{"id":31756,"date":"2025-01-16T19:41:10","date_gmt":"2025-01-16T19:41:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/adventure\/6-epic-national-park-road-trip-ideas-maps-included\/"},"modified":"2025-01-16T19:41:10","modified_gmt":"2025-01-16T19:41:10","slug":"6-epic-national-park-road-trip-ideas-maps-included","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=31756","title":{"rendered":"6 Epic National Park Road Trip Ideas [Maps Included]"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Natural beauty<\/strong> at every turn, epic scenic drives<\/strong>, a plethora of outdoor activities<\/strong>, unbelievable wildlife viewing<\/strong>. You can get all of this and so much more on a National Park Road trip<\/strong>! <\/p>\n

\"National\"National<\/p>\n

A National Park Road Trip can take you to the mountains, the unique landscape of Utah, the west coast, the northeast, the east coast or down through Floria. Whichever you choose a National Park is the perfect place to connect with nature and awaken your sense of adventure! <\/p>\n

What are the best National Parks to visit on a road trip?<\/h2>\n

You can visit almost all the National Parks on a road trip. Minus a few that are on water (Dry Tortugas and Isle Royale National Park) and those that are in Alaska that can only be accessed via plane or boat. Beyond that you can access all of the National Parks via a road trip\/car.<\/p>\n

Our top picks for the Ultimate National Park road trip are in order based on our favorite choices. Keep in mind this could be different for you based on what kind of trip you are looking for. Be sure to keep reading the post and research each National Park to see which one speaks to you! <\/p>\n

#1: Mountains National Park Road Trip:<\/strong> Grand Tetons National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Glacier National Park.<\/p>\n

#2: Utah National Park Road Trip:<\/strong> Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capitol Reef National Park, Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park.<\/p>\n

#3: California National Park Road Trip:<\/strong> Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Redwoods National Park.<\/p>\n

#4: Pacific Northwest National Park Road Trip:<\/strong> Crater National Park, Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier and North Cascades National Park. <\/p>\n

#5: Florida National Park Road Trip:<\/strong> Everglades and Dry Tortugas<\/p>\n

#6: East Coast National Park Road Trip:<\/strong> Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Congaree National Park, Mammoth Caves National Park and (bonus if you can take a long drive: Acadia National Park.<\/p>\n

Now if you are wondering which National Parks are most suitable for a road trip based on accessibility, scenic drives, hiking opportunities and unique experiences it is really going to depend on what you are looking for and how many National Parks you want to see on your trip. <\/p>\n

How Many National Parks Do You Want To See?<\/h3>\n

If you are looking to hit a lot of National Parks in a short amount of driving you will want to look at visiting the 5 Utah National Parks. <\/p>\n

If you are OK with further distances between parks California has a lot of great National Parks but you will be covering a larger distance between all of the parks. <\/p>\n

Which National Park Has The Best Scenic Drive?<\/h2>\n

This is a no brainer for us as we feel The-Going-To-The-Sun-Road is the best scenic drive in not only the National Parks but all of the US! You can find this road in Glacier National Park. <\/p>\n

What National Parks Have The Best Hiking?<\/h2>\n

We have hiked 100\u2019s probably 1000\u2019s of miles with our family and these are our 3 top National Parks for hiking:<\/p>\n

Glacier National Park<\/a> \u2013 You don\u2019t want to miss the Grinnell Glacier hike when you visit Glacier National Park! There are a lot of other great hikes but this one ranks up at the top for us. Check out all the other Best Hikes in Glacier National Park<\/a> here.<\/p>\n

Utah National Parks<\/a> \u2013 There are a lot of great hikes in Utah but one of our favorites isn\u2019t in an actual National Park but instead a National Site: Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. It is the Peek-a-boo Canyon Hike! <\/p>\n

The Utah National Parks also have some great hikes including the famous Angels Landing in Zion National Park.<\/p>\n

Acadia National Park<\/a> \u2013 We weren\u2019t aware Acadia had 2 of the most epic and challenging hikes with the Precipice and Beehive trail. But once we did them we knew they would stay at the top of our list. If you are looking for a challenging adventurous hike these are perfect for you. <\/p>\n

Alaska \u2013 Denali National Park and Kenai Fjords come in as some of our top picks as well. The Healy Mountain Hike in Denali and the Harding Ice field trail are epic hikes you don\u2019t want to miss. <\/p>\n

Which National Parks Have The Most Unique Experiences?<\/h2>\n

It is hard to compete with the Alaska National Parks. When you can walk on a Glacier in Kenai Fjords \u2013 with a guide. Or go to the face of a glacier on a boat. <\/p>\n

North Cascades National Park<\/a> one you may not consider is North Cascades National Park where you can do a hike to the bottom of a Glacier! <\/p>\n

Acadia National Park<\/a> also offers a restaurant on site where you have to try their pop-overs. <\/p>\n

Hot Springs National Park<\/a> where you can visit the only Brewery in a National Park.<\/p>\n

Capitol Reef National Park<\/a> where you can go apple picking in a National Park. <\/p>\n

Practical tips and essentials for a National Park road trip<\/h2>\n

Entry Requirements:<\/strong> It is always important to check the National Park\u2019s website that you are planning to visit. A good amount now require timed entry tickets (not all of them) and for those you may have to buy them months in advance. <\/p>\n

Camping\/Lodging:<\/strong> We always recommend staying at a lodge or campground in the National Park. BUT this can sometimes require you to plan you trip 12 months in advance as a lot of these campgrounds and lodges fill up a year or more in advance. <\/p>\n

Safety Considerations:<\/strong> It is always important to understand what you are getting yourself into when you visit a National Park. Usually animals are one of the biggest concerns and they should be! Always keep your distance from wild animals and NEVER touch them or feed them. If you plan to hike in places with large wild animals carry bear spray. ALWAYS check in with the National Park visitor center and ask the rangers to give you all of the details and safety tips on the animals in the area. <\/p>\n

Packing: <\/strong>Packing for a National Park trip can include some additional items that you wouldn\u2019t normally pack for a trip. Things like walkie talkies and bear spray. For other items always check the weather, wear layers and bring good walking\/hiking shoes.<\/p>\n

National Park Road Trip Itineraries<\/h2>\n

We have taken all of these trips. Some of them multiple times. It would be hard to rank these in order since all of them are amazing trips and have something different and unique to offer.<\/p>\n

We will cover the Utah National Park road trip<\/a>, the Mountain National Park road trip that covers Glacier National Park<\/a> and Yellowstone National Park<\/a>. California and all the amazing National Parks there. The Pacific Northwest, Florida and the East Coast National Parks. <\/p>\n

What\u2019s the recommended route or itinerary for a National Park road trip?<\/h2>\n

Below we share specific itineraries for some of the National Parks along with 6 different National Park Road Trip Itineraries. These itineraries are made to help you have the most efficient and effective National Park Road Trip. <\/p>\n

Itineraries For Your Trip<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are some extensive itineraries we have put together for a few of the National Parks that we discuss. <\/p>\n

We provide hotel and VRBO options along with RV\/campgrounds to go camping<\/a> at. A National Park trip is awesome in an RV! If you don\u2019t have one, rent one! Click here to learn more about renting an RV: 9 RV Rental Tips You Will Want To Read [Discount Included]<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Here are our tips on planning your RV trip<\/a>!<\/p>\n

We traveled full time for 8 years with our 4 kids around North America so it gave us lots of time to explore all of these National Parks. No matter what trip you pick you are going to love our US National Parks!! <\/p>\n

Pacific Northwest National Park Road Trip<\/h2>\n