For many of us, the “Great American Road Trip” is a rite of passage, but with 63 national parks to choose from, narrowing down your itinerary can feel overwhelming. Do you head for the desert heat, the coastal breeze, or the mountain peaks? This year, we are looking beyond the usual crowded hotspots to bring you a mix of iconic favorites and underrated gems perfect for the summer months.
From accessible trails for toddlers to educational programs that will fascinate teenagers, these 17 national parks offer the ultimate summer escape for travelers of every age and ability according to experts.
Point Reyes Reframes Land Beyond the Ledger
Point Reyes is my choice for favorite coastal spot. It has the cliffs and beaches, but it also this strange real estate story. Last summer, hiking towards Bear Valley on the Bear Valley Trail, I rounded a corner and it just smacks you: back to the coastline. It made me realize that there was more to land than numbers. When you see a place that wild directly next to private property, that stays with you in this business.
Ryan Nelson, Founder, RentalRealEstate
Stories Transform Grand Canyon at Golden Hour
Listening to Native storytellers at the Grand Canyon during a summer workshop reshaped how I understand it. Now, in golden hour, it’s not just geology; it’s a narrative. There is a time compression that’s difficult to describe. If you go, by all means do at least one ranger-led walk. The stories they tell bring the canyon to life in a way you wouldn’t imagine.
Bennett Heyn, Founder, Backlinker AI
Yosemite Balances Cliffs, Meadows, and Quiet
Yosemite is my top pick. I never cease to forget that contrast between those giant cliffs and peaceful meadow. On my most recent visit, a park naturalist pointed out some rock art we hadn’t noticed at all and it transformed the entire tenor of the site. Eat breakfast early down in the valley, then arrive at Mirror Lake when it’s so quiet you almost feel as if you have it to yourself.
Selene Luk, Customer Care manager, Spanish Cultural Association of Hong Kong
Rocky Mountain Delivers Views and Easy Access
I’ve been in Colorado for years and if I had to choose one, it’s Rocky Mountain National Park. You have those great mountain views but still easy access to nice places to stay. Man, I am always telling people to drive Trail Ridge Road and hike around Bear Lake or whatever. When I bring someone there, they talk about it for weeks.
Nikita Beriozkin, Director of Sales and Marketing, Blue Sky Limo LLC
West Yellowstone Rewards Early Risers and Investors
They’re the same people I see year after year coming back to West Yellowstone. They come for the hiking, the geysers, the wildlife. It really makes me think an Airbnb there is a pretty safe bet. Bookings never seem to stop. My advice? Rise and shine at Old Faithful, then motor through the gateway towns. You’ll understand why fans never leave.
Brandi Simon, Owner, TX Home Buying Pros
Yosemite Welcomes Dogs With Easy, Shaded Paths
If you’ve got a dog, Yosemite is awesome. I wore mine on the relatively flat paved walk to Lower Yosemite Fall and we both had a great time. They even put out water bowls and have lots of shady places to lay down. Ask a ranger for their listing of dog-friendly trails. And for heaven’s sake, always bring more water for your pup than you think you’ll require.
Zubair Ahmed, Owner, BowPurr.com
Hawai’i Volcanoes Glow and Surprise at Sunset
I love the National Park of Hawaii Volcanoes! The glow of Halemauma`u Crater at sunset – you can’t see it anywhere else. If you do one thing, make it the Kilauea Iki Trail. The very act of walking from the bottom of a volcanic crater to a thriving rainforest is this weird, wonderful contrast that stays with you.
Bryan Murphy, Owner, Hawaii’s Best Travel
Yellowstone Stuns With Bison and Thunderous Geysers
One of my most vivid memories from our trip to Yellowstone those elephants were so cool was a bison just casually walking down the main road, holding up all the cars. And the noise from Old Faithful. So, so loud, earth-shakingly loud. For a moment, we all stood there silent and gazing. My advice is to go early. It doesn’t feel the same when you’re not doing it in front of a crowd.
Aja Chavez, Executive Director, Mission Prep Healthcare
Isle Royale Delivers Solitude on Rugged Shores
Michigan’s Isle Royale is my favorite national park. Last time we spent hours hiking on empty paths and maybe saw two other humans the entire day. It’s another world out there on that remote island. I tell people to take a kayak. From your vantage point paddling alongside the rocky shore you get a sense of the place that really can’t be had on foot.
Ryan Dosenberry, CEO, Crushing REI
Grand Teton Pairs Quiet Moments With Adventure
Nothing can beat Grand Teton National Park. The views inspire you to share stories, which is the point of it all in Heartthrob. Last summer I did the Jenny Lake trail at sunset, and that silence is just what makes it all stick around your memory. Start by heading to the lakeshore, for a combination of connection and adventure. It’s ideal for lazy moments or paddleboarding, and you’ll come across some splendid spots to take photos together.
Lisa Templeton, Director of Community, Heartthrob
Mammoth Cave Keeps Summer Cool and Captivates
MCNPM is my national park of choice, however, because you get a different kind of summer. Cool and maintaining the same temperature, visitors are forced to explore its secrets in order to enter some of its chambers. The park highlights its best features to visitors through guided cave tours as they take visitors along both walking paths and adventurous excursions through the large underground areas.
Also, the park offers access above ground to beautiful hiking trails and kayaking on its rivers. Mammoth Cave is one of the most unique sites to walk through, and that’s thanks to its modern features that make a trip more visitor-friendly, while also maintaining it as a historical and natural landmark for all time – Which makes for an ideal summer trip when deals get heated!
Albert Richer, Founder & Editor, What Are The Best.com
Great Smoky Mountains Reset Stress With Quick Trails
For clearing my head, nothing beats Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It’s not just the clean air or the incredible mix of plants and wildlife, it’s how easy it is to get on a trail. When work gets overwhelming, I’ll escape to Alum Cave Trail or Clingmans Dome. You don’t need a whole day to feel better. Even a short hike there can completely reset a rough week.
Max Marchione, Co-Founder, Superpower
Banff Quiets the Mind at First Light
There’s something about Banff that just resets my brain. A walk around Lake Louise, or even just watching the light hit those mountains, makes all the noise in my head go quiet. I always leave feeling lighter. My advice is to get there early. The trails are mostly empty then, and it feels like it’s just you and the turquoise water.
Amy Mosset, CEO, Interactive Counselling
Bryce Canyon Lifts Burdens With Otherworldly Sunrise
I always go back to Bryce Canyon. The trails don’t wear you out, and the hoodoos, man, they look like a forgotten city. Pictures don’t do it justice. I caught a sunrise there once, freezing cold and dead silent, then the sun hit all that orange and red rock. For those few minutes, my whole work week just melted away. It’s just that kind of place.
Joshua Eberly, Chief Marketing Officer, Marygrove Awnings
Point Reyes Frees Creativity With Ocean Calm
Point Reyes is my spot. I sketched the tidal pools one afternoon with just the wind and water for company. Back in the studio that night, everything felt looser and the ideas showed up easier. You should really go listen to the ocean there. Sometimes the sound of the waves is exactly what you need to hear
Vasco Lourenço, Owner, Colorful Sunday
Point Reyes Clears Work Noise at Cliffs
What I love about Point Reyes is how it clears out the noise from work in LA. The walk out to the lighthouse does something weird. Every step away from my desk actually makes me better at it when I get back. And yeah, bring a camera. Those cliffs give you a kind of reset you can’t get anywhere else.
Ramiro Lluis, Managing Attorney, Lluis Law
Bryce Canyon Inspires Families and Real Breaks
The sunrise at Bryce Canyon is even better than the photos online. I took my kids on the Navajo Loop Trail and saw how a simple adventure can teach them to handle a challenge. It’s the best place I know to actually unplug from work for a few days. I tell everyone who needs a real break to just go there.
Bennett Maxwell, CEO, Franchise KI
