Imagine seeing the vast expanses of Glacier National Park or the Grand Canyon from a different vantage point than聽everyone else. Instead of hiking the most popular trail, you鈥檙e traversing聽the park by dogsled or pedaling a fat-tire bike across the snow. Instead of driving the same scenic route as other cars, you鈥檙e floating or flying above it all in聽a hot-air balloon or helicopter. Here鈥檚 how to make that happen.
Travel by Train

Skip driving and hop aboard a train. This year聽the company 聽will introduce a new聽route on a glass-domed train聽between Denver and Moab, Utah. The two-night journey will begin near Rocky Montain National Park听补苍诲聽overnight at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, before arriving near 听补苍诲 National Parks (from $1,250).听To see聽, book a聽 (from $1,059) with .听You鈥檒l disembark at Montana鈥檚 East Glacier Park station, then spend three nights at the historic聽, built by the Great Northern Railway.听 offers many trips to national parks, including a聽 (from $1,325) that starts in Chicago and ends at the聽, with lodging at the聽 补苍诲听.
Go by Dogsled

At Alaska鈥檚聽, stay in a log cabin at聽 (from $189) and you can sign up for the lodge鈥檚聽 (from $140), the only approved dog-mushing operator within the park. You鈥檒l travel across the snowy tundra toward the north face of 20,310-foot Denali. In Wyoming,聽 leads daylong dogsled tours (from $250) through聽 or for overnight stays聽at聽a backcountry yurt. Longtime Montana-based musher leads tours (from $150) on the edge of聽, where a team of huskies race you down聽a path through聽Stillwater State Forest.
Downhill-Ski Inside a National Park

Plenty of national parks have backcountry terrain in the wintertime聽where you can earn your turns (though be sure to check for avalanche warnings), but did you know you can ride a chairlift inside three national parks in the U.S.?聽 (tickets from $45), located inside Washington鈥檚聽, isn鈥檛 huge鈥攋ust聽two rope tows and a Poma lift鈥攂ut the place gets an average 400 inches of snow each year. In California, Yosemite National Park鈥檚聽 is closed this winter due to COVID-19, but normally聽the area operates five lifts (tickets from $30). You can also聽ski in Ohio鈥檚聽 at Vail Resorts鈥 , which are just five minutes apart聽(tickets from $49, advance reservations required).
Fly in a Hot-Air Balloon

You can float over Utah鈥檚聽Canyonlands听补苍诲聽Arches National Parks in a hot-air balloon with聽 (from $299). You鈥檒l take off at sunrise from a launch pad just outside Moab.听 (from $300), out of Winter Park, Colorado, flies hot-air balloons year-round into the skies above聽 for early-morning views of 14,259-foot Longs Peak.
Pedal a Bike

Mountain biking isn鈥檛 permitted in all national parks, so check access, trails, and conditions before you go off-road. In the wintertime, fat-tire bikes are allowed at select parks, including on ungroomed trails within聽. , in Bar Harbor, Maine, has a small fleet of fat bikes for rent (from $40) during the snowy months. For guided trips,聽 leads half- or full-day guided winter fat-bike tours (from $280 for two people, including bike rental) into聽.听
Explore from Underground

in Kentucky offers year-round and seasonal (from $20) of its聽vast underground caverns for small groups. Not into dark, cramped spaces? You can also hike above-ground trails within the park, with signage indicating the natural history of the cave passages below your feet. At聽 in Nevada, the limestone can be toured with a guide (from $12). Book tours at both parks in advance to reserve a spot.
Get High in a Plane or Helicopter

For a splurge,聽luxury-tour operator is offering a new winter 聽by private charter plane (from $29,900 per person for ten聽days) for small groups of 4聽to 12 people. You鈥檒l jet聽to up to six national parks, including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Bryce Canyon, staying at high-end properties and enjoying聽guided adventures that range聽from snowshoeing to wolf tracking along the way.听