Whether you enjoy the hustle and bustle of the city or love the outdoors, the national parks are special for everyone. There are a whopping 63 national parks in the United States, each distinctive in its own way.
Here we have collected the best National Parks to visit in 2023 according to data.
12. Kenai Fjords, Alaska
Kenai Fjords National Park, one of Southcentral Alaska’s most breathtaking natural areas, is the ideal site to discover marine life, fish for salmon and halibut, and observe glacier ice fall into the water below.
Created in 1980 to safeguard some of Alaska’s most magnificent and inaccessible nature, Kenai Fjords National Park spans over 600,000 acres outside of Seward.
11. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Some of the best trekking in the California desert can be found in Joshua Tree National Park. The Indian Canyons offers more than 100 miles of hiking and horseback riding trails, historic palm groves, sweeping vistas, and a massive 60-foot seasonal waterfall to feast your eyes at every turn.
10. Indiana Dunes National Park, Indiana
Indiana Dunes National Park is a popular destination for outdoor enthusiasts of all kinds thanks to its unrivaled location along 15 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, 50 miles of difficult trails, and a rich ecosystem of dunes, wetlands, grasslands, and old-growth forest.
9. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,255 | 3,885,230 | $20 | 0.3 | 43.07% | 6.89 |
Grand Teton National Park, which spans approximately 500 square miles, is home to a stunning array of pristine wilderness, glacial lakes, flowing rivers, diverse wildlife and the spectacular Teton Range. Explore a landscape of towering peaks, predators and breathtaking beauty.
8. New River Gorge, West Virginia
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 1,682,720 | $0 | * | 48.15% | 7.01 |
The New River has carved a 73,000-acre valley in West Virginia for millions of years. The sandstone bluffs and rapids provide prime opportunities for rock climbing and whitewater rafting. Forest trails for mountain biking and hiking lead to scenic vistas and historic sites.
7. Zion National Park, Utah
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 596 | 5,039,835 | $20 | 1.4 | 44.05% | 7.09 |
Canyoning, the activity of descending narrow canyons, is popular around the world, and Zion is considered one of the best places to do it. The national park offers exciting wading, swimming, and climbing challenges, as well as spectacular water gorges and river-filled canyons.
6. Glacier National Park, Missouri
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4,100 | 3,081,656 | $20 | 2.2 | 51.99% | 7.17 |
In addition to having more than 700 miles of hiking trails, Glacier is a great destination to go bicycling, horseback riding, fishing, hiking, and whitewater rafting. You can do anything you want to do in Glacier.
5. Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | 2,162,884 | $0 | 2.3 | 23.95% | 7.30 |
The cultural history of Hot Springs National Park is extensive. It serves as a symbol of recovery and a memorial to the 20th-century “American Spa.” The nine historic bathhouses’ great architecture is matched by the area’s natural wonders, which have drawn visitors here for hundreds of years.
4. Biscayne National Park, Florida
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 700 | 705,655 | $0 | 8.9 | 43.55% | 7.30 |
The Maritime Heritage Trail allows you to discover the relics of the numerous shipwrecks that have been lost over the course of ages and are now resting in Biscayne National Park. You can swim around the base of the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse, which was constructed in 1878 in response to the nearby S.S. Arratoon Apcar wreck.
3. Olympics, Washington
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,734 | 2,718,925 | $15 | 1.8 | 45.73% | 7.75 |
With a national park rating of 7.75 out of 10, Olympic National Park rounds out our top 3. The closest community to the national park, Port Angeles, is only 1.8 miles from the Washington-based park. Olympic National Park is an excellent destination, as 45% of its reviews include the word “beautiful” Admission to the park, however, costs $15.
2. Cuyahoga Valley, Ohio
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 132 | 2,575,275 | $0 | 3 | 35.36% | 8.16 |
With an 8.16 out of 10 national park rating, Cuyahoga Valley National Park comes in second. Cuyahoga Valley National Park has a total area of 131.8 km2, making it one of the smaller national parks on our list, but there are still a lot of things to do there. The national park in Ohio also has close proximity to the nearest city and no entrance cost, making it accessible to everyone. Peninsula and Cuyahoga Valley are only three miles apart.
1. Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina, Tennessee.
| Area (km2) | Recreation visitors | Entrance Fee | Distance to Closest City (miles) | “Beautiful” Reviews | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,114 | 14,161,548 | $5 | 7.6 | 54.73% | 8.45 |
With an overall national park rating of 8.45 out of 10, Great Smoky Mountains National Park comes out on top. With more than 14 million visits, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located on the Tennessee and North Carolina border, ranks first in all of our categories. The Great Smoky Mountains also ranks second in the percentage of ratings that include the word “beautiful.”
U.S. National Parks Data
