This summer Matt and I took a roadtrip out to the Southwest and visited national parks while there. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget. The hiking, the mountains, the trees…they were just incredible. If you’re able to, I highly recommend taking a trip out Southwest and adding these national parks to your list. It was such a unique and incredible experience, and I hope we get to do it again one day! Keep reading for my top parks that you will want to add to your list.
Yosemite National Park – Yosemite is a park with diverse stunning sights from waterfalls to towering granite cliffs to meadows to sequoia trees. There is no shortage of amazing sights to see here. The cliffs next to the valleys really show off how incredible this area is. This was definitely in our top 3 list of all national parks in the U.S. Highly recommend adding this park to your next list.
Death Valley National Park – Wow, I knew this would be a unique park, but I definitely underrated how much I would like it. Death Valley National Park is the largest national park in the contiguous U.S. It is also the hottest, driest and lowest-elevation national park in the U.S. All right here in one park. It was 124 degrees when we were there. It has sand dunes, salt flats, colorful rocks and more. The views and landscapes here are very diverse and seem almost out of this world. We spent the night in the national park here, and it was such a cool experience. I definitely recommend adding Death Valley National Park onto your list if you’re looking to see some unique landscapes all in one park.
Grand Canyon National Park – What makes the Grand Canyon so grand is the scale of the ancient rock that is carved by the Colorado River. This contrast really makes the rock stand out and makes the canyon look massive next to the river. It is not the deepest canyon in the world, but the ancient rock is definitely a sight to see. You can’t see it and not think of how massive our world truly is. The Grand Canyon National Park is definitely one that you just have to see!
Zion National Park – This is actually one of my very favorite national parks in the US. It is known for its towering red and white cliffs and its slot canyons. It looks so grand when you’re there looking down below at the Virgin River, and it has such amazing hiking. The cliffs and the slot canyons make for some really fun hiking. This is a national park you will not want to miss! It is one of our absolute favorites next to Grand Teton National Park.
Joshua Tree National Park – This park is known for it’s Joshua trees. It has Joshua trees, sand dunes, mountains and really amazing stargazing. There wasn’t a ton of hiking here, but it was so cool to see all the rocks, mountains and the trees. If you’re nearby, this park is definitely worth a visit!
Grand Teton National Park – This park is located in the gorgeous Jackson, Wyoming and is known for it’s beautiful steep peaks where people love to snow ski. There are no foothills, so you can see the peaks dramatically rising up from the ground. There is also beautiful wildlife here. This is definitely our favorite national park in the US!
Yellowstone National Park – This park is known for having the world’s largest and most diverse collection of hydrothermal features, including over 10,000 geysers and hot springs. It is also known for its very large bison population. This park is another one that we absolutely love visiting. The geysers are really a sight to see, including Old Faithful. We have been snowmobiling through here several times, and I highly recommend visiting on snowmobile and also your personal vehicle. They are such great ways to see the park.
Have you been to any national parks before? Which are your favorites?
