Maine
Acadia National Park
Must-see: Cadillac Mountain · Jordan Pond
Wild10 · United States
US Travel Guide
Desert winters. Alpine summers. Wild coastlines. Find your month, choose your park, and make the next trip count.
Mount Rainier photo: Walter Siegmund (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
A year outside
Where to go, month by month
Each list brings together ten US destinations with seasonal planning notes. A suggested month is a starting point, not a promise of good weather or open roads.
January
01Death Valley National Park · Everglades National Park · Big Bend National Park
Top 10 in JanuaryFebruary
02Sedona · Death Valley National Park · Everglades National Park
Top 10 in FebruaryMarch
03Moab · Zion National Park · Death Valley National Park
Top 10 in MarchApril
04Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Zion National Park · Shenandoah National Park
Top 10 in AprilMay
05Yellowstone National Park · Grand Canyon National Park · Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Top 10 in MayJune
06Glacier National Park · Yellowstone National Park · Grand Teton National Park
Top 10 in JuneJuly
07Glacier National Park · Mount Rainier National Park · Grand Teton National Park
Top 10 in JulyAugust
08Mount Rainier National Park · North Cascades National Park · Glacier National Park
Top 10 in AugustSeptember
09Glacier National Park · Grand Teton National Park · Rocky Mountain National Park
Top 10 in SeptemberOctober
10Great Smoky Mountains National Park · Shenandoah National Park · Acadia National Park
Top 10 in OctoberNovember
11Death Valley National Park · Big Bend National Park · Joshua Tree National Park
Top 10 in NovemberDecember
12Death Valley National Park · Everglades National Park · Big Bend National Park
Top 10 in DecemberThree ways to see the country
Berkshires
Autumn color and small-town stops in Massachusetts.
Explore october Photo: jbcurio · CC BY 2.0
Saguaro National Park
Sonoran Desert scenery near Tucson.
Explore december Photo: Saguaro Pictures · CC BY 3.0
Columbia River Gorge
Waterfalls and river landscapes in the Pacific Northwest.
Explore april Photo: Blue Ice at English Wikipedia · Public domainThe complete park collection
All 63 US national parks
From Alaska to American Samoa, including the US Virgin Islands. Open a Wild10 destination guide for the park or its featured region; use official park information for current access, reservations and closures. Must-see spots are inspiration, not a route or access guarantee.
63 of 63 parks
American Samoa
National Park of American Samoa
Must-see: Rainforest ridges · coral reefs
Utah
Arches National Park
Must-see: Delicate Arch · the Windows
South Dakota
Badlands National Park
Must-see: Badlands Loop · Sage Creek
Texas
Big Bend National Park
Must-see: Chisos Mountains · river canyons
Florida
Biscayne National Park
Must-see: Boca Chita Key · coral reefs
Colorado
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Must-see: Painted Wall · South Rim
Utah
Bryce Canyon National Park
Must-see: Bryce Amphitheater · Rim Trail
Utah
Canyonlands National Park
Must-see: The Needles · Island in the Sky
Utah
Capitol Reef National Park
Must-see: Waterpocket Fold · Fruita
New Mexico
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
Must-see: Big Room · Natural Entrance
California
Channel Islands National Park
Must-see: Santa Cruz Island · sea caves
South Carolina
Congaree National Park
Must-see: Floodplain forest · Cedar Creek
Oregon
Crater Lake National Park
Must-see: Rim views · Wizard Island
Ohio
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Must-see: Brandywine Falls · the Ledges
California & Nevada
Death Valley National Park
Must-see: Badwater Basin · Panamint Range
Alaska
Denali National Park
Must-see: Tundra landscapes · mountain views
Florida
Dry Tortugas National Park
Must-see: Fort Jefferson · marine wildlife
Florida
Everglades National Park
Must-see: Shark Valley · mangrove waterways
Alaska
Gates of the Arctic National Park
Must-see: Brooks Range · Arctic rivers
Missouri
Gateway Arch National Park
Must-see: Gateway Arch · riverfront
Montana
Glacier National Park
Must-see: Going-to-the-Sun Road · alpine lakes
Alaska
Glacier Bay National Park
Must-see: Tidewater glaciers · coastal wildlife
Arizona
Grand Canyon National Park
Must-see: South Rim overlooks · canyon geology
Wyoming
Grand Teton National Park
Must-see: Teton skyline · Jenny Lake
Nevada
Great Basin National Park
Must-see: Lehman Caves · bristlecone pines
Colorado
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Must-see: Dune field · Sangre de Cristo peaks
Tennessee & North Carolina
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Must-see: Old-growth forest · mountain overlooks
Texas
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Must-see: Guadalupe Peak · McKittrick Canyon
Hawaii
Haleakalā National Park
Must-see: Volcanic crater · summit sky
Hawaii
Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Must-see: Kīlauea · Kaʻū Desert
Arkansas
Hot Springs National Park
Must-see: Bathhouse Row · forest trails
Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park
Must-see: Lake Michigan beaches · dune habitats
Michigan
Isle Royale National Park
Must-see: Greenstone Ridge · Lake Superior shoreline
California
Joshua Tree National Park
Must-see: Desert rock formations · Joshua trees
Alaska
Katmai National Park
Must-see: Brooks Falls · Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes
Alaska
Kenai Fjords National Park
Must-see: Exit Glacier · Harding Icefield
California
Kings Canyon National Park
Must-see: General Grant Grove · Cedar Grove
Alaska
Kobuk Valley National Park
Must-see: Great Kobuk Sand Dunes · Kobuk River
Alaska
Lake Clark National Park
Must-see: Twin Lakes · Tanalian Falls
California
Lassen Volcanic National Park
Must-see: Lassen Peak · Manzanita Lake
Kentucky
Mammoth Cave National Park
Must-see: Cave tours · Green River
Colorado
Mesa Verde National Park
Must-see: Cliff Palace · mesa-top views
Washington
Mount Rainier National Park
Must-see: Paradise · Sunrise
West Virginia
New River Gorge National Park
Must-see: New River Gorge Bridge · Endless Wall
Washington
North Cascades National Park
Must-see: Cascade Pass · mountain lakes
Washington
Olympic National Park
Must-see: Temperate rainforest · wilderness coast
Arizona
Petrified Forest National Park
Must-see: Blue Mesa · Painted Desert
California
Pinnacles National Park
Must-see: High Peaks · Bear Gulch
California
Redwood National Park
Must-see: Old-growth groves · coastal forest
Colorado
Rocky Mountain National Park
Must-see: Bear Lake · Trail Ridge Road
Arizona
Saguaro National Park
Must-see: Cactus Forest · desert sunsets
California
Sequoia National Park
Must-see: Giant Forest · General Sherman Tree
Virginia
Shenandoah National Park
Must-see: Skyline Drive · Blue Ridge overlooks
North Dakota
Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Must-see: Painted Canyon · badlands wildlife
US Virgin Islands
Virgin Islands National Park
Must-see: Trunk Bay · Annaberg ruins
Minnesota
Voyageurs National Park
Must-see: Kabetogama Lake · Rainy Lake
New Mexico
White Sands National Park
Must-see: Gypsum dunes · sunset views
South Dakota
Wind Cave National Park
Must-see: Boxwork formations · prairie wildlife
Alaska
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park
Must-see: Glaciers · mountain wilderness
Wyoming, Montana & Idaho
Yellowstone National Park
Must-see: Geyser basins · Lamar Valley
California
Yosemite National Park
Must-see: Yosemite Valley · high-country granite
Utah
Zion National Park
Must-see: Zion Canyon · the Narrows
Before you go
Check access before booking
Read your park’s alerts and road conditions. Snow, floods, wildfire and maintenance can change access even during a popular travel month. Do not assume a scenic road or trail is open.
Treat reservations separately
Entrance, timed entry, campsites, cave tours and backcountry permits may have different requirements. Check the official park page and its linked reservation system; an entrance pass does not replace a reservation.
Plan for the landscape
Desert heat, mountain storms and cold coastal water call for different equipment. Check a current forecast close to departure; seasonal averages are not a forecast. Carry water, layers and navigation appropriate to your outing.
Give wildlife room
Never feed or approach wildlife. Follow the park’s posted viewing distances and food-storage rules, including bear-resistant storage where required. Keep pets only where the park allows them.
Arrange remote access early
Island and remote Alaska parks can require boats or aircraft rather than road access. Confirm transportation, return arrangements and weather contingencies with the operator before finalizing your trip.
Leave the place intact
Stay on durable surfaces and designated trails where required, pack out waste, leave natural and cultural objects untouched, and check current fire restrictions. Choose an outing that matches your party’s ability.
Planning references: NPS trip planning · NPS trip safety · Recreation.gov. Individual park links above are the primary source for local rules.