1- Glacier, Montana – All it took was one visit to this glorious landscape for it to catapult to the top of my list. This park is simply awe inducing. The hiking is world class and has some of the best trails in the country. The wildlife is abundant, and lakes are amazing. The rugged nature of these mountain ranges creates some fantastic scenery. The going to the sun road is everything people make it out to be and a truly wonderous engineering marvel. I spent 5 days in the park and feel like I barely scratched the surface of what it has to offer.
2- Acadia, Maine – This is the National Park that is located the closest to my home area. However, that is not the reason this park sits atop the list of my favorites (not after visiting Glacier it doesnt!). As I have mentioned before, water is my muse. It is no wonder this park holds such a spot in my heart, the park is mountains and ocean! I have spent the most time in this park and love everything about it. The hiking trails are not as great as some of the fantastic trails out west but there are some gems here. My favorite trail in Acadia is the Bee Hive Trail followed closely by the Ocean Path. The park offers something for everyone. You want an easy walk along the ocean? You got it! You want to hang out on the rocks and watch large waves crashing? You got it! You want to ride your bike through beautiful wooded trails? You got it! You want to stay in a quaint seaside town while visiting? You got it! Just go visit this beautiful park, you will not regret it.
3- Grand Teton, Wyoming – Have you ever briefly visited a park before and knew you had to get back there to spend more time exploring? Well Grand Teton is that park for me. In 2019 I visited Yellowstone for a couple of days and on my way out of the area I drove south through the Grand Teton park. For two years I dreamed about going back here and in the summer of 2021 it finally happened! I got to spend 6 days in the park and it solidified it as being one of my favorite parks. The Teton mountain range is simply stunning and offers a landscape photographer so much to work with. When you add in the abundant wildlife, there are few better places on this earth.
4- Zion, Utah – This park has taken some flack over the past few years due to the overcrowding issues it suffer from, but what a wonderful place it is. The overcrowding issues are serious, but you should not let that ruin your trip to this park. The key is to be there VERY early, if its light out when you arrive you are too late. Despite the crowds, this park offers such amazing scenery and arguably two of the top hikes in all of the USA. The hikes I speak of are Angels Landing and The Narrows. Both of those are not to be missed, however there are many other hikes that should demand your attention. Canyon Overlook is a fantastic short but steep hike, as well as my possible favorite, Observation Point. Observation Point is the highest point in Zion canyon and you actually look down on the top of Angels Landing. Being there for sunrise is simply magical (and you will probably be alone up there). Many Pools is a hidden gem and should be sought out. Zion NP is much more then Zion Canyon, and you can find the solitude you are looking for by visiting some of the other parts of Zion besides the main canyon.
5- Yellowstone, Wyoming – Geysers, Hot springs, Mud Pots, Mountains, Waterfalls, Rivers, Bears, Bison, Wolves, Elk. Did I miss anything? Simply put, get yourself to this park ASAP.
6- Yosemite, California – Another fantastic park that suffers from overcrowding. Much like Zion, most of the visitation to this place is mostly centered on Yosemite valley. The park is huge, yet most people are in this small part of it. It is true that most of the well known and exciting hikes originate in the valley, but if solitude is your thing, it can be had in other parts of the park. My favorite hike in this park was going up to Vernal and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail. It is a long hike with much elevation gain, but the views are worth it. Two big waterfalls and wonderful valley views make this hike a standout to me. This park also offers the most challenging hike I have done yet, Yosemite Falls.
7- Capitol Reef, Utah – An underrated gem of Utah. I think the biggest draw for me is the fact that you get to enjoy yourself without the crowds typically found at other Utah parks. The geology in this area is absolutely mesmerizing and a must visit for any fan of geology. I have visited this place twice, the first proved too hot to do any real hiking but this past time I was able to hike Cohan Canyon and Capitol Gorge. I highly suggest both of them, with Capitol Gorge being the easier of the two. My most highly suggested activity to do in this park in not a hike however, it is to drive the Burr Trail. This is a long winding road through the outskirts of the park and over the Waterpocket Fold via the Burr Trail switchbacks. If you time your time right you can even stop over for lunch in Boulder at the Burr Trail Grill (best food I have found on the road yet, hands down). Another thing not to miss if you vehicle can handle it, is to drive through Cathedral Valley. Fording the river is quite fun and the landscape in this area of the park is varied and outstanding. There are many places to camp in the area and the solitude you can find there is something I am always looking for.
8- Grand Canyon, Arizona – Lots of people view this place as just a hole in the ground, but to me it is so much more then that. This is the first park I visited with a camera in my hand and it opened a whole world for me (read about my journey into photography here). I have only visited the South Rim so far and spent most of my time there trying to stay away from the main village due to the crowding. The golden hours are magical there and as a photographer, it is a must to get out there early for sunrise. as with most desert places, the sun washes the landscape out shortly after it rises. I found it good to spend the middle of the day doing a hike or napping if you need the rest.
9- Rocky Mountain, Colorado – I only had about one day total to spend in the park but that’s all I needed to know this place is full of majestic mountains. I hiked the Nymph, Dream and Emerald Lake loop. It was a bit earlier in their season and snow still covered the ground and the lakes were mostly frozen. It was exactly what I was looking for after three weeks of red rocks. Snow makes a mountains landscape so much more pleasing to look at! I still thought the park was pretty crowded given the early season visit, I can only imagine the nightmare the popular places are during the summer. Arrive early if visiting in summer and pack your patience.
10- Canyonlands, Utah – This place is criminally underrated. I even underrated it too, until my last visit where I got to spend some more time in the park, and more importantly spend some golden hour/sunsets there. The landscape is truly transformed as the sun goes down. Golden hour photography here is some of my favorite that I have come across yet. The park is huge and if you have the time, visiting the Needles district is a worthwhile departure from the Moab area.
11- Bryce Canyon, Utah – I just love this park. It is easy to navigate and there is world class National Forest camping very close to it. The geological features of the park are certainly one note but the magic is revealed when you hike down into the hoodoo’s. Watching sunrise from pretty much anywhere in the park should be near the top of any ones list of things to do. The morning light is magical on the hoodoos. On another note, the surrounding area has to have some of the worst food choices when it comes to park areas.
12- Great Sand Dunes, Colorado – I had so much fun at this park! You can literally “see” this park in about 1 hour if you so choose, as it is a small park with one road. The real magic of this place is heading out into the dunes for sunset or sunrise. The setting/rising sun creates so much beauty in the dunes with shadows and shifting colors. This park is great for Astrophotography and you can even camp out in the dunes with a permit. There is also a primitive road (4×4 required) that is an absolute blast to drive and allows you to see parts of the park and preserve that most don’t venture out to. Add to this some very close by car camping areas and we have a very enjoyable park overall.
13- Badlands, South Dakota – When asking a friend about this park, his advice was to keep driving. I for one, am glad I did not listen to him in that regard. I found this landscape fascinating and much like the Grand Canyon, the golden/blue hours are magical for the colors they bring out of the landscape. Another neat thing about this park is that you can roam freely , there are no off limit areas as you find at many parks.
14- Arches, Utah – Yes it’s cool (no not temp wise in summer), Yes it’s crowded, Yes it’s worth visiting. If you can get there early or late to avoid the insane crowds there are some truly worthwhile hikes. The Windows / Double Arch area is fantastic, Delicate Arch is a classic and worth doing at least once. Devils Garden was probably my favorite place to hike and explore.
The parks listed below I dont have much to say about. I did not get to spend much time at any of them. Certainly not enough time to be able to judge them properly.
15- Joshua Tree, California
16- Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina
17- Pinnacles, California
18- Teddy Roosevelt, North Dakota
19- Petrified Forest, Arizona
20- Cuyahoga, Ohio
21- Mesa Verde – Colorado