My top 5 that I've been too. 1. Yosemite National Park 2. Zion National Park 3. Olympic National Park 4. Redwood National & State Parks 5. Crater Lake National Park. Great video as always Josh! I'm envious of all the parks you have been too so far! Thank you so much for these videos.
I’ve been to 62 parks and it was fun to hear your takes. Lassen is super underrated so I’m glad you gave it some credit. The same goes for Dry Tortugas, Denali, and Big Bend. My personal favorite is Yellowstone, partially for being the quintessential national park with its abundant sights and activities.
You are a gifted videographer and I really enjoy watching your videos. You and your Dad have a great relationship and it's fun to see you enjoying each others company so much!
I have been to 15 US national parks. I am from Mexico and discovered the beauty of the US national parks while I visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton later. Since then, I have been visiting other national parks. It is very hard to choose. For me, 1 to 5 are: Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Glacier, Grand Teton. Then, 6 to 10 are Grand Canyon, Arches, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Olympic. Finally, 11 to 15 are Kings Canyon, North Cascades, Great Smoky Mountains, Everglades, and Gateway Arch. Thank you for your videos, they have been very helpful when I visit a national park.
Hi Josh! I tend to watch all YT on my TV so I'm usually not one to comment. But I've watched many many of your videos and I never finish without feeling a sense of joy for our amazing country. And you and your Dad make it so special for us. This collection of favorites was extra special to me. It brought back the many I've seen and as you went through all 32 I would often agree with your opinions. You are by far my favorite teacher and photographer on YT and it's important that you know how much you bless me with all your hard work. Kudos to you for all you bring to us!
Such a kind comment, I really appreciate you sharing all that with me. My dad and I love making these videos and showing the beauty of the country so I am glad you have connected with the videos as well. Thanks for sharing!
Your channel is amazing and this video is no exception! I did a Colorado road trip this summer and I think you and Pops would have a blast! We made a full loop through the state. I loved Mesa Verde!
Greetings from Michigan. I was on a Kenai Fjords boat tour back in July, and it's incredible. I saw otters, puffins, bald eagles, harbor seals, sea lions, and of course, whales. The scenery is relentless: mountains, rugged islands, and the glaciers. There's an extraordinary solemnity to getting up to a glacier and watching it calve into the bay. The whole boat gets quiet while everyone watches. I second the other comment on the Upper Peninsula! I hope you get a chance someday to see Lake of the Clouds at Porcupine Mountains, the Bare Bluff Trail and Montreal Falls in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Pictured Rocks, Sugarloaf Mountain near Marquette (northern lights), Tahquamenon Falls, and Mackinac Island. There may not be real mountains, but there's everything else.
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I can’t wait to take a boat tour one of these days and that road trip is on the list as well for the future. So much to do, so little time 😂
So glad you chose Joshua Tree in your top 10. It holds a special place for us LA residents since its so close by and provides a complete different landscape. It was my first national park I visited that kept me wanting to explore other parks.
Great video! Kenai NP in Alaska is pronounced Keen Eye. You mentioned hiking to Exit Glacier was short but failed to mention that you can continue up a fork to view the Harding Ice Field. It is longer and climbs 3,000' in four miles. It is spectacular... but lots of rock steps and challenging if someone isn't fit for hiking. Mt. Marathon in Seward is a great hike... lots to do there!
Loved your video as it brought back so many memories of our favorite trips. My favorite isn't on your list, but Katmai National Park in Alaska was my top choice. Watching brown bears catch salmon in Brooks falls was incredible and seeing a baby bear climb a tree right in front of our family was so fun! We even had a bear try to join us for lunch (thank goodness for the fence around the lunch area.) The floatplane trip in and out seeing smoking volcanos and gorgeous mountain views was an added bonus. And definitely try the Kenai fjords boat tour. We saw 2 different kinds of whales (a mom and baby orca and then a humpback) plus tons of sea wildlife (my son loves puffins now). The glacier walk was fun, but no where near the highlight of the wildlife and the huge glacier sightings of the boat tour. To round out my list is Haleakala in Hawaii (waterfalls and bamboo forest), Big Bend in Texas (loved the saddle/paddle tour, plus we hiked the canyon in the Rio Grande because water levels were low enough for some fantastic views), and then Grand Canyon (we hiked into the canyon and also all 14 miles of the south rim, but I was terrified I might lose one of my 4 kids into the canyon along the part of the rim trail where there aren't rails)! Also top favorites with our family were Denali (we had a perfectly clear day with multiple close bear, moose, Caribou and even a bear chasing a caribou sightings), Acadia (mmm, lobster), and Joshua tree (so much fun exploring!). Sledding down White Sands is pretty fun for the kids and my husband too! Carlsbad caverns is the best of the caves (just make sure the elevator works if you have young kids because carrying them back up the essentially 70 stories will wipe you out for the rest of your trip!). National Parks are the best and the Junior Ranger programs for kids are excellent!
Another amazing video, Josh. Thank you for every one of them so far. Hoping you continue to add to your list. I've visited 56 of the 63 national parks, and would have to list a top five of: 5. Yosemite -- epic hikes and scenery; 4. Arches -- Delicate Arch and the 8-mile primitive loop are two of my favorite hikes in the country; 3. Bryce Canyon -- otherworldly down in that amphitheater on the Navajo and Peekaboo Loops; 2. Yellowstone -- diversity, history, and wildlife experiences galore; 1. Glacier -- the most incredible scenery, and the Highline Trail is the best in the nation. Our country is so blessed with God's creation that I couldn't even fit the Grand Canyon or Crater Lake or Olympic or Rocky Mountain or the other wonderful parks in the top five! Happy to entertain you in the Hoosier State when you get ready to do Indiana Dunes, and show off a few of our wonderful state parks to you as well!
So far I've only been to 12 of the national parks, but as of right now my top 5 in no particular order are Great Smoky Mountains, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks. However, every national park in the country in my opinion has its own unique charm and beauty that makes it incomparable to the others.
I enjoy your videos. Trying to list them is difficult. My wife and I have been to 23 National Parks and are taking a massive trip next year to visit 25 more. As it stands right now, Glacier is my favorite place with Olympic coming in second. We will see many other great places this year that may challenge my thoughts. Enjoy your travels.
Did Yosemite last week, 1st time from the UK. Managed to get up Yosemite Falls and Nevada falls, was blown away with it, then to top it off, as i walked to Yosemite village, there were a couple of bears just hanging out. Amazing
Great video as always Josh! My favorite national parks are: 1. Yellowstone 2. Glacier 3. Redwood 4. Death Valley 5. Yosemite However, I would bump off Yosemite for Lava Bed National Monument. That's one of best hidden gem in the entire national park system. Looking forward to your future adventures!
Thank you for this video. Now that my hubby and I are retired, we are trying to see the National Parks. We've done quite a few in CA, UT, FL, CO and AZ. All so unique. After this video, we are adding to our list of places we want to see!
Love watching your travels with your dad and the authenticity of road tripping , your blessed to have the perfect travel buddy. I've only visited 2 national parks, The Grand Canyon and The Great Smoky Mountains. I plan to visit the Virgin Islands National Park for my next park. I read there's a national park in American Samoa.
An EXCELLENT video, especially the video clips of Saguaro, White Sands, and Joshua Tree (I can't wait to finally see those places). I haven't been to many of the parks you named, but of the ones I've visited, my top 5 are Indiana Dunes (maybe the world's most underrated place), New River Gorge, Everglades, Congaree, and Redwood.
Big Bend NP is so underrated imo. The vastness of the Texas desert to the pine canopy on the high peaks truly an amazing sight to see. Also glad to see the black bear population coming back at Big Bend.
Im glad you put SMNP in your top 10. Its actually #2 for me, and yes on the Tennessee side it can be busy, but there are other parts in NC you can access the park at and see no one. 800 miles of hiking trails... Its unreal!
Anything in Alaska beats anything or almost everything in the lower 48 states...and even more anything on the east side of USA...and I'm from Florida(and yeah...I know Smoky mountains)
I wish you had Rocky Mountain in here! I'm planning it as my first park and I wanted your thoughts if 1 day was enough, love your videos :) they're inspiring
Just returned from getting my 37th & 38th NP. Carlsbad Caverns almost killed me and I was never so happy to see the sign that said elevator, love it and would do it again. Kenai Fords boat tour is fantastic. We made reservations to save 10 dollars and the boat was 2/3rds full. The next time I'm heading there on a clear warm day and buy a ticket. We didn't have that. Misty and overcast. I would have to say I did about 28 of the ones you mentioned. Spent two weeks in Yellowstone and feel we didn't see enough. Been back numerous times. Yosemite is my #1, Zion, Canyonlands, Yellowstone and Mt Rainer.
Loved your list and watching this. The boat trip in Kenai NP is outstanding. And you don’t always get to see the mountain when going to Denali. We did get wonderful views of Denali from a great viewpoint at a lovely old lodge and restaurant way south of the park though. I have been to many of these you listed, Dry Tortugas this last May to find some great birds for my life list that would be hard if not impossible to find any place else. We loved Pinnacles for seeing condors! Five of them coming in to roost one evening, high in the hills.
Great List Josh. Just watched this. Got engaged in yosemite and a so cal boy so that is number 1. zion 2 grand canyon /glacier natl park tied at 3 and 4. Bryce 5 crater lake 6. Also love the pfeiffer beach state park and anything around lake tahoe. Cheers!
Great choices! Like you, I hope to visit all the national parks! I've been to 22 so far -- your video on Channel Islands helped us plan our trip this summer! Here are my top five: #1 Grand Canyon, #2 Smoky Mountains, #3 Yellowstone, #4 Canyonlands, and #5 Channel Islands! We had such fun camping there! I realize that I backpacked or stayed overnight in all of my top five - sleeping in the parks is magical! For honorable mentions (not national parks but way more amazing than Gateway Arch or Hot Springs), Bandelier National Monument and Walnut Canyon National Monument-- both have cliff dwellings that truly felt sacred. I loved them!
I've only been to one national park and it was Mt Rainier. It was life changing. I don't know how anything could beat it. I'm going to Glacier, Saguaro, and the Grand Canyon next year. :)
Great video. We absolutely love our glorious national parks and seeing your takes on them. Our list would like yours be subjective, but first a caveat--although we have been to almost all of them we still have Big Bend, Lassen, and Redwoods to get to... 1) Glacier--has been my top one since I was a boy and it still is now that we are married. In fact all of us (me, wife, and kids) have it as #1 2) Yellowstone--so much diversity, so much wildlife 3) Grand Canyon--both rims as well as the inner canyon 4) Olympic--has it all; diversity, but different from Yellowstone's 5) Rocky Mountain--my first western park...where the love affair with mountains began I know you only asked for 5, but... 6) Utah's Big Five--all are worthy and honestly some days we might put Arches here and some days Bryce and some days Zion... 7) Grand Teton--the prettiest range in the world? Float trips on the Snake 8) Mt. Rainier 9) Sequoia-Kings Canyon--I know we "cheated" again, but they both have those big awesome trees Just can't quite nail down a last one for a Top Ten without leaving one or two great parks out. For those who might be wondering, we have been to Yosemite. When we visited it was way too hot and way too crowded to enjoy as much as we had dreamed. We know it is supposed to be in the list, but for us it is just an honorable mention one.
I have been to 28, and also have not been to Yellowstone but Kenai is my #1. The wildlife (aquatic and terrestrial) and the finale of calving glaciers is the most amazing thing I have seen.
Seems like you need to come visit the midwest- badlands and wind cave in south dakota, teddy roosevelt in north dakota, and voyageurs in minnesota! Cant wait to see where you go next!
I have only visited west coast national parks, Gateway Arch, Smokies so far and my top 5 favorites are: 1. Mt Rainier (mainly because I got to see wildflowers in full bloom) 2. Yosemite 3. Lassen (Visited it twice and visiting again next week, my favorite for diversity) 4. Redwood National Park (my favorite hike here is Cathedral loop near the Big Tree - feels spiritual) 5. Crater Lake
I was surprised to see that Crater Lake in Oregon did not make your list. I visited it earlier this fall and it absolutely blew my mind! I drove the 33 mile Ring Road on my motorcycle and as an acrophobic I've never been sicker to my stomach! Lol!
5. North Cascades Rather unknown and very underrated park. You have to hike up into the mountains to really be wowed, but some of the views here are MIND BLOWING!?! 🤯 (See Maple Pass and especially Sahale Glacier Camp) 4. Grand Teton Sunrise at Schwabacher Landing and the steep, unmaintained climb up to Delta Lake across multiple bolder fields... amazing. Turquoise glacial lake with one of the most impressive mountain back drops you'll ever see! 3. Yellowstone Grand Prismatic is amazing. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at Artist Point is stunning. The brink of both the Upper and especially Lower Falls... 😲🌈 2. Yosemite The Mist Trail is definitely an all-time favorite up to Vernal and Nevada Falls; similar kind of "wow" as the Yellowstone waterfalls. Clouds Rest, Glacier Point, Taft Point, Sentinel Dome, Four Mile Trail, Tunnel View = all incredible. 1. Glacier (honorable mention to Banff and the Canadian Rockies, but this is U.S. parks) I've been fortunate to experience several incredible parks in both the U.S. and Canada; Glacier will always be my favorite. Going-to-the-Sun Road is spectacular, but this park is a hiker's paradise. Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake, Cracker Lake, Dawson-Pitamakan, Gunsight Pass, Highline Trail, Grinnell Glacier Overlook, Swiftcurrent Lookout, Swiftcurrent Pass...😍 I've been to Glacier six times since 1996, and most recently hiked 72 miles over seven days with my sister two years ago, and STILL have bucket listers I need to check off there. You would need two full weeks to experience all of the incredible hikes this park has to offer. AND all those spectacular lakes make for great sunrises/sunsets with alpenglow on the peaks and reflections on the water. 🌄 Numerous summits with mind blowing views as well! I absolutely love Glacier; it will always be my number one! I enjoy your videos! Just subscribed! 👍
3:20 Kenai Fjord boat tour is amazing! Also wanna do an aerial tour. Also, Harding Icefield is the best hike there! It starts at the same spot as Exit Glacier.
Thank you! It may be a subjective list, but it's well-grounded. I wanted to add to your suggestion of Zion the inclusion of Kolob Canyons, which is a northern section of the park reached off I-15 about 50 miles north of the main park. Great hikes through similar terrain with not nearly the number of visitors.
I have been to 19 national parks. It is so hard to pick favorites, but here is my attempt. The top 5 include Crater Lake, Grand Canyon, Canyonland ( a pleasant surprise), Arches, and Yellowstone. I wish I had spent more time in Glacier. For some of the reasons mentioned, I had a disappointing experience visiting Denali. Thanks for the fun video.
Love the video! Gives me goals to aim for. Me and my wife’s list of one’s we visited so far: 5. Grand Canyon 4. Zion 3. Arches 2. Yellowstone 1. Yosemite
Questions: 1. Which ones are you likely to visit next? 2. Are there some parks that you think don't fit the "National Park" designation and would be more suitable classified as other types of parks?
Acadia, Rainier and the national park on Maui are next for me. Not sure why Gateway arch is a park but it was cool to visit once at least. So many great places all over the country that could be parks as well, I wonder what they will select next
I have been to 20 of your 32 (well, 21 if you count the Channel Islands Visitor Center 🙂), plus some you didn't list including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Crater Lake, Mt. Rainier, Olympic, Glacier Bay, Wind Cave, Badlands, Haleakela, and Hawaii Volcanoes. I generally agree with your rankings. We visited Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Grand Canyon in October 2023 as part of a 10-day trip that included the annular solar eclipse. We had visited Bryce before and it didn't fit into our route, so we had to skip it this time. We had previously made one visit to Zion and two to Grand Canyon, but it was our first visits to Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. Of these three, I liked Arches the best. During our one day there, we saw all the major sites, I hiked to Landscape Arch, then we left the park in my Jeep via Willows Springs Road, which is fun but not difficult 4WD road. I went back that night to do star trail photography at Balanced Rock. My two favorite national parks (equal first place for me) are Yellowstone (3 visits) and Yosemite (more than 200 visits). It helps that I live in Fresno. :-) Yosemite is my hiking and photography park, but I'm 65 so it will gradually morph into my strolling and photography park. I visit the Grant Grove section of Kings Canyon a lot because my astronomy club often sets up telescopes in the Big Stump parking lot around the new moon. I have been averaging about nine trips per year for this purpose over about the past ten years.
I really enjoyed your video of the national parks. There are several here on your list I have not been to yet, but hoping to get to many of our 63 national parks. My favorites would probably be 1: Yosemite. 2: Glacier in Montana 3: Rocky Mountains (and I did not see that one on your list here). Several of our national parks are difficult to get to so I doubt I would ever get to all 63 but all of them are beautiful places if you have the opportunity to see them or hike some of their trails. I am not fond of the current reservation system at some of the parks as it turns our national parks entrance requirements into a bit of an internet ottery and prevents some of us from just driving up for a visit for the day and makes it more difficult to see the parks for the average citizen. I understand that the parks can get crowded on summer weekends and holidays so you can use this annoying lottery for those really busy times but to make the reservation requirement 7 days a week does a disservice to the traveler that just wants to visit on one particular day. And if your internet service is slow or the park internet is slowed by high volume you are going to find it difficult and sometimes impossible to get an entrance ticket for the day you wanted to visit. (My two cents worth on the current reservation system at some of my favorite national parks)
Yes! Waterfalls along the Black river north of Bessemer, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, the brewery at Tahquemenon falls state park, the boat tour of the locks at Sioux St. Marie. Mackinac Island are all fabulous 5 star plus places to visit. Pops should also eat a pasty. Also great waterfalls, hiking, fishing, sea caves, shipwrecks, and maybe even see a moose! I'm hoping to visit Isle Royale NP next year!
I have only been to 16 parks so far, but here are my top 5 in order: 1) Mount Rainier 2) Yosemite 3) Great Basin 4) Yellowstone 5) Redwood I’m from Utah, so the big 5 don’t stand out to me just because they look like what I see everyday. But I am very grateful to live in such a beautiful place!
My top 5: 1. Yellowstone 2. Guadalupe Mts. 3. Mount Rainier 4. Great Smoky Mts. 5. Capitol Reef I've been to a strange collection of parks so far with Rainier being my most recent. I'll be adding at least Indiana Dunes, Cuyahoga Valley, New River Gorge and Shenandoah on a road trip this coming year!
I've always loved nature, but just started getting into wanting to visit all the National Parks recently. I went to 5 this year and am hoping to do at least 5-6 per year if possible. I've been to 14 parks so far. My rank would look like this: 1. Big Bend 2. Grand Canyon 3. Rocky Mountain 4. Badlands 5. Haleakala 6. Glacier (I was only there for a half day as part of a longer trip and didn't get to see a whole lot, so I really need to go back. I spent more time at all the previous parks, hence this being placed relatively low. Still rating it here based on the scenery I did see) 7. Carlsbad Caverns 8. White Sands 9. New River Gorge 10. Mammoth Cave 11. Hot Springs 12. Wind Cave (We didn't have time to do a tour since we spent a lot of time at the nearby Custer State Park but the scenery was nice and we saw lots of wildlife while driving through) 13. Guadalupe Mountains 14. Gateway Arch Next year I'm hoping to do Zion, Bryce, Acadia, Death Valley, and maybe Shenandoah. Redwoods, Sequouia/Kings Canyon, and of course the big Y's (Yellowstone & Yosemite) are also on my radar.
Your videos are fantastic! I've been to 26 of the National Parks and my Top 5 are: 1. Yellowstone 2. Katmai (absolutely amazing if you can get there!) 3. Arches 4. Hawai'i Volcanoes 5. Glacier Bay I've seen your video about Carlsbad Caverns and I know how impressed you were by the caves. Have you been to Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona? If you love caves, it's the most amazing cave. IMO it's more majestic than Carlsbad as it's a mostly alive and active cave with water still filtering down the cave system and the stalagmites and stalactites are still growing. It has purposely remained a state park as per the wishes of the people who discovered the cave system. It's fascinating.
Great list! You shall visit the parks in Washingthon though. Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic are all unique on its own. Personally I have been to 20 NPs (mainly on the west coast) and it is very hard to choose because you find incredible places from Alaska to Southern California. US is pretty beautiful!
I have been to 30 NPs and still counting. I am going to Canadian Rockies and visit 3 of them. Vancouver is on the way, too. My favorite is "Yellowstone NP".
You gotta check out Mr Rainier next. You won't be disappointed. it's my favorite but probably because I spent a whole week there and got to see so much of the park. Truly an incredible place
I've been to some not on this list, but a few on your list too. I'm not sure I'd rank Mammoth Cave above Everglades, but yes it is a close call. I agree with you the weather and other day by day factors make a big difference (I visited both in December Everglades was warm and sunny Mammoth Cave was cold and rainy) Here is my list (integers your ranking, decimals mine!)! 32 St. Louis Arch 31.5 Indiana Dunes 30.5 Cuyahoga 30 Biscayne 21.5 Mount Ranier 20.5 Rocky Mountain 19 Everglades 17 Mammoth Cave 12 Big Bend 9.5 Badlands 9 Smoky Mountains 8.5 Olympic 7.5 Grand Teton 4.5 Acadia 3.5 Teddy Roosevelt 2.5 Glacier Bay 2 Grand Canyon 1 Yosemite 0.8 Yellowstone Jim, McHenry, Illinois
I have only been to about 20 NP and my top 5 are: 1. Yellowstone, 2. Yosemite, 3. Point Reyes, 4. Washington DC, 5.Rocky Mountain. I ranked them based on how often I think back to time spent there. There are a lot of other places I really liked but they are either national historic sites, monuments, or forests. I liked your rankings.
I've only been to a dozen or so national parks. That includes many of the big ones but the Utah 5 are still on my bucket list. None the less, my top 5 are 1- Yellowstone, 2- Yosemite, 3- Grand Canyon, 4- Rocky Mtn, 5- Grand Teton. My Glacier experience was hampered by poor weather and compromised view points. In the east, I love the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway (since I live in NC, I visit sections of it several times a year). I'm originally from WV and I've been to the New River Gorge many times, long before a National Park. Rounding out the top 10 for me is Badlands.
My Top 5: 1. Death Valley National Park 2. Channel Islands National Park 3. Theodore Roosevelt National Park 4. Yosemite National Park 5. Sequoia National Park You absolutely must get to the Dakotas. One of my favorite areas of the country.
Since you asked- I'ved been to 32 parks. My top 5- Yellowstone, Denali, Arches, Olympic and King's Canyon/Sequoia. Honerable mention to Yosemite. Gateway should not be a NP, but a monument. Hot Springs is cool, but should be a historic site. Indiana Dunes is questionable too, and Natl Lakeshore was adequete. I haven't been to Cuyahoga seems like a stretch from what I've read/seen. Kenai Fjords will definitely shoot up the list when you get a chance to experience it.
Great list, Josh. As you mentioned it very much depends on your experience, the weather, the wildlife and other variables. Yosemite is No. 1 for me by a long ways, but we are fortunate to have so many wonderful spaces. Surprised you didn't include Crater Lake. 1. Yosemite 2. Channel Islands 3. Arches 4. Canyonlands 5. Bryce Canyon 6. Hawaii Volcanoes 7. Mammoth Cave 8. Crater Lake
I’ve been to 27 parks so far. My top 5 are: Denali, Yosemite, Bryce, Yellowstone and Death Valley. Each park has been an amazing experience in itself. 16:45.
Glacier is way underrated and Channel Island / Joshua Tree are waaaaay overrated on your list. My top 10. 1. Yellowstone (by a mile) 2. Yosemite 3. Glacier 4. Arches 5. Zion 6. Olympic 7. Grand Teton 8. Sequoia 9. Dry Tortugas 10. Rocky Mountain
You come up here criticizing his list but then add Dry Tortugas to your top 10 list...Really? I live in Florida itself and can only ask...Really?Dry Tortugas?Are you that easy to entertain?That thing is lame compared with any park on the west and with anything in Alaska!
@@towardsheaven4196 I rank Tortugas highly because the majority of the parks are mountainous. Is the 9th best mountain really better than the top tropical island park? Have you taken the seaplane to Tortugas? Very unique experience. The fort itself is cool and the snorkeling around it is great as well and you never get huge crowds. For those reason it ranks top 10 for me.
@@JP-dz7zu crowds and weather shouldn't take part in a conversation about beauty...I know some parks get impossible to enjoy because of the crowds...but are they less beautiful for that?People can't focus on one only topic at all!Dry Tortugas is a small island with a cool fort that I can find anywhere else(Cuba,Puerto Rico,Saint Augustine,etc)And it's still just a fort like the others...If I want a cool flight-seeing experience I do it in Denali national Park,land on a Glacier and get to see the highest mountain(land based) in the world(base to peak)...Is it really comparable?I live in Florida...Dry Tortugas and Everglades both suck!
Here's my personal ranking of the national parks I've visited(only national parks!!). I've visited 50 out of 63. My ranking is subject to change with added experiences in the national parks. (Revised as of 18 JAN 2023 after revisiting some of these parks) 50) Gateway Arch National Park 49) Indiana Dunes 48) Hot Springs 47) Voyageurs 46) Congaree 45) Cuyahoga Valley 44) Redwood 43) Saguaro 42) Biscayne 41) Wind Cave 40) Carlsbad Caverns 39) New River Gorge 38) Mammoth Cave 37) Mesa Verde 36) Channel Islands 35) Joshua Tree 34) Guadalupe Mountains 33) Petrified Forest 32) Shenandoah 31) Great Basin 30) Great Sand Dunes 29) Theodore Roosevelt 28) Dry Tortugas 27) Death Valley 26) Lassen Volcanic 25) Kings Canyon 24) Pinnacles 23) North Cascades 22) Mount Rainier 21) Capitol Reef 20) Bryce Canyon 19) Isle Royale 18) Badlands 17) Black Canyon of the Gunnison 16) Sequoia 15) Big Bend 14) Great Smoky Mountains 13) Arches 12) Crater Lake 11) Canyonlands 10) Yosemite 9) Acadia 8) Grand Canyon 7) Grand Teton 6) Everglades 5) Glacier 4) Yellowstone 3) Zion 2) Rocky Mountain 1) Olympic
Hi Josh, me and my wife watch most of the travel videos from your channel before planning for a trip. Just curious, is there any reason why you haven't gone to Rocky Mountain? I think, that may change your rank. Plus, please make the video of Yellowstone. I think we will see a change in the ranking a bit after this two.
I have been to 16 national parks. My top 5: 1. Yellowstone National Park 2. Grand Canyon National Park 3. Glacier Bay National Park 4. Death Valley National Park 5. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
I see all your videos and loved them all. Although I am not quite agree to your ranking at all. I have visited 40 national park which has 28 common with your list. Specially you ranked Jasua Tree and Everglades much higher than I will do. Here are my top 10 National Parks: 1. Yellowstone National Park. 2. Yosemite National Park 3. Grand Canyon National Park 4. Glacier National Park 5. Olympic National Park 6. Grand Teton National Park. 7. Zion National Park 8.Smoky mountain National Park 9.Acadia National Park 10. Arches/Bryce National Park.
1. Bryce 2. Yosemite 3. Olympic 4. Carlsbad Cavern Crater Lake / Zion Grand Canyon / Mt. Rainier Redwoods / Yellowstone Hard to pick the tops, but these would be my top few that I have been to. Almost all of them have historical lodges that are at prime location all amazing. I would love to check out North Cascade and Acadia, both got pretty cool lodges to stay at too. Just from your video, I know once I visit Dry Tortugas I would probably slide that into the 5th spot. Looks amazing.
I’ve been to 21 parks, my top 5 are probably Yosemite, Bryce, Dry Tortguas, Lassen, and Redwood. But I feel like any of the others ones I’ve visited (except for Cuyahoga Valley) could argue to be in that top 5 as well.
Great list. Everybody has their favorites, and not everyone has been to so many parks to make such a list. Some people like Great Smokies, but the overwhelming crowds push it far down the list for me. It's hard to enjoy a park that is mobbed. Mesa Verde is one of my favorites. Anyone mention that park?
Weather, time of year and crowds influence my top choces: 1 - Bryce Canyon in Winter. No crowds and snow on the hoodoos add even more color. 2 - Zion in Winter. No crowds, no shuttles. Beautiful. Not that cold. Zion in Summer - never again unless it's the backcountry. 3 - Acadia in fall - fall colors and not quite as crowded as summer. 4 - Grand Canyon north rim in fall - far fewer crowds than the south rim and the aspen colors are an extra plus. 5 - Saguaro in spring. Desert blooms, great weather and this park is generally uncrowded. Great sunsets. General rule of thumb - I try to avoid National parks from Memorial Day to Labor Day and focus on National Monuments instead. Many are as good or better than some of the National parks if you do not mind lack of facilites and a more primitive experience, which I personally do.
For me so far after having seen close to 1/3 of the national parks in the US is #5 Rainier. #4 Lassen. #3 Bryce. #2 Yellowstone. #1 Yosemite. But crater lake, glacier, pinnacles, sequoia, Grand Canyon and zion are way up there too. It’s like trying to pick your fav child. Only park I’ve yet to visit in CA is Joshua tree. I’ve made plans many times since I live in So Cal but things keep falling thru. I’m hoping this fall or winter. Thanks for your recommendations. Always look forward to your posts
#1...Yellowstone-Grand Teton...to me they are just one gigantic awesome park...I and my families favorite spot on planet Earth. #2...Yosemite #3...Rocky Mountain #4...Death Valley #5...Tie between Arches-Bryce Canyon-Canyonlands-Capitol Reef #6...Great Smoky Mountains...my beloved "home" park. #7...Grand Canyon #8...Black Canyon of the Gunnison #9...Channel Islands #10...Joshua Tree
My top 5 national parks. 1- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee 2- Badlands National Park - South Dakota 3- Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona 4- Everglades National is - Florida 5- Greatway Arch National Park - Missouri
By the time top 10 started, I guessed Yosimete is going to ranked No 1. This is the only National Park I have visited in the United States. Glad I did..😀😀
Why not the black hills? I mean it's the only national park I've been too but we hiked to black elk peak the highest point east of the rockies and it was so beautiful there the mountains and rock formations in the forests were beautiful what would you rate the black hills just trying to see a comparison to your other picks for our next trip
Capitol Reef is all about Burr Trail/Notom-Bullfrog and Cathedral Valley/Hartnet Trail. If you just go into the main park area in Fruita you're only seeing 5% of the park and yet that's what most people do. Have to pick up experiences with the waterpocket fold districts at as many places as you can from Cathedral down to Lake Powell area
I'm from Ohio. love your videos. Don't forget to check out Ohio's national park sometime. And I am really looking forward to your visit to Colorado 's parks.
My top 10: 1 Glacier National Park (drove GTSROAD on the first day it was open and Many Glacier area was GORGEOUS) 2. Yosemite, 3 Zion, 4. Yellowstone, 5 Grand Canyon(prefer North Rim, much less crowded) 6 Crater Lake, 7 Grand Teton, 8.Rocky Mountain, 9 Great Smoky Mountains, 10 Bryce. I have been to many more, and have many more to see
I'd think Gateway Arch would be a tough park in which to find a back country hike.😀 I couldn't get Wikipedia to verify it one way or another, but I've always heard Biscayne pronounced biss-CANE, rather than biz-CANE, back when it was a city only. Rather than kuh-NYE, Kenai Fjords is KEEN-eye, or KEY-nye. Canyonlands has 4 districts, #4 being the detached Horseshoe Canyon unit. Zion rhymes with 'lion'; it's not ZYE-ahn, since it was named after the large hill of the same name in Jerusalem.
I'm glad that I could visit a part of Yosemite in March 2022. There're so much natural beauty to explore in the parks. But I don't know if I be able ti visit the US again from Germany. That makes me sad
My top 5: 1. Glacier National Park 2. Zion National Park 3. Grand Canyon National Park 4. Rocky Mountains National Park 5. Yosemite National Park 6. Olympic National Park
Absolutely agree with your sentiments about Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Used to go in the 80's when I was a little kid and it was not busy, now I just skip it and go to Pisgah and take the Blue Ridge Parkway up to Shenandoah instead.
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My top 5 that I've been too.
1. Yosemite National Park
2. Zion National Park
3. Olympic National Park
4. Redwood National & State Parks
5. Crater Lake National Park.
Great video as always Josh! I'm envious of all the parks you have been too so far! Thank you so much for these videos.
Pretty similar list to mine, totally agree that Olympic and Crater Lake are amazing.
I like your top 5 hard to really but the only ones I’d switch out is Crater and Zion for Denali and Haleakalau
Great choices! Glad you love Yosemite like I do!
@@ThroughMyLens Yosemite is like my wilderness Disneyland. There’s obviously a couple movies filmed in there but my favorite is Maverick
I’ve been to 62 parks and it was fun to hear your takes. Lassen is super underrated so I’m glad you gave it some credit. The same goes for Dry Tortugas, Denali, and Big Bend. My personal favorite is Yellowstone, partially for being the quintessential national park with its abundant sights and activities.
I can’t wait to spend some time in Yellowstone. I only drove through once a long time ago
How long did it take you to see that many so far I'm at 19 and it took me a little over a year
@@tedmureiko2538 the first was August 2014, the 62nd was June 2022.
Which one are you still missing? American Samoa? I am at 38.
Yellowstone is my favorite as well
You are a gifted videographer and I really enjoy watching your videos. You and your Dad have a great relationship and it's fun to see you enjoying each others company so much!
I have been to 15 US national parks. I am from Mexico and discovered the beauty of the US national parks while I visited Yellowstone and Grand Teton later. Since then, I have been visiting other national parks. It is very hard to choose. For me, 1 to 5 are: Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, Glacier, Grand Teton. Then, 6 to 10 are Grand Canyon, Arches, Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Olympic. Finally, 11 to 15 are Kings Canyon, North Cascades, Great Smoky Mountains, Everglades, and Gateway Arch. Thank you for your videos, they have been very helpful when I visit a national park.
Have you visited the Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey? That looks fantastic, from a online photos!
Hi Josh! I tend to watch all YT on my TV so I'm usually not one to comment. But I've watched many many of your videos and I never finish without feeling a sense of joy for our amazing country. And you and your Dad make it so special for us. This collection of favorites was extra special to me. It brought back the many I've seen and as you went through all 32 I would often agree with your opinions. You are by far my favorite teacher and photographer on YT and it's important that you know how much you bless me with all your hard work. Kudos to you for all you bring to us!
Such a kind comment, I really appreciate you sharing all that with me. My dad and I love making these videos and showing the beauty of the country so I am glad you have connected with the videos as well. Thanks for sharing!
Your channel is amazing and this video is no exception! I did a Colorado road trip this summer and I think you and Pops would have a blast! We made a full loop through the state. I loved Mesa Verde!
Greetings from Michigan. I was on a Kenai Fjords boat tour back in July, and it's incredible. I saw otters, puffins, bald eagles, harbor seals, sea lions, and of course, whales. The scenery is relentless: mountains, rugged islands, and the glaciers. There's an extraordinary solemnity to getting up to a glacier and watching it calve into the bay. The whole boat gets quiet while everyone watches.
I second the other comment on the Upper Peninsula! I hope you get a chance someday to see Lake of the Clouds at Porcupine Mountains, the Bare Bluff Trail and Montreal Falls in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Pictured Rocks, Sugarloaf Mountain near Marquette (northern lights), Tahquamenon Falls, and Mackinac Island. There may not be real mountains, but there's everything else.
Thanks for all the great suggestions! I can’t wait to take a boat tour one of these days and that road trip is on the list as well for the future. So much to do, so little time 😂
So glad you chose Joshua Tree in your top 10. It holds a special place for us LA residents since its so close by and provides a complete different landscape. It was my first national park I visited that kept me wanting to explore other parks.
Ya, I get why people have it a lot lower but I have probably spent a month of my life there and I love that park
Great video! Kenai NP in Alaska is pronounced Keen Eye. You mentioned hiking to Exit Glacier was short but failed to mention that you can continue up a fork to view the Harding Ice Field. It is longer and climbs 3,000' in four miles. It is spectacular... but lots of rock steps and challenging if someone isn't fit for hiking. Mt. Marathon in Seward is a great hike... lots to do there!
Loved your video as it brought back so many memories of our favorite trips. My favorite isn't on your list, but Katmai National Park in Alaska was my top choice. Watching brown bears catch salmon in Brooks falls was incredible and seeing a baby bear climb a tree right in front of our family was so fun! We even had a bear try to join us for lunch (thank goodness for the fence around the lunch area.) The floatplane trip in and out seeing smoking volcanos and gorgeous mountain views was an added bonus. And definitely try the Kenai fjords boat tour. We saw 2 different kinds of whales (a mom and baby orca and then a humpback) plus tons of sea wildlife (my son loves puffins now). The glacier walk was fun, but no where near the highlight of the wildlife and the huge glacier sightings of the boat tour. To round out my list is Haleakala in Hawaii (waterfalls and bamboo forest), Big Bend in Texas (loved the saddle/paddle tour, plus we hiked the canyon in the Rio Grande because water levels were low enough for some fantastic views), and then Grand Canyon (we hiked into the canyon and also all 14 miles of the south rim, but I was terrified I might lose one of my 4 kids into the canyon along the part of the rim trail where there aren't rails)! Also top favorites with our family were Denali (we had a perfectly clear day with multiple close bear, moose, Caribou and even a bear chasing a caribou sightings), Acadia (mmm, lobster), and Joshua tree (so much fun exploring!). Sledding down White Sands is pretty fun for the kids and my husband too! Carlsbad caverns is the best of the caves (just make sure the elevator works if you have young kids because carrying them back up the essentially 70 stories will wipe you out for the rest of your trip!). National Parks are the best and the Junior Ranger programs for kids are excellent!
Another amazing video, Josh. Thank you for every one of them so far. Hoping you continue to add to your list. I've visited 56 of the 63 national parks, and would have to list a top five of: 5. Yosemite -- epic hikes and scenery; 4. Arches -- Delicate Arch and the 8-mile primitive loop are two of my favorite hikes in the country; 3. Bryce Canyon -- otherworldly down in that amphitheater on the Navajo and Peekaboo Loops; 2. Yellowstone -- diversity, history, and wildlife experiences galore; 1. Glacier -- the most incredible scenery, and the Highline Trail is the best in the nation. Our country is so blessed with God's creation that I couldn't even fit the Grand Canyon or Crater Lake or Olympic or Rocky Mountain or the other wonderful parks in the top five! Happy to entertain you in the Hoosier State when you get ready to do Indiana Dunes, and show off a few of our wonderful state parks to you as well!
Beautiful, amazing, entertaining. Fantastic job! Enjoyed it fully, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching and for the comment!
Amazing! Great list. Thanks for putting this together and sharing with us! 😎🤘
No problem, thanks for the comment!
Some incredible experiences under your belt. Thank you for sharing.
My favorites are Lassen, Joshua Tree, Redwoods, Shenandoah, and Olympic. Great video!
So far I've only been to 12 of the national parks, but as of right now my top 5 in no particular order are Great Smoky Mountains, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, and Grand Teton National Parks. However, every national park in the country in my opinion has its own unique charm and beauty that makes it incomparable to the others.
I enjoy your videos. Trying to list them is difficult. My wife and I have been to 23 National Parks and are taking a massive trip next year to visit 25 more. As it stands right now, Glacier is my favorite place with Olympic coming in second. We will see many other great places this year that may challenge my thoughts. Enjoy your travels.
Thanks for sharing and that sounds like an epic trip next year!
Did Yosemite last week, 1st time from the UK. Managed to get up Yosemite Falls and Nevada falls, was blown away with it, then to top it off, as i walked to Yosemite village, there were a couple of bears just hanging out. Amazing
Wow that’s an awesome experience! So glad you got to experience the park like that!
Great video as always Josh! My favorite national parks are:
1. Yellowstone
2. Glacier
3. Redwood
4. Death Valley
5. Yosemite
However, I would bump off Yosemite for Lava Bed National Monument. That's one of best hidden gem in the entire national park system. Looking forward to your future adventures!
I love Lava Beds so much! It’s so fun to explore that park
Thank you for this video. Now that my hubby and I are retired, we are trying to see the National Parks. We've done quite a few in CA, UT, FL, CO and AZ. All so unique. After this video, we are adding to our list of places we want to see!
So glad you love and are exploring the parks as well!
Love watching your travels with your dad and the authenticity of road tripping , your blessed to have the perfect travel buddy. I've only visited 2 national parks, The Grand Canyon and The Great Smoky Mountains. I plan to visit the Virgin Islands National Park for my next park.
I read there's a national park in American Samoa.
Crater Lake is one of my favorite parks. The most beautiful blue I’ve ever seen.
An EXCELLENT video, especially the video clips of Saguaro, White Sands, and Joshua Tree (I can't wait to finally see those places). I haven't been to many of the parks you named, but of the ones I've visited, my top 5 are Indiana Dunes (maybe the world's most underrated place), New River Gorge, Everglades, Congaree, and Redwood.
Big Bend NP is so underrated imo. The vastness of the Texas desert to the pine canopy on the high peaks truly an amazing sight to see. Also glad to see the black bear population coming back at Big Bend.
So true. I was able to enjoy a black bear sighting at Lost Mine and the park is in my top 10 out of 62.
I agree Big Bend is so amazing and I can’t wait to explore there more
Im glad you put SMNP in your top 10. Its actually #2 for me, and yes on the Tennessee side it can be busy, but there are other parts in NC you can access the park at and see no one. 800 miles of hiking trails... Its unreal!
Anything in Alaska beats anything or almost everything in the lower 48 states...and even more anything on the east side of USA...and I'm from Florida(and yeah...I know Smoky mountains)
I wish you had Rocky Mountain in here! I'm planning it as my first park and I wanted your thoughts if 1 day was enough, love your videos :) they're inspiring
Just returned from getting my 37th & 38th NP. Carlsbad Caverns almost killed me and I was never so happy to see the sign that said elevator, love it and would do it again. Kenai Fords boat tour is fantastic. We made reservations to save 10 dollars and the boat was 2/3rds full. The next time I'm heading there on a clear warm day and buy a ticket. We didn't have that. Misty and overcast. I would have to say I did about 28 of the ones you mentioned. Spent two weeks in Yellowstone and feel we didn't see enough. Been back numerous times. Yosemite is my #1, Zion, Canyonlands, Yellowstone and Mt Rainer.
Loved your list and watching this. The boat trip in Kenai NP is outstanding. And you don’t always get to see the mountain when going to Denali. We did get wonderful views of Denali from a great viewpoint at a lovely old lodge and restaurant way south of the park though. I have been to many of these you listed, Dry Tortugas this last May to find some great birds for my life list that would be hard if not impossible to find any place else. We loved Pinnacles for seeing condors! Five of them coming in to roost one evening, high in the hills.
Great List Josh. Just watched this. Got engaged in yosemite and a so cal boy so that is number 1. zion 2 grand canyon /glacier natl park tied at 3 and 4. Bryce 5 crater lake 6. Also love the pfeiffer beach state park and anything around lake tahoe. Cheers!
Thank you for the list! So helpful!
Great choices! Like you, I hope to visit all the national parks! I've been to 22 so far -- your video on Channel Islands helped us plan our trip this summer! Here are my top five: #1 Grand Canyon, #2 Smoky Mountains, #3 Yellowstone, #4 Canyonlands, and #5 Channel Islands! We had such fun camping there! I realize that I backpacked or stayed overnight in all of my top five - sleeping in the parks is magical! For honorable mentions (not national parks but way more amazing than Gateway Arch or Hot Springs), Bandelier National Monument and Walnut Canyon National Monument-- both have cliff dwellings that truly felt sacred. I loved them!
So glad you loved Channel Islands like me! Also I agree that Bandolier is super cool
I've only been to one national park and it was Mt Rainier. It was life changing. I don't know how anything could beat it.
I'm going to Glacier, Saguaro, and the Grand Canyon next year. :)
that was a great presentation, we really enjoyed it a lot
Thank for watching!
Great video. My top 3 are Yosemite, Bryce Canyon (the horse tour is a must) and Big Sur (i know it's not a national park but it has fantastic scenery)
Great video. We absolutely love our glorious national parks and seeing your takes on them. Our list would like yours be subjective, but first a caveat--although we have been to almost all of them we still have Big Bend, Lassen, and Redwoods to get to...
1) Glacier--has been my top one since I was a boy and it still is now that we are married. In fact all of us (me, wife, and kids) have it as #1
2) Yellowstone--so much diversity, so much wildlife
3) Grand Canyon--both rims as well as the inner canyon
4) Olympic--has it all; diversity, but different from Yellowstone's
5) Rocky Mountain--my first western park...where the love affair with mountains began
I know you only asked for 5, but...
6) Utah's Big Five--all are worthy and honestly some days we might put Arches here and some days Bryce and some days Zion...
7) Grand Teton--the prettiest range in the world? Float trips on the Snake
8) Mt. Rainier
9) Sequoia-Kings Canyon--I know we "cheated" again, but they both have those big awesome trees
Just can't quite nail down a last one for a Top Ten without leaving one or two great parks out. For those who might be wondering, we have been to Yosemite. When we visited it was way too hot and way too crowded to enjoy as much as we had dreamed. We know it is supposed to be in the list, but for us it is just an honorable mention one.
My favorite is Arches as it was the first park I visited, and it inspired my love for the parks. 🧡
I have been to 28, and also have not been to Yellowstone but Kenai is my #1. The wildlife (aquatic and terrestrial) and the finale of calving glaciers is the most amazing thing I have seen.
Seems like you need to come visit the midwest- badlands and wind cave in south dakota, teddy roosevelt in north dakota, and voyageurs in minnesota! Cant wait to see where you go next!
I have only visited west coast national parks, Gateway Arch, Smokies so far and my top 5 favorites are:
1. Mt Rainier (mainly because I got to see wildflowers in full bloom)
2. Yosemite
3. Lassen (Visited it twice and visiting again next week, my favorite for diversity)
4. Redwood National Park (my favorite hike here is Cathedral loop near the Big Tree - feels spiritual)
5. Crater Lake
I was surprised to see that Crater Lake in Oregon did not make your list. I visited it earlier this fall and it absolutely blew my mind! I drove the 33 mile Ring Road on my motorcycle and as an acrophobic I've never been sicker to my stomach! Lol!
he may not have been to it?
We have that goal too. We love your videos as that is what we focus on. 😊 Thanks for great content
5. North Cascades
Rather unknown and very underrated park. You have to hike up into the mountains to really be wowed, but some of the views here are MIND BLOWING!?! 🤯 (See Maple Pass and especially Sahale Glacier Camp)
4. Grand Teton
Sunrise at Schwabacher Landing and the steep, unmaintained climb up to Delta Lake across multiple bolder fields... amazing. Turquoise glacial lake with one of the most impressive mountain back drops you'll ever see!
3. Yellowstone
Grand Prismatic is amazing. The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone at Artist Point is stunning. The brink of both the Upper and especially Lower Falls... 😲🌈
2. Yosemite
The Mist Trail is definitely an all-time favorite up to Vernal and Nevada Falls; similar kind of "wow" as the Yellowstone waterfalls. Clouds Rest, Glacier Point, Taft Point, Sentinel Dome, Four Mile Trail, Tunnel View = all incredible.
1. Glacier (honorable mention to Banff and the Canadian Rockies, but this is U.S. parks)
I've been fortunate to experience several incredible parks in both the U.S. and Canada; Glacier will always be my favorite. Going-to-the-Sun Road is spectacular, but this park is a hiker's paradise. Grinnell Glacier, Iceberg Lake, Cracker Lake, Dawson-Pitamakan, Gunsight Pass, Highline Trail, Grinnell Glacier Overlook, Swiftcurrent Lookout, Swiftcurrent Pass...😍 I've been to Glacier six times since 1996, and most recently hiked 72 miles over seven days with my sister two years ago, and STILL have bucket listers I need to check off there. You would need two full weeks to experience all of the incredible hikes this park has to offer. AND all those spectacular lakes make for great sunrises/sunsets with alpenglow on the peaks and reflections on the water. 🌄 Numerous summits with mind blowing views as well! I absolutely love Glacier; it will always be my number one!
I enjoy your videos! Just subscribed! 👍
3:20 Kenai Fjord boat tour is amazing! Also wanna do an aerial tour. Also, Harding Icefield is the best hike there! It starts at the same spot as Exit Glacier.
Thank you! It may be a subjective list, but it's well-grounded. I wanted to add to your suggestion of Zion the inclusion of Kolob Canyons, which is a northern section of the park reached off I-15 about 50 miles north of the main park. Great hikes through similar terrain with not nearly the number of visitors.
I have been to 19 national parks. It is so hard to pick favorites, but here is my attempt. The top 5 include Crater Lake, Grand Canyon, Canyonland ( a pleasant surprise), Arches, and Yellowstone. I wish I had spent more time in Glacier. For some of the reasons mentioned, I had a disappointing experience visiting Denali. Thanks for the fun video.
Bummer you had a disappointing experience in Denali! Thanks for sharing your list
Thank you! Love this! Looking forward to your next adventure! : )
Thanks for watching!
Love the video! Gives me goals to aim for. Me and my wife’s list of one’s we visited so far:
5. Grand Canyon
4. Zion
3. Arches
2. Yellowstone
1. Yosemite
I need to get to Yellowstone, so many lists with it number 1 haha
@@ThroughMyLens your video would be epic whenever that happens. I definitely need to spend more time there on a future trip
Questions:
1. Which ones are you likely to visit next?
2. Are there some parks that you think don't fit the "National Park" designation and would be more suitable classified as other types of parks?
Acadia, Rainier and the national park on Maui are next for me. Not sure why Gateway arch is a park but it was cool to visit once at least. So many great places all over the country that could be parks as well, I wonder what they will select next
That was great and informative, reading about the parks. I learned some things. 👏🤠👏
So glad you enjoyed it!
I have been to 20 of your 32 (well, 21 if you count the Channel Islands Visitor Center 🙂), plus some you didn't list including Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Crater Lake, Mt. Rainier, Olympic, Glacier Bay, Wind Cave, Badlands, Haleakela, and Hawaii Volcanoes. I generally agree with your rankings.
We visited Zion, Capitol Reef, Arches, Canyonlands, and Grand Canyon in October 2023 as part of a 10-day trip that included the annular solar eclipse. We had visited Bryce before and it didn't fit into our route, so we had to skip it this time. We had previously made one visit to Zion and two to Grand Canyon, but it was our first visits to Capitol Reef, Arches, and Canyonlands. Of these three, I liked Arches the best. During our one day there, we saw all the major sites, I hiked to Landscape Arch, then we left the park in my Jeep via Willows Springs Road, which is fun but not difficult 4WD road. I went back that night to do star trail photography at Balanced Rock.
My two favorite national parks (equal first place for me) are Yellowstone (3 visits) and Yosemite (more than 200 visits). It helps that I live in Fresno. :-) Yosemite is my hiking and photography park, but I'm 65 so it will gradually morph into my strolling and photography park. I visit the Grant Grove section of Kings Canyon a lot because my astronomy club often sets up telescopes in the Big Stump parking lot around the new moon. I have been averaging about nine trips per year for this purpose over about the past ten years.
Yosemite, I've been there year round and it's my fav! May is the best month for park beauty!
I really enjoyed your video of the national parks. There are several here on your list I have not been to yet, but hoping to get to many of our 63 national parks. My favorites would probably be 1: Yosemite. 2: Glacier in Montana 3: Rocky Mountains (and I did not see that one on your list here). Several of our national parks are difficult to get to so I doubt I would ever get to all 63 but all of them are beautiful places if you have the opportunity to see them or hike some of their trails. I am not fond of the current reservation system at some of the parks as it turns our national parks entrance requirements into a bit of an internet ottery and prevents some of us from just driving up for a visit for the day and makes it more difficult to see the parks for the average citizen. I understand that the parks can get crowded on summer weekends and holidays so you can use this annoying lottery for those really busy times but to make the reservation requirement 7 days a week does a disservice to the traveler that just wants to visit on one particular day. And if your internet service is slow or the park internet is slowed by high volume you are going to find it difficult and sometimes impossible to get an entrance ticket for the day you wanted to visit. (My two cents worth on the current reservation system at some of my favorite national parks)
When will you and Pops explore the Upper Peninsula of Michigan? It’s incredible 💙
It’s on the list! Hopefully in the future
Yes! Waterfalls along the Black river north of Bessemer, Seney National Wildlife Refuge, the brewery at Tahquemenon falls state park, the boat tour of the locks at Sioux St. Marie. Mackinac Island are all fabulous 5 star plus places to visit. Pops should also eat a pasty. Also great waterfalls, hiking, fishing, sea caves, shipwrecks, and maybe even see a moose! I'm hoping to visit Isle Royale NP next year!
I have only been to 16 parks so far, but here are my top 5 in order:
1) Mount Rainier
2) Yosemite
3) Great Basin
4) Yellowstone
5) Redwood
I’m from Utah, so the big 5 don’t stand out to me just because they look like what I see everyday. But I am very grateful to live in such a beautiful place!
My top 5:
1. Yellowstone
2. Guadalupe Mts.
3. Mount Rainier
4. Great Smoky Mts.
5. Capitol Reef
I've been to a strange collection of parks so far with Rainier being my most recent. I'll be adding at least Indiana Dunes, Cuyahoga Valley, New River Gorge and Shenandoah on a road trip this coming year!
I've always loved nature, but just started getting into wanting to visit all the National Parks recently. I went to 5 this year and am hoping to do at least 5-6 per year if possible. I've been to 14 parks so far. My rank would look like this:
1. Big Bend
2. Grand Canyon
3. Rocky Mountain
4. Badlands
5. Haleakala
6. Glacier (I was only there for a half day as part of a longer trip and didn't get to see a whole lot, so I really need to go back. I spent more time at all the previous parks, hence this being placed relatively low. Still rating it here based on the scenery I did see)
7. Carlsbad Caverns
8. White Sands
9. New River Gorge
10. Mammoth Cave
11. Hot Springs
12. Wind Cave (We didn't have time to do a tour since we spent a lot of time at the nearby Custer State Park but the scenery was nice and we saw lots of wildlife while driving through)
13. Guadalupe Mountains
14. Gateway Arch
Next year I'm hoping to do Zion, Bryce, Acadia, Death Valley, and maybe Shenandoah. Redwoods, Sequouia/Kings Canyon, and of course the big Y's (Yellowstone & Yosemite) are also on my radar.
Your videos are fantastic! I've been to 26 of the National Parks and my Top 5 are:
1. Yellowstone
2. Katmai (absolutely amazing if you can get there!)
3. Arches
4. Hawai'i Volcanoes
5. Glacier Bay
I've seen your video about Carlsbad Caverns and I know how impressed you were by the caves. Have you been to Kartchner Caverns State Park in Arizona? If you love caves, it's the most amazing cave. IMO it's more majestic than Carlsbad as it's a mostly alive and active cave with water still filtering down the cave system and the stalagmites and stalactites are still growing. It has purposely remained a state park as per the wishes of the people who discovered the cave system. It's fascinating.
Great list! You shall visit the parks in Washingthon though. Rainier, North Cascades and Olympic are all unique on its own. Personally I have been to 20 NPs (mainly on the west coast) and it is very hard to choose because you find incredible places from Alaska to Southern California. US is pretty beautiful!
Btw: Kenai is great from boat tour, but the ride is not for people with weak stomach :) the glaciers and the wildlife was awesome!
I have been to 30 NPs and still counting. I am going to Canadian Rockies and visit 3 of them. Vancouver is on the way, too. My favorite is "Yellowstone NP".
My faves Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mt, Bryce Canyon, And Zion.
You gotta check out Mr Rainier next. You won't be disappointed. it's my favorite but probably because I spent a whole week there and got to see so much of the park. Truly an incredible place
I've been to some not on this list, but a few on your list too. I'm not sure I'd rank Mammoth Cave above Everglades, but yes it is a close call. I agree with you the weather and other day by day factors make a big difference (I visited both in December Everglades was warm and sunny Mammoth Cave was cold and rainy) Here is my list (integers your ranking, decimals mine!)!
32 St. Louis Arch
31.5 Indiana Dunes
30.5 Cuyahoga
30 Biscayne
21.5 Mount Ranier
20.5 Rocky Mountain
19 Everglades
17 Mammoth Cave
12 Big Bend
9.5 Badlands
9 Smoky Mountains
8.5 Olympic
7.5 Grand Teton
4.5 Acadia
3.5 Teddy Roosevelt
2.5 Glacier Bay
2 Grand Canyon
1 Yosemite
0.8 Yellowstone
Jim, McHenry, Illinois
I have only been to about 20 NP and my top 5 are: 1. Yellowstone, 2. Yosemite, 3. Point Reyes, 4. Washington DC, 5.Rocky Mountain. I ranked them based on how often I think back to time spent there. There are a lot of other places I really liked but they are either national historic sites, monuments, or forests. I liked your rankings.
Great list, those are some fun ones for sure!
I've only been to a dozen or so national parks. That includes many of the big ones but the Utah 5 are still on my bucket list. None the less, my top 5 are 1- Yellowstone, 2- Yosemite, 3- Grand Canyon, 4- Rocky Mtn, 5- Grand Teton. My Glacier experience was hampered by poor weather and compromised view points. In the east, I love the Great Smokies and the Blue Ridge Parkway (since I live in NC, I visit sections of it several times a year). I'm originally from WV and I've been to the New River Gorge many times, long before a National Park. Rounding out the top 10 for me is Badlands.
Great list! I hope to do new River gorge soon as it looks beautiful
I haven't been to Yosemite, but it's on my list! I suggest you get to Acadia NP. It's beautiful and lots to do!
My Top 5:
1. Death Valley National Park
2. Channel Islands National Park
3. Theodore Roosevelt National Park
4. Yosemite National Park
5. Sequoia National Park
You absolutely must get to the Dakotas. One of my favorite areas of the country.
I can’t wait to go to the Dakotas, hopefully next year!
Since you asked- I'ved been to 32 parks. My top 5- Yellowstone, Denali, Arches, Olympic and King's Canyon/Sequoia. Honerable mention to Yosemite. Gateway should not be a NP, but a monument. Hot Springs is cool, but should be a historic site. Indiana Dunes is questionable too, and Natl Lakeshore was adequete. I haven't been to Cuyahoga seems like a stretch from what I've read/seen. Kenai Fjords will definitely shoot up the list when you get a chance to experience it.
Great list, Josh. As you mentioned it very much depends on your experience, the weather, the wildlife and other variables. Yosemite is No. 1 for me by a long ways, but we are fortunate to have so many wonderful spaces. Surprised you didn't include Crater Lake.
1. Yosemite
2. Channel Islands
3. Arches
4. Canyonlands
5. Bryce Canyon
6. Hawaii Volcanoes
7. Mammoth Cave
8. Crater Lake
So glad you love Yosemite as well. I haven’t been to Crater Lake yet (only visited once for like an hour) so I couldn’t include it
I’ve been to 27 parks so far. My top 5 are: Denali, Yosemite, Bryce, Yellowstone and Death Valley. Each park has been an amazing experience in itself. 16:45.
Glacier is way underrated and Channel Island / Joshua Tree are waaaaay overrated on your list.
My top 10.
1. Yellowstone (by a mile)
2. Yosemite
3. Glacier
4. Arches
5. Zion
6. Olympic
7. Grand Teton
8. Sequoia
9. Dry Tortugas
10. Rocky Mountain
I think glacier would be way higher for me with a better experience there and I can’t wait to spend time in Yellowstone!
You come up here criticizing his list but then add Dry Tortugas to your top 10 list...Really?
I live in Florida itself and can only ask...Really?Dry Tortugas?Are you that easy to entertain?That thing is lame compared with any park on the west and with anything in Alaska!
@@towardsheaven4196 I rank Tortugas highly because the majority of the parks are mountainous. Is the 9th best mountain really better than the top tropical island park? Have you taken the seaplane to Tortugas? Very unique experience. The fort itself is cool and the snorkeling around it is great as well and you never get huge crowds. For those reason it ranks top 10 for me.
@@JP-dz7zu crowds and weather shouldn't take part in a conversation about beauty...I know some parks get impossible to enjoy because of the crowds...but are they less beautiful for that?People can't focus on one only topic at all!Dry Tortugas is a small island with a cool fort that I can find anywhere else(Cuba,Puerto Rico,Saint Augustine,etc)And it's still just a fort like the others...If I want a cool flight-seeing experience I do it in Denali national Park,land on a Glacier and get to see the highest mountain(land based) in the world(base to peak)...Is it really comparable?I live in Florida...Dry Tortugas and Everglades both suck!
Here's my personal ranking of the national parks I've visited(only national parks!!). I've visited 50 out of 63.
My ranking is subject to change with added experiences in the national parks.
(Revised as of 18 JAN 2023 after revisiting some of these parks)
50) Gateway Arch National Park
49) Indiana Dunes
48) Hot Springs
47) Voyageurs
46) Congaree
45) Cuyahoga Valley
44) Redwood
43) Saguaro
42) Biscayne
41) Wind Cave
40) Carlsbad Caverns
39) New River Gorge
38) Mammoth Cave
37) Mesa Verde
36) Channel Islands
35) Joshua Tree
34) Guadalupe Mountains
33) Petrified Forest
32) Shenandoah
31) Great Basin
30) Great Sand Dunes
29) Theodore Roosevelt
28) Dry Tortugas
27) Death Valley
26) Lassen Volcanic
25) Kings Canyon
24) Pinnacles
23) North Cascades
22) Mount Rainier
21) Capitol Reef
20) Bryce Canyon
19) Isle Royale
18) Badlands
17) Black Canyon of the Gunnison
16) Sequoia
15) Big Bend
14) Great Smoky Mountains
13) Arches
12) Crater Lake
11) Canyonlands
10) Yosemite
9) Acadia
8) Grand Canyon
7) Grand Teton
6) Everglades
5) Glacier
4) Yellowstone
3) Zion
2) Rocky Mountain
1) Olympic
Wow thanks for sharing the list! I loved seeing your rankings. I need to visit Olympic it seems!
Hi Josh, me and my wife watch most of the travel videos from your channel before planning for a trip. Just curious, is there any reason why you haven't gone to Rocky Mountain? I think, that may change your rank. Plus, please make the video of Yellowstone. I think we will see a change in the ranking a bit after this two.
Great list. As a Tucson Native I would pump saguaro up the list s bit. People who don't get to hike all the way down the grand canyon are missing out.
I loved Saguaro and even hiked Wasson Peak while there. Very cool park
I have been to 16 national parks. My top 5:
1. Yellowstone National Park
2. Grand Canyon National Park
3. Glacier Bay National Park
4. Death Valley National Park
5. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
I see all your videos and loved them all. Although I am not quite agree to your ranking at all. I have visited 40 national park which has 28 common with your list. Specially you ranked Jasua Tree and Everglades much higher than I will do. Here are my top 10 National Parks:
1. Yellowstone National Park.
2. Yosemite National Park
3. Grand Canyon National Park
4. Glacier National Park
5. Olympic National Park
6. Grand Teton National Park.
7. Zion National Park
8.Smoky mountain National Park
9.Acadia National Park
10. Arches/Bryce National Park.
1. Bryce
2. Yosemite
3. Olympic
4. Carlsbad Cavern
Crater Lake / Zion
Grand Canyon / Mt. Rainier
Redwoods / Yellowstone
Hard to pick the tops, but these would be my top few that I have been to. Almost all of them have historical lodges that are at prime location all amazing. I would love to check out North Cascade and Acadia, both got pretty cool lodges to stay at too. Just from your video, I know once I visit Dry Tortugas I would probably slide that into the 5th spot. Looks amazing.
I need to stay at some of the historic lodges. That would be a fun thing to add to the videos
I’ve been to 21 parks, my top 5 are probably Yosemite, Bryce, Dry Tortguas, Lassen, and Redwood. But I feel like any of the others ones I’ve visited (except for Cuyahoga Valley) could argue to be in that top 5 as well.
Great list. Everybody has their favorites, and not everyone has been to so many parks to make such a list. Some people like Great Smokies, but the overwhelming crowds push it far down the list for me. It's hard to enjoy a park that is mobbed.
Mesa Verde is one of my favorites. Anyone mention that park?
I would love to go to Mesa Verde. Such a cool looking spot with so much history but I haven’t been yet
Weather, time of year and crowds influence my top choces:
1 - Bryce Canyon in Winter. No crowds and snow on the hoodoos add even more color.
2 - Zion in Winter. No crowds, no shuttles. Beautiful. Not that cold. Zion in Summer - never again unless it's the backcountry.
3 - Acadia in fall - fall colors and not quite as crowded as summer.
4 - Grand Canyon north rim in fall - far fewer crowds than the south rim and the aspen colors are an extra plus.
5 - Saguaro in spring. Desert blooms, great weather and this park is generally uncrowded. Great sunsets.
General rule of thumb - I try to avoid National parks from Memorial Day to Labor Day and focus on National Monuments instead. Many are as good or better than some of the National parks if you do not mind lack of facilites and a more primitive experience, which I personally do.
For me so far after having seen close to 1/3 of the national parks in the US is #5 Rainier. #4 Lassen. #3 Bryce. #2 Yellowstone. #1 Yosemite. But crater lake, glacier, pinnacles, sequoia, Grand Canyon and zion are way up there too. It’s like trying to pick your fav child. Only park I’ve yet to visit in CA is Joshua tree. I’ve made plans many times since I live in So Cal but things keep falling thru. I’m hoping this fall or winter. Thanks for your recommendations. Always look forward to your posts
I just went to Rainier a few weeks ago and it was a top 5 for me. Such a great park
Yea I agree Yosemite NP my favorite as well and the fact that I live in the Central Valley makes it a even better choice.
I wish I lived closer. I love that park so much!
I've visited 50 so far. My top 5 are Olympic, Rocky Mtn, Yellowstone, Zion, and Glacier.
Great list!
#1...Yellowstone-Grand Teton...to me they are just one gigantic awesome park...I and my families favorite spot on planet Earth.
#2...Yosemite
#3...Rocky Mountain
#4...Death Valley
#5...Tie between Arches-Bryce Canyon-Canyonlands-Capitol Reef
#6...Great Smoky Mountains...my beloved "home" park.
#7...Grand Canyon
#8...Black Canyon of the Gunnison
#9...Channel Islands
#10...Joshua Tree
My top 5 national parks.
1- The Great Smoky Mountains National Park - Tennessee
2- Badlands National Park - South Dakota
3- Grand Canyon National Park - Arizona
4- Everglades National is - Florida
5- Greatway Arch National Park - Missouri
By the time top 10 started, I guessed Yosimete is going to ranked No 1. This is the only National Park I have visited in the United States. Glad I did..😀😀
Why not the black hills? I mean it's the only national park I've been too but we hiked to black elk peak the highest point east of the rockies and it was so beautiful there the mountains and rock formations in the forests were beautiful what would you rate the black hills just trying to see a comparison to your other picks for our next trip
Capitol Reef is all about Burr Trail/Notom-Bullfrog and Cathedral Valley/Hartnet Trail. If you just go into the main park area in Fruita you're only seeing 5% of the park and yet that's what most people do. Have to pick up experiences with the waterpocket fold districts at as many places as you can from Cathedral down to Lake Powell area
Ya I would love to explore more of the outer parts of the park, hopefully in the future!
5. Crater Lake
4. Arches
3. Lassen Volcanic
2. Canyonlands
1. Bryce Canyon
It is hard to beat Bryce for sure!
My top six ranking National Parks:
1. Glacier
2. Yosemite
3. Carlsbad Caverns
4. Mount Ranier
5. Great Sand Dunes
6. Grand Canyon
Great list, glad you like Carlsbad too!
I'm from Ohio. love your videos. Don't forget to check out Ohio's national park sometime. And I am really looking forward to your visit to Colorado 's parks.
1) Redwoods
2) Yosemite
3) Crater Lake
4) Lassen
5) Arches
Great choices!
My top 10: 1 Glacier National Park (drove GTSROAD on the first day it was open and Many Glacier area was GORGEOUS) 2. Yosemite, 3 Zion, 4. Yellowstone, 5 Grand Canyon(prefer North Rim, much less crowded) 6 Crater Lake, 7 Grand Teton, 8.Rocky Mountain, 9 Great Smoky Mountains, 10 Bryce. I have been to many more, and have many more to see
Thanks for sharing your list! I hope to spend more time in Glacier in the future
I'd think Gateway Arch would be a tough park in which to find a back country hike.😀
I couldn't get Wikipedia to verify it one way or another, but I've always heard Biscayne pronounced biss-CANE, rather than biz-CANE, back when it was a city only.
Rather than kuh-NYE, Kenai Fjords is KEEN-eye, or KEY-nye.
Canyonlands has 4 districts, #4 being the detached Horseshoe Canyon unit.
Zion rhymes with 'lion'; it's not ZYE-ahn, since it was named after the large hill of the same name in Jerusalem.
I'm glad that I could visit a part of Yosemite in March 2022.
There're so much natural beauty to explore in the parks. But I don't know if I be able ti visit the US again from Germany. That makes me sad
I am glad you got to experience Yosemite and I hope you can visit again in the future!
Katmai is special. Be sure to check it out!
My top 5 1. Grand Canyon 2. Mammoth cave 3. Bryce Canyon 4. Zion 5 capitol reef I’ve also only been to 10
Loved seeing carlsbad caverns in the top 5. It's easily my number 1 (I've only been to a few parks though).
It is such an amazing cave to explore!
My top 5:
1. Glacier National Park
2. Zion National Park
3. Grand Canyon National Park
4. Rocky Mountains National Park
5. Yosemite National Park
6. Olympic National Park
Should include the state of each national park.
Absolutely agree with your sentiments about Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Used to go in the 80's when I was a little kid and it was not busy, now I just skip it and go to Pisgah and take the Blue Ridge Parkway up to Shenandoah instead.
Ya it was amazing but I am not itching to go back with all the crowds