Wondering which National Parks are the most unique & worth prioritizing? I’ve visited almost half of them so far, and though it’s really difficult to pick, I think these are my top five favorite National Parks!
One of my biggest life goals is to visit all 62 U.S. National Parks.
Every time I visit a new park, I’m pretty sure I think to myself, “Oh, this is my new favorite!“
Because it’s true…they’re all my favorites! They’re all so alluring and mysterious in their own way, and each park has captivated me differently.
I truly believe each park has unique beauty and everyone will find their park that they love most!
However, I thought it’d still be fun to put together my all-time Top 5 Favorites list as best I can. (And just as I continually update my National Parks Checklist, I’ll also update this when it calls for it!)
My Top 5 Favorite National Parks
Let it be known that this is a very difficult list to make! But if someone made me choose, these would probably be my top five favorite National Parks (so far):
1. Zion National Park
There is absolutely zero competition for the number one spot. None of the other parks compare to Zion for me.
This park stole my heart on my very first National Parks trip, and I was lucky enough to visit it before it got a lot of attention. It was a smaller, unnoticed park at the time and I got to experience it in its emptier, glory days before the park became so popular.
Hiking Angels Landing changed my entire mindset about life. And no beauty compares to that of being inside Zion’s canyon walls.
It’s also the only park I’ve ever visited twice, simply because I just couldn’t resist going back again years later.
2. Olympic National Park
I love Olympic Park for its diversity. No other park contains multiple, vastly different worlds the way this park does.
During my visit, I was able to experience a mountaintop hike with snowcaps, watch bald eagles soar on beaches of the Pacific Coast, wade through rocky tide pools covered in live starfish, and hike through the only rainforest in North America.
{Oh, and if you’re a Twilight fan, you get to pass through the town of Forks, the Quillayute reservation, and La Push Beach. It’s actually really cool. And the beaches in La Push are breathtaking!}
This park is tucked away in the most northwestern corner of the country and it holds so many secrets still left to be discovered. I plan to return to this park very, very soon. (And I fell so in love with this park that I’ve convinced myself I’ll one day live on the Olympic Peninsula.)
3. Bryce Canyon National Park
I backpacked under the rim of Bryce in Summer 2019, and it was other-worldly. The Hoodoos are mesmerizing, and the deep wild parts underneath the canyon rim are every bit as captivating.
While hiking, someone hiked past us and said out loud, “Another horrible day at Bryce, I see!” And we all laughed, because we all knew it was quite possibly the most heavenly day any of us had ever experienced while on earth.
I would love to go back during the winter months and see the snow-covered Hoodoos. That’s what’s so great about these Parks — they’re vastly different depending on which season you visit them!
4. Channel Islands National Park
Channel Islands holds a really special place in my heart, because it was the very first time my sister and I ever embarked on an actual backpacking adventure.
We were nervous and excited as we boldly figured out a way to hike across the entirety of Santa Cruz Island — something a lot of people don’t do because you have to carry in all your own water.
{As a side note, don’t ever plan your very first backpacking trip to be one that requires you to carry all your own water in. It’ll make you think you’ve made a huge mistake in pursuing the hobby of backpacking! Just trust me on this!!}
Though I about broke my back from the weight of my pack, the island was glorious. While hiking, we never saw a single other soul. And on the night of July 4th, we had the most beautiful campsite I’ve ever stayed at all to ourselves — as we watched fireworks from the California coast go off in the distance. To say it was magical is quite an understatement.
5. Congaree National Park
This park took me by surprise and completely took my breath away. This tiny little park located in South Carolina is an unexpected treasure — the Redwoods of the East Coast.
While this park is really special to me because it’s the first park I ever visited with my boyfriend Jordan (which got him hooked on National Parks!), it is a top 5 park for many other reasons including its incomparable solitude and unique beauty.
It’s also the only park I’ve ever explored by water. In addition to doing a few hikes, we also rented a canoe and were able to experience the wilder parts of the Park — the most beautiful parts.
Do you have any favorite National Parks? Are any on your to-visit list? I’d love to hear!
May your life be an adventure today and always…
