Few venues let you admire the heavens like national parks鈥攑articularly during star parties. These events are exactly what they sound like: gatherings of dozens to thousands of night-sky enthusiasts, all focused on watching the cosmos.

National park star parties aren鈥檛 a new phenomenon, but they鈥檝e become particularly buzzed-about with the recent boom in astrotourism. Take Grand Canyon National Park. In 1991, the park partnered with the to host their first Grand Canyon Star Party. Now, the week-long summer celebration draws more than 1,000 nightly visitors for guided sky-watching, cultural storytelling, and astrophotography workshops. And it鈥檚 not the only park alluring travelers with astronomical awe.

National parks now host star parties across the country, with the bulk of events scheduled over the summer and early fall. That鈥檚 when the Milky Way is at its most dazzling; plus, warmer weather makes all-night fun more feasible.

Here are nine of the best national park star parties and astronomy festivals to bookmark for 2025, and a bonus nightscape celebration for early 2026.

Grand Canyon Star Party

June 21-28, 2025

There鈥檚 nothing like catching the cosmos above the Grand Canyon鈥檚 striated walls. Go all in on scenic stargazing with rangers, astronomers, and other guest experts at the this June. The event draws thousands of attendees with powerful telescopes, space presentations, Indigenous sky talks, and music designed to bring these vivid nightscapes to life. The festivities are spread across the North and South Rim visitor centers, and typically last until around 11 p.m. Attendance is free and open to the public, with park entrance starting at $35 per private vehicle.

Bryce Canyon Astronomy Festival

June 26-28, 2025

See the hoodoos beneath the pinpricked heavens at the annual . This weekend-long event, which is free with park admission (starting at $35 per private vehicle), entertains visitors with astrophotography workshops, astronomical history sessions, expert-guided stargazing, and astronomy 101 talks. The final evening will bring a particularly spectacular show with Mars, the bright star Regulus, the crescent moon, and Mercury aligning in the western sky just after sunset. The Bryce Canyon National Park visitor center is the fest鈥檚 central gathering point, equipped with a telescope that鈥檚 available to the public from 10 p.m. to midnight both nights.

Badlands AstroFest

July 18-20, 2025

Stargazing among South Dakota鈥檚 striped buttes feels like sky-watching from outer space鈥攁nd a stop at the annual July only elevates the wonder. This three-day event, which takes place at the Ben Reifel Visitor Center, offers planetarium activations, solar telescopes (watch for sunspots鈥攚here Earth鈥檚 dazzling aurora shows originate), and guided stargazing beneath Badlands National Park鈥檚 vast skies. Numerous speakers help illuminate both the myths and science of the celestial world. Better yet: It鈥檚 a free event; you鈥檒l just have to paypark entrance (from $30 per private vehicle).

Logan Pass Star Parties at Glacier National Park

July 25 and August 22, 2025

The Big Sky Astronomy Club hosts during the new moon at Glacier National Park each year. This summer鈥檚 events will lure astronomy enthusiasts to scenic Logan Pass, the highest point you can drive to in the park. The activities鈥攆rom watching distant galaxies and neighboring planets via telescopes (don鈥檛 miss Mars just above the western horizon) to dark-sky stargazing鈥攂egin at 10 p.m., but participants must arrive at the Logan Pass parking lot by 9:30 p.m. Tickets (from $5) are required and available the day before each star party in the ; park entrance starts at $35 per private vehicle.

Dakota Nights Astronomy Festival

August 22-23, 2025

Watch the stars swim above a sea of multi-hued rock and prairie grasses at Theodore Roosevelt National Park with the . This year鈥檚 event, scheduled for late August, will include expert astronomy speakers, guided sky-watching via telescopes and laser pointers (keep watch for Saturn on the eastern horizon after sunset), and night-sky storytelling, as well as hands-on activities like astro-inspired arts and crafts. It鈥檚 free to partake, although park entrance (starting at $30 per private vehicle) is required.

Voyageurs National Park Star Party

August 29-30, 2025

Close out the summer with waterfront sky-watching at the , which runs the Friday and Saturday of Labor Day weekend. The event, hosted by Voyageurs Conservancy and several other local partners, helps visitors appreciate this DarkSky Park鈥檚 pristine nightscapes. Not only is Voyageurs famous for its countless stars, but it鈥檚 also among the country鈥檚 best national parks for chasing the aurora. This star party welcomes park-goers with telescopes, laser-pointer constellation viewing, and storytelling about this wetlands ecosystem. Details remain to-be-determined for this year鈥檚 event, but most experiences are free. (Entrance to Voyageurs National Park is also free, although for camping, houseboats, and select tours.)

Can鈥檛 make it to the summer show? Bookmark another Voyageurs sky-appreciation event鈥斺€攆or winter astro adventuring come February.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon Dark Sky Festival

September 12-14, 2025

This September, scenic viewpoints and visitor centers across Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will welcome stargazers with telescopes, eye-popping sky viewing, and star-themed activities. The festival is free (with park admission, starting at $35 per private vehicle) and is often lauded for its fun, beginner-friendly approach to astronomy. Visitors enjoy space-movie screenings, astro-inspired arts and crafts sessions, and immersive stargazing led by local experts. Session specifics for are still being finalized, but get ready for planet watching. This year鈥檚 dates are especially ideal for spotting Saturn; the ringed planet will rise in the southeast sky after sunset with Uranus, visible only by telescope, following behind it

Great Basin Astronomy Festival

September 18-20, 2025

See Saturn, the Pleiades star cluster, the Andromeda galaxy, and countless other interstellar bodies above Nevada鈥檚 aspen forests and sagebrush-scented foothills . The annual event is free, although reservations are required for several events, including telescope sessions. The astronomy get-together includes guest speakers from NASA, tours of the Great Basin Observatory, guided stargazing, and an 鈥渁rt in the dark鈥� night experience. It鈥檚 best to arrive early, because the event is first-come, first-served and reaches capacity once the Lehman Caves and Great Basin Visitor Center parking lots fill.

Joshua Tree Night Sky Festival

October 24-25, 2025

Each year, the Sky鈥檚 the Limit Nature Center and Observatory, located right outside Joshua Tree National Park鈥檚 North Station entrance, hosts a . The festival offers dark-sky stargazing and telescopes to spy on nearby Betelgeuse and Saturn鈥檚 rings, all with the stark desertscapes and dramatic silhouettes of Joshua Tree National Park as the backdrop. Tickets for this event, as well as fleshed-out event details, will be available this summer. Prices have not been announced, but tickets typically go on sale during early summer.

Death Valley Dark Sky Festival

Early 2026

The is another major NPS stargazing gathering鈥攁nd for good reason. Far from city lights, Death Valley鈥檚 night skies are some of the darkest in the U.S. And, since nighttime offers a respite from the park鈥檚 famous heat this is one of the best ways to experience the valley for the first time. The annual event, which typically takes place in late February or early March, features astronomy talks, astrophotography meetups, family-friendly sky-watching tours, and telescope viewing to spy on deep space. Dates for the 2026 event will be released in the fall of 2025; tickets are free, but park entrance is required (starting at $30 per private vehicle).

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It鈥檚 going to be harder than ever to pitch your tent inside a national park this summer. Scoring a campsite at our popular parks is difficult during any stretch of warmer months, when parks see a surge in visitation. And the Trump-mandated National Park Service layoffs are adding an extra wrinkle to many summer travel plans. Some park units have had to delay the release of their campground reservations, while others are choosing to keep certain campgrounds closed for the summer due to staffing issues. In other words, if you don鈥檛 already have a reservation for a campsite in a national park,听you probably aren鈥檛 going to get one.

Have no fear. I鈥檝e been in your shoes multiple times, rolling into national parks in search of a legal spot to pitch my tent, only to be turned away because every campground was fully booked. What I鈥檝e learned over the years is that the campgrounds inside national parks aren鈥檛 the only camping options available. Many of our park units are surrounded by national forest and BLM land, which often offer less crowded campgrounds, many of which are first come/first serve.

The rise of platforms like Hipcamp has resulted in many private landowners welcoming campers to their farms and ranches near parks. So if you鈥檙e hoping to explore some of our popular national parks this summer, you have more camping options than you may听realize.

I鈥檝e consulted with the folks at Hipcamp, begged for secrets from other adventurers, and compiled some of my own favorite campsites to create this list of the best campgrounds near the most popular national parks in the country.

Yosemite National Park, California

Summer in Yosemite National Park is amazing. The waterfalls, the perfect weather, the picture-perfect granite domes.It’s so incredible that听it can feel as if听 all of America has descended on the valley to witness the beauty. All of Yosemite鈥檚 require a reservation during the summer, and those spots are snagged fast. Reservations are being released late this year because of the staffing issues, so there鈥檚 still a chance you could snag a campsite for fall (reservations for September 15 to October 14 are being released on June 15), but if you want to hit Yosemite during the summer, you鈥檒l need to camp elsewhere.

Evergreen Lodge: Groveland, California听

is a full-on outdoor resort with historic cabins, a general store, onsite adventure guides and a campus full of lawn games like bocce and ping pong. It also has a campground full of brand new for 2025 glamping tents (from $210 a night), each of which comes with full access to the resort amenities, from the salt water swimming pool to the nightly s鈥檓ores around the campfire.听The best part? It鈥檚 located just one mile from Yosemite鈥檚 less-crowded Hetch Hetchy entrance in the northwest corner of the park. From there, it鈥檚 a little over an hour to Yosemite Valley, but you don鈥檛 have to venture that far to experience the park. Hetch Hetchy is loaded with hikes, lakes, and waterfalls. If you鈥檙e up for an adventure, hike the 13-mile out and back to , which wraps around the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, in the shadow of Hetch Hetchy Dome, before ending at a long series of cascades through a narrow gorge just upstream of the eastern edge of the manmade lake.

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McCabe Flat Campground, BLM Land听

The BLM operates three established campgrounds on the Merced River off of Highway 140 near the western edge of Yosemite, all of which are first come first serve. is the best, with just 11 sites and access to a sandy beach and deep swimming hole on the river. Obviously, bring your swimmies and sunscreen.

Yellowstone National Park, Montana

Ah, Yellowstone鈥eysers, wildlife, and some of the most popular (read: hard to book) campgrounds in the entire national park system. Fortunately, Yellowstone is flanked by Custer Gallatin National Forest, which operates 14 campgrounds within 35 miles of the park. Add to that the bevy of privately owned campgrounds in the direct vicinity of Yellowstone, and you have plenty of options for bedding down this summer.

Canyon Campground, Custer Gallatin National Forest听

Most of the forest service campgrounds near Yellowstone require reservations, which are released six months in advance, so you might have a hard time scoring one of those sites at this point. But has 17 sites (just $10 a night) are first come/first serve, and they sit near the Yellowstone River just 16 miles from the north entrance to the park. It鈥檚 not fancy (there are no showers, no hookups, but many of the sites are surrounded by large boulders, and you can鈥檛 beat the convenience or price. Get there midweek if you want to score a spot.

Camp Steelhead: West Yellowstone, Idaho听

The privately-owned sits on two acres with three sites tucked into the pines, all of which are RV and van-life friendly. There鈥檚 plenty of space to spread out if you鈥檙e with a group (each site sleeps up to 12), and a trail on an old railroad grade begins on the property that delivers a view of the Buffalo River. The small campground has a porta-potty, water and electrical hookups, and it鈥檚 just 30 minutes to the West Yellowstone Entrance (from $85 a night).

Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming听

Jackson and Grand Teton National Park can feel like a zoo during the summer, particularly if you鈥檙e looking to pitch a tent in the. Reservations fill fast because of the scenery (the campground has loops on the picture-perfect Jenny Lake with the Tetons looming large in the background) as well as the fact that it鈥檚 the only campground in the park that doesn鈥檛 allow RVs and generators, so it鈥檚 a bit quieter. I just checked the availability for Jenny Lake and there鈥檚 exactly one site available on a random Tuesday night in July, so check out these options instead.

Mike Harris Campground, Targhee National Forest听

Caribou-Targhee National Forest has four campgrounds in the Teton Basin Ranger District, just west of Grand Teton National Park, not to mention miles of dirt roads with established (and free) dispersed campsites to choose from. The wins based on its location: it鈥檚 situated on the Teton Pass, a few miles from Victor, Idaho, and just 22 miles from the Granite Canyon Entrance to the park, near Teton Village, and 20 miles from downtown Jackson. It鈥檚 a small campground, just 12 sites, half of which you can reserve six months in advance, the other half are first come/first serve. I like having some first come/first serve options, especially if you can get there mid-week, but get this; the last time I checked, there are still plenty of reservable sites available throughout the summer. The sites are tucked into a forest of lodgepole pines and Douglas firs with plenty of privacy, and you鈥檒l have access to Trail Creek, which has healthy populations of cutthroat and brook trout. Spots are just $17 a night.

Ranchita Corazon of the Tetons: Teton, Idaho听

How about boondocking on a two-acre horse farm with an unobstructed view of the Tetons? That鈥檚 what you get when you book with , which has a single spot for RVs and van lifers complete with water and electricity. There鈥檚 even a sauna on the property. The farm sits near the Idaho/Wyoming border, under an hour from the Jenny Lake Visitor Center. Spots start at $70 a night.

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park had more than 4 million visitors last year, making it the fifth most visited park in the country. That鈥檚 nothing new, as it has been a perennial favorite for more than a decade. I tried grabbing a campsite at the last minute several years ago, and ended up pitching a tent in a Yogi Bear鈥檚 Jellystone Campground well outside of the park. My kids enjoyed the campground鈥檚 putt putt course, but it wasn鈥檛 the serene campsite I envisioned.

Olive Ridge Campground, Roosevelt National Forest听

There are plenty of developed RV-friendy campgrounds on the Estes Park side of the park (see my Jellystone story above), but if you鈥檙e looking for a more primitive and serene experience (read: no putt putt courses), head to inside Roosevelt National Forest, near the southeastern corner of the park. The 56 sites (from $29 a night) are surrounded by aspens and ponderosa pines, and half of them are first come/first serve. You鈥檙e close to the Wild Basin area of the park, with fast access to the , an 8.7-mile out and back to a backcountry lake sitting at 10,000 feet at the base of 13,916-foot Mount Meeker. And it鈥檚 just 14 miles south of the main entrance to the park in Estes Park. Take note if you鈥檙e going later in the summer, Olive Ridge is going to close for renovations on August 17 .

Arapaho Valley Ranch: Granby, Colorado听

Most visitors hit Rocky Mountain from the Estes Park side, but , which has cabins, RV hookups, and tent sites, sits on the quieter western side of the park in Granby, within an hour鈥檚 drive of the Rocky Mountain鈥檚 Kawuneeche Visitor Center. The 100-acre ranch has a small lake for paddling and fishing as well as a slice of the South Fork Colorado River. There鈥檚 a hiking trail onsite that leads to an overlook of the Colorado River headwaters. Tent sites start at $85 a night.

Acadia National Park, Maine

Camping inside of Acadia is more limited than most national parks, as there are only a couple of established campgrounds on Mount Desert Island, the main region of the park that attracts most visitors, and there are no backcountry options for the adventurous. To be honest, there aren鈥檛 a lot of tent camping options outside of the park either, as Acadia is flanked by the Atlantic on one side and mostly privately owned land on the other. Like so many national parks, most of the private campgrounds near Acadia cater mostly to RVs, but we did find this one gem that should be on your radar if you have plans to hit Acadia this summer.

HTR Acadia听

may as well be inside Acadia National Park, as its 10-acre campus is located on the Somes Sound, which splits Mount Desert Island in half. From HTR, it鈥檚 a 15 minute drive to downtown Bar Harbor, giving you fast access to Acadia highlights like Cadillac Mountain, Sand Beach, and the . Choose from 25 tent and RV sites starting at $69 a night, some of which are actually on Somes Sound. Cool fact: Somes Sound is the only fjord on the East Coast听of the U.S. The water reaches depths of 175 feet and the mountains on either side rise 850 feet directly from the water. Bring a kayak or paddle board; private boat docks on the campground allow you to launch into the sound and explore.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park: North Carolina and Tennessee

Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited park in the country, attracting more than 14 million people in 2024. Booking a site inside the park can feel like winning the lottery, and the odds of winning decreased significantly this summer as the park is not opening several of their campgrounds due to a lack of staffing. The good news? The camping options just beyond the park鈥檚 borders might be even better than what you find inside the park.

Tsali Recreation Area, Nantahala National Forest听

The 42-site campground at isn鈥檛 fancy (no glamping tents here), but you can鈥檛 beat the location. It sits on the shores of Lake Fontana, which forms the southwestern border of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From Tsali, you鈥檙e a 15 minute drive from Bryson City, one of the park鈥檚 more laid-back gateway towns, where you can hit the trails of the area of the park, which is known for its waterfalls. This is one of my go-to campgrounds because it鈥檚 just over an hour from my home and has direct access to 30 miles of mountain bike trails in Nantahala National Forest, as well as Lake Fontana, which is one of my favorite places to paddle in search of rope swings. So bring your kayak or SUP and mountain bike. Spots are $20 a night.

Smoky Mountains Mangalitsa River Ranch: Waynesville, North Carolina听

Choose your level of comfort at , a 95-acre farm (complete with horses and pigs!) near Waynesville, NC, on the eastern edge of Great Smoky Mountains. The ranch has cabins, glamping tents on platforms overlooking the river, and 10 primitive tent sites that either offer mountain views or river access. Bring your fly rod, becausePigeon River runs through the property. There鈥檚 even a fresh spring providing drinking water. Mangalitsa River Ranch is an hour from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, where you can see elk gather in the meadows most evenings. You鈥檙e听even closer to the Big Creek Area of the park (about 30 minutes) where you can hike Mount Sterling Trail, a 5.3-mile out and back that ends at a historic fire lookout above 5,000 feet in elevation.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 found himself inside a national park without a campsite on too many occasions, some times with small children and a disappointed wife in tow. He recently wrote about his love for Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the perfect sleeping platform that allows you to camp in the back of your car.听听

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The post The New Rules of Visiting National Parks appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The National Park Service recently released their annual , reporting the most guests in the system鈥檚 history, with almost 332 million people exploring our parks, preserves, recreation areas, and historic sites in 2024.

Unfortunately, this surge in popularity is coinciding with a staffing crisis within the park service, as the Trump Administration has dictated the organization cut 1,000 employees. In addition to the staff cuts, the Park Service was initially ordered to freeze the hiring of seasonal staff, a workforce that helps bolster park management and care during the busiest months of the year.

鈥淧arks have been understaffed for a long time, with the percentage of full-time employees on the decline while parks have been getting more popular every year,鈥� says Cassidy Jones, the senior visitation program manager for the (NPCA), a nonprofit devoted to advocating for our parks.

Before Trump鈥檚 round of cuts, the overall National Park Service staff had eroded by 20 percent since 2010, while visitation had increased by 16 percent in that same time period. Jones says this latest round of cuts, which eliminates another 9 percent from the overall Park Service staff, will only exacerbate the understaffed and overcrowded conundrum that plagues many of our popular parks. While the hiring freeze of seasonal staff was eventually lifted, the delay caused most parks to be two months behind on hiring the employees that visitors most often encounter鈥攖he teams that work the visitor centers, manages the gates, and clean the bathrooms.

As a result, Jones says visitors to national parks this summer might not have the same experience they鈥檙e used to, with reduced hours at certain visitor centers, bathrooms that are still closed from winter, longer lines at entrance stations, and some cancelled guided ranger programs. It鈥檚 possible that certain recreation facilities, like campgrounds or staffed boat ramps, will also be closed temporarily.

There鈥檚 been a lack of transparency from the federal government as to how many employees each park has lost, but the nonprofit Association for National Park Rangers has an unofficial tally that shows the hardest hit parks are also some of the most popular, like Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which lost 10 full-time employees during the initial round of layoffs. And this is likely just the beginning, as the Trump Administration has ordered the National Park Service to reduce its payroll by 30 percent.

鈥淓very park has experienced some staffing cuts, so all of the parks will be stressed this summer,鈥� says Jones.

But that doesn鈥檛 mean you should stay home. The 433 units that make up the National Park System are publicly owned, and we have the right to enjoy them. It鈥檚 also our responsibility to make sure they鈥檙e protected for future generations to enjoy. More than ever, it鈥檚 imperative that all visitors have a thoughtful approach to exploring our parks this summer. Here are four things to keep in mind.

1. Be Kind

We鈥檙e all looking for a parking spot. We鈥檙e all waiting in the entrance line. That ranger who doesn鈥檛 know the answer to your question is doing the best they can. A little kindness can go a long way in a crowded park when people are hot, tired, and just looking for a place to park.

2. Stay Prepared

What are you going to do if the snack shack is closed? What about the bathroom? This summer, more than ever, you need to practice when you visit a national park, which means you need to pack out everything you pack in. Bring the food and water you鈥檒l need, take all your trash with you,听 and consider packing a few in case the bathroom at the trailhead is closed.

3. Make a Plan

A ranger might not be around to ask for directions or suggestions for easy hikes that your 5 year old would enjoy. So research your trip before you enter the park and acquire the maps you鈥檒l need ahead of time.

4. Speak Up

Like visiting our national parks? Awesome. Follow up that visit by reaching out to your elected officials and let them know how much these places matter to you, and that they need to be fully staffed and funded for everyone to enjoy. The NPCA has a you can use to get your message across.

This is how staffing cuts and surging crowds might impact your favorite parks this summer.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to be the most popular national park in the system, attracting more than 12 million visitors in 2024. It also might be the park hardest hit by the Trump Administration鈥檚 cuts. In addition to the impacts from the initial hiring freeze, DOGE initially eliminated 12 employees from the park staff. It鈥檚 unclear how many of those have been hired back, but the staffing conundrum has already caused problems with managing park facilities, as GSMNP has announced temporary closures to a variety of facilities, including several campgrounds.

Abrams Creek, Big Creek, Balsam Mountain, Cataloochee, Cosby, and Look Rock campgrounds typically open in the middle of April, but that date has been pushed back indefinitely because of staffing. The park typically offers , all of which are full on a regular basis. Six of those campgrounds are now closed until further notice. If you booked a site at any of those campgrounds, you will receive a refund.

The park is also postponing the popular Vehicle Free Days in Cades Cove, where the 11-mile loop road is closed to vehicles so cyclists and walkers could roam freely on certain days from May to September. That program will be delayed until June. Seven picnic areas are also closed due to lack of maintenance staff.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a scramble to find camping alternatives, because there are only a handful of campgrounds open inside the park,鈥� says Vesna Plakanis, owner of , a guide service that runs trips inside the park. She says it鈥檚 not just the campgrounds that are closed, but access to many of the trails that begin at those campgrounds are also shut down for the summer. 鈥淏ecause those areas are closed, it鈥檚 putting pressure on other areas that generally aren鈥檛 as crowded. I鈥檓 seeing a lot more destruction of wildflower paths and people parking where they shouldn鈥檛.鈥�

Cutting the camping options in half will make spending the night inside the park more difficult this summer. Fortunately, there are plenty of privately owned campgrounds outside of the park that you can turn to if your trip has been impacted by the closures. And Nantahala National Forest borders the park in North Carolina, offering inexpensive and less crowded camping on public land.

Check out the Nantahala鈥檚 , which has 42 tent sites tucked into the woods on the edge of Lake Fontana near Bryson City, North Carolina. They鈥檙e all first-come, first-serve ($20 per night) and will give you relatively quick access to the quieter North Carolina side of the park.

Or you can treat yourself to a weekend at , which is located on the Tennessee side of the park, roughly 20 minutes to the popular hikes and scenic drives near Gatlinburg. The safari-inspired glamping tents sit on 182 acres complete with a restaurant and live entertainment on weekends (from $179).

Fortunately, it鈥檚 relatively easy to ditch the crowds in America鈥檚 most popular national park as the majority of the visitors tend to stick to the corridor surrounding Newfound Gap Road, in the heart of the park. And Plakanis says that spreading out is more important this summer than ever before.

鈥淭here are 900 miles of trails inside the park, so you don鈥檛 have to be relegated to the newfound gap corridor,鈥� says Plakanis. 鈥淛ust make sure you鈥檙e prepared with a good map, layers, plenty of water, and tell someone where you鈥檙e going.鈥�

To avoid the crowds, head to the Lake Fontana Area, a 29-mile-long finger lake that forms part of the southern border at GSMNP. From there, you can hike a piece of the Lakeshore Trail, which follows the shore of the lake for 30 miles. Or hit one of my favorite hikes in the park, the seven-mile out and back to , which includes a beastly 2,500-foot climb but ends with an incredible view from that tower overlooking the park, the lake, and the Nantahala National Forest.

Arches National Park, Utah听

According to the park service鈥檚 annual statistics, visitation to Arches increased 74 percent between 2011 and 2021, when it hit a record 1.8 million visitors. It hasn鈥檛 slowed down much, attracting 1.4 million people in 2024. That popularity led the Park Service to implement a for all visitors, which they鈥檙e extending through 2025.

While the reservation system will be consistent and help manage crowds, staff cuts and delayed hirings have caused some changes to the visitor experience in Arches. First, the park is removing some trash cans and picnic tables from day use areas to reduce the need for maintenance, so plan on packing out whatever you pack into the park.

The biggest loss to visitors this summer is the closure of the area, a maze of slot canyons that can only be explored on a guided ranger hike or with a Self-Guided Exploration permit. As of now, because of staff limitations, the park is not offering guided hikes or individual permits, so the entire Fiery Furnace area is closed until further notice.

Arches has no extensive backcountry hikes (and no backpacking), so Fiery Furnace is traditionally a visitor鈥檚 best chance for ditching the crowds and exploring the landscape in solitude.

The next best option is the , which climbs steep, sandstone slabs and sand dunes while passing between tall fins on its way to Tower Arch. On a clear day, you can see the peaks of the La Sal Mountains through the opening of that sandstone bridge. It鈥檚 a tough 2.6-mile out and back hike, but the crowds stay away because of the required eight mile drive on a four-wheel drive only road to reach the remote Klondike Bluffs area of Arches.

Yosemite National Park, California听

Yosemite is the sixth most popular park in the system, with more than 4 million visitors last year. The park is also notorious for its traffic jams, as the majority of those visitors are funneled into Yosemite Valley via a few two-lane roads. The South Entrance to the park on Highway 41 is particularly slow, and park management tells visitors to expect up to a two-hour delay on weekends during the summer.

The crowds have resulted in park management implementing a temporary timed entry reservation system during the last few years. Park officials were planning to put a permanent reservation system in place in 2025, but the plan was scrapped by the Trump Administration. Instead, another temporary reservation system for spring and summer was just that includes mandatory reservations from June 16 to August 15 between 6 A.M. and 3 P.M., on weekends between 6 A.M. and 3 P.M. from May 24 to June 15, and from August 16 to August 31. Every park entrance but the Hatch Tetchy station will require reservations. However, the has not been activated on Yosemite National Park鈥檚 website at press time.

鈥淩equiring reservations is controversial because it throttles the amount of people coming through, but I鈥檓 a fan of it personally as a guide,鈥� says Gabriel Mann, owner of , which leads photography workshops, backpacking trips, and climbing adventures within the park. 鈥淗aving a governor on crowds makes a huge difference and gives visitors so much more room to breathe and take in the sights.鈥�

As to what visitors can expect once they鈥檙e inside the park? That鈥檚 still unclear as the seasonal hirings that park management depend on have been delayed by the Trump Administration. Yosemite also lost nine employees during the initial wave of firings. Oh, and Yosemite鈥檚 superintendent, Cicely Muldoon, retired in February. It鈥檚 already impacting the visitor experience, as Yosemite announced a in their reservation system for five of the park鈥檚 campgrounds (Upper Pines, Lower Pines, North Pines, Wawona, and Hodgdon Meadow).

Mann hopes visitors will step up to do their part to keep Yosemite running smoothly by packing their own trash out with them and helping to pick up trash they see in parking lots and along trails.

Fortunately, it鈥檚 not hard to avoid the crowds in Yosemite if you come prepared and bring a sense of adventure. 鈥淭he majority of visitors only see Yosemite Valley, and most of those visitors don鈥檛 go further than one mile on any trail,鈥� says Mann.

Instead of cruising for a parking spot in the valley, Mann suggests heading to higher elevations to explore Tuolumne Meadows, a subalpine meadow surrounded by the Sierra鈥檚 craggy, ice-capped peaks. A number of hikes traverse the area. is a full-day, 7-mile lollipop loop that leads you to a glacier-carved lake at the bottom of Unicorn Peak. The first mile is a climb, which helps reduce the crowds.

Tuolumne Meadows even has its own scenic drive, the 46-mile , which is only open from late May through October, passing through forests and meadows with views of granite domes and lakes. If you hit the meadows in the spring, you can expect snow on the trails even if Tioga Road is open. Being prepared and self-sufficient while exploring this area is key, especially during the staff shortage.

Zion National Park, Utah听

Zion National Park had 4.95 million visitors in 2024, earning the spot of the second-most visited national park in the country, edging out Grand Canyon National Park. Zion lost 11 employees in the first wave of layoffs, although it鈥檚 unclear how many of those have since been hired back. The park is currently planning to operate with a business as usual approach, with no disruption to facility hours, amenities, or ranger-led programs, but that鈥檚 largely because of the publicly-funded support system that supplements the management of the park.

鈥淶ion is unique in the fact that it has strong partnerships with nonprofits and private organizations that provide a ton of volunteers and funding that has helped float the park through the last couple of government shutdowns,鈥� says Xavier Velez, manager of , which provides guided adventures in and around the park.

But that doesn鈥檛 mean you won鈥檛 notice some hiccups this summer, particularly when it comes to entering the park. There is no timed entry reservation system at Zion, and this year, the popular pedestrian entrance is already seeing congestion because volunteers have taken over the staffing of that station and aren鈥檛 equipped to handle cash payments. Velez recommends buying your online before you get to the park to help streamline the process.

Crowds will continue to be an issue as Zion鈥檚 popularity grows, so visitors should expect lines at the entrance stations and other hikers on the trails. Xavier suggests looking just outside of the park if you want to ditch the crowds altogether. 鈥淭he national park covers a small portion of the greater Zion area. If you know where to go, you鈥檒l find landscapes that are just as stunning outside of the park with none of the crowds,鈥� he says.

Velez points people to the Water Canyon area on land outside the southern entrance of the park, which is packed with waterfalls, slot canyons, sandstone features, and views of the mesas. Water Canyon has a technical slot canyon that you could explore with a guide, but there is also a seven-mile that most could do on their own that follows a stream through the heart of a larger gorge complete with hoodoos, waterfalls, and domes.

Here are three more national parks that are impacted by the Trump Administration鈥檚 staffing cuts.

Pinnacles National Park, California听

Pinnacles, which is known for its rock spires and cave system, has cancelled all this summer.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico听

Carlsbad Caverns has suspended all until further notice. Visitors can still explore the cavern on their own.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado听

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is closing two of its three campgrounds (North Rim and East Portal Campgrounds) until . The South Rim Campground should open this spring, though no date has been determined yet.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 been covering adventure travel and national parks for more than 20 years and remembers when President Obama called for a massive increase in the national park budget. He recently wrote about the prettiest drives in our national parks.

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Yellowstone National Park鈥檚 paint palette is a vibrant collection of hues: deep purple and fiery red wildflowers, warm gold grasses, cool green sagebrush, and polychromatic geysers. It has inspired artists like Tahoe City鈥揵ased painter Bryn Merrell and many others throughout history, including Yellowstone Bourbon, to pay homage to the park鈥檚 natural wonders.

Established in 1872,听听was crafted to honor the sprawling wonder of America鈥檚 first national park. It鈥檚 what first inspired us to create approachably smooth whiskey for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, and why we still do it today.

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Dreams of exploring Utah鈥檚 spectacular red rock country quickly turn dystopic if you do it wrong. The tourist traps which you can easily fall into are as myriad as arches in Utah鈥檚 second most popular national park.

Blame our state鈥檚 overwhelmingly successful 鈥淢ighty Five鈥� campaign, launched in 2013, which aimed to bring more visitors to Utah鈥檚 five national parks: Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, and Arches (from west to east). These days, the so-called Mighty Five are among the nation鈥檚 most visited. They are so visited that during peak season (generally April through October), Arches imposes a . Zion requires everyone to ride the shuttle through its main canyon. And park campsite and lodging reservations fill up faster than a slot canyon in a downpour.

That said, the last thing that I鈥檇 recommend鈥攁s a Utahn of nine years and 鈥攊s to not realize your dreams of beholding Delicate Arch, hiking the Narrows, or wandering amid Bryce鈥檚 anthropomorphic sandstone spires known as hoodoos. The sights are so worth the hype, which is why I鈥檝e put together some strategies for dodging crowds at these attractions. But for every iconic formation or hike, there are also hundreds more to explore across Utah鈥檚 22.8 million acres of public lands, often in spots off the average tourist鈥檚 radar.

Avoiding scenic drive traffic jams, crowded trails, and Disneyland-esque vibes does require some work. You鈥檒l usually need to plan in advance, put in extra effort, and exert yourself more than the average national park-goer. But I promise you it will be worth it.

A note for our current times: While this advice is designed to help you escape the crowds, keep in mind that crowding may be even more challenging this season鈥攁nd in the next few seasons that follow鈥攁s national parks experience staffing shortages However you visit our national parks, please do your part to follow the rules, be respectful toward staff and other tourists, and help keep the environment intact by following Leave No Trace guidelines.

1. Hop on a Bike

Environmental essayist Edward Abbey posited some prescient thoughts about the fate of Arches, where he was a ranger in the mid-50s, when it was still but a fledgling national monument. 鈥淣o more cars in national parks. Let the people walk,鈥� he wrote in Desert Solitaire.听

Indeed, visit Arches鈥攐r any national park鈥攊n peak season and prepare to join a snake of slow-moving vehicles, inching from viewpoint to viewpoint. A car is usually the worst way to take in these sublime lands. The secret is to enter on two wheels, not four.

The best place to apply this tip is Zion, Utah鈥檚 most popular national park. Park your car in Springdale and rent a bike or e-bike at a gear shop in town (starting at $50/day; try or ). You can also bring your own bike if you鈥檙e road-tripping. From Springdale, it鈥檚 a five-minute ride to the park鈥檚 main south entrance. Private vehicles aren鈥檛 allowed to drive through Zion Canyon during peak season (riding the shuttle is required), so riders get free reign. The only other road users you鈥檒l have to contend with are the shuttle buses, which will wait for you to pull over to the shoulder so they can pass. Bring a bike lock to secure your bike at trailheads and viewpoints. The road is relatively flat, so the nine miles each way go by quickly, especially as you enjoy the wind in your hair through the canyon鈥檚 stoic walls in peace.

In Bryce, the move is to rent an e-bike from (starting at $40 for two hours), located at the Bryce Canyon City Airport, four miles from the park entrance. Then whiz along the gently undulating paved that leads straight into the park. The path terminates at Inspiration Point, and while you could theoretically continue along Bryce鈥檚 scenic drive, I don鈥檛 recommend it due to heavy traffic and a narrow shoulder. You could also experience hoodoo country by mountain biking (8.1 miles one-way; usually ridden as a downhill shuttle) in nearby Red Canyon鈥攐ne of my favorite rides anywhere in Utah.

2. Take a Back Entrance Into the Park

Did you know that some of Utah鈥檚 national parks have a back door? The best example is Bryce, where a little-known trail leads into the park鈥檚 amphitheater from the town of Tropic. You鈥檒l wonder if you鈥檝e made a mistake as you park your car in a random cul-de-sac and start up the sandy doubletrack of (3.4 miles roundtrip). But soon Bryce鈥檚 legendary hoodoos鈥攕edimentary spires formed by erosion鈥攚ill come into view. In Bryce Amphitheater, Tropic Trail intersects with Navajo Loop Trail (1.3 miles round-trip), which you can take up to the rim. While you鈥檒l contend with crowds as soon as you get off Tropic Trail, you won鈥檛 have to deal with lines at the park entrance or full parking lots up top. There鈥檚 also something magical about approaching the hoodoos from the solitude of this quiet trail.

Arches also has a back entrance, but it will take a 4WD high-clearance vehicle, navigation skills, and more time to find it. As you鈥檙e heading into Moab on Highway 191, take Klondike Bluffs Road to the Copper Ridge Safari Route and the Klondike Road Trail, which eventually leads to Tower Arch. In Zion, the back entrance is via canyoneering: a top-down adventure (permit required) through the Narrows.

Note that taking a back entrance to Bryce or Arches means you won鈥檛 be assessed the entrance fee, but I鈥檇 encourage you to make a donation to the park if you can鈥攐ur national parks could use it right now.

3. Camp or Book a Room Inside the Park

Camping or lodging inside a national park strategically positions you for uncrowded dawn, dusk, or even nighttime views and hikes. This does require advance planning, since reservations fill up fast. One of my favorite places to sleep (in a national park, or anywhere) is in Arches, where scenic campsites back up to slickrock and you can hike right from your tent. Book up to six months in advance on ($25 per night) or roll up to a first-come, first-served site in the off-season (November through February). By camping at Devils Garden, I鈥檝e had the chance to hike the quiet trail to Broken Arch at sunset, scramble over slickrock under a full moon, and wake up early enough to hike to Delicate Arch for the sunrise in the company of only a dozen or so other humans.

In Zion, I recommend a room or cabin at the (starting at $188) over the campground, which feels a bit like camping in a municipal park, landscape-wise. The lodge has an onsite restaurant, trails just steps away, and over 120 rooms, including some suites and cabins. In Bryce, camp among towering pines at North Campground or Sunset Campground ($30 per night; book at ). Or stay in the campy (starting at $254) within spitting distance of Sunrise and Sunset Points. In Canyonlands, you can camp at Island in the Sky Campground ($15 per night; first come, first served) or the Needles Campground ($20 per night; reserve at ).

Another strategy is to stay very close to the park. Check out some Hipcamp options nearby:

4. Pick a Less Popular Trail

Didn鈥檛 snag that Zion Angels Landing permit? Sad about the bumper-to-bumper hiker situation on Queens Garden Trail in Bryce? There are plenty of trails in Utah鈥檚 national parks that weed out the tourists from the adventurers. And don鈥檛 let a crowded trailhead fool you鈥攈ike for more than 15 minutes and trail traffic usually thins if not disappears.

A few lesser-known trails I鈥檇 recommend:

Arches

Starting from the Devils Garden Campground, Broken Arch Trail (1-mile roundtrip) leads to an arch that isn鈥檛 quite broken yet, but probably will be soon. It鈥檚 a very scenic spot to watch the sunset. Or try Tower Arch Trail (3.4 miles roundtrip), which takes you to a stout, wide arch near a tower.

Bryce

Actually a 23-mile one-way backpacking trail that requires a permit for overnight stays, Under-the-Rim Trail is also great for shorter out-and-back day trips (no permit required). Hike as far as you like across the varied terrain and over fun features.

Canyonlands

Syncline Loop Trail (8 mile loop) circumvents Upheaval Dome, a mysterious crater the origins of which continue to puzzle scientists. If you want to duck into the crater itself, you鈥檒l add an extra three miles total.

Capitol Reef

Catch incredible views of the Hickman Natural Bridge, the cliffs of Capitol Reef, and the Henry Mountains as you wander up sandstone hills past volcanic rock on Rim Overlook Trail (4.6 round-trip), off Highway 24. The Rim Overlook Trail is not mapped on Trailforks, but I’ve included a map of the Hickman Bridge Trail, which starts from the same trailhead and splits off after less than a mile.

Zion

Located in the Kolob Canyons section of Zion, Taylor Creek Trail (5 miles round-trip) ends at an awe-inducing rock alcove with two arches. You鈥檒l pass historic cabins and wildflowers aplenty along the way. Below is a partial map of the trail that follows the South Fork of Taylor Creek.

5. Explore a National Park鈥檚 Backcountry on a Rugged Drive

The main sections of each of Utah鈥檚 national parks get all the hype. But most parks have a backcountry that can be explored with a four-wheel-drive, high-clearance vehicle, a good map, and some grit. A great case in point: Capitol Reef鈥檚 鈥淟oop the Fold鈥� drive, which crosses the Waterpocket Fold, the park鈥檚 defining feature. This literal wrinkle in geologic time stretches nearly 100 miles across southern Utah, past incredible hikes and alluring slot canyons.

To take the 鈥淟oop the Fold鈥� drive (a 125-mile one-way, 4-6-hour adventure), head east on Highway 24 from the Capitol Reef Visitor Center for nine miles. Turn right on Notom-Bullfrog Road and continue for 33 miles. Turn right on Burr Trail Road, which will take you up steep switchbacks that crest the Waterpocket Fold. After 36 miles on Burr Trail, you鈥檒l end up in the town of Boulder. You could stay here and explore Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, or return to Capitol Reef via Highway 12.

Meanwhile, to the north in Canyonlands, the park鈥檚 Maze District entices explorers at heart to get a little lost鈥攂ut bring a map, compass, and satellite radio so you don鈥檛 actually get lost. The intrepid can try the Maze鈥檚 Flint Trail, a 4WD-road that accesses hiking to mind-bending rock formations and dispersed camping.

And in Zion, take a drive on Kolob Terrace Road, where you can access good hiking, the panoramic views of Lava Point, and canyoneering up Orderville Canyon and via the iconic Subway route.

6. Check Out a Lesser-Known Section of the Park

The most famous sights and features of any given national park constitute only a small fraction of the territory鈥攑articularly in the cases of Zion, Capitol Reef, and Canyonlands.

In Zion, skip the crowded main canyon and east entrance to check out Kolob Canyons, or the hiking and canyoneering off Kolob Terrace Road. In Capitol Reef, instead of limiting yourself to Grand Wash or Capitol Gorge off the main scenic drive, check out the trails off Notom-Bullfrog Road, off Highway 24, or in Cathedral Valley. And in Canyonlands, skip Island in the Sky, and plan a hike in the Needles District, the Maze, or the non-contiguous Horseshoe Canyon Unit with its magnificent rock art.

In Arches, you can snag a 听for the Fiery Furnace ($10 per person). If you get lost easily, there are also through this labyrinthine area (which also must be booked in advance). You can easily dedicate a few hours or a whole day wandering through this red rock maze.

7. Be a Night Owl

Utah鈥檚 national parks are open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You don鈥檛 need to go on a weekend in July between the hours of 8am and 5pm. This is, as you might expect, the absolute worst time to go.

So get yourself a good headlamp (and extra batteries) and venture into the park well before the sun rises, after it sets, or at night. The best national park experience I鈥檝e ever had was stargazing in Arches at 1am. Instead of thousands of tourists around, there were thousands of stars and the Milky Way above. If you鈥檙e not comfortable hiking at night, you can simply drive up to a viewpoint, set out some chairs and stargaze or catch a meteor shower (the Perseids peak mid-August every summer).

In Bryce, book a night sky tour ($50) with the , which runs star parties year-round (times vary depending on season; reservations required).

Of course, finding the motivation to hang out inside a national park by dark will be much easier if you鈥檙e staying within the park, so this advice pairs well with tip number three above).

8. Embrace Desert in Winter

A (literally) hot take: Utah鈥檚 national parks are better in winter than in summer. And this is coming from me, a self-proclaimed lizard who will take all the sun she can get. This really shouldn鈥檛 be a hot take, because if you鈥檝e ever been on a sweltering shuttle bus in Zion or a shadeless trail in Capitol Reef in July, then you know full well that a summer desert trip is generally a no-go (river trips are the exception).

While spring and fall hold the most comfortable temperatures in Utah鈥檚 desert landscapes, they also draw large crowds (these are the tourists who understand that summer in the desert is a bad idea). So is winter the best time to venture to Utah鈥檚 Mighty Five? It just might be.

Worst case scenario: Snow falls in southern Utah and you find yourself on snowy roads and snow-packed trails. Even still, as long as you and your vehicle come prepared, you鈥檒l have the place to yourself. Plus, the red rock is stunning in the snow. Of all the parks, Bryce notoriously shines in winter鈥攖here is perhaps no sight more bewitching than the park鈥檚 amphitheater of lifelike hoodoos cloaked in fresh powder. Bryce even offers a as well as cross-country ski trails.

Best case scenario (the likelihood of which increases year over year as our planet unfortunately warms): You鈥檒l get a winter鈥檚 day in the 60s with a strong sun. The perfect temps, and an empty park.

9. Find a Utah National Park Dupe Destination

The concept of dupe travel is to avoid the fuss of the world鈥檚 most sought-after destinations (e.g., Paris, Jackson Hole, Zion), while reaping all the benefits of what that destination offers by choosing a very similar, less-hyped place to visit. There are many opportunities to do this when it comes to Utah鈥檚 national parks by seeking out national monuments, state parks, and other public lands that offer similar scenery and adventures. Do you really think they would put all of Utah鈥檚 arches within a 119-square-mile radius?

Here are some dupe destination recommendations for Utah鈥檚 parks:

• Arches: National Bridges National Monument, in Southeastern Utah within Bears Ears National Monument. These are bridges, not arches, but I swear you鈥檒l never know the difference. You can hike from bridge to bridge on a 12-mile loop trail in solitude. There鈥檚 also great camping here.
• Bryce: Cedar Breaks National Monument (closed in winter) is filled with hoodoos at altitude. Red Canyon, which you鈥檒l most likely drive through to reach Bryce, is also hoodoo country. Mountain bike, hike, or take a horseback ride on Thunder Mountain Trail.
• Canyonlands: You don鈥檛 really need a dupe destination for Canyonlands, since the park is so massive you can easily explore its myriad canyons without crowds. But nearby Deadhorse Point State Park offers similarly magnificent views and great mountain biking.
• Capitol Reef: Similar to Canyonlands, it鈥檚 easy to escape the crowds in Capitol Reef. But you鈥檒l find similar terrain and canyons across neighboring Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.听
• Zion: Snow Canyon State Park near St. George has comparable canyon country, with great hiking and rock climbing.

10. Book a Guided Experience

Even if you鈥檙e guide-averse, booking a guide often unlocks great access or novel experiences. Plus, if you lack the gear or necessary know-how, a guide allows you to go on a more technical adventure than you otherwise might on your own. A few ideas:

• While Zion limits the areas where guides can operate within the main canyon, you can book a up the Narrows (from $150/person) or through one of the canyons outside Zion Canyon.
• Take a horseback ride through Bryce Canyon (book through ; starting at $90 per person, per 1.5-hour ride)
• Set your alarm for a midnight photography tour at Arches through (starting at $99 per person).
• Book a bikepacking trip through Canyonlands on White Rim Road (starting at $985 per person; many outfitters like offer shuttles or fully guided bikepacking trips).
• Go on a (or find a friend with a boat and a permit) on the Green or Colorado Rivers that flow through Canyonlands (starting at $999 per person per two-day trip).

11. Become a Connoisseur of Odd Hours

Many of the tips above help you avoid crowds by avoiding the most crowded areas of Utah鈥檚 national parks. But I acknowledge that sometimes, these areas are crowded for a reason. So if you have your heart set on standing beneath Delicate Arch, watching the hoodoos glow from Sunset Point, or taking in the harrowing 360-degree views of Angels Landing, the important thing is to get your timing right.

As I stated earlier, average tourist behavior does not reflect the fact that these parks are open 100% of the time. So whether you go in the off season (aka winter, tip number eight), explore by night (see tip number seven), or go on a weekday, do what you can to visit when most people won鈥檛. And whatever you do, don鈥檛 hit the main circuits of any of Utah鈥檚 national parks on a holiday weekend.

颁濒颈尘产颈苍驳鈥檚 Editor-in-Chief has lived in Utah for nearly a decade. She鈥檚 been exploring its national parks since she first waded through Zion鈥檚 Narrows at age 10. Since then, Utah鈥檚 national parks have become a lot more popular, which is why she鈥檚 focused her four Moon travel guides on how to avoid the crowds. This summer, she鈥檒l be exploring the San Rafael Swell and Utahraptor State Park鈥擴tah鈥檚 newest state park鈥攚ith her two kiddos.听

The post Avoid Crowds in Utah鈥檚 National Parks With These Insider Secrets appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) had more than 12 million visitors in 2024, or about 34,000 guests every day. That makes the 522,427-acre swath of mountains, streams, and historic farmland the most popular national park in the country鈥攂y far. The next-most-visited national park is Zion, with 4.95 million visitors last year, followed by the Grand Canyon at 4.92 million.

GSMNP is consistently the top park for visitation partly because of its location in southwestern North Carolina and southeastern Tennessee; it鈥檚 within 800 miles of 60 percent of America鈥檚 population.

And also because it鈥檚 beautiful. The forest is lush and green, blanketing the park鈥檚 6,000-foot peaks and obscuring streams, waterfalls, and outcroppings. There are meadows full of elk and rivers stacked with trout, steep slopes, and placid lakes. GSMNP encapsulates the best the Southern Appalachians have to offer.

So, yes, people show up. On my recent trip to GSMNP, I sat for a solid hour in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the Foothills Parkway, a scenic two-lane road that cruises the western border of the park. It sucked. But once I got inside the park, I was able to ditch the crowds and hike to a high elevation bald where I had a view of some of the prettiest damn mountains in the United States.

鈥淕iven the massive crowds, it could be tempting just to avoid the park altogether,鈥� says Steven Reinhold, a photographer and owner of , which works in and around GSMNP. 鈥淏ut you鈥檇 miss out on what is arguably the most beautiful and biodiverse landscape in the country.鈥�

The park, he notes, spans from 1,000 to over 6,600 feet in elevation, supporting a variety of different microclimates and ecosystems that range from Southern Appalachian hardwood to Canadian spruce-fir forests, within a few miles of each other.

鈥淭he cultural history is diverse, too,鈥� he says, 鈥渇rom the stories and traditions of the Cherokee People听to the preserved farms and homesteads of its early European settlers.鈥�

Keep in mind that if you do plan to visit this spring or summer, Western North Carolina is still recovering from Hurricane Helene. While Great Smoky Mountains National Park was largely spared by the brunt of that storm, it鈥檚 possible that some roads or trails could be closed for rehabilitation. Be sure to check the status of the park and active closures .

Living in nearby Asheville, North Carolina, I鈥檝e had a lot of adventures inside GSMNP. Sure, I鈥檝e waited for parking spots, but I鈥檝e also hunted for salamanders with my children, gotten lost off trail (twice), pedaled my bike across the entire park, run into black bears, jumped off waterfalls, climbed historic lookout towers, and paddled pristine lakes. The park might be crowded, but that鈥檚 only because it鈥檚 awesome.

Here are six reasons why I think Great Smoky Mountains National Park is still worth visiting.

1. The Foliage Is Incredible

Come fall, the hardwood trees that blanket almost every inch of Great Smoky Mountains National Park听transform into a riot of red, orange, yellow, and gold from mid-September to early November. The timing for peak foliage depends on the elevation: the higher the trees, the earlier they turn. To see the most color overall, shoot for mid-October.

Cruising Newfound Gap Road, a 31-mile highway that crosses the heart of the park, will deliver non-stop color to the windows of your car. It鈥檚 such a pretty drive, you probably won鈥檛 even mind the crowds. If you want color with less traffic, head to the eastern border of the park, where the Blue Ridge Parkway ends and the begins.

The first portion of the road is paved and has overlooks similar to what you鈥檒l find on the parkway, with views of the valley below and ridges on the horizon. After nine miles, the pavement turns into one-lane, gravel Heintooga Round Bottom Road, which drops for 14 winding miles into the depths of the park. It鈥檚 a slow, one-way trek that puts you in the thick of the golden forest of autumn, passing creeks and small falls before forming a partial loop and arriving in the town of Cherokee, a vibrant gateway community within the 56,600-acre Qualla Boundary, the cultural hub of the Eastern Band of Cherokee.

2. Explore Car-Free Biking听

I鈥檝e ridden my bike across the park on Newfound Gap Road, which was beautiful but harrowing, as the car traffic on that highway is nonstop and the drivers seem unaccustomed to sharing the road with cyclists. Fortunately, park management has acknowledged us two-wheelers by creating inside the popular Cades Cove throughout the busy summer months.

Every Wednesday, from May 7 to September 24, the 11-mile loop through Cades Cove is closed to cars so walkers and cyclists can have the valley to themselves. This makes an easy, family-friendly pedal that delivers pastoral views and opportunities to check out historic structures such as cabins, churches, and school buildings. Among the plentiful hiking opportunities, is a five-mile out-and-back that follows a stream culminating at the 20-foot Abrams Falls.

3. You Can See鈥攁nd Hear鈥攖he Elk Rut听

Elk were extirpated from North Carolina back in the late 1700s, but the National Park Service the species to GSMNP in 2001, bringing 25 into the park from Kentucky. Almost 25 years later, the elk population is thriving, with numbers reaching almost 250, according to the .

And they鈥檙e huge. The bull elk in the park weigh an average of 600 to 700 pounds and can stand five feet tall at the shoulder. When my children were about seven, my wife and I took them to see the elk before Christmas, and they were convinced the animals were reindeer.

Fall is the best time to see herds, as it鈥檚 their mating season, known as the rut, when males bugle and spar for the attention of females. Cataloochee Valley, in the southeastern corner of the park, typically has the largest concentration of the animals, and the big meadow off Cove Creek Road is a good spot to watch and listen for the calls.

I鈥檝e seen the animals throughout the Smokies, from the pastoral Cades Cove on the western side to the high elevations of Balsam Mountain on the eastern edge. The elk are magnificent, but keep your distance and stay quiet so as to not disturb them.

4. The Fireflies Put On a Spectacular Show

Fireflies are a delight throughout summer in the Southern Appalachians and beyond, but a species of found inside the park puts on a choreographed light show every June. The bioluminescent beetles flash in unison, five to eight times in a row, pause for several seconds, then kick in again.

The prime time to catch the show is usually early June. You鈥檒l have to register in the ($1 fee) for a chance to see the splendor. It鈥檚 not easy to get a ticket鈥�20,000 people entered the lottery for just 1,240 vehicle passes in 2024鈥攂ut you can鈥檛 win if you don鈥檛 play. Or, you can book a guided backpacking trip with , which covers roughly 13 miles of moderate terrain in the Elkmont area of the park over two days, taking in waterfalls and wildflowers during the day and synchronous fireflies at night ($1,970 for two people).

And the fireflies are just the beginning. The Smokies comprise the most biodiverse unit in the entire national park system, with over 19,000 species of bugs, plants, and animals. The Flamed Tigersnail, which can be found inside the park, emits a bioluminescent orange mucus when it鈥檚 feeling threatened. Meanwhile, the hellbender salamander can reach 29 inches long. And did you hear the elk?

5. Winter Is a Great Time to Visit听

While I鈥檝e met people at Newfound Gap who have driven up from Florida in January so their kids can see snow for the first time, by and large visitation drops significantly in winter, and it鈥檚 a great time to explore the park. The trees don鈥檛 have leaves, which might sound like a bummer, but their absence reveals long-range views from trails that are usually socked in by the canopy.

Moreover, in my opinion, the best reason to visit GSMNP in the winter is the cross-country skiing; some of the park鈥檚 highest roads go unplowed during heavy snowstorms, turning them into XC playgrounds for the hardy. The seven-mile Clingmans Dome Road leads to the highest point in the park, formerly called Clingmans Dome and newly renamed Kuwohi in honor of the Cherokee people who consider the lofty peak sacred. Kuwohi, which collects the lion鈥檚 share of powder, is unplowed all season. Check before going鈥擧ighway 441, aka Newfound Gap Road, is often closed for plowing, preventing access to Kuwohi during the early part of storms. When the Newfound Gap Road opens, you can ski on Clingmans Dome Road and into Kuwohi.

I also like to watch , the innkeeper鈥檚 blog for the backcountry LeConte Lodge, which sits a mile high in elevation, for storm forecasts and snow totals.

6. Yes, You Can Avoid the Crowds. Here鈥檚 how.听

According to the most recent from the park service, Cades Cove is the most frequented spot in the park, with almost half of all peoplee planning to spend time in that area. Kuwohi, in the center of the park, and the on the western edge of the park, also get a lot of traffic, while half of all people also plan to hit the gateway towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, according to the same study.

What am I getting at? GSMNP might attract 12 million bodies, but most of them are going to the same places. They hit Gatlinburg, visit Cades Cove, and drive a piece of Newfound Gap Road to see Kuwohi.

That makes it pretty easy to avoid the crowds if you know what you鈥檙e doing. I鈥檝e spent entire days inside GSMNP feeling like I had the place to myself.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not even available parking at popular spots like Cades Cove and Clingmans Dome in the summer and fall,鈥� says Steve Dunkin, the president of Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, who also volunteers for the park inside Cades Cove. 鈥淚nstead, visit the North Carolina side of the park, or the Cosby and Big Creek areas on the north end of the park, all of which see far less traffic.鈥�

I like hiking to Andrews Bald on the , a 3.6-mile out-and-back that starts on the popular Clingmans Dome Road, but quickly leaves the crowds behind. Most people tend to stick to the nature trails and scenic walk up the concrete lookout tower, known as Clingmans Dome Tower, at the top of the mountain. You鈥檒l pass through a high-elevation spruce/fir forest before hitting the bald, a grassy area with views deep into the park.

Or you can do something hard. The majority of visitors stick to short trails close to trailheads. I recently hiked to the top of Mount Cammerer, a craggy sub-5,000-foot peak in the northern corner of the park with an incredible view from a historic lookout tower. I had the entire mountaintop to myself. Why? Because getting there required a . And it was totally worth it. The view was stellar, taking in the Pigeon River Gorge below. The Cammerer tower is unique in the Southern Appalachians, as it was modeled after the live-in fire towers more common in the Western U.S.

You could also check out Fontana Lake, a 10,000-acre reservoir on the southwestern edge of the park, which offers lonely coves for paddling (look for rope swings!) and harbors isolated trails. I like the 3.5-mile piece of the that starts next to the Fontana Dam and climbs steeply to Shuckstack Fire Tower, where you鈥檒l find a broad view of the lake, Smokies, and neighboring Nantahala National Forest.

Looking to camp? Try the under-valued , a 43-site facility sitting at 5,300 feet in elevation between the towns of Cherokee and Maggie Valley that has availability long after the uber-popular Cataloochee Campground fills up ($30 per night, make reservations up to six months in advance). I just checked and found sites for this upcoming weekend.

And if you have your heart set on hitting Kuwohi or Cades Cove, you can still do it without the crowds. 鈥淕o midweek, or time your visit for sunrise,鈥� says the area guide Steven Reinhold. 鈥淗it the park early and you鈥檒l be done with your adventure before most visitors ever reach the trailhead.鈥�

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national parks columnist. He鈥檚 been visiting Great Smoky Mountains National Park since he was a kid, and writing this article reminded him how much he loves that landscape.

The post This Is the Most Crowded National Park in the Country. You Should Still Go. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Ever come across an incredible hotel that stops you mid-scroll and makes you think, Wow, wouldn鈥檛 it be something to stay there? We do, too鈥攁ll the time. Welcome to Friday Fantasy, where we highlight amazing hotels, lodges, cabins, tents, campsites, and other places perched in perfect outdoor settings. Read on for the intel you need to book an upcoming adventure here. Or at least dream about it.

When K墨lauea volcano in Hawai鈥檌 Volcanoes National Park began to erupt last December, spewing lava 300 feet into the air, I knew I had to see it in person. And there was only one place I wanted to stay.

As the lodge closest to the mammoth K墨lauea听Crater, is a highly sought-after spot among lava lovers. On any particular day鈥攁nd especially during eruptions鈥攖he back of the property is jam-packed with people watching for a telling orange glow or bubbling magma. During an active period, it鈥檚 not unusual for 1,000 people to pass through Volcano House鈥檚 doors daily. And given that the area is one of the most volcanically active spots in the world, this happens more often than you might think.

Why I Love the Volcano House

There was a crackling energy when I walked through the doors; I鈥檓 still not sure if it was from the excitement surrounding the recent eruption or some sort of shared energy between us and the volcano. (K墨lauea had another minor eruption听the day before my arrival in the park.) I was hopeful I鈥檇 be there for a follow-up.

Volcano House staff have plenty of stories from previous eruptions. Food and Beverage Manager Tina Balubar remembers when part of K墨lauea crater was filled by a lava lake. (This lasted from 2008-2018 when the lava burst through steam vents further along the island, destroying the Leilani Estates community and causing Volcano House to briefly close.) She showed me a photo of nearby Mauna Loa erupting, K墨lauea glowing a deep orange.

鈥淚 grew up near a volcano, so I don鈥檛 get scared,鈥� Balubar says. 鈥淲hen an eruption happens, I make all the employees stop, look up, and take it all in. That鈥檚 why [many of us] are here.鈥�

Volcano House鈥檚 history stretches back further than the establishment of the Hawai鈥檌 Volcanoes National Park in 1916鈥攁ll the way back to 1846. Increased tourism caused the original thatched inn to give way to larger wooden lodges. (The original building was later moved and now serves as the park鈥檚 art gallery, where you can find听oil paintings, sculptures, and photographic prints of previous eruptions in the park.) Over the years, dignitaries like Mark Twain, Jack London, Princess Victoria Kaulani, Amelia Earhart, and President Franklin Roosevelt have stayed at one Volcano House iteration or another.

In 1921, a new two-story wing was built, upping the capacity to 115 people. Unfortunately, that version of Volcano House was destroyed by a fire (started in the kitchen, not by the volcano) in 1940; the current iteration was erected in 1941 and expanded yet again in 1961. The lodge鈥檚 current capacity is 33 rooms.

Given its position on the National Register of Historic Places, updating the lodge presents a host of challenges. Painting the building exterior took more than five years, Balubar says, because a laboratory had to analyze layers of existing paint to determine the original shade used in 1941.

I took a peek inside the old steam room, where volcanic steam was piped in for the enjoyment of male guests in the 1940s. (Back then, women weren鈥檛 allowed to sweat, apparently.) When upkeep and repair costs became too high, they filled in those steam vents with concrete, rendering it obsolete.

Room furnishings are a bit dated, but comfortable. The ratan lobby furniture fits perfectly with that aesthetic.听But let鈥檚 be honest: When you鈥檙e visiting Volcano House, you鈥檙e really here for the volcano.

Floor-to-ceiling windows face K墨lauea, allowing guests to watch for eruptions in climate-controlled comfort. Across the lobby, a stone fireplace featured a sculpted image of the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele inset in the rock. Oil paintings of previous eruptions ringed the room, while a flat-screen television played a never-ending loop of past eruption videos.

国产吃瓜黑料 Intel

Considering the current administration鈥檚 war on our national parks, I felt the need to do something positive to give back to the protected land听during my visit. Each Saturday, , an NPS-approved group of volunteers, meet up to fight invasive species in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. I joined more than a dozen others armed with loppers, all prepared to cut as much Himalayan ginger as we could. For three hours, we slashed and stacked the plant, ultimately clearing about an acre of the fast-growing plant. By the end, I felt like you could see the accomplishment radiating off of听 me鈥攂ut you probably could only smell the sweat.

With the work out of the way, I had time left for more traditionally听 fun activities. I spent the remainder of my first day hiking much of the , which traverses the north end of K墨lauea before connecting with the. The next morning, I was reluctant to move away from the K墨lauea overlook outside Volcano House, not wanting to miss the expected eruption, but there are too many things to do in the park to stay in one place for too long.

Parking at the K墨lauea Iki trailhead, I hiked to the short .2-mile lava tube before descending into the K墨lauea Iki Crater. The trail, my favorite in the park, winds down a series of switchbacks beneath a rainforest canopy to the crater floor.

The change of environments, from lush forest to arid lava rock,听 is a bit jarring. Walking onto the crater surface for the first time, I felt more like an astronaut than a hiker. As the cinder crunched under my feet, I wondered what would happen if the next eruption happened here. I found myself moving a little faster afterward.

Choice Rooms

While my own room offered comfort and stunning views of the crater, front desk agent Pam Bowers suggests asking for room 11, a.k.a. Uncle George鈥檚 Room. The former abode of the longest-tenured owner of Volcano House (and the namesake of its bar), the deluxe room is among the lodge鈥檚 most spacious, with gorgeous hardwood floors and one of the best views of the crater. It鈥檚 the most requested room by far, so be sure to book well in advance.

Can鈥檛 get a room at Volcano House? Check out the lodge鈥檚 , located about five minutes from the front entrance gate.

Eat and Drink

Volcano House鈥檚 menu is a mix of familiar favorites, like pizza and burgers, and more upscale offerings. The seafood is top notch. I overheard a few other diners raving about the barbecued prawns and New York Strip. But after a busy day on the trails and in the woods, all I wanted was a cheeseburger and a beer. Volcano House鈥檚 signature burger with cheddar cheese and avocado aioli, served on a punuluu sweet-bread bun, hit the spot perfectly.

When to Go

You can reserve rooms a year in advance, and Volcano House is typically fully booked about two months ahead. If you wait until a volcano starts burping lava to reserve a room, you鈥檙e probably going to be too late. But that doesn鈥檛 stop the calls when the volcanic activity starts.

鈥淎 while back, we had an eruption that started at 4 A.M.,鈥� Bowers says, 鈥淭he phone didn鈥檛 stop ringing until at least 2 P.M.鈥�

It鈥檚 a roll of the dice as to when the next eruption might happen, but for the best chances of getting a room, try booking for the spring or summer.

As my time at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park came to an end, I was reluctant to leave. Not just because K墨lauea hadn鈥檛 yet erupted during my visit, but also the hospitality I was shown at Volcano House made me want to stay. But given the volcanic upheaval here, I鈥檓 sure I鈥檒l be back at some point.

How to Get There

Volcano House is less than an hour鈥檚 drive from Hilo International Airport (ITO) and about 140 minutes from Kona International (KOA). There鈥檚 no airport shuttle, but you can reserve a car from any number of rental companies on site.

Don’t Miss

If you鈥檙e crossing the ocean to visit Hawai鈥檌 Volcanoes, you should also make a point to visit Hawaii鈥檚 other national park, Haleakal膩 on Maui. Both spots used to be known collectively as Hawaii National Park, but were split into two distinct parks in 1960. The flight between Maui and the Big Island is fairly inexpensive and lasts about 30 minutes.

I enjoyed a day hiking throughout Haleakal膩 and a night near the summit, observing the stars with ( , from $250). Ironically, Haleakal膩鈥檚 crater summit isn鈥檛 volcanic, but rather another form of geographical upheaval: two valleys merging at the summit of a volcano.

If you want to stick to one island for your visit, check out on the Kona side of the island, about two hours away. You鈥檒l learn about the lives of ancient native Hawaiians, as well as the geologic history of the island.

Details

Price: Room prices start at $285 for a standard room, $335 for a room with a crater view.

Address: 1 Crater Rim Drive,
Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, HI 96718

The post This Hawaii Lodge Overlooks an Active Volcano appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Not all travel experiences are created equal. The best kind鈥攚hen you immerse yourself in new cultures and landscapes and make real connections with local communities and fellow travelers鈥攐ffer immeasurable benefits. You return home with the growth and understanding only available when you leave home. That鈥檚 the kind of experience is dedicated to creating.

For almost 35 years, G 国产吃瓜黑料s has been transforming lives through community tourism and small-group travel and today offers more than 800 trips across 100-plus countries and all seven continents. G 国产吃瓜黑料s has trips to fit every traveler: Classic, Active, Geluxe (premium active adventures), and鈥攏ew for 2025鈥�, designed for solo travelers who still want connection. These trips provide flexibility, fun, and the reassurance of guaranteed female CEOs (Chief Experience Officers) to guide the way.

, an avid traveler and journalist, took her first group trip with G 国产吃瓜黑料s to Peru in 2022. As an experienced solo traveler, Lipkin found herself drawn to G 国产吃瓜黑料s because of the way it opened up new opportunities for authentic community immersion and building lasting relationships through travel and adventure. Since then, Lipkin has been on six trips with G 国产吃瓜黑料s, gaining a wealth of experience that she now shares to inspire other women travelers.

国产吃瓜黑料: What impact has travel had on your life?

Tabitha Lipkin: When I was 11, I had the incredible opportunity to leave my small town of Texarkana, Texas, and travel to Barcelona, Spain. The experience completely blew my mind. I tried new foods, marveled at breathtaking landscapes, and even made a few friends who didn鈥檛 speak the same language as me. That trip sparked my passion for journalism, fueling my desire to share stories about incredible people and the wonders of our planet.

As a solo female traveler, joining small-group tours gives me the chance to connect with locals and fellow travelers while experiencing new places. This kind of intimate travel has opened my eyes to how much more alike we all are than we are different.

Travel has been transformative for me鈥攊t鈥檚 not just about the places I鈥檝e visited, but the people I鈥檝e met and the lessons I鈥檝e learned along the way.

How does traveling with a supportive community enable women to explore the world with confidence?听

Women know what it鈥檚 like and what it means to have a bit of hesitation when exploring new places alone. There鈥檚 vulnerability that comes with traveling solo, which is why we often seek out supportive communities.

As a solo female traveler, joining a group tour with G 国产吃瓜黑料s is a total game-changer. It gives you access to hidden gems recommended by locals while also offering the chance to make new friends along the way. The intimate experience of having a local CEO (Chief Experience Officer)鈥攁n expert guide who knows the area inside and out鈥攁dds another layer of confidence and empowerment. This kind of guidance allows women to explore the world unhindered, making travel feel both enriching and safe.

I traveled on the eight-day during a time of political unrest in the country. Despite the uncertainty, I never felt uneasy or worried because our incredible CEO kept us well-informed throughout the entire trip. She made sure we didn鈥檛 just skim the surface of the tourist hot spots but also embraced the realities of life in Ecuador. We had the opportunity to explore both the popular attractions and the country鈥檚 hidden gems, like what it truly means to live and work in a village in the Amazon rainforest.

How does traveling with G 国产吃瓜黑料s empower women in the communities you visit?听

I had never experienced community-based tourism until I traveled with G 国产吃瓜黑料s. Nearly half of its around the world incorporate , made possible through the company鈥檚 partnership with , a nonprofit that connects social enterprises with the tourism industry. This collaboration supports and scales meaningful community projects, many of which directly benefit and empower women. As travelers, we get the unique opportunity to experience these initiatives firsthand, gaining a deeper understanding of the communities we visit and the positive impact we can have.

A great example is the Women鈥檚 Weaving Coop, which is visited by dozens of . You get the chance to learn about traditional weaving techniques while directly supporting the local community. , available on trip pages on the website, shows travelers the percentage of money that stays within the host communities.

Another project that stands out to me is , the world鈥檚 first and only caf茅 run by survivors of acid attacks. These women, once shunned by their communities, now have a platform to rebuild their lives through community tourism. By supporting the caf茅 and purchasing handmade goods, travelers directly contribute to the women鈥檚 professional development and educational opportunities.

What has been one of your most memorable small-group travel experiences?

The was by far my most unforgettable trip. It was unbelievably beautiful in ways words can鈥檛 capture. I spent 11 days off-grid, hiking over 100 miles with a group that became lifelong friends.

Bonus: The Everest Base Camp Trek has a Ripple Score of 100 percent, meaning every dollar you spend stays in the local community. Check out my video below to see the journey.

 

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Do you have any advice for women who are interested in travel but nervous to start?

Start small! There are so many amazing trips you can take just an hour or two outside your community, whether for a day or a weekend. From there, you can gradually build up to trips that require a flight.

When you鈥檙e ready to board a plane, two of my favorite G 国产吃瓜黑料s trips to start with are (where you get to stay on Isla Floreana) and the .

For women looking to start solo travel, G 国产吃瓜黑料s’ new trip collection is a great option. It鈥檚 designed for solo travelers who still want connection, offering flexibility, fun, and guaranteed female CEOs (Chief Experience Officers) to lead the way.

Founded in 1990, G 国产吃瓜黑料s is the pioneer of community tourism, offering more than 800 trips on all seven continents. G 国产吃瓜黑料s鈥� trips support communities, giving travelers meaningful exchanges with local people, cultures, and wildlife, while offering travelers the freedom and flexibility to explore on their own. For more information, visit .

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America鈥檚 national parks are known for their vast tracts of unspoiled wilderness, and we love celebrating the trails that take you deep into the backcountry听of these iconic landscapes. But sometimes, the best views in our national parks can be enjoyed from the comfort of your car. Here are the eight best national park scenic roads.

1. Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Trail Ridge Road carves a 48-mile path through the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, connecting the gateway towns听of Estes Park and Grand Lake. It鈥檚 one of the highest paved roads in the country, with a peak elevation of 12,183 feet at the Gore Range Overlook. The two-lane blacktop is a stiff challenge for cyclists (I always see a few on this road when I鈥檓 in the park) as it climbs more than 4,000 feet in just 12 miles, but it鈥檚 a convenient way for the rest of us to enjoy a high alpine environment; roughly eight miles of the road cruises above tree line with expansive views in either direction. Given the altitude, snowfall means the road is typically only open from late May to early October. I drove the road in July with my family one year, and we marveled at the amount of snow that was still piled up at the pass.

Best View听

The Gore Range Overlook (at mile 19.3 if you鈥檙e coming from Estes Park) sits near the crest of the road with long range views to the west of the Never Summer Mountains. Gaze down from the parking lot and you鈥檒l see small ponds scattered across the tundra. To the east, you can see Longs Peak, one of Colorado鈥檚 most famous 14ers.

Get Out of Your Car

If you drive the entire road, you鈥檒l have more than a dozen opportunities for short hikes. Make sure you explore from the Alpine Visitor Center. It鈥檚 usually not as crowded as Alpine Ridge, which also begins at the visitor center, but takes you through the high alpine tundra with views of the Never Summer Mountains in the distance and the Cache de la Poudre River below. You鈥檒l hit a forest of spruce and firs after two miles, which is where most people turn around. If you go all the way to Milner Pass, it鈥檚 an eight-mile out and back, dropping 1,000 feet on its way to the pass. Keep an eye out for pikas and marmots along the way.

Reservations

You need a to enter Rocky Mountain National Park during the summer, but if you鈥檙e only planning to stick to Trail Ridge Road and not visit the super popular Bear Lakes Corridor, then reservations are easier to get and only necessary between 9 and 2. So even if you don鈥檛 plan ahead, you could start your drive early and catch the sunrise, or start in the afternoon and enjoy the sunset.

2. Chain of Craters Road, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii听

You should drive this road now, while you can, because there鈥檚 no guarantee that the pavement will exist in the future. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, on the Big Island, encompasses several active volcanoes that have altered the landscape and the two-lane scenic highway multiple times in the last century. Currently, Chain of Craters Road is just shy of 19 miles long, traveling from the top of Kilauea Volcano to the Holei Sea Arch, which hangs over the Pacific Ocean. The road used to carry on past the arch, but that portion of the highway has been swallowed by lava. That鈥檚 what makes this road different from most others in the national park system; you get the opportunity to see the lava that created the Hawaiian islands up close and personal, as the road cruises by several active volcanic craters and the remnants of their outbursts.

Best View

Most of the pullouts along the road offer expansive views of lava fields in various stages of existence. The newer ones will be dark, rolling fields void of life, but the older lava flows will have vegetation and trees sprouting from the creases. The best view comes at the end of the road, when you can take a short walk to see the Holei Sea Arch, a tall, skinny window in a lava-rock cliff that formed over time as the Pacific Ocean slowly eroded the center of the rock.

Get Out of Your Car

There are a handful of hiking opportunities along the Chain of Craters Road. You can even hike what鈥檚 left of the former road beyond the current turn-around point at Holei Sea Arch. If you want a short hike, the .7-mile will take you on a boardwalk through an old lava field to a vast collection of petroglyphs that were carved into the lava more than 500 years ago.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

3. Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia听

Skyline Drive runs 105 miles through the center of Shenandoah National Park, following the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Consider this road a compressed version of the 469-mile Blue Ridge Parkway, which connects Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks. You can do the road in half a day, but a campground and at the halfway mark make this the perfect two-day adventure. The two-lane road crests at 3,680 feet and offers 75 pullouts with views that extend deep into the mountains and down to the Shenandoah Valley below. Timing your visit during the fall, when the hardwoods in the surrounding mountains are popping with color, makes Skyline Drive a bucket list experience. Biking Skyline from end to end is one of the most memorable centuries on the East Coast. The road is open year round, but will occasionally be closed during the winter because of snow. Check the before you start your trip.

Best View

There are overlooks every couple of miles along Skyline, but the views really stack up around the midpoint as the road reaches its highest elevations. Spitler Knob Overlook, at milepost 48.1, looks west, taking in the Shenandoah River below and the mountains that divide Virginia and West Virginia on the horizon. The sunset from here is stunning, too.

Get Out of Your Car

Head for the highest point in the park by hiking the to the 4,049-foot Hawksbill Summit. The 2.1-mile out and back begins at milepost 46.5, and ends at an observation platform on top of Hawksbill with a 360-degree view of the mountains and surrounding Piedmont.

Reservations

No reservations required. Entrance fee is $30 per vehicle.

4. Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana听

Yeah, this road is crowded, with parking lots along its path notoriously filling up by 10 A.M., but there鈥檚 a reason. Going-to-the-Sun Road, which bisects Glacier National Park while connecting the small gateway communities of West Glacier and St. Mary, might be the most scenic two-lane blacktop in the entire national park system. The 50-mile-long point to point highway delivers views of glaciated peaks, backcountry lakes, and the occasional waterfall, not to mention a great chance to see mountain goats. The road is an engineering feat as well鈥攊t took workers two decades to complete, with builders boring a number of tunnels into the cliffs. Going-to-the-Sun is only open to vehicles during the summer (typically from mid June to mid October), and there鈥檚 a brief hiker/biker season in May when human-powered traffic can access the road after it鈥檚 been plowed, but before the gates are open to cars.

Best View

Logan Pass is the most popular destination on the road, thanks to the visitor center and multiple trailheads there, but the Jackson Glacier Overlook has the sweetest view, as it gives you the best chance to see a glacier from the comfort of your car.

Get Out of Your Car

Going-to-the-Sun provides access to some of Glacier鈥檚 most iconic hikes and landscapes, so you could spend a full week knocking out trails without ever venturing beyond the road鈥檚 corridor. The 2.8-mile is a classic. You won鈥檛 have the trail to yourself (it鈥檚 one of the most popular hikes in the park) but the terrain you鈥檒l experience is iconic Glacier, passing through meadows full of wildflowers in the summer before it听reaches a vantage point overlooking a high alpine lake nestled at the base of the granite-rimmed Bearhat Mountain. Turn back or double your mileage by following the trail to the edge of the lake itself.

Reservations

You need for the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road from June 13 to September 28, between the hours of 7 A.M. and 3 P.M. Show up before or after that daily window if you want to drive the road but can鈥檛 score a reservation.

5. Crater Lake Rim Drive, Crater Lake National Park, Oregon听

Crater Lake is a sight to behold. The 13,148-acre pool is the deepest lake in the United States, fed entirely by rain and snowmelt, and completely encompassed by the rim of a volcanic crater that was formed more than 7,000 years ago during an eruption. And it鈥檚 all set within the backdrop of Oregon鈥檚 Cascade Mountain Range. The 33-mile Rim Drive gives you a chance to see this lake and the crater from every angle as it forms a paved, two-lane path around the entire scene. There are 30 overlooks along the way, most of which offer a good view of the bright blue water and Wizard Island, a cinder cone island rising 775 feet above the surface of the lake. One of the coolest features of the road is that it was built to disappear into the landscape, so that you can鈥檛 see it as you鈥檙e looking out over the lake. Like many of the scenic park roads built in the 1920s and 30s, Rim Drive has tight curves and very little shoulder, so drive cautiously and watch out for cyclists. Crater Lake National Park gets an average of 41 feet of snow a year, so the road closes for winter, typically from November 1 to June 1.

Best View

Watchman Overlook, 6.5 miles from the visitor center, has one of the best views of the lake, particularly at sunset as it faces west. There鈥檚 also a short, mile-long Watchman Peak Trail that leads to a fire lookout tower with a 360-degree view of the lake, crater, and surrounding Cascade Mountains.

Get Out of the Car

You鈥檒l get plenty of vista views of the lake from above, but is the only legal trail you can take down to the water鈥檚 edge. Find the trailhead on the East Rim Drive, 4.5 miles from where North Entrance Road intersects with West Rim Drive. It鈥檚 a steep, 1.1-mile sandy path from the road to the lake, dropping 700 feet before hitting the boulder-laden shore. Yes, you can take a dip in the water, but it鈥檚 cold, averaging 57 degrees in the summer.

Reservations

Crater Lake National Park doesn鈥檛 require reservations, but there is a $30 per vehicle entrance fee.

6. White Rim Road, Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Canyonlands National Park鈥檚 White Rim Road isn鈥檛 like others on this list. Instead of a paved highway, is a 100-mile four-wheel drive route through the backcountry of Canyonlands, forming a loop around the park鈥檚 Island in the Sky district. It鈥檚 a two-day adventure, at minimum, requiring a high-clearance 4WD vehicle, as well as solid navigational and backcountry skills. But if you have the chops, there鈥檚 no better way to see the park than driving (or mountain biking, if you are so inclined) White Rim Road. Named for the pale slickrock that dominates much of the road鈥檚 terrain, the driving is a mix of sandy washes, rough rocky stretches and the aforementioned slickrock, which will occasionally take you to the edge of canyons. It鈥檚 a two-way road, but most people drive it clockwise. No matter which you go, it should only be attempted by overland veterans and always keep an eyee out for oncoming vehicles, hikers, and bikers. You鈥檒l see towering buttes and monoliths as you drive along the Green River and switchback your way up and down the edges of deep gorges.

Best View

You鈥檒l see some amazing scenery throughout the entirety of this road, but Monument Basin, roughly 30 miles into the drive if you鈥檙e moving clockwise, will give you the chance to park above beauitful canyons and snag an Instagram-worthy shot. Inside the basin below, you鈥檒l see countless red sandstone spires rising from the valley floor.

Get Out of Your Car

The is a 3.4-mile out and back that leaves White Rim Road at mile 65 and meanders across the slickrock to the ruins of a stone structure built by the indigenous people that inhabited the area hundreds of years ago. From the ruin, you鈥檒l have a grand view of the Green River below, with its lush banks standing in contrast to the red desert on either side.

Reservations

Any overnight along White Rim requires a . You can apply for a permit up to four months in advance of your trip ($36 permit fee, plus a $5 per person, per night camping fee), and designated campsites are scattered along the route.

7. Grand Loop, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho

驰别濒濒辞飞蝉迟辞苍别鈥檚 Grand Loop isn鈥檛 a single road, but a combination of two-lane roads that form a 145-mile figure eight through the heart of the park. You can do the entire figure eight or just tackle the upper or lower loop. If you attempt to drive the entire Grand Loop, it will be an all-day adventure. Some visitors even break it up into two full days, knocking up the Upper Loop on day one and Lower Loop on the second day. Drive the entire Grand Loop and you鈥檒l hit most of the highlights in America鈥檚 oldest national park, with a chance to stop at geothermal wonders like Mammoth Hot Springs, Old Faithful, and Grand Prismatic Spring, while also being able to take quick detours to iconic landscapes, like the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone and the Lamar Valley, a broad grassland bisected by the Lamar River that attracts big game like bison and grizzly bears. If you have a snowmobile, you can explore the Grand Loop during winter, otherwise you鈥檒l have to plan your trip between May and the end of October, when the road is cleared of snow. And be prepared for the occasional 鈥渂ison jam,鈥� when cars stop to watch the locals.

Best View

Artist Point Overlook, a detour off of the Upper Grand Loop on the South Rim Drive, provides the best view of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, which is 20 miles long and more than 1,000 feet deep. From this overlook, you get a great view of the canyon鈥檚 Lower Falls, a tumultuous 300-foot waterfall flanked by steep rock walls.

Get Out of Your Car

The seven-mile out and back from 听delivers views of the park鈥檚 most iconic landscapes, with vistas of the rim of the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, Hayden Valley (a primo wildlife watching spot), and Yellowstone Lake. On a clear day from the lookout tower on top of Mount Washburn, you can see straight into the Grand Tetons, too. You鈥檒l be following an old stage coach road on this hike, so there鈥檚 even a bit of Wild West culture thrown in for good measure.

Reservations

No vehicle reservations needed. Entrance fee is $35 per vehicle.

8. Park Loop Road, Acadia National Park, Maine

础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Park Loop is the quintessential national park scenic drive: it鈥檚 short, gorgeous, and provides access to the park鈥檚 most popular destinations. The 27-mile one-way loop traverses the eastern flank of 础肠补诲颈补鈥檚 Mount Desert Island skipping from freshwater ponds to beaches and cliffs, delivering some of Maine鈥檚 most iconic coastal views along the way. Acadia gets three million visitors a year, so the road gets congested, but you can still complete the loop in just a few hours. Take your time though, as Park Loop provides access to short trails and beaches that could keep you entertained for days. If you get a timed entry permit, you can tack on the three-mile too, which rises 1,530 feet straight out of the ocean, offering long range views of the Atlantic.

Best View

Dramatic views are a near constant along Park Loop, but Otter Cliff stands out above the rest, literally and figuratively. Otter Cliff is 110 feet tall, making it one of the tallest cliffs on the east coast. Spruce trees sprout from the top of the cliff, while a boulder-strewn beach can be seen below. Hit the cliff during the summer and there鈥檚 a good chance you鈥檒l see multiple species of whales in the water.

Get Out of Your Car

Make a stop at Sand Beach, where you can take a swim if you鈥檙e brave enough to handle the Atlantic鈥檚 frigid temperatures, lounge and walk the , an easy stroll that accesses a variety of views of the Atlantic and Mount Desert Island鈥檚 coastline. The path will also take you to Thunder Hole, an inlet carved into the cliffs where incoming waves create a thunderous echo.

Reservations

You don鈥檛 need reservations to enter Acadia or drive the Park Loop, but you will need them if you want to drive the summit road to the top of . Entrance fee to the park is $35 per vehicle.

Graham Averill is 国产吃瓜黑料 magazine鈥檚 national park columnist. He loves a scenic road with an overlook as much as the next tourist and he recently wrote about the best road trips in the Southwest. He鈥檚 excited to plan his family鈥檚 next spring break trip, too.听

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