7 Zion

Zion could easily be tops on the list. I love everything about Zion National Park. It has amazing hikes like Angels Landing and the Narrows and views go on forever. It’s easy to get around and it’s a very accessible park. You can spend days in Zion and never get bored. Zion is a gift from Mother Nature herself.

6 Grand Canyon

My first national park back in 2002 and I’ve been back 7-8 other times. The Grand Canyon is as good as anything in nature anywhere in the world. It sounds almost cliche to say how beautiful it is but it is just that. Whether you view from the north or south rim, hike down into the canyon or take a helicopter into or over it, you can’t go wrong. The Grand Canyon is a jewel of nature. It takes my breath away.

South rim in Grand Canyon National Park

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5 Crater Lake

I really struggled ranking the top 10 and the top 5 was even harder because they’re all so good. But seeing Crater Lake on a perfect sunny day was one of the highlights of my travel life. I may even rank it ahead of the Grand Canyon for a wonder of nature. It’s just sheer perfection in Southern Oregon. The only reason I don’t have it higher is because it’s the lake and the rest of the park is just trees more or less but man is Crater Lake stunning. Must see and right at the top for me. Perhaps the best singular site in America.

The impeccable Crater Lake high atop Crater Lake National Park

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4 Wrangell-St. Elias

This is the largest national park in America. It’s almost twice the size of Denali and it’s bigger than the country of Switzerland. I hiked the root glacier in Kennecott surrounded by the Wrangell Mountains with the St. Elias’s in the distance. It was perfect. The drive in was perfect, the towns, the rivers, the scenery-they were all perfect. I can’t say enough about how great a park this was.

Gorgeous nature in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park

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3 Arches

One of the best known parks for good reason. Plus it’s literally right in Moab, Utah-one of my favorite places in all of America. Arches is the quintessential national park. You’re floored by just about everything you see and the sunset hike to the Delicate Arch is priceless. Plus, there’s so many other amazing places to see, hikes to do and just iconic vistas. What else can I say, Arches rocks!

Delicate Arch at sunset in Moab, Utah inside Arches National Park

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2 Canyonlands

To me, Canyonlands is like a modern day Grand Canyon. It’s sleeker, it’s more succinct and has varied viewpoints and hikes. Canyonlands is often overshadowed by nearby Arches which is a little more photogenic but Canyonlands for me is just plain awesome. I urge everyone to visit both sides including the Needles area about 90 minutes south of Moab for a totally different perspective. Nature at its finest!

View from Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park

1 Yosemite

Yosemite is the epitome of a national park. It has it all. It is perfect. It’s a little crowded but that’s because it’s so brilliant. Yosemite is big, it has iconic hikes like Half Dome. It has amazing waterfalls, trees and vistas. Tunnel View at sunset is the single most beautiful view in America when half dome turns orange at the top. I urge people to see both sides of the park. I entered from the Nevada side and exited in California driving the whole park. It doesn’t get much better than the great Yosemite National Park. It’s the top park!

Half Dome from Tunnel View at sunset in Yosemite National Park