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America’s Top National Parks

What you need to know about visiting these popular spots

AARP, Updated October 13, 2021

Two men hiking at Grand Canyon National Park

M.G. Family Photography/Getty Images

En español | The Great Outdoors is calling to Americans who miss travel, crave recreation and desire safe spaces where they can wander alone or explore with family and friends. The 63 wondrous national parks — “America’s best idea,” as documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has called them — offer all of that, and more.

Whether you are spotting wildlife from an overlook, walking an easy trail, hiking a majestic peak, camping in the back country or settling into a comfy cabin, you may find our national lands are a way to connect to America’s history viscerally and physically.

View from North Bubble, in Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia

Spectacular ocean views and cool forest trails along the rocky coast of Maine

Landscape at Big Bend National Park

Big Bend

A ruggedly beautiful, remote desert landscape along the Rio Grande in West Texas 

See through to Crater Lake and Wizard Island in Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake 

Enjoy gorgeous hikes, drives, water views and adventure in Oregon

Tent camping at the wonder lake campground in Denali National Park

Denali

Find spectacular scenery and mountain adventures in the Alaskan wilderness

Grinnell Lake

Glacier

Find wildlife, turquoise lakes and snow-capped peaks in Montana

canoe ride in the Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton 

Stunning snow-capped mountains, wildlife galore and more in this serene haven

Holei Sea Arch

Hawaii Volcanoes

A nature lover's paradise of lava fields and lush rain forests on the Big Island

the shore of indiana dunes national park

Indiana Dunes

Everything you need to know about visiting this lakeside treasure near Chicago

Frozen Niagara in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Mammoth Cave

Explore the natural world above and below ground at this Kentucky treasure

A view of a mountain in the Olympic National Park,

Olympic

Emerald wilderness, ancient trees, eagles, orcas and limited Wi-Fi

Sunrise at Saguaro National Park

Saguaro

Winter is the perfect time to visit this camera-ready desert treasure

Painted Canyon Overlook

Theodore Roosevelt

Bison, prairie dogs, coyotes – a Dakota wildlife landscape

Valley view in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite

Giant sequoias, huge waterfalls, El Capitan call to naturalists and artists

beautiful landscapes at sunset in Badlands National Park

Badlands 

Amber walls and prairie grass make for impressive landscapes in S.D.

Bryce Canyon

Bryce Canyon

Find otherworldly hoodoos, red cliffs and magical sunrises in Utah

Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park

Cuyahoga Valley

Find serene nature, accessible adventure and American history

alligator and white bird in The Everglades

Everglades 

Alligators, crocodiles, birds and bear beckon a million visitors a year

Woman standing against rail, look over the Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

Experience the majesty of the natural wonder — gorges and rocks resembling castles

Fall morning in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains

Avoid the crowds at the country's most popular park by finding quiet walks

Overlook over the Ouchita Mountains in Hot Springs National Park

Hot Springs

Soak your cares away at this historic mountain retreat in Arkansas

Jumbo Rocks and Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia), Joshua Tree National Park, California.

Joshua Tree

The California haven offers a ruggedly beautiful landscape

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

New River Gorge

America's 63rd National Park offers big views, hiking, biking and a mighty river

Alpenglow kisses Hallet Peak in Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain

A Colorado gem sparkles with the richness of wildlife and nature

Sunset over the Blue Ridge Mountains, seen from Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah

Cruise scenic Skyline Drive, explore miles of mountain trails and find serenity 

Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone

Exploding geysers, prismatic pools, a Grand Canyon and more make for a magical visit

a lone female hiker walking through the ZIon National Park

Zion

Cathedral-like canyons and majestic sandstone cliffs create a wondrous landscape

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