2 min summary Best time to go Map & highlights Things to do Wildlife Families Tips Responsible tourism All our USA guides

USA National Parks map & itineraries

There are 62 national parks in the USA and they are all outstanding. Some such as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone or Yosemite are very well known. But take a look at our USA national parks maps and itineraries page below to see just a few more of the greats. Bryce is beyond beautiful, Alaska is beyond awesome and Glacier is beyond gorgeous. They are all, quite simply, beyond the beyond.

Home\North America\USA\National Parks of America

USA national parks map & itineraries

Europeans like to make fun of the fact that the vast majority of Americans don’t have a passport. And yet, many are obsessed with having their National Parks Passports stamped. Which is sort of amusing, but actually when you think about the magnificence of the 62 national parks that belong to these people, they are right to seek out their stamps. And, in some ways, when you have the glaciers of Wrangell St-Elias National Park in Alaska, infinitesimal canyons like the Grand Canyon or Bryce Canyon, or the resplendent geysers of Yellowstone, why would you travel anywhere else? So, time for us to stop making fun and just join the national park party. Just wait and see. You won’t want to leave. And you’ll be asking where the next one is, and ordering your own national park passport before you know it.

Give us a call to help with your itinerary

1. Arches
2. Bryce Canyon
3. Death Valley
4. Glacier
5. The Grand Canyon
6. Grand Teton
7. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
8. Rocky Mountain
9. Wrangell-St. Elias
10. Yellowstone
11. Yosemite
12. Zion

Arches

1. Arches

Like a vast expressionist painting, Arches National Park boasts over 2000 arches, hundreds of soaring pinnacles and then a giant balancing rock in the middle of nowhere. Camp here to catch stunning sunrises and sunsets, and a whole day in the life of one of America’s most exhilarating national parks.

Arches

Bryce Canyon

2. Bryce Canyon

Combine with a visit to Zion and you’ll go from that park's dusty depths to an elevation of 2438m on the plateau of Bryce Canyon. Down below lies a fascinating natural amphitheatre of pink, orange and white sandstone spires. Follow trails between them for an auditory experience, but for a visual one, watch the sunset shadows.

Death Valley

3. Death Valley

With so many elevated national parks, Death Valley takes you to one of the lowest places on earth. Shared by California and Nevada, it ranges from hot and dusty depths to extremes of soft pinyon-juniper woodlands and high boreal peaks, all brimming with wildlife. It’s not dead at all here.

Death Valley

Glacier

4. Glacier

One of the least visited parks, Glacier offers vast swathes of walking wilderness. Such as the ancient forests that blanket these dramatic alpine landscapes, with water lovers having their fix of lakes, waterfalls and the dazzling Grinnell Glacier, an aquamarine iceberg lake.

The Grand Canyon

5. The Grand Canyon

This plunging desert landscape will take your breath away but you'll have to catch it again when you take on one of the many hiking trails, either around the rim of the Grand Canyon or escaping the crowds by descending into the canyon itself. Which is 1.6km deep and 29km wide by the way.

The Grand Canyon

Grand Teton

6. Grand Teton

Part of the Rocky Mountains, this is just one of Wyoming’s wonders, the other being Yellowstone. Hike along its greatest valley, Jackson Hole, so-called by early trappers in search of beaver and other furry creatures. Which are, thankfully, able to roam freely today. As are we.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

7. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Not actually a national park, but a Navajo reservation, on the borders of the Navajo National Monument. Visit to learn about the indigenous culture of the area. This is sacred land for the Navajo, and when you look out at the red sandstone monoliths, these natural statues glowing in the omnipresent sun, you understand why.

Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Rocky Mountain

8. Rocky Mountain

Don’t be overwhelmed by Rocky Mountain National Park's 70 peaks, as there are 600km of trails for all fitness levels. Split by the Continental Divide, you can see several Colorado’s landscapes here, with arid rocky peaks on one side and forests, meadows and mountain moraines on the other.

Wrangell-St. Elias

9. Wrangell-St. Elias

This magnificent Alaskan expanse boasts no fewer than 150 glaciers, and a coastal mountain range enveloping them, with some serious highs. Try ice climbing or take on one of the snow peaked mammoths that overlook this frozen fantasia. Take some time to learn about the mining history here too, and hope it stays history.

Wrangell-St. Elias

Yellowstone

10. Yellowstone

Yellowstone was America’s first national park. The thermal geysers are iconic, the most famous being Old Faithful although there are 500 others to boot. While this extraordinary lunar landscape is revered, Yellowstone is not as packed with visitors as some parks, because it is harder to access.

Yosemite

11. Yosemite

Welcome to California's Sierra Nevada Mountains. With green forests just made for camping, trekking and some wild swimming, it's also a climber's idyll of granite facades that seem to go on forever. Follow the course of the Nevada Falls on the aptly named Mist Trail, but get there early , or the mist turns to a fog of tourists.

Yosemite

Zion

12. Zion

In Utah, this is park is both culturally and naturally a wonder. Zion Canyon was named by early Mormon settlers for whom it was the 'promised land’. It certainly is full of promise for visitors: hike desert terrain, seek out the Upper Emerald pools and waterfalls, and ramble along the Virgin River.

Our National Parks of America Holidays

Travel Team

If you'd like to chat about National Parks of America or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.

01273 823 700

Call us until 6pm

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

01273 823 700

Call us until 6pm

Calling from outside the UK

rosy@responsibletravel.com

US National Park Itineraries

7 day trip around south-west USA’s national parks:
Las Vegas > Zion National Park > Bryce Canyon National Park > Monument Valley > The Grand Canyon > Route 66 > Las Vegas

12 day Alaskan national parks:
Anchorage > Talkeetna > Denali National Park > Wrangell St-Elias National Park > Valdez > Seward & Kenai Fjords National Park > Homer & Kachemak Bay Wilderness Camp

14 day wild west national parks:
San Francisco > Yosemite National Park > Death Valley National Park > Zion National Park > Bryce Canyon National Park > Lake Powell & Antelope Canyon > Monument Valley > Grand Canyon National Park > Route 66 > Hoover Dam > Las Vegas

US National Parks Travel Times

The following times give you a rough idea of the travel times between the US national parks.

San Francisco – Yosemite National Park: 3.5 hours by car

Yellowstone National Park – Glacier National Park: 7 hours by car

Seattle – Anchorage, Alaska: 3.5 hours by air

Denver – Rocky Mountain National Park: 1.5 hours by car

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon South Rim: 5 hours by car/coach

Travel the length of Grand Canyon (445 kms): 15 days by non-motorized raft

More about National Parks of America

Best time to visit US National Parks

Learn about the best time to visit US national parks for hiking and wildlife watching with our month-by-month explainer and find tips on how to avoid the worst of the crowds.

USA National Parks travel guide

We're huge fans of American national parks here at Responsible Travel. There are 62 of them in total, and on top of that there are tribal parks on their doorsteps, as well as a plethora of state parks and forestry reserves.

Things to do in USA National Parks

Hiking is of course one of the greatest things to do in USA national parks. You can go for a few hours or for days, but they are vast, so you really do need to know what you are doing.

USA National Parks & wildlife

The national parks are very switched on to their wildlife populations, the conservation needed to protect them, and ways in which we can prevent conflict between humans and animals.

USA National Parks for families

USA national parks for families on holiday are all about the outdoors, big landscapes, wildlife and camping, as well as great budget prices.

USA National Parks travel advice

The USA national parks travel advice below comes from both tour guides and expert companies who know the parks inside out, and also travellers who have been there and loved them.

USA National Parks responsible tourism issues

National parks are, in many ways, the pioneers of responsible tourism.

More relevant guides

Written by Catherine Mack

USA National Parks map & itineraries