National Park Power Rankings
National Park Power Rankings
Here it is, folks. The moment you've all been waiting for. It's time for me to unveil my final rankings for all the national parks I visited.
Now, before I go any further, a few disclaimers:
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| Camping in Dixie National Forest |
- I loved every single one of these parks. They all had something unique and interesting to offer, and I truly enjoyed my time at all of them. These rankings are splitting hairs in a lot of ways; I would recommend visiting as many as you can.
- Not all of these parks got a full fair shake. I explored some—like Yellowstone & Olympic—in great detail, going to see every nook and cranny I could over the course of 3-5 days. Others—like Mesa Verde—I only saw for half a day. So naturally, it's impossible for me to give an objective ranking of all aspects of these parks.
Rather, I am simply giving a perspective of my experience in all these places; what I loved about them, what I didn't love about them, and how they fit together. There are certain things that are more important to me than they might be for some people (biking, for instance). And there are some still that I don't even consider, which others might (climbing, backpacking).
To illustrate this point, and help you understand how a certain park might match your interests, I've broken down my rankings into 8 criteria, assigning each a weight for how important they are to me. I've also decided that I will be indiscriminately awarding "bonus points", depending on how extraordinary a park might be in a certain category. For instance, Yellowstone receives 2 bonus points in the 'Wildlife' category, simply because there is such a diversity and quantity of wildlife. You'll figure it out as I go, don't worry.
Criteria (score/possible points)
- Scenery (x/15)
- How beautiful is the nature around the park? Are there cool geological features to explore? What do the trees smell like?
- Variety/Novelty (x/10)
- What makes the park unique? Are there lots of different things to do each day you're there, or is what you see what you get?
- Hiking (x/10)
- How are the hiking trails? Is there a nice diversity of trails to hike?
- Biking (x/5)
- What options for biking are there? Are there dedicated bike paths, or is it just road biking?
- Crowds (x/5)
- Do the crowds make you feel like you're at a zoo rather than in the wilderness?
- Wildlife (x/5)
- How much wildlife is there? What sorts of wildlife encounters did I have?
- Driving & Infrastructure (x/5)
- Is it easy to get around, and how scenic are the drives?
- Camping (x/5)
- How was my campsite? Was it easy to find; what other free/cheap camping options were there?
Rankings
1. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming): 59.5/60 points (99%)
Days Spent: 5
Pre-trip hype ranking: 3 (up 1)
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| Trout Lake |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (14/15)
- Variety & Novelty (10/10 + 2 BONUS)
- Hiking (9/10)
- Biking (5/5 + 1 BONUS)
Crowds (2/5)Billy the Bison - Wildlife (5/5 + 2 BONUS)
- Driving & Infrastructure (4.5/5)
- Camping (5/5)
Pros
- I mean, where to begin? It may have just been the fact that this was early in the trip, where I had seen some really cool stuff, but not too much just blew me away. That changed at Yellowstone; I was spellbound by this place.
- Driving was stunning, and the roads were well kept.
- Wildlife was EVERYWHERE. I saw herds of bison in the hundreds, elk, pronghorn, a grizzly, and probably more that I'm forgetting. Truly nowhere else in the US that compares.
- There is so much to do and see at Yellowstone. Awesome geothermal features everywhere (the place is literally a volcano), great hiking & bike trails, boardwalks, wildlife viewing, canyons, rivers, mountains, and much more.
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| Yellowstone Canyon |
- The place is huge, and when I say huge I mean Zach Edey on steroids huge. While this is great, because you can spend a ton of time here and see new things every day, it also has drawbacks. My campsite wasn't exactly central, so I had to drive back to it at least 1 hour every day, often 2-3 hours. I didn't mind because the drive was beautiful, but once it got dark it wasn't as fun. To get to the other end of the park, it took 3 1/2 hours early in the morning (which would be longer with crowds/traffic).
- Speaking of crowds, just save yourself the trouble and don't even think about going in the summer. I was only mildly annoyed at times by the crowds, but I was here during the week in September, far past peak season.
- Finally, the 'Tower' part of Yellowstone was closed off for restoration when I was there. I don't really mind, because if there's anywhere in America that needs a break from human traffic, it's Yellowstone, and I had plenty other stuff to see. Plus, it just gives me something to go back for in the future.
Verdict: Yellowstone is magical, and it should be a bucket-list destination for everyone, especially if you live within driving distance.
2. Yosemite National Park (California): 56/60 points (93%)
Days spent: 3
Pre-trip hype ranking: 6 (up 4)
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| Yosemite Canyon |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (15/15 + 1 BONUS)
- Variety & Novelty (9/10)
- Hiking (10/10)
- Biking (5/5 + 1 BONUS)
- Crowds (2/5)
Wildlife (5/5 + 1 BONUS)A river! - Driving & infrastructure (5/5)
- Camping (2/5)
Pros
- Yosemite Valley is mind-boggling; one of those sights you really can't appreciate until you see it with your own eyes.
- There is a great bike (multi-use) path that goes all around Yosemite Valley. I used this to get to/from trailheads, which is a great solution if you go at a time with large crowds
- Yosemite gets bonus points for this once-in-a-lifetime wildlife experience. Video is not for the queasy; it's a graphic video of 3 bears—momma and 2 cubs—going to town on a freshly killed deer. The little dudes were viciously tearing this thing apart inside-out, one of those things that reminds you how brutal but magnificent nature is.
- If you like waterfalls, there are seemingly endless ones to see here.
Cons
I had an extraordinarily difficult time finding a campsite here. I went to 3 free ones that I found online, which said they were open but when I got there, were all closed for various reasons—wildfire, restoration, snow, etc. Word to the wise, call wherever you're planning on staying beforehand to make sure they're open.Mirror Lake - Camping in the actual park looks awesome, but it's apparently very difficult to reserve a spot (I didn't even try)
- I went on a weekend in September (planned to do during the week but plans changed), and there were a ton of people. Yosemite is relatively accessible from big California cities, and it was beautiful weather, so I'm not surprised. And it wasn't so crowded that it was a problem, but it was slightly annoying.
- Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road were both closed when I was there, leaving large chunks of the park inaccessible. Guess that just means I have to go back! I don't make the rules.
Verdict: Yosemite is another bucket-list destination that exceeded the hype. Highly recommend finding a way to check it out, but as with Yellowstone, avoid the summer and weekends if possible.
3. Olympic National Park (Washington): 53.5/60 points (89%)
Days spent: 4½
Pre-trip hype ranking: 5 (up 2)
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| Second Beach |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (15/15)
Variety & Novelty (10/10)Sol Duc Falls - Hiking (10/10 + 1 BONUS)
- Biking (3/5)
- Crowds (4/5)
- Wildlife (3/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (3.5/5)
- Camping (4/5)
Pros
- The Olympic Peninsula is a wonder of nature with distinct ecosystems in every corner. Rainforests scatter the interior portions of the peninsula, Mount Olympus provides miles of craggly peaks and views of the entire peninsula, and the coastline has isolated and beautiful beaches, with towering rocks and crisp sea air. I explored Olympic for nearly 5 days, and still left so much unseen.
- The hikes at Olympic were among the best of my entire trip. Particularly, the 'Second Beach' and 'Spruce Nature Trail' hikes were extraordinary.
- Crowds were not terrible, considering how beautiful the place is.
Hoh Rainforest - There is a cheap ferry ($17 with a car) from Seattle, which drops you at Port Angeles
Cons
- Similar to Yellowstone, the sprawling nature of Olympic NP makes it difficult to get from point A to point B. I had to move campsites halfway through so I could check out the other side of the island
- Even with the ferry, Olypmic is one of the more remote national parks. You really have to make a point to go here.
Verdict: The Olympic Peninsula is one of the most unique national parks in the country, and due to its remoteness and size, feels less crowded than some of the more popular parks. Highly recommend setting aside multiple days to explore it.
4. Zion National Park (Utah): 51/60 points (85%)
Days spent: 2
Pre-trip hype ranking: 7 (up 3)
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| Kayenta Trail |
- Scenery (15/15 + 1 BONUS)
- Variety & Novelty (8/10)
Hiking (10/10 + 1 BONUS)Virgin River (named after me) - Biking (4/5)
- Crowds (2/5)
- Wildlife (4/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (3/5)
- Camping (3/5)
Pros
- Zion is one of the most popular destinations for US nature-seekers, and for good reason; the place is stunning.
- Trails are beautiful. We spent 2 full days here and our favorite trail was "The Narrows", a hike along the Virgin River, which eventually actually goes into the river. We only did a short bit of this because we were wearing sandals and it was November. If you want to do a full-day hike, there is special equipment you can rent from local outfitters.
- Biking along the main canyon road is popular because cars are not allowed, only bikes/shuttles. We didn't bike, but I would try to if I go back.
Cons
- Cars aren't allowed on the road into Zion Canyon to reduce traffic. Instead, you can bike or take a free shuttle to and from trailheads. We didn't mind, but it did require more prior planning than usual. Also, I have a feeling during peak season the shuttle would be swarmed with people.
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| Kolob Canyons |
Verdict: Zion blew me away, and if you're going purely of natural beauty, it is right up there with Yosemite. I feel like a broken record, but this is another that I wouldn't want to visit during the summer. Even in November, it was pretty crowded.
5. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming): 50/60 points (83%)
Days spent: 3
Pre-trip hype ranking: 4 (down 1)
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| Snake River Overlook |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (15/15)
- Variety & Novelty (7/10)
Hiking (9/10)Stop on multi-use bike path - Biking (5/5)
- Crowds (2/5)
- Wildlife (3/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (4/5)
- Camping (5/5)
Pros
- The Teton mountain range is quite literally jaw-dropping. Upon getting my first glimpse through the smoke, I gazed in wonder and got emotional; it's one of those.
- The Jenny Lake scenic drive, and multi-use path from Jenny Lake to Moose are both very bike friendly.
- Free camping is aplenty near the park; I stayed at a beautiful dispersed site high up on a hill with views of the mountains, which was a short 20-30 minute drive from the park.
If you're not scared of the cold, go for a swim or simply relax on the rocks of Jenny Lake. It's a good place to take a break and enjoy the views.Jenny Lake Overlook
Cons
- This park was pretty crowded. I made the mistake of doing one of the most popular hikes on a Friday afternoon, and this is one of the times I felt like it actually interfered with the experience.
Verdict: The Teton mountain range is a sight to see. The park gives you opportunities to walk around the surrounding, crystal-clear lakes, or hike deep into the mountains. Although less crowded than neighboring Yellowstone, I still would avoid peak season.
6. Badlands National Park (South Dakota): 46/60 points (77%)
Days spent: 1½
Pre-trip hype ranking: 10 (up 4)
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| Grazers at sunset |
Score Breakdown
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| Yellow Mounds |
- Scenery (13/15)
- Variety & Novelty (7/10)
- Hiking (7/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (3/5)
- Wildlife (5/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (5/5)
- Camping (5/5)
Pros
- Badlands is a geological wonder stuffed in the middle of South Dakota. The scenic loop takes you to all the big spots, with options to hike deeper into hills.
- Badlands is one of the best places to view wildlife in the plains and Midwest. I saw my first bison (+ a few more), pronghorn, mountain goats, and prairie dogs (there are tons of them in the less-travelled western part of the park.
- It also had the only free campsites within the actual park that I found. It's a nice primitive site and gives you a great opportunity to explore the Badlands wilderness area.
Cons
- Badlands is a relatively small park, which means you probably only want to spend 1-2 days here. But there are plenty of cool sights in the surrounding Black Hills area.
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| Overlooking the Badlands |
Days spent: 1½
Pre-trip hype ranking: 2 (down 5)
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| The Coastal Trail |
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| A pair of pretty pretty tall trees |
- Scenery (13/15)
- Variety & Novelty (8/10)
- Hiking (10/10)
- Biking (3/5)
- Crowds (4/5)
- Wildlife (2/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (3/5)
- Camping (3/5)
Pros
- Redwood National & State Parks is one of the few places where the tallest trees in the world still thrive. They are miraculous beauties that truly make you feel so small.
- The hiking here was fantastic. My favorite of the whole trip was the 'Grove of the Titans' in Jedidiah Smith State Park, which I got a tip on from a friendly park ranger. The coastal loop is also beautiful and gives some variety from all the trees.
Cons
- Redwood is deceptively far from major California and Oregon cities. You really have to make a point to go here, but this also means the crowds aren't as bad as other California parks.
Verdict: If you like big-ass fuckoff trees, this is your destination. You can't truly comprehend the size of these things until you see them up close.
8. Glacier National Park (Montana): 45.5/60 points (76%)
Days spent: 3
Pre-trip hype ranking: 1 (down 7)
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| Hidden Lake Trail |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (15/15 + 1 BONUS)
Variety & Novelty (6/10)Bear sighting in St. Mary's area - Hiking (9/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (1/5)
- Wildlife (5/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (3.5/5)
- Camping (3/5)
Pros
- Lots glaciers here. Pretty neat.
- But seriously, the scenery here is incomparable to anywhere I have been before.
- Hiking is dynamite, and there is plenty of wildlife if you're into that
Cons
- This is very much a hikers' & backpackers' paradise, but there isn't as much variety as I would have liked. Lots of long hikes that lead you to some one-of-a-kind destinations, but with my neuropathy I wasn't able to experience as much of them as I would have liked.
- Because of this, the crowds in many of the places I was able to go were crazy.
- To avoid the crowds, I'd highly recommend checking out the Two Medicine area. I was only there for a couple hours, but could (should) have spent a whole day.
- There weren't too many free camping options close to the park. My campsite ended up being fine, but it was a bit of a pain to get to.
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| Paradise Point at Two Medicine Lake |
Verdict: I was having a rough time with my feet at Glacier; probably overextended at Yellowstone & Grand Teton. So I wasn't able to venture far off the beaten path. I would love to go back and try again; there seem to be some highly rewarding hiking options.
T-9. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington): 43/60 points (72%)
Days spent: 2
Pre-trip hype ranking: N/A
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| Paradise area featuring foliage |
Score Breakdown
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| Rainforest in Mount Rainier |
- Scenery (12/15)
- Variety & Novelty (6/10)
- Hiking (8/10)
- Biking (5/5)
- Crowds (3/5)
- Wildlife (3/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (4/5)
- Camping (2/5)
Pros
- Mount Rainier is super accessible from major PNW cities—Seattle Portland, and even Yakima are less than 3 hour drives.
- It's a really beautiful mountain, and has a nice scenic road that goes around it, providing different views/angles.
- The surrounding rainforests are very cool! It was my first experience in a pacific northwest forest, and I did an awesome hike called Two Firs.
- There are excellent biking trails in the northwest and southwest corners of the park. You'll need at least a sturdy hybrid (if not a mountain bike), but the trails aren't difficult/dangerous.
Cons
- At the end of the day, it's just one mountain, there's not a ton to see outside of that.
- The campsite I found was weirdly gross. It was very wet, had slugs everywhere, and the road to get in was extremely bumpy (I popped a tire on the way out). Hopefully this is just a one-off thing, but there didn't seem to be a lot of free camping in the area.
- 2 of the hikes I did in the Paradise region were totally paved (as were all the area trails), despite not even being wheelchair accessible. Maybe it's just me, but I don't see the point of paved paths if it's not for accessibility. I like to feel the Earth under my feet!
- Because of the climate, you might get unlucky and not even catch a glimpse of the mountain. This happened one of the days I was there, but luckily when I went back a few days later it was totally clear.
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| Ricksecker Point at Sunset |
Verdict: Mount Rainier is perfectly nice, scenic, and definitely worth a trip. But because of a few drawbacks, it doesn't rank any higher.
T-9. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon): 43/60 points (72%)
Days spent: ½
Pre-trip hype ranking: 13 (up 3)
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| The Watchmen Peak Trail |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (14/15)
- Variety & Novelty (8/10)
- Hiking (6/10)
- Biking (3/5)
- Crowds (4/5)
- Wildlife (2/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (3/5)
- Camping (3/5)
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| Another view of Crater Lake |
Pros
- Crater Lake is spooky and super unique. It's the deepest lake in the US (and the 7th deepest in the world), and has some really fun historical facts. The water is a vibrant blue and the park is worth going just to see it.
- The surrounding area in Oregon (Sister Mountains for instance) has a ton of cool hiking and camping options.
Cons
- Although there are a few things to explore apart from the actual lake, there really isn't enough to fill multiple days with.
Verdict: Crater Lake is a really neat feature and has a lot of interesting history. It works better as a pitstop than a standalone destination, but is worth going to see if you get a chance.
T-11. North Cascades National Park (Washington): 41/60 points (68%)
Days spent: 1
Pre-trip hype ranking: N/A
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| Diablo Lake |
Score Breakdown
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| Hidden Lake |
- Scenery (14/15)
- Variety & Novelty (5/10)
- Hiking (8/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (4/5)
- Wildlife (3/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (3/5)
- Camping (2/5)
Pros
- The North Cascades are gorgeous, and I feel like I only scratched the surface of what the region has to offer.
- Hiking seems excellent, and backpacking even better, especially if you like long, half or full-day hikes.
- Due to its relative remoteness, it's not as crowded as other parks in the area.
Cons
- The main area of the park seems like the least scenic/interesting part. I would recommend venturing farther east down North Cascades Highway.
- The best hiking trails are very long; if you have physical limitations it doesn't have quite as many short hikes, but it's entirely possible I missed them.
Verdict: North Cascades was a spur-of-the-moment detour, and I'm really glad I went. I do wish I'd given myself more time, however, to explore it in greater detail.
T-11. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah): 41/60 points (68%)
Days spent: 1
Pre-trip hype ranking: N/A
Score Breakdown
Scenery (13/15)On the Queen's Garden Trail - Variety & Novelty (5/10)
- Hiking (9/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (3/5)
- Wildlife (2/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (2/5)
- Camping (5/5)
Pros
- Bryce Canyon is super cool; traversing into the canyon (not actually a canyon) was like walking into another world.
- The surrounding area is just as—or even more—beautiful. The Red Canyon and Dixie National Forest have awesome hiking, biking, and camping opportunities. Our free campsite near Tropic Reservoir was one of my favorites of the whole trip.
Cons
- Bryce Canyon is another quick stop; we spent a full day there and felt like we had seen everything by the time we left.
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| Natural Bridge in Bryce Canyon |
Verdict: Bryce Canyon—apparently a set of natural amphitheaters and hoodoos—has a very scenic and diverse surrounding area, and is a great pitstop on your way through Utah.
13. King's Canyon National Park (California): 37/60 points (61%)
Days spent: 1
Pre-trip hype ranking: N/A
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| Yosemite's little brother |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (12/15)
Giant Sequoia near my campsite - Variety & Novelty (4/10)
- Hiking (5/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (5/5)
- Wildlife (2/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (2/5)
- Camping (5/5)
Pros
- I actually only saw King's Canyon because a wildfire was roaring in the neighboring Sequoia National Park. However, I was perfectly happy with seeing it; I described it as Yosemite's little brother.
- Being Yosemite's little brother also means that the crowds are minuscule in comparison.
- The surrounding Sequoia National Forest (& Park, presumably) has plenty to see and do; I camped near Hume Lake and loved It.
Cons
- I feel like a broken record, but King's Canyon is pretty small, and probably only has enough to fill a day or 2.
- It's also a bit of a pain to get to, and has lots of road closures/limitations to be aware of, especially in the off-season.
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| On the drive into King's Canyon |
Verdict: King's Canyon has plenty to do outside the park, somewhat less so inside it. But it's a great place to explore if you're spending some time in the area
14. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado): 36/60 points (60%)
Days spent: ½
Pre-trip hype ranking: N/A
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| Cliff dwellings in Spruce Tree Terrace |
Score Breakdown
Scenery (10/15)Sunset on my way out of the park - Variety & Novelty (8/10)
- Hiking (5/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (4/5)
- Wildlife (2/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (2/5)
- Camping (3/5)
Pros
- Mesa Verde is really unique, there are chances to learn about the ancient Pueblos that lived in cliff dwellings.
- Unfortunately, the museum was closed so I didn't get as much info about the history as I would've liked.
- The place was virtually empty when I was there; this park is definitely off the beaten path.
Cons
- I didn't find a ton of variety in this park, but it's possible that I just didn't give myself enough time.
Verdict: Mesa Verde has a lot of unique history, in a way that other parks don't. There isn't a ton to do, but it's worth stopping through if it's not out of your way.
15. Arches National Park (Utah): 35/60 points (58%)
Days spent: 1½
Pre-trip hype ranking: 15 (--)
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| Devil's Garden |
Score Breakdown
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| Delicate Arch—a must see! |
- Scenery (13/15)
- Variety & Novelty (6/10)
- Hiking (7/10)
- Biking (2/5)
- Crowds (1/5)
- Wildlife (1/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (2/5)
- Camping (3/5)
Pros:
- Arches is super accessible; it's less than 5 minutes from the Moab city center. There are also many BLM campsites along the Colorado River on Highway 128
Cons:
- Due in part to its accessibility and its size, I found it was one of the more crowded parks I went to.
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| Salt Valley Overlook at Sunset |
Verdict: Arches has some remarkable...arches. It's a great place to stop by for a day or 2 if you're traveling through.
16. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota): 26/60 (43%)
Days spent: 3
Pre-trip hype ranking: 10 (down 6)
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| Rainy Lake bike trail |
Score Breakdown
- Scenery (8/15)
Variety & Novelty (4/10)Among the wildflowers - Hiking (2/10)
- Biking (4/5)
- Crowds (4/5)
- Wildlife (1/5)
- Driving & infrastructure (1/5)
- Camping (2/5)
Pros
- For being in the Midwest, you really can't do much better than Voyageurs.
- If you're into water activities, this is your place. There are a number of boat-in campsites on islands scattered through the park, and a vast system of lakes to explore.
- Nice biking path near the Rainy Lake Visitor Center.
- Despite going in late August, I found the crowds were minimal.
Cons
- Hiking leaves a lot to be desired; there are a few neat trails but nothing compared to some of the other parks on this list.
- If you don't have access to a good watercraft, there isn't much to do at Voyageurs.
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| Sunset over Kabetogama Lake |
Verdict: I feel bad putting Voyageurs this low on the list, because I had a really nice time there. But it simply doesn't compare to the western parks; still a great option for us Midwesterners.
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