The USA has a whopping 423 national parks – and all are unmissable wonders. Whether they are preserving natural splendor, celebrating vital history, or protecting places burned into the national conscience, all will surprise, delight, and inform.
Each offers travelers something different, with adventures ranging from the spiritual to the active to the magical. Below are eight unforgettable experiences to try in US national parks in 2023.
See the iconic Statue of Liberty up close
The star of countless souvenirs and photos, New York’s Statue of Liberty National Monument continues to inspire the masses almost 140 years after its dedication. Ride the ferry out, go for a climb inside (reserve well in advance), and don’t miss nearby Ellis Island, where you can learn what happened to the teeming immigrant masses who once gazed with such hope at the statue.
Planning tip: Be sure to include Governors Island National Monument in your NYC visit. This former military base sits right in the harbor and has been transformed into a spectacular park with sweeping views of the Statue of Liberty and the NYC skyline.
Gaze deep into the Grand Canyon
No picture can capture the massive majesty of Grand Canyon National Park. From viewpoints along the roads on the south rim of Arizona, you can get glimpses of the muddy Colorado River winding far below. The geologic spectacle is nearly impossible to imagine until you’ve seen it for yourself.
Detour: Southeast of the main Grand Canyon road, off Hwy 89, Wupatki National Monument preserves a beautiful rock city built by Native Americans 900 years ago. It’s one of many national park sites in Arizona and New Mexico that showcase the legacies of the complex cultures that lived here before European contact.
Be awestruck at Yosemite
Yosemite National Park is a playground for the senses and an essential stop for any first-time visit to California. Standing in the valley, with a burbling stream nearby and taking in the vista of granite El Capitan and Half Dome, along with the long, coursing drama of Bridalveil Fall, will stay with you for a lifetime. Head up to the high Alpine meadows, where rivers are born amidst elemental beauty.
Planning tip: Try to visit Yosemite in spring or fall when crowds are fewer and the colors are either freshly reborn or rich with autumn patinas. If visiting in summer, check the park website for essential planning tips and reservations.
Go beyond the lore at Little Bighorn
A circle of cavalry troops dying to the last man is at the heart of Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument in the dry, horizon-filling plains of eastern Montana. The story of how the Plains Indians scored their overwhelming victory at what they called the Battle of Greasy Grass and the events that led up to it, including Custer’s genocidal campaign against Native Americans, are told here, putting the battle into context.
Detour: Although the popular Yellowstone National Park is an easy drive west, consider going east to a circle of spectacular but lesser-known national parks including Theodore Roosevelt National Park, soaring Devil’s Tower National Monument, and the striking landscapes of Badlands National Park.
Take the plunge at Indiana Dunes
Often dismissed by some as ‘flyover country’, Indiana Dunes National Park is a beautiful rejoinder right along the shores of Lake Michigan. Following the lakeshore, the park offers miles of white-sand beaches where the sand is genuinely white.
In summer, you can find a beach to call your own while swimming in the seasonally warm lake water. At night, you can roast marshmallows by the lights of the Chicago skyline poking above the horizon. Hikes through ancient oak forests complete the experience, illustrating why the region is proudly known as the Third Coast.
Step up to the raw Atlantic at Canaveral seashore
It’s an easily understood claim: the longest stretch of undeveloped coast in all of Florida is protected by Canaveral National Seashore. While the name may inspire thoughts of moon launches and space exploration, this long barrier island of dunes and lagoons is a natural wonderland with thousands of native species of plants and animals that can be explored on hikes and walks, or simply enjoyed on the fine sanded beaches.
Detour: No trip to the Canaveral seashore is complete without considering a visit to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, which honors and explains 60 years of rocket launches that began on these sandy plains.
Witness the majestic drama at Glacier Bay
Raw rivers of ice meet the churning waters of the Pacific in Alaska at Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. It’s nature at its most primal, where fjords of water lead to vast granite mountains cleaved by glaciers that edge down to the sea, where huge icebergs drift away.
Whether viewed from a cruise ship, a small boat, or by float plane or helicopter, it’s a spectacle not to be missed, especially given the threats to the glaciers from climate change.
Walk the Boston trail of American Independence
Discover what was meant by ‘one if by land, two if by sea’ at Boston National Historical Park in Massachusetts, which brings together a mix of sites that sparked the Revolutionary War from 1775 onwards. Most are visited easily following well-documented walking routes like the Freedom Trail.
Planning tip: Study the list of historic sites in advance and make selections, as Boston’s numerous historical attractions can be overwhelming with varying hours and admissions policies.
