Like a freight train with malfunctioning brakes, fall is quickly heading our way and there’s nothing we can do about it. The hot, sunny, steamy days spent at the lake, beach, or simply sunbathing in our backyard in a Speedo are almost over. But there’s still time to take that end-of-summer road trip you’ve been talking about since June. And the best locations for that end of the summer trip? The national parks, of course. From California to Maine, our country is dotted with breathtaking, amazing national parks just waiting to be discovered. We ranked the best nature escapes below.
Photo: Marji Lang / Contributor (Getty Images)
Bad news beers: The Most Unhealthy Beers You Thought Were Healthy
Avoid at all costs: RANKED! The Worst Beers Of All Time
Follow Mandatory on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
National Parks Ranked
-
8. Redwood National Park (California)
This coastal California state park is important for one reason: the redwood trees it’s named for. It might only encompass 139,000 acres, but it’s home to the giant, behemoth trees that have to be seen to be believed.
Photo: Carmen Martínez Torrón (Getty Images)
-
7. Yosemite National Park (California)
California’s Yosemite National Park is one of the most famous national parks for a variety of reasons. Within the 748,000-plus acres, you’ll find mountains, lakes, granite cliffs, and massive sequoia trees.
Photo: Kevin Chen / Eyeem (Getty Images)
-
6. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
If you can handle the crowds and you’re within driving distance, you have to see the Grand Canyon to believe it. Sure, you’ve seen it on TV and in movies, but that doesn’t compare to seeing it in person.
Photo: Jordan Siemens (Getty Images)
-
5. Acadia National Park (Maine)
Probably the perfect national park to visit at the end of the summer, Acadia National Park is located in coastal Maine near the popular tourist town of Bar Harbor. It’s comprised of multiple islands and is full of great hiking and beautiful sea views.
Photo: Stan Dzugan (Getty Images)
-
4. Glacier National Park (Montana)
They call Montana Big Sky Country for a reason. Located in northern Montana, along the Canada-U.S. border, Glacier National Park takes up over 1 million acres of mountains, lakes, and a whole lot of uninterrupted nature.
Photo: Jordan Siemens (Getty Images)
-
3. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park is full of forests, wild rivers, and towns that look like they never made it out of the 19th century (in the best way possible). If you’re going to visit Grand Teton National Park, you should probably hit up Yellowstone as well as it’s only 10 miles away (and part of the reason it didn’t make our list).
Photo: Richard Maschmeyer (Getty Images)
-
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)
The most popular and easily accessible national park for East Coast visitors, Great Smoky Mountain National Park is a hiking fan’s dream. The end of summer and beginning of fall might be the perfect time to visit the area as the season change makes for explosions of red, yellow, and brown.
Photo: Tony Barber (Getty Images)
-
1. Zion National Park (Utah)
Utah’s Zion National Park might only be 229 square miles, making it one of the smallest national parks, but even though it’s small, it makes up for it with breathtaking views and amazing sights that will make you feel like you stepped back in time to when the U.S. was wild and free.
Photo: James O'Neil (Getty Images)
