDry6222@reddit

Isle Royale. Its a 50 mile long island in lake Superior. It's absolutely gorgeous. It's perfect for anyone that wants to rent a cabin and disconnect. Or hike the full island and go 5 days without seeing more than 5 people.

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No-Donkey-4117@reddit

Yellowstone has it all -- geysers, waterfalls, forests, a canyon, a lake, wildlife, and great hiking. A lot of people visit every year, but it's so big it's easy to spread out, and the tourist facilities are well developed.

The Grand Canyon is impressive to look at, but that's about it. Yosemite has great scenery, but is very crowded. Sequoia is underrated -- it's so quiet under the giant trees.

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Since you're in New York, I would start with Acadia.

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