Most articles ranking America’s National Parks are based on other people’s impressions and not necessarily from the experience of the author. That’s because it’s quite the feat to travel to every single national park in one consecutive trip, AND manage to document one’s impressions along the way. That’s where we come in!
In 2017, my husband and I road tripped to al the US national parks. It took us 7 months, 25,000+ miles of driving (see our route), 26 flights, and countless trails hiked. Along the way, we passed through 39 US States, 2 US Territories, and drove some of the most beautiful roads in the country. So if you’re looking for first-hand details then you’ve come to the right place!
Update – four new national parks have been added since our road trip, namely Gateway Arch, Indiana Sand Dunes, White Sands, and New River Gorge National Parks. We will update this blog post once we get a chance to visit, but for now, this is just based on the 59 national parks that were designated as of 2017.
America’s National Parks – Ranked Best to Worst
My husband and I ranked all the national parks on numerous factors, including their beauty, trails, accessibility, transport, crowds, facilities, how photogenic they were, etc. Here is a breakdown of the categories:
- Facilities – proximity to lodging, variety of lodging types and affordability, food availability, bathrooms, visitor centers, showers, etc.
- Trails – the actual park trails, as well as other opportunities for adventure such as snorkeling, rafting, diving, boating etc.
- Scenery – overall beauty of the park, including landscapes, wildlife, and buildings.
- Photogenic – how easy the park was to photograph and how well it translated into images
- Crowds/Transport – how busy the park was and overall how easy it was to get there and transport yourself around (e.g. ability to self drive versus having to take park buses etc.)
Note – some of the park’s had the same score so in those situations we ordered them alphabetically.
Remember, this is an overall ranking, with some parks scoring lower due to things like the extreme methods visitors must take to access them, or often due to large crowds dampening the overall experience of a beautiful park.
I also put together a checklist of all the national parks, so you can mark each off as you visit them! It’s free to download via my travel resource library! Click the image below.
10 Highest Ranked National Parks
1. Grand Teton National Park
Location: Wyoming
Score = 45/50
- Facilities: 9/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 10/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
You just can’t beat the Tetons… This was our 5th visit to the park and it won’t be our last. So why did Grand Teton National Park score so highly? Simple – it’s is insanely beautiful, easy to access and get around, has great hikes, camping opportunities, nearby accommodation and restaurants, and the crowds are manageable even in the peak of summer. Check out our park guide here.
2. Kenai Fjords National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 44.5/50
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 9.5/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 9/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
Kenai Fjords was our highest ranked Alaskan park and our second highest overall. Why? For it’s sheer beauty, accessibility, incredible wildlife, amazing hikes, and ample photography opportunities. We can’t wait to return this summer! Check out our park guide here.
3. Wrangell St. Elias National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 44/50
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 9/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
I’m itching to get back and explore the backcountry of Wrangell St. Elias National Park… I feel like we just scratched the surface! The Wrangell Mountains are out of this world beautiful! Plus, you can drive to the park in only 4-5 hours from Anchorage (or around 8 hours from Anchorage to Kennicott) with the option for also flying there. Once in the park visitors can access accommodations and restaurants (McCarthy/Kennicott) and the crowds are minimal even in the height of summer.
RELATED: 15 Least Crowded National Parks
4. Denali National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 43/50 (equal with Mount Rainier)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 10/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
Everything is on another scale in Denali – the bears, mountains, roads, rivers, valleys… (list could go on). The park is also home to America’s largest peak, Denali at a crazy 20,310 feet. We had an incredible time exploring the park, despite the weather being a little fickle.
5. Mount Rainier National Park
Location: Washington
Score = 43/50 (equal with Denali)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 10/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
Mount Rainier will always be one of our favorite parks and we were stoked it made the top 5 of this list. Large crowds in summer were the main reason it didn’t score even higher, but we think it’s worth the visit regardless. Some places just need to be seen to be believed! Check out our park guide here.
6. Yosemite National Park
Location: California
Score = 42.5/50
- Facilities: 9.5/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 10/10
- Crowds/Transport: 3/10
It’s not surprising that Yosemite was one of America’s first recognized national parks. Its incredible beauty, opportunities for adventure and easy to access nature really do make it a park for everyone. Similar to Mount Rainier, Yosemite would have scored higher if the crowds weren’t so large. Our recommendation is to visit some of the less-visited areas and try to go during off-peak months. Check out our park guide here.
7. Glacier Bay National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 42/50
- Facilities: 6.5/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 9.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
We were not expecting Glacier Bay to make the top 10! Why? We visited on a cruise ship in 2012 and despite enjoying the experience we weren’t absolutely awe struck. This time was completely different. We were in the area for multiple days, which allowed for adventures on the land and sea. We got closer up to the glaciers, saw more wildlife and hiked some gorgeous forest trails. We plan to return for a backcountry kayaking trip someday in the (hopefully) near future!
8. Glacier National Park
Location: Montana
Score = 41.5/50
- Facilities: 8.5/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 9.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 3.5/10
Oh Glacier, you continue to steal our hearts over and over again. This was our third visit to the park and it definitely won’t be our last. Glacier offers insanely beautiful scenery, ample wildlife, and epic hiking opportunities. Plus, the views along the Going-to-the-Sun Road are really something else…
9. Katmai National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 41/50 (equal with Lake Clark)
- Facilities: 6/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 10/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
Katmai National Park is one of the few places in the world that allows such an up close experience with wild bears. At Brooks Falls there are raised viewing platforms that visitors can “safely” observe bears fishing for salmon. It was quite the experience and one we hope to have again! Check out our trip report.
RELATED: The 15 Most Underrated National Parks in America
10. Lake Clark National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 41/50 (equal with Katmai)
- Facilities: 6/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 10/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
We LOVED Lake Clark National Park. The main reason it didn’t score in the top 5 is because of the Park’s remote nature, lack of facilities, and expensive transportation (floatplanes). I wrote a blog post on our experience staying on Upper Twin Lake.
RELATED: 15 Least Crowded National Parks
Middle Ranked National Parks
Some of our favorites are in this bunch, like Bryce Canyon, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Zion, Big Bend, North Cascades, Redwood, Gates of the Arctic, and Virgin Islands. Our rating system meant that many of the crowded or hard to access parks scored lower despite some incredible scenery. We wanted to provide a score based on our overall experience, not just how beautiful each park was.
11. Olympic National Park
Location: Washington
Score = 40.5/50
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Photogenic: 8/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
Check out our park guide here.
12. Bryce Canyon National Park
Location: Utah
Score = 40/50 (equal with Rocky Mountain, Great Smoky Mountains, Yellowstone, Kings Canyon)
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Photogenic: 8.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
13. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Location: Tennessee and North Carolina
Score = 40/50 (equal with Rocky Mountain, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Kings Canyon)
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Photogenic: 9/10
- Crowds/Transport: 5/10
Check out our park guide here.
14. Kings Canyon National Park
Location: California
Score = 40/50 (equal with Rocky Mountain, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 8.5/10
- Scenery: 8.5/10
- Photogenic: 8/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
15. Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: Colorado
Score = 40/50 (equal with Kings Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains)
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Photogenic: 8.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 5.5/10
16. Yellowstone National Park
Location: Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho
Score = 40/50 (equal with Rocky Mountain, Bryce Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, Kings Canyon)
- Facilities: 9/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 9.5/10
- Photogenic: 9/10
- Crowds/Transport: 3.5/10
Check out our park guide here.
17. Death Valley National Park
Location: California
Score = 39.5/50
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 8.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8.5/10
Check out our park guide here.
18. Grand Canyon National Park
Location: Arizona
Score = 39/50 (equal with Zion)
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 8/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 8/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
19. Zion National Park
Location: Utah
Score = 39/50 (equal with Grand Canyon)
- Facilities: 8.5/10
- Trails: 10/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Photogenic: 9/10
- Crowds/Transport: 2.5/10
Check out our park guide here.
20. Big Bend National Park
Location: Texas
Score = 38.5/50 (equal with North Cascades, Redwood)
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 7.5/10
- Photogenic: 7.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 9/10
RELATED: The 15 Most Underrated National Parks in America
21. North Cascades National Park
Location: Washington
Score = 38.5/50 (equal with Big Bend, Redwood)
- Facilities: 5/10
- Trails: 9/10
- Scenery: 9/10
- Photogenic: 8.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
22. Redwood State & National Parks
Location: California
Score = 38.5/50 (equal with Big Bend, North Cascades)
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 7.5/10
- Scenery: 8.5/10
- Photogenic: 8/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
23. Arches National Park
Location: Utah
Score = 38/50 (equal with Crater Lake)
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 7.5/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 8/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6.5/10
24. Crater Lake National Park
Location: Oregon
Score = 38/50 (equal with Arches)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 8.5/10
- Photogenic: 8.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
25. Acadia National Park
Location: Maine
Score = 37.5/50 (equal with Great Basin, Shenandoah, Virgin Islands)
- Facilities: 9/10
- Trails: 6.5/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 7/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
READ NEXT: Best National Parks to Visit in October
26. Great Basin National Park
Location: Nevada
Score = 37.5/50 (equal with Acadia, Shenandoah, Virgin Islands)
- Facilities: 6.5/10
- Trails: 7.5/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 7/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8.5/10
27. Shenandoah National Park
Location: Virginia
Score = 37.5/50 (equal with Acadia, Great Basin, Virgin Islands)
- Facilities: 9/10
- Trails: 8/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 6.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
28. Virgin Islands National Park
Location: St. John, US Virgin Islands
Score = 37.5/50 (equal with Acadia, Shenandoah, Virgin Islands)
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 7.5/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 7.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
29. Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
Location: Hawaii
Score = 37/50 (equal with Lassen Volcanic)
- Facilities: 7.5/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 7.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
30. Lassen Volcanic National Park
Location: California
Score = 37/50 (equal with Hawai’i Volcanoes)
- Facilities: 5/10
- Trails: 8/10
- Scenery: 8.5/10
- Photogenic: 7.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
31. Joshua Tree National Park
Location: California
Score = 36/50
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 7/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
32. Haleakalā National Park
Location: Hawaii
Score = 35/50
- Facilities: 5.5/10
- Trails: 8/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 8/10
- Crowds/Transport: 5.5/10
33. Canyonlands National Park
Location: Utah
Score = 34.5/50 (equal with Sequoia)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 6/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 6.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
34. Sequoia National Park
Location: California
Score = 34.5/50 (equal with Canyonlands)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 8/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 5.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
35. Great Sand Dunes National Park
Location: Colorado
Score = 34/50
- Facilities: 4/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 7/10
- Crowds/Transport: 9/10
36. Badlands National Park
Location: South Dakota
Score = 33.5/50
- Facilities: 6.5/10
- Trails: 4/10
- Scenery: 7.5/10
- Photogenic: 7.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
37. Isle Royale National Park
Location: Michigan
Score = 33/50 (equal with American Samoa, Saguaro)
- Facilities: 6/10
- Trails: 7.5/10
- Scenery: 6.5/10
- Photogenic: 6/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
38. National Park of American Samoa
Location: American Samoa
Score = 33/50 (equal with Isle Royale, Saguaro)
- Facilities: 3/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 7/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
39. Saguaro National Park
Location: Arizona
Score = 33/50 (equal with Isle Royale, American Samoa)
- Facilities: 8.5/10
- Trails: 6/10
- Scenery: 5/10
- Photogenic: 6/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7.5/10
40. Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Location: New Mexico
Score = 32.5/50 (equal with Mesa Verde)
- Facilities: 4.5/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 7.5/10
- Photogenic: 6/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7.5/10
41. Mesa Verde National Park
Location: Colorado
Score = 32.5/50 (equal with Carlsbad Caverns)
- Facilities: 6.5/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 5/10
- Photogenic: 5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 9/10
42. Capitol Reef National Park
Location: Utah
Score = 32/50 (equal with Gates of the Arctic, Mammoth Cave)
- Facilities: 5/10
- Trails: 5/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 6.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8.5/10
43. Gates of the Arctic National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 32/50 (equal with Capitol Reef, Mammoth Cave)
- Facilities: 0/10
- Trails: 8/10
- Scenery: 10/10
- Photogenic: 9/10
- Crowds/Transport: 5/10
Check out our park guide here.
44. Mammoth Cave National Park
Location: Kentucky
Score = 32/50 (equal with Gates of the Arctic, Capitol Reef)
- Facilities: 7/10
- Trails: 6.5/10
- Scenery: 6.5/10
- Photogenic: 5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
45. Hot Springs National Park
Location: Arkansas
Score = 31.5/50 (equal with Petrified Forest)
- Facilities: 9/10
- Trails: 6/10
- Scenery: 5/10
- Photogenic: 3/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8.5/10
46. Petrified Forest National Park
Location: Arizona
Score = 31.5/50 (equal with Hot Springs)
- Facilities: 6/10
- Trails: 6/10
- Scenery: 5/10
- Photogenic: 5.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 9/10
47. Everglades National Park
Location: Florida
Score = 31/50 (equal with Theodore Roosevelt)
- Facilities: 6/10
- Trails: 6/10
- Scenery: 6/10
- Photogenic: 6/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7/10
48. Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Location: North Dakota
Score = 31/50 (equal with Everglades)
- Facilities: 5/10
- Trails: 5/10
- Scenery: 6.5/10
- Photogenic: 6/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8.5/10
10 Lowest Ranked National Parks
We still enjoyed our time at these parks but felt the overall experience wasn’t as good as the higher-scoring parks. Please don’t be put off visiting any of the places below – they were still 100% worth seeing.
49. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Location: Colorado
Score = 30/50 (equal with Guadalupe Mountains)
- Facilities: 6/10
- Trails: 5.5/10
- Scenery: 6/10
- Photogenic: 3.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 9/10
50. Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Location: Texas
Score = 30/50 (equal with Black Canyon of the Gunnison)
- Facilities: 4/10
- Trails: 6.5/10
- Scenery: 5.5/10
- Photogenic: 5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 9/10
51. Dry Tortugas National Park
Location: Florida
Score = 28.5/50 (equal with Wind Cave, Voyageurs)
- Facilities: 3/10
- Trails: 6/10
- Scenery: 7/10
- Photogenic: 5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7.5/10
52. Voyageurs National Park
Location: Minnesota
Score = 28.5/50 (equal with Wind Cave, Dry Tortugas)
- Facilities: 6.5/10
- Trails: 5/10
- Scenery: 5.5/10
- Photogenic: 4/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7.5/10
53. Wind Cave National Park
Location: South Dakota
Score = 28.5/50 (equal with Voyageurs, Dry Tortugas)
- Facilities: 4/10
- Trails: 5.5/10
- Scenery: 6/10
- Photogenic: 4.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8.5/10
54. Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Location: Ohio
Score = 27.5/50
- Facilities: 8/10
- Trails: 5/10
- Scenery: 4.5/10
- Photogenic: 4/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
55. Kobuk Valley National Park
Location: Alaska
Score = 27/50
- Facilities: 0/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 8/10
- Photogenic: 7/10
- Crowds/Transport: 5/10
56. Channel Islands National Park
Location: California
Score = 26/50 (equal with Pinnacles)
- Facilities: 2/10
- Trails: 7/10
- Scenery: 6/10
- Photogenic: 5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6/10
57. Pinnacles National Park
Location: California
Score = 26/50 (equal with Channel Islands)
- Facilities: 4/10
- Trails: 5.5/10
- Scenery: 5/10
- Photogenic: 4/10
- Crowds/Transport: 7.5/10
58. Biscayne National Park
Location: Florida
Score = 25/50
- Facilities: 5/10
- Trails: 5.5/10
- Scenery: 4.5/10
- Photogenic: 3.5/10
- Crowds/Transport: 6.5/10
59. Congaree National Park
Location: South Carolina
Score = 23.5/50
- Facilities: 5.5/10
- Trails: 4/10
- Scenery: 3/10
- Photogenic: 3/10
- Crowds/Transport: 8/10
How long is your bucket list now?!
I hope we have inspired you to explore these beautiful parks and to get outside and do everything in your power to protect our beautiful natural spaces. Stay tuned for in-depth posts about the best parks for hiking, camping, family trips, wildlife encounters, photography, and more!
More National Park Tips
- How to Plan the Perfect National Parks Visit
- 15 Least Crowded National Parks in the US
- The 15 Most Underrated National Parks in America
- Comprehensive Mount Rainier National Park Guide
- The Ultimate Guide to Exploring Grand Teton National Park
- In-depth Guide to Visiting Yosemite National Park
PIN for later!
I love this ranking. I will book mark it to keep myself coming back to this post!
This is such a great list! They way you scored, organized, and summarized is so useful!
I’m off on my journey to visit as many as possible starting in 2021! Here’s to checking them all off the list! Wish me luck!
Such a detailed & helpful guide. Loved the pics! Bookmarking this one 🙂
Born and raised St Louisan here…if you haven’t already taken your trip to the Gateway Arch, I’d advise that you find something else big and spectacular to center that trip on, with the Arch as a quick stopover point. The arch is a way to spend a boring afternoon, in order to be just slightly less bored. A couple hours tops, in the heart of a downtown that is the opposite of thriving, and a view that will make you go, “huh?!” I love my city, but oof. Good luck with that one. At least you may get some laughs out of it when you get there. No doubt it’ll end up to be the lowest ranking. Happy travels!
The all look stunning✨
I am 15 years old and have been to 50 national parks. I hope to get to the 5 Alaska parks that you can’t drive to next year. I have been documenting the parks on my YouTube channel, National Park Wild. I am curious as to whether you’ve gotten to the 3 newest parks yet and how much you like them. I also would appreciate if you saw some of my videos and told me what you think. Thanks, Renee.
My Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHUX-NG1Tzxmx0IU8zNOLg
This post is very helpful, I am bookmarking this for future. Thank you so much, I love the way you have given separate scores for each aspect, which means we can choose what we like the most!
Scenery should trump all other considerations (except maybe for Gates of the Arctic, where access is probably the most difficult)
That’s why I have the ranking breakdowns, so people can see for themselves what scores the parks received. I plan to do another blog post on which parks are the most stunning just based on scenery