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Need help planning the perfect national park itinerary? Get ideas for your next road trip, including single and multi-day itineraries for the US national parks.
Road Trip Itineraries
This is one of the best road trips in the USA. On this 14-day itinerary, visit the Grand Canyon and Utah's Mighty 5, as well as a handful of wonderful state parks and national monuments. Not only do you get to visit some of the most popular sights in the American Southwest but you also get to visit several off-the-beaten-path destinations.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit 6 national parks: the Grand Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches, Capitol Reef, Zion, and Bryce Canyon. You will also visit Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Dead Horse Point State Park, and Goblin Valley State Park.
You can do this road trip year round. However, the best time of year are the spring and fall months, when temperatures are mild and crowds are lower. We did this road trip in early May and conditions were perfect. In the summer, temperatures can be scorching and these parks get an enormous number of visitors. Winter is cold but crowds are low. Snow is possible, especially at the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, but it would be magical to see these sights with a dusting of snow.
On this 10-day national park itinerary, view the breathtaking vistas of the Grand Canyon, hike the thrilling trails in Zion National Park, and photograph the millions of hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. The list keeps going, with the sweeping views of Monument Valley, dusty, off-road adventures in Grand Staircase-Escalante, and numerous slot canyons to scramble through.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit 3 national parks: the Grand Canyon, Zion, and Bryce Canyon. You will also visit Sedona, Monument Valley, Antelope Canyon, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
You can do this road trip year round. However, the best time of year are the spring and fall months, when temperatures are mild and crowds are lower. We did this road trip in early May and conditions were perfect. In the summer, temperatures can be scorching and these parks get an enormous number of visitors. Winter is cold but crowds are low. Snow is possible, especially at the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, but it would be magical to see these sights with a dusting of snow.
In this guide, we provide 18 different road trips in the USA. Each of them includes at least one national park. With maps and itineraries, it is a great way to get an overview of multiple road trip ideas in one article.
LEARN MORE: Best USA Road Trips: 18 Ideas for Your Next Big Adventure
Each of these itineraries includes at least one national park and most of the itineraries include three or four national parks.
No matter which season you are planning a road trip, you will find several great options for each month of the year. For each itinerary in this article, we list the best months of the year to do it.
Learn how to plan the ultimate road trip through Utah’s Mighty 5. This can be done in a whirlwind 7-day road trip. But with more time, you can further explore each park or add in state parks, slot canyons, scenic drives, and even places like Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. In this post, get several detailed itineraries to help you plan your road trip, ranging from 7 to 21 days.
LEARN MORE: The Ultimate Utah National Parks Road Trip
The Might 5 include Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands National Parks. On several of these itineraries, you can also visit the Grand Canyon.
The spring and fall months are the best times to visit. Weather conditions are pleasant and you can avoid the big crowds that flood the park in the summer. During the summer months, expect soaring temperatures, large crowds, expensive prices for hotels, and lots of traffic at viewpoints and on hiking trails. In the winter, the parks are much less crowded, but temperatures can get below freezing and snow is likely (especially in Bryce Canyon).
Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks are three spectacular parks to visit in Utah. With 10 days, you have enough time to visit the highlights in each park, add on Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Canyon, and venture into the backcountry, where the real adventures await.
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On this road trip you will visit three national parks, Arches, Canyonlands and Capitol Reef, as well as a few state parks and hidden gems.
The spring and fall months are the best times to visit. Weather conditions are pleasant and you can avoid the big crowds that flood the park in the summer. During the summer months, expect soaring temperatures, large crowds, expensive prices for hotels, and lots of traffic at viewpoints and on hiking trails. In the winter, the parks are much less crowded, but temperatures can get below freezing and snow is likely.
On this 10-day Arizona road trip, you will visit three national parks, drive past the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley, walk through magical Antelope Canyon, and hike the desert hills of Sedona. Arizona is home to some of the most iconic landscapes in the United States and this road trip is the perfect way to see them.
LEARN MORE: The Ultimate Arizona Road Trip Itinerary
You will visit the Grand Canyon, Saguaro, and Petrified Forest National Parks on this itinerary, along with Sedona, Monument Valley, Horseshoe Bend, and Antelope Canyon.
This road trip can be done year-round. The best months are March through May and September through October, when the weather is pleasant and the parks are not too crowded. During the summer months (June through August) expect sweltering temperatures and very high crowds. During the winter months, snow can impact travel, particularly around the Grand Canyon.
Las Vegas is the perfect place to start a road trip to the Grand Canyon. Here are five sample itineraries, ranging from 5 to 10 days, all of which include Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Depending on the length of the itinerary, you can also visit places like Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon, Sedona, Death Valley, and Monument Valley.
LEARN MORE: Grand Canyon Road Trip: 5 Itineraries from Las Vegas
Each of the itineraries in this post include Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. You can also add on Death Valley, Zion, and/or Bryce Canyon, depending how much time you have.
This road trip can be done year-round. The best months are March through May and September through October, when the weather is pleasant and the parks are not too crowded. During the summer months (June through August) expect sweltering temperatures, the possibility of flash floods, and very high crowds. During the winter months, snow can impact travel, particularly around the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon.
Yellowstone and Grand Teton are two of the most popular national parks in the USA. These two parks sit by side and together they create an incredible vacation destination. In this guide, we lay out a detailed 8-day itinerary, with suggestions on how to modify it, depending on how much time you have.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit two national parks: Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
The best time for this road trip is from May through early-October, when all of the roads in each park will be open.This is also the busiest time to visit the national parks, so make your hotel or campsite reservations many months in advance and be prepared for big crowds.
Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks are three of the top parks to visit in the United States. With 10 days, you can visit all of them on an epic road trip. Start in Grand Teton, where the lakes and the jagged mountain range create a hiker’s and photographer’s paradise. Journey north to Yellowstone, a national park that is situated on top of the world’s largest supervolcano. Your road trip ends in Glacier National Park, one of the USA’s most beautiful national parks.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit three national parks: Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park.
The best time for this road trip is from early July through mid-October, when all of the roads in each park will be open.This is also the busiest time to visit the national parks, so make your hotel or campsite reservations many months in advance and be prepared for big crowds.
This is one of the best road trips in the USA. With 10 days, you can visit Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore, but that’s not all. You also have enough time to visit the highlights of Grand Teton, day trip out to Badlands National Park, spend some time at Wind Cave National Park, and cruise the scenic drives and spot wildlife at Custer State Park.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Wind Cave and Badlands National Parks, as well as Devils Tower National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Monument, and Custer State Park.
The best time for this road trip is from early July through mid-October, when all of the roads in Grand Teton and Yellowstone will be open. This is also the busiest time to visit the national parks, so make your hotel or campsite reservations many months in advance and be prepared for big crowds.
With four national parks, numerous national forests and state parks, plus historic towns scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains, Colorado makes an awesome road trip destination. On this Colorado itinerary, you will visit all four national parks (Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Rocky Mountain National Parks), linking them together with gorgeous scenic drives.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit four national parks: Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Rocky Mountain National Parks.
The best time for this Colorado itinerary is in the summer and early fall, when all of the scenic drives and hiking trails are open.
There are many different ways to spend one week in South Dakota. This itinerary focuses on the southwestern corner of the state, visiting sights located in and around the Black Hills. On this itinerary, visit Badlands and Wind Cave National Parks, along with Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Custer State Park, and the Black Hills of South Dakota.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit two national parks: Badlands National Park and Wind Cave National Park.
Spring, summer, and fall are great times to do this South Dakota itinerary. In the spring and fall, daytime temperatures range from the 50’s to the 70’s. Rainfall is more likely during the spring months, so if you want to drier weather, go in autumn. During the summer months, temperatures can be blazing hot in Badlands National Park. However, in the Black Hills, temperatures are more moderate, with daytime high’s reaching 80°F. The winter months in South Dakota are very cold. Needles Highway in Custer State Park closes during the winter months due to snow.
This Washington itinerary is geared to visiting the three national parks in Washington state: Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades. But you also have enough time to visit Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed town, go wine tasting at Lake Chelan, visit Mount Baker, and go on a day hike in the Enchantments.
LEARN MORE: Washington Road Trip Itinerary: 7 to 14 Days in the National Parks
On this national park itinerary, you will visit three national parks: Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades National Parks.
The best time for this itinerary is in the summer months (mid-July through the end of September), when the roads in all three of the national parks are open. There are numerous road closures in Mount Rainier and the North Cascades that make this itinerary challenging from fall through spring.
Driving from Miami to Key West is one of the best road trips in the USA. White sandy beaches, palm trees, beautiful aquamarine water, warm sunny skies…sounds nice, right? On this road trip, you can also add in three national parks: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas.
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On this national park itinerary, you will visit three national parks: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas National Parks.
This itinerary can be done all year. The best time to go is from November through March, when temperatures are cooler. During June through October, the weather is hot and humid and there is the potential for a tropical storm or hurricane.
In this guide, we provide three different road trips in Alaska. Each of them includes at least two national parks. Learn how to put together a trip to Denali, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, and Wrangell - St. Elias National Parks.
LEARN MORE: 10 Days in Alaska: 3 Epic Road Trip Itineraries
On these road trip itineraries, visit Denali, Kenai Fjords, Katmai and/or Wrangell - St. Elias National Parks.
The best time to do these itineraries is from May through September.That’s a short window of time, but for most of the year, the national parks are snow covered and inaccessible.
On this 10 day itinerary, go hiking in Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains, explore the underground wonderland of Carlsbad Caverns, and sled on dunes as white as snow at White Sands National Park.
LEARN MORE: 10 Day Texas New Mexico National Parks Road Trip
On this road trip itinerary, visit White Sands, Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains, and Carlsbad Caverns National Parks.
The best time to do this itinerary is the spring and fall months, when the weather is mild. During the summer months, temperatures can get extremely hot in Big Bend and White Sands National Parks. This itinerary can also be done in the winter, just be prepared for cold temperatures, especially at Guadalupe Mountains.
Southern California contains some of the largest areas of protected land in the USA. Go on a national park road trip, visiting both Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park on the drive. Or, you can spend some time in the Mojave National Preserve, which is home to a surprisingly wide variety of landscapes.
LEARN MORE: Las Vegas to San Diego 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary
Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, the Mojave National Preserve, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Valley of Fire State Park, and Red Rock Canyon.
The best time for a Las Vegas to San Diego road trip is from November through March, when temperatures are mild.
One Day Itineraries
If you only have one day, what should you do? Here are detailed one day itineraries for the national parks.
Multi-Day Itineraries
Get day-by-day detailed itineraries for the national parks in this list. The 5-day itineraries also have suggestions for the best way to spend 2, 3, or 4 days, if 5 days is too much time.
"And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul."
