Best National Park Experiences in the West

For those of us who live in the West, a national park vacation is a summer classic, like a Fourth of July cookout or an August doubleheader. And why not? The West’s national parks are grand, they’re gorgeous, they’re inspiring, and they’re well within driving distance.

But what if you have a specific kind of summer fun in mind—family-friendly hiking, say, or beachcombing? The national parks have you covered there, too. Whatever outdoor activity you most like to pursue on vacation, there’s a park that offers a stellar experience. Here are nine of the West’s most popular national parks and the specialties that make them shine especially bright.

Best Views: Grand Canyon National Park

“This can’t be real.” That’s the usual response to your first glimpse of the Grand Canyon. Masterfully sculpted by the Colorado River, it is so big (1,904 square miles), so deep (more than a mile in parts), so brilliantly colored, it’s like the world’s most hypnotizing special effect. But take the time to stroll the rim and gaze out at the ancient rock temples, mesas, and buttes, and the canyon will gradually take on a stupendous solidity. Very few places in the world have so many soul-stirring views. Your challenge will be deciding which one is your favorite.

Where to Go

Mostly paved, the Rim Trail runs along the canyon’s South Rim for about 13 photogenic miles, east and west from Grand Canyon Village, letting you walk and gaze as far as you want. Take time to stop in at Kolb Studio: Once home to pioneer canyon photographers the Kolb Brothers, now a gallery and gift shop, it dangles right on the edge of the canyon. The Yavapai Geology Museum and Observation Station has its own superb vistas plus excellent exhibits on canyon geology.

Insider Tip

Two historic canyon landmarks—both designed by architect Mary Colter—combine charming architecture with stunning views: Hermit’s Rest, reached by shuttle from Grand Canyon Village, and Desert View Watchtower, about 20 miles east on Desert View Drive.

Eat and Drink

For morning coffee, hit the Bright Angel Fountain, then stroll out to admire a canyon sunrise. Beef lovers will like the Bright Angel Lodge’s Arizona Steakhouse. For cocktails with a view, head to the El Tovar Lounge’s veranda.

More Parks for Views

Impossibly steep, impossibly narrow, Colorado’s Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is both awe-inspiring and a little scary.

The vista from the 10,023-foot summit of Haleakala National Park on Maui is breathtaking: On a clear day, you can see the Big Island almost 100 miles away.

Best Stargazing: Canyonlands National Park

Wildly beautiful in the daytime, Utah’s Canyonlands is downright dazzling at night. Far from any major metro area, you can see thousands of stars twinkling above, compared with the hundreds you might see in a city. DarkSky International has named it a Gold-Tier International Dark Sky Park.

Where to Go

Park visitors can enjoy the show at night sky programs—complete with telescopes—that rangers run through the summer. Or stargaze on your own; one prime spot is at Island in the Sky Visitor Center.

Insider Tip

The Milky Way, likely brighter than you’ve ever seen it before, is the star of Canyonlands’ summer sky. This summer, the Perseid meteor shower will peak Aug. 12 and 13.

Eat and Drink

There are no restaurants in the park, but stand-outs in nearby Moab include Moab Brewery for craft beer and burgers and the Jailhouse Café for hearty breakfasts.

More Parks for Stargazing

Arches National Park, another International Dark Sky Park in Utah, has a dedicated stargazing area at Panorama Point.

Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes near the California-Nevada border is one of the most popular spots at Death Valley National Park.

Best Family Hiking: Bryce Canyon National Park

Looking down at the trails descending into the deep rock amphitheaters that dominate this park in southwestern Utah, you might think, “I don’t want to walk back up that.” But you don’t actually need to hike down into these canyons to appreciate their corrugated beauty. Instead, you can find blissful walking and breathtaking views from the easier, flatter trails that hug the canyon’s rim.

Where to Go

The park’s Rim Trail runs along the edge of Bryce Amphitheater, which forms the heart of the park. It’s 5.5 miles from Bryce Point to Fairyland Point, but you can shorten that by taking the park shuttle to your starting point, hiking your hike, then catching the shuttle back to your car. The half-mile between Sunset Point and Sunrise Point is particularly popular.

Insider Tip

The Visitor Center’s exhibits do a great job of explaining the canyon’s geology, including the signature hoodoos. (Hint: They required lots of ice and rain.)

Eat and Drink

The Lodge at Bryce Canyon restaurant is the spot for upscale dining; for casual, hit nearby Valhalla Pizzeria and Coffee Shop.

More Parks for Family Hiking

At Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, the Discovery Point and Watchman Peak trails both provide superb lake views without requiring too much sweat.

The Crater Rim Trail in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park provides prime views of Kilauea caldera.

Best Bicycling: Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is famed for its craggy mountain drama: Sierra Nevada landmarks such as El Capitan and Half Dome rise thousands of feet above the lush, green Yosemite Valley. One of the best ways to view that dramatic landscape is from the relative comfort and ease of a bicycle traversing more than 12 miles of paved paths that lace the valley floor. Those paths are mostly flat and gentle, and many of them give you the added benefit of avoiding busy traffic and crowded parking lots.

Where to Go

If you brought your bike, you’re already in business. If you didn’t, you can rent cruiser bikes (and helmets) at Yosemite Valley Lodge or Curry Village; they offer smaller kids’ bikes as well. One good 2.5-mile route starts at the Yosemite Falls Parking Lot, runs south and east to cross Swinging and Sentinel Bridges over the Merced River, then back.

Insider Tip

To add a short hike, park your bike in the racks at the Lower Yosemite Falls Trailhead, then take the 1-mile loop hike to admire the splashing falls.

Eat and Drink

In Yosemite Village, the Village Grill’s burgers and shakes will offset some of the calories you burn biking. The historic Ahwahnee Dining Room is renowned for lavish dinners and Sunday brunches; experience it more casually at breakfast.

More Parks for Bicycling

A 20.5-mile paved multiuse path runs from Jackson, Wyoming (where you can rent bikes), to Jenny Lake inside Grand Teton National Park.

The 8-mile Cactus Forest Drive will show you plenty of the signature cacti in Arizona’s Saguaro National Park.

Best Beaches: Olympic National Park

In Washington’s lush, rugged northwest corner, Olympic National Park protects 73 miles of coastline—one of the longest stretches of wilderness coast in the lower 48 states. Driftwood-strewn, with castle-like sea stacks rising just beyond the breakers, these beaches aren’t meant for sunning or swimming. Instead, they’re ideal for beachcombing and reveling in nature’s drama.

Where to Go

Two beaches combine scenery with easy access. Toward the park’s north, Rialto Beach boasts especially spectacular coastal views. To the south, Ruby Beach is named for the red stones (actually garnets) that dot the beach. The tide pools are excellent: Be on the lookout for anemones, starfish, and Dungeness crab.

Insider Tip

Attention Twilight fans: Bella and Jacob liked to hang out at First Beach, south of Rialto Beach in the town of La Push.

Eat and Drink

South of Ruby Beach, Kalaloch Lodge’s Creekside Restaurant offers seafood, burgers, and views. Near Rialto Beach, the River’s Edge Restaurant in La Push does a solid job with salmon and chowder.

More Parks for Beaches

In California, Crescent Beach at Redwood National and State Parks is perfect for strolling. Another option: Gold Bluffs Beach in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park.

Crissy Field in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, has lovely views of San Francisco Bay and is dog-friendly, to boot.

Best Wildlife Viewing: Glacier National Park

Wild animals love Montana’s Glacier National Park. The park is home to 71 species of mammals and 276 types of birds. Why such diversity? Straddling the continental divide, the park is at an ecological crossroads: Plants and animals endemic to the Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and Great Plains mix and mingle here. The topography—elevations range from 3,000 to 10,000 feet—adds to the diversity.

Where to Go

The park’s classic drive, the 50-mile Going-to-the-Sun Road, provides fine opportunities for wildlife watching, especially at Logan Pass, where mountain goats and bighorn sheep can be seen wandering near the Visitor Center. The Many Glacier area is good for spotting grizzly bears on the slopes above Swiftcurrent Lake. The park wisely emphasizes wildlife safety, encouraging hikers to carry bear spray and suggesting that first-timers join ranger-led group hikes. Or just scout Glacier’s wild denizens from your car.

Insider Tip

This summer, the park is expected to require reservations to drive Going-to-the-Sun Road. For current status, visit nps.gov/glac.

Eat and Drink

Glacier’s historic hotels—Many Glacier, Lake McDonald, Glacier Park Lodge— are among the national park system’s most beautiful, and they’re all excellent places to grab a latte, a burger, or an elegant dinner.

More Parks for Wildlife Viewing

Alaska’s Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve is a haven for humpback whales, easily seen on day cruises.

Thousands of bats roost in the caves at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico, making spectacular exits at sunset.

Best Trees: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Referring to Sequoiadendron giganteum, John Muir wrote, “The Big Tree is Nature’s forest masterpiece, and, so far as I know, the greatest of living things.” It’s hard to disagree. Strolling through a grove of giant sequoias can seem like a religious experience, with shafts of sunlight turning the trees’ bark a luminous red-orange. The largest trees in the world (some as tall as a 26-story building), giant sequoias grow only on the western slopes of California’s Sierra Nevada. And these giants get a magnificent showcase at California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

Where to Go

Begin your tree tour at Sequoia’s Giant Forest Museum. Charmingly rustic and filled with sequoia facts, it’s also the starting point for the short, paved trail to the General Sherman Tree, the largest specimen in the world. The nearby Congress Trail shows off even more of the might trees. In Kings Canyon, Grant Grove is home to the General Grant Tree, the world’s second-largest sequoia, which is reachable by a short, paved trail. Here, too, is the Centennial Stump, all that’s left of a giant sequoia felled in 1875—a reminder of the once-widespread logging the parks were established to prevent.

Insider Tip

Twisty but spectacular, the 50-mile Generals Highway is one of the most scenic drives in California. The journey will take much of your day (the speed limit slows to 10 mph in places), but if you’re a fan of beautiful views, it will reward you at every turn.

Eat and Drink

The Peaks Restaurant, inside Wuksachi Lodge, serves excellent food in a stylish setting. Near Grant Grove, the patio at the Grant Grove Restaurant is a great place to hang out.

More Parks for Trees

In Nevada’s Great Basin National Park, the Bristlecone Pines that grow high on 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak can live for more than 4,000 years.

At home in California’s Mojave Desert, Joshua Tree National Park’s signature tree is both graceful and cartoonish.

Best Geology: Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is where Planet Earth shows off. The park’s geological features are particularly mesmerizing. Here, you’ll find an array of hydrothermal drama: hot springs, mudpots, fumaroles (steam vents), and, of course, 500-plus geysers—more than anywhere else in the world.

Where to Go

Old Faithful is the park’s celebrity attraction, but don’t ignore its neighbors in Upper Geyser Basin: Grand, Beehive, Castle, and more. A little to the north, Norris Geyser Basin is home to the tallest active geyser on earth, Steamboat, which can shoot scalding water more than 300 feet in the air. Other hydrothermal must-sees include the Mammoth Hot Springs, where water burbles gracefully over golden travertine terraces. Join one of the ranger-led hikes into park geyser basins and spend time with the exhibits at the Canyon Visitor Education Center.

Insider Tip

When is Old Faithful next going to erupt? Download the NPS app, then navigate to “Yellowstone and Geyser Predictions” to find out.

Eat and Drink

For the park’s nicest breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the Lake Yellowstone Hotel Dining Room serves high-quality food in a serene lakeside setting. The Old Faithful Inn’s Bear Paw Deli is a fine option for grab-and- go coffee and sandwiches.

More Parks for Geology

The Earthquake Trail at the Point Reyes National Seashore follows California’s infamous San Andreas Fault.

The 3-mile Bumpass Hell Trail leads you through the most picturesque hot springs and mud pots at Lassen Volcanic National Park in California.

Best for Human History: Mesa Verde National Park

Constructed in the 12th century by the Ancestral Puebloans, the cliff dwellings of Colorado’s Mesa Verde National Park are engineering marvels: multistory sandstone and wood-beam structures built directly into the canyon walls. Mesa Verde’s ancient buildings make up the largest archeology preserve in the United States and are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Where to Go

Two of the most notable dwellings, Cliff Palace and Balcony House, can be visited only on ranger-led tours requiring advance tickets (available from recreation.gov). They also require agility and nerve to climb steep ladders. Another option is driving the 6-mile Mesa Top Loop Road, where overlooks offer superb views of the cliff city.

Insider Tip

The park concessionaire Aramark offers bus tours that include a visit to the Cliff Palace; book your seat at visitmesaverde.com.

Eat and Drink

The Far View Terrace Café’s Mesa Mocha Espresso Bar is great for pre-adventure lattes; the Metate Room Restaurant offers upscale Southwestern cuisine and prime views.

More Parks for Human History

See another spectacular example of Ancestral Puebloan city-building at Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico.

Skagway, Alaska, was the raucous gateway to the Klondike gold fields; tours, restored buildings, and exhibits at Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park celebrate the era.