Seven Must-Visit U.S. National Parks

The dean of Western writers, Wallace Stegner, famously stated that our national parks are “the best idea we ever had. Absolutely American, absolutely democratic, they reflect us at our best rather than our worst.”
 
They began in 1872, when President Ulysses S. Grant signed a law setting aside more than 1 million acres in the American West as a “pleasuring-ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” With a swoop of his pen, he created Yellowstone National Park, marking the first time in history that land was set aside not just for royalty or the rich, but for everyone.
 
Theodore Roosevelt, the “conservationist president,” would greatly extend that legacy, protecting millions of acres of public land, including five national parks. By 1916, 35 sites were under federal protection, and that summer, President Woodrow Wilson signed an act establishing the National Park Service as their official steward.
 
Today, there are 62 national parks  – along with more than 350 other protected areas, totaling some 84 million acres – which comes as a great boon for children, according to Virtuoso travel advisor Caroline Bach Wood. At the parks, she says, “Kids can see functioning ecosystems, learn about changes to our planet being brought on by climate change, realize the value of volunteerism, and establish a lifelong connection to our natural world.”
 
Here are a few of our favorite sites, and the best ways to see them – ask your travel advisor to plan an adventure that’s right for you.

Yellowstone National Park – Wyoming 

The world’s first national park, Yellowstone is known as the “Serengeti of the West” for its abundant wildlife, including bison, bears, wild horses, and elks. The reintroduction of wolves during the 1990s restored the park’s delicate natural balance, making it one of the largest intact temperate ecosystems on earth. Its 2.2 million acres contain some 300 geysers and 10,000 thermal features – more than New Zealand and Iceland combined – as well as one of the world’s biggest petrified forests and its own 4,000-foot-wide, 1,200-foot-deep Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone.
 
Insider Tip: “I recommend the bull elk bugling, which takes place during the fall rutting season (late August to early October),” says Caroline Labbé, a Virtuoso advisor. “Hearing the deep, bone-chilling bellow is a must for anyone who loves animals.”
 
Snap It: Head beyond Old Faithful to the less visited Lower Geyser Basin and its Fountain Paint Pot Nature Trail, lined with gushing geysers, hot springs, steam vents, and mud pots.
 
Save It: Yellowstone is the only place in the U.S. where bison have roamed freely since prehistoric times. The World Wildlife Fund is working with Native American tribes to protect the park’s herd.
 
Go: Jackson Hole makes an ideal base for day trips to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Park. Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole can arrange a helicopter flightseeing tour with the resort’s in-house biologist. Virtuoso travelers receive breakfast daily and a $100 dining credit. 

Acadia National Park – Maine 

Comprising 47,000 acres along the Maine coast, Acadia was the first national park created from private land donated by individuals, most notably John D. Rockefeller. The park encompasses rocky shorelines, spruce and pine forests, lakes, and peaks – including Cadillac Mountain, which, at 1,530 feet, is the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard. Some 125 miles of historic hiking trails make it easy to explore.
 
Fun Fact: Between early October and early March, Cadillac Mountain is where the first light of day strikes the U.S. each morning.
 
Insider Tip: “For a nice hike, follow the Bar Island Trail, a ‘land bridge’ from behind the Bar Harbor Club that takes you out to the island,” says Virtuoso advisor Denise Meiler. “The hour-long hike offers great views of Bar Harbor. Make sure to plan your walk with the tide, though, or you’ll get stuck on the island until the next one!” 
 
Go: Tour operator Backroads leads five-day multi-adventure tours through Maine that includes two days in Acadia. 

Glacier National Park – Montana

Humans have inhabited Montana’s glacier region for more than 10,000 years, and Native American tribes consider its soaring peaks, vast prairies, and glacier-carved valleys to be sacred ground. Spread across 1 million acres, the park’s diverse habitats remain the only place in the continental U.S. to harbor all of the predators that were present when Europeans first arrived. Experience its spectacular landscape on the 50-mile-long Going-to-the-Sun Road, a National Historic Landmark in its own right.
 
Insider Tip: “While you’re in Glacier Country, take advantage of nearby Flathead and Whitefish lakes to go stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, Jet Skiing, tubing, and waterskiing,” says Caroline Bach Wood. “The Whitefish Trail offers great biking opportunities; in mid-July, Flathead cherries begin to ripen.”
 
Why Go Now: While some 150 glaciers were present in 1850, just 25 remain today. Scientists predict that, under current conditions, the last icy mass for which the park is named will disappear by 2030.
 
Kids Will Love: From late June through early September, members of the Blackfeet and other local tribes share their history and culture through music, dance, and storytelling as part of the park’s annual Native America Speaks series.
 
Go: A customizable six-day journey with Austin Adventures has families rafting along the Flathead River, hiking Grinnell Glacier, visiting Running Eagle Falls, and hearing the Blackfeet tale of the female warrior for whom the falls was named.

Denali National Park & Preserve – Alaska 

Denali gets its name from the Athabascan people’s word for “the high one” – apt given that the 20,310-foot peak is North America’s tallest. The mountain is so massive, it generates its own weather, and the 6 million preserved acres surrounding it comprise a complete subarctic ecosystem that supports more than 850 species of flora and fauna, including grizzlies, Dall sheep, moose, and wolves. President Carter designated the park’s taiga forest, frozen tundra, and glacial lakes an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976.
 
Good to Know: After a 40-year effort by Alaska’s native people, President Obama signed an executive order in 2015 restoring the name Denali to the mountain from its former moniker, Mount McKinley.
 
Insider Tip: “To experience some of the real Alaska, base your stay in the charming town of Talkeetna,” notes Virtuoso advisor Lynda McMahon. “It’s about 150 miles to Denali, but you can take a floatplane flight into the park, landing on an alpine lake between two glaciers for a hike deep into the backcountry.”
 
Fun Fact: The park sees 20 hours of daylight during summer months. Take full advantage with free daily Park Ranger-led activities, including guided hikes and sled dog demonstrations.
 
Go: Your travel advisor can work with Virtuoso’s on-site national parks specialists to craft a customized tour, such as a seven-day exploration that includes hiking, canoeing, and fly-fishing in Denali’s backcountry, as well as a cruise through Kenai Fjords National Park.

Zion National Park – Utah

Some 12,000 years ago, humans hunted woolly mammoths, giant sloths, and camels across this region of southern Utah. The Anasazi farmed here as recently as 800 years ago, while Mormon pioneers thought it to be heaven on earth. Today hikers consider Zion’s hypersaturated canyons, plateaus, pools, and monoliths, carved over millennia by the Virgin River, to be – as the 148,000-acre park’s name implies – the “Promised Land.”
 
Kids Will Love: Zion’s narrowest gorge – aptly named The Narrows, with walls up to 1,000 feet high – is considered one of the world’s best slot-canyon hikes. Note: You’ll be sloshing through the Virgin River, so wear waterproof shoes.
 
Snap It: For a sunrise shot, move beyond the more crowded viewpoints to the Canyon Overlook Trail or catch a dramatic sunset along Kolob Terrace Road.
 
Insider Tip: “Try to enter or exit through the park’s east entrance instead of the more common Springdale one,” says Doreen Lopez, a Virtuoso advisor. “It reveals an incredible landscape, with all sorts of checkerboard patterns in the rocks. I entered during a rainstorm once, and it was breathtaking.”
 
Go: Families get a National Park two-fer with Backroads’ six-day multisport tour, including a trek through Zion’s famed Narrows and biking past hoodoo rock columns in Bryce Canyon Park. 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park – North Carolina & Tennessee

America’s most visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains covers 522,427 acres and is home to at least 17,000 species of flora and fauna – more than any temperate climate area of equal size on earth. Southern Appalachian culture is on display as well, with the largest collection of historic log buildings in the eastern U.S., including a working grist mill.
 
Insider Tip: “During springtime, hike up to Andrews Bald to see the mountain laurel blooming,” says Virtuoso advisor Joe Crews. “In the fall, Cades Cove is a must-do with miles of trails.”
 
Fun Fact: Anglers find more than 500 miles of fishable streams in the park, including a wild trout habitat.
 
Kids Will Love: Weekend workshops on animal tracking, caring for orphaned bear cubs, and Cherokee heritage are on offer through the Smoky Mountain Field School, a partnership between the park and the University of Tennessee.
 
Go: Set in the Smokies’ foothills, Blackberry Farm lays claim to one of Tennessee’s best stretches of trout water. The inn’s adventure team can arrange guided hiking and kayaking trips in the park. Virtuoso travelers receive a welcome gift, breakfast daily, and a $100 spa credit. 

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park – Hawaii Island

Set along the southeastern coast of Hawaii Island, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park gets its name from two of the world’s most active volcanoes: Mauna Loa, which last erupted in 1984, and Kilauea, which has been erupting continuously since 1983 (a major eruption in 2018 closed the park for months). The park’s 333,000 acres contain seven ecological zones, endangered plant and animal species, and archaeological sites held sacred by Hawaii’s indigenous people.
 
Insider Tip: “A must-see,” according to Virtuoso advisor Randy King: “Thurston Lava Tube, a stop along the Crater Rim Drive Tour. The weather can be unpredictable, so bring a light jacket. Also, leave the lava rocks where you find them so as not to upset Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire!”
 
Save It: The critically endangered hawksbill sea turtle nests along the coast in late May through December. To help preservation efforts, visit the Friends of Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park.