National parks are important and historic areas of a country that are being protected by the government for public enjoyment and the preservation of wildlife. People from far away countries travel miles to amuse themselves with the beautiful scenes and scenarios of the park.
Furthermore, for zoophiles, it is their dream place to be in contact with different and unique wildlife that is only part of that specific area.
Introduction
Traveling to a national park is like going into the lapse of nature. They are the beauty of a country that it preserves for the amusement of the public and the protection of wildlife. Likewise, the US also has the world’s most beautiful and most visited national parks. Where millions of people travel annually. Besides smaller sites, the US has 63 major national parks around the state. These parks welcome their visitors with beautiful views of the hillsides, mountains, paths carved by water, fairy meadows, beautiful and unique wildlife that are only part of that specific region.
Furthermore, hiking through mountain tracks and going through the forest, and experiencing mind-blowing scenarios gives inner calmness and appeals to the soul of the visitor. Moreover, here we will talk about the top national parks in the US that will be organized by visitors annually. If you are planning a tour for any of the top US national parks, you can check below and can add them to your wish list of best travel destinations.
US National Parks List
Following is the US national park list where I have categorized the most visited national park in the US with the average visitors annually.
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is located in Tennessee, North California. For nature lovers, it’s a paradise with about 12 million visitors annually. The park offers wide waterfalls, historic buildings, scenic views, and hiking trails. There are a lot of other activities for the visitors like going on the road between Gatlinburg and Cherokee through the Newfound Gap mountain pass. Clingmans, the highest peak of the park.
You can also visit the historic churches, mills, and cabins that last from around the 1800s. The park is open all the year and is mostly crowded. The time from June to October is the busiest of all. The best time to visit the park is in summer and fall. Moreover, if you are planning to stay for a night, you can choose Gatlinburg, which is the best and cheaper option.
FAQs
How much does entrance into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park Costs?
It is one of the national parks in the US that has no entrance fee. You have to pay nothing to enter the park.
What is Smoky Mountain National Park famous for?
The park has many different sites that are either natural or man-made. There are a lot of waterfalls, wooded trails, scenic views, and above 90 historic buildings.
Visitor’s Review
TheTravelingBoyMama wrote a review of their family trip on TripAdvisor that is one of the best national parks in the USA with history and historical buildings. The park is beautiful and the views are mesmerizing.
2. Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is one of the top 10 US national parks. It is an iconic and the most beautiful canyon in the USA. Around 6.5 million visitors head towards this park annually and are one of the top national parks by visitors. It is situated in Arizona. It is formed by the twists of the Colorado River and preserves about 6 million years of geological history. Its total length is 445 km.
The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is the best tourist spot along with the Grand Canyon Skywalk. There you will experience beautiful viewpoints and also the best hiking tracks. Spring and fall is the best time to visit when the weather remains pleasant. For visiting North Rim, you have to visit in May and October because the road remains closed during winter. Also, such national parks in the US allow staying for a night in the Grand Canyon hotel
FAQs
The Grand Canyon covers how many states?
It covers the northwest of Arizona, borders Utah and Nevada. The Colorado River that flows is mixed with water from seven states.
How much is the entrance fee?
North and south rims entry fees are $30 per vehicle. The entrance package to the West rim per person is $45.65 and a helicopter tour of South Rim is $199 per person.
Visitor’s Review
Jtull55 on TripAdvisor said about the park that it is a worth-watching park with a beautiful sunset view.
Also, there are beautiful birds and other wildlife. The canyon is the most scenic view. It is a five-star worthy park.
3. Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain is located in Colorado, US. It is one of the top 5 US national parks. Around 5 million people travel here annually. Rocky Mountain, as the name indicates, is one of the national parks in the US that has beautiful scenery of mountains. The height of the mountain ranges to 14,260 feet, where 60 of them are over 12,000 feet. It is also termed as one of the highest national parks in the US. The best part of the park is the hiking trail of 871 km that will explore the whole park.
Moreover, Trail Ridge Road at the height of 12,000 feet will amuse you with an aerial view of the park. Similarly, fishing, bicycling, wildlife, and rock climbing are other major things to do. The best time is in summer from June to October. There is no overnight accommodation available at the park, but a lot nearby that can give you easy access.
FAQs
Which one of them is better: Estes Park or Grand Lake?
Estes Park is far better than Grand lake. There are more scenic views as compared to Grand Lake. So Estes park is the better option.
How much time do you need to visit the whole park?
You need to have at least three days to explore the park. If you are weak in hiking, then you must have at least five days.
Visitor’s Review
HelpfulAngel reviewed on TripAdvisor that it’s one of the best national parks in the United States that I would recommend with 5-stars. It has beautiful views, scenic mountains, waterfalls, and 12,000 to 14,000 of altitude. Also, there is a lot of wildlife.
4. Zion National Park
Zion lies in Utah, United States. It is one of the most visited national parks in the US where 4.5 million people visit annually. The park offers the most beautiful landscapes in the world. Additionally, 2,000 feet of high sandstone cliffs are breathtaking. It is also home to the different types of wildlife and North America’s largest flying bird. You can also experience hiking through the most scenic roads and the Zion-Mount Carmel highway in the United States.
Furthermore, through hiking one can best explore the park and can do cycling, horse riding, etc. Zion is considered to be one of the best national parks in the US for canyoneering. Moreover, spring and fall is the best time to visit in the months of April-May and September-October. For a night’s stay, Springdale situated right at the entrance is a good choice.
FAQs
What’s the Zion specialty?
Zion has many canyons and hiking tracks. It is also an archeological site of the people about 10,000 years ago.
How much is its fee?
It charges $35 per vehicle and $20 per person. Its annual pass is $70 per visitor.
Visitor’s Review
karensSouthernIN reviewed about his two-day tour to park on TripAdvisor that it has a great outlook and awesome views. Hiking over there was a different level of experience. Also, riding a bike there is extremely fun. She recommended the park with a 5-stars rating.
5. Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is in California, United States. The park is known for its granite cliffs, sequoia trees, and waterfalls. In USA national parks, it is ranked 5thaccording to annual visitors. The park has a variety of plant species, thousands of species of wildlife. It has 1,288 km of a long hiking trail and 454 km of picturesque road. The best way to travel through the whole park is by road and hiking. Where you can best observe the beautiful views and glacier points.
Moreover, you can also see the Yosemite Valley and Yosemite Falls. In summer, one can also do fishing, rock climbing, horse riding, and rafting. In winter, snow tubing and skiing are the favorite sports that make it one of the best national parks in the USA. The best to visit is in summer and autumn. Furthermore, Yosemite valley lodge is the perfect place to stay.
FAQs
How much is the entrance fee?
Since 1913, the entrance fee has been $30 per vehicle and $25 per motorcycle. But the remaining 300 sites are of no cost.
Where is Yosemite national park?
Yosemite national park is located in California, USA. It is 225 km to the east of San Francisco and 160 km to the southeast of Sacramento.
Visitor’s Review
Klein reviewed on TripAdvisor that the bike tour of the valley was awesome and we crossed amazing waterfalls with beautiful and scenic views. All of its sites are beautiful and worth watching.
6. Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park is a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts. Dramatic peaks and pristine lakes make up the landscape, while hot springs beckon travelers with their multicolored pools of steaming water that looks like an earthly paradise. The first time John Colter described Yellowstone’s geothermal curiosities in 1807. People thought he was embellishing. And they were right. The park is a photographer’s paradise. While you travel through its 3,000-plus square miles of mountains and canyons with permanent residents like buffalo, elk or even grizzlies; be prepared for some amazing pictures as well.
Yellowstone National Park has been a national park since 1872, and it’s still family-friendly. There are plenty of places to explore in Yellowstone if you don’t want the crowds. You could spend your whole visit at Old Faithful without seeing 4 million people because there are 2 millions acres where they can go unnoticed. This make an ideal spot for nature lovers who enjoy their privacy too. Clear your schedule for a few days and explore Yellowstone Lake, the Mammoth Hot Springs area or any other destination that catches your fancy. You can always come back if you find yourself overwhelmed by the number of trails. Save some time for lesser-known regions, like hot springs in West Thumb Geyser Basin and untamed wildlife dotting Lewis River Channel as well as Dogshead Loop which has an abundance of both.
FAQs
Where is Yellowstone National Park or what state is Yellowstone national park in?
Yellowstone is located in Wyoming but some of it parts also enters the neighboring Montana and Idaho. It has covered more space than two of US states. It has hot springs, mudpots, stream vents, and dense concentration of geysers.
What is the best month to visit Yellowstone National Park?
The best time to visit Yellowstone national park is from late April to may and from September to early October. This is an ideal time with pleasant weather Yellowstone National park and less crowd.
What is the Yellowstone National Park famous for?
Yellowstone national park is on the top of dormant volcano and is home to a number of geysers and hot springs as compared to any other place in the world.
Visitor’s Review
highstone351 posted their review on TripAdvisor that it is a beautiful spot that requires one time visit in the whole life. They recommend the place and some suggestion that to visit every spot hot springs, geysers, steam vents, the canyons, and also the rivers.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, above are the famous national parks in the US that have the most visitors annually. I have categorized them based on the most visits per year. These parks are the landmarks of nature and natural life. Some of them are also the part of national register of historic places. They preserve the wildlife and help the ecosystem to be stable.
Furthermore, there are beautiful scenes for people, trails for hiking, and hotels to stay. Above are the best national parks in the US, where you can choose where to go. I have narrowed down your idea. Select the best of your taste and set out for the journey with your four legs friend.