So many of us look abroad when planning our vacations but as this national park bucket list shows, there really is no place like home.
Every single state has some wonderful things to visit that will completely blow you mind.
And there are so many different landscapes and things to visit that you actually might need a lifetime to complete this list.
Of course the best way to see most national parks in the USA is on an old-fashioned road trip. Whether you take the car a la National Lampoon or you hit the RV park, there is plenty to see, as my list below will show you.
More USA Bucket List Ideas
Los Angeles Bucket List: 75+ Things to Do in LA
NYC Bucket List: 85+ Things to Do in New York
National Parks Bucket List
I’ve arranged this post by State to make it easier to see exactly what you want to see while you are in each place.
This will also make it easy to plan your road-trip if you are crossing the country from East to West.
As it can be a bit overwhelming to do all the National Parks on this bucket list, I’ve also broken it down by the most popular ones that are essential for your National Parks Challenge.
A couple of tips:
Do you have a 4th grader in the family?
Every year, beginning September 1, all kids in the fourth grade have access to their own Every Kid Outdoors pass at www.everykidoutdoors.gov. This pass provides free access to national parks across the country.
The Every Kid Outdoors pass is good for the 4th grade school year, until August 31.
Reservations
If you want to camp or use RV parks at the National Parks (which you likely do), you can make your reservations at the National Park Reservations Official Site.
No time?
National Parks Bucket List – The Top 10
These are the 10 most visited National Parks in 2020 according to The National Park Service.
- Great Smokey Mountain National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
- Zion National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Cuyahoga National Park
- Acadia National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
National Parks Bucket List By State
Read on for the ultimate national park bucket list by state to make it easy to plan your USA road trip.
Alaska
- Denali National Park and Preserve
- Gates of the Arctic National Park
- Glacier Bay National Park
- Katmai National Park and Preserve
- Kenai Fjords National Park
- Kobuk Valley National Park
- Lake Clark National Park
- Wrangell – St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Arizona
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Saguaro National Park
Arkansas
- Hot Springs National Park
California
- Channel Islands National Park
- Death Valley National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Pinnacles National Park
- Redwood National Park
- Sequoia National Park
- Yosemite National Park
Colorado
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
- Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
Florida
- Biscayne National Park
- Dry Tortugas National Park
- Everglades National Park
Hawaii
- Haleakala National Park
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
Indiana
- Indiana Dunes National Park
Kentucky
- Kentucky National Parks
- Mammoth Cave National Park
Maine
- Acadia National Park
Michigan
- Isle Royale National Park
Minnesota
- Voyageurs National Park
Missouri
- Gateway Arch National Park
Montana
- Glacier National Park
Nevada
- Great Basin National Park
New Mexico
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- White Sands National Park
North Carolina
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
North Dakota
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park
Ohio
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Oregon
- Crater Lake National Park
South Carolina
- Congaree National Park
South Dakota
- Badlands National Park
- Wind Cave National Park
Tennessee
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Texas
- Big Bend National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Utah
- Arches National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- Capitol Reef National Park
- Zion National Park
Virginia
- Shenandoah National Park
Washington
- Mount Rainier National Park
- North Cascades National Park
- Olympic National Park
West Virginia
- New River Gorge National Park
Wyoming
- Grand Teton National Park
- Yellowstone National Park
More Epic Bucket Lists
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London Bucket List: 60+ Things To Do In London
Chicago Bucket List: 65+ Best Things to Do in Chicago
