5 National and State Parks for your next US Road Trip

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans plan to take a road trip this summer.

As we’ve seen the interest in road trips and RV travel grow, we can’t help but feel happy that others are wanting to experience the thing that we love the most: road travel. There is something extremely freeing and eye-opening about the open road, the many destinations you visit, the surprise pit stops you make along the way. And our favorite? National and State Parks. These are some of the best road trip destinations you can choose, especially with many of them in close proximity to each other (Last Joshua Tree, California to Salt Lake City, Utah, anybody?) So, without further ado, here are our favorite State and National Park road trip destinations.

Death Valley National Park, California/Nevada

Death Valley NP is, by far, one of my favorite National Parks in the country. While somewhat overrated, the park stretches across over 5,200 square miles, with each landscape varying widely. Experience slot canyons, some of the biggest sand dunes in North America, rocks that mystery move across the landscape floor, and more. Take extreme precautions, start hiking early in the day, and ALWAYS bring enough water. Death Valley is beautiful but can get extremely hot. Safety first!

Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada

While most of the parks on this list are National Parks, Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada deserves some recognition. It is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been to. Something I particularly love about this park is that you can drive through it in under 1.5 hours. Most of the stops are beautiful and worth seeing, so you can do a quick drive-through and experience much of the park in a quick manner. However, if you’re interested in diving deeper, there are many 1-2 mile short hikes at each “viewpoint”. So, if you’re willing to hike about 10 miles throughout an entire day, you can experience deeper regions of the park, without having to spend a week there.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Spanning over 47,000 miles total, Acadia National Park hugs the coast of Maine, leaving a beautiful view throughout your entire exploration. With a rocky and steep coastline, it varies from most “beaches” or coasts you may be used to. Beyond the beautiful hiking you can experience, wildlife is very common to witness as well! You may have bear, whale, and even moose sitings when visiting this park. While you can always hike in the park, there are also exceptional roads you can drive or bike paths you can trek along for an in-depth experience. Don’t forget to try some of Maine’s amazing seafood while you’re visiting!

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

If there is one place I find myself driving back to again and again, it’s the surrounding area of Grand Teton National Park. With an abundance of primitive camping surrounding the park, Yellowstone just north of Grand Tetons, and the very cute town of Jackson just south of the parks, this region will never run out of things to experience. The mountain range offers sunny hiking during the summer and some of the best ski slopes in the winter. Don’t forget to apply for permits early in the season if you want to plan a backpacking trip! You won’t regret it.

Glacier National Park, Montana

Last, but certainly not least, is the very popular Glacier National Park. While this park is well known and heavily visited, it does not disappoint. With some of the bluest water you’ll ever see, beautiful hikes that are long, yet manageable for a single day, and 360-degree viewpoints, Glacier NP had to make the list. (It even stretches up into Canada to combine with Waterton Lakes National Park!)

While there are many to choose from, we feel fortunate to be able to experience the beauty that these parks offer, especially in a season as beautiful as summer. Safe travels to everybody and enjoy your State and National Park road trip! Don’t forget let us know which parks you end up visiting!