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"A trip through the US National Parks is an unforgettable experience. You'll come face to face with nature's finest and leave with a deep appreciation for our wonderful planet."

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Grand Canyon National Park

One of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World, the UNESCO-listed Grand Canyon National Park is a phenomenal feat of nature. You’ll walk the rim and learn from your Local Specialist how it formed over the past 40 million years. From sunrise to sunset, the Grand Canyon is truly mesmerising.

Mesa Verde National Park

Located in Colorado, this UNESCO-listed national park is filled with centuries-old history. You’ll drive the Mesa Top Loop Road past archaeological sites and lookouts, and see the ancient cliff dwellings of the Ancestral Puebloan people, that are chiselled out of the sandstone canyon walls.

Arches National Park

We’ll take you on a journey through the spectacular sandstone arches of Arches National Park. There are more than 2,000 natural arches carved by the wind, including the long Landscape Arch. You can hike to the viewpoint of the iconic Delicate Arch and discover other formations such as Balanced Rock, soaring over the desert.

Yellowstone National Park

Discover the geothermal wonderland of Yellowstone National Park, one of the world’s oldest national parks. We’ll show you the steaming hot springs, alpine forests and rivers, the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone, mud paint pots, and the remarkable shooting waters of Old Faithful. Keep your eyes peeled for animals like bears, bison, elk and wolves.

Yosemite National Park

Wander in the shadows of Yosemite’s giant sequoia trees, as our Local Specialists reveal the ancient history of these incredible forests. You’ll see the Cathedral Rocks, the plunging Bridal Veil Falls, and the cliffs of El Capitan. We’ll also explore Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows, before taking a special tour of the Yosemite Valley floor.

Our top 5 things to do in US National Parks

When you visit US National Parks with Trafalgar, we’ll show you the top national parks in the country, from the giant Grand Canyon to the ancient trees of Yosemite.

Buffalo wings

Found across the country, buffalo wings are one of the most beloved dishes in the United States. An unbreaded chicken wing is deep-fried and coated in a vinegar cayenne hot sauce with melted butter. They’re best served hot and dipped in blue cheese or ranch dressing.

Cheesesteak

Hailing from Philadelphia, the cheesesteak is now a classic American dish found across the country. It’s a sandwich made from thin slices of beefsteak and melted cheese, stuffed in a long hoagie roll, and it’s a delicious meal after a long day of hiking through national parks.

Also known as the ‘Yankee pot roast’, this is a braised beef dish made from slow cooking a piece of beef with gravy and vegetables such as potatoes, onions and carrots. The cooking method produces a soft, succulent meat drenched in rich gravy, for a warm and hearty meal.

Best food in US National Parks

Exploring the trails of the national parks works up an appetite, and we’ll show you the best places to taste all the famous dishes of the United States.

What to pack for US National Parks

Pack for sustainable travel

Consider your environmental impact when you next take a trip and go single-use-plastic-free by packing a reusable water bottle, a steel straw, your own shopping bags and refillable toiletry bottles.

Hiking shoes

The National Parks of the US are filled with hiking trails, and you’ll need a sturdy pair of shoes to explore these spectacular landscapes.

Versatile clothing

From sun-drenched canyons to snowy peaks, the weather changes throughout the national parks. Come prepared for all climates with layered and versatile clothing.

Reusable water bottle

National parks are pristine protected areas, and whatever you take in, you must take out. Bring a reusable water bottle to avoid adding to waste with disposable plastic bottles.

A book to collect stamps

You can collect unique stamps at the ranger stations of each national park. Bring a notebook to keep them in, as a special memento of your journey.

The national parks are filled with incredible animals like bears and bison, and a pair of binoculars will help you spot wildlife safely from a distance.

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US National Parks Tours & Vacations

Embark on an unforgettable adventure in the United States' most spectacular national parks.

As far as national parks go, the  USA  has it all. From lunar-like deserts and striated canyons to snow-capped mountains and alpine valleys teeming with wildlife. With a local leader by your side, you'll explore the most iconic sections of the parks, as well as lesser-known gems you won’t find in the travel guides. Our United States national park tours offer something for all kinds of adventurers. Hike through slot canyons in  Zion , join a real-life wolf tracker in  Yellowstone , tick off bucket-list-worthy hiking trails in  Yosemite  or witness the most beautiful night skies you've ever seen in  Denali . It’s time to dust off those hiking boots... the parks are waiting! 

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Us national parks travel faqs, do i need a covid-19 vaccine to join an intrepid trip.

Trips from 1 January 2023 onwards

From 1 January 2023, Intrepid will no longer require travelers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 (excluding all Polar trips and select adventure cruises).

However, we continue to strongly recommend that all Intrepid travelers and leaders get vaccinated to protect themselves and others.

Specific proof of testing or vaccination may still be required by your destination or airline. Please ensure you check travel and entry requirements carefully.

What is the best time to visit national parks in the US?

The best time to visit a national park depends on what you want to experience on your trip. The US is a huge country with diverse weather, foliage, and wildlife. Most parks change quite dramatically from season to season. Our trips run all year round but spring through to early fall is the most popular time to go when the weather is mild, crowds are smaller, and hiking conditions are good.

What is mobile/cell phone service and internet access like in US national parks?

Mobile phone service, Wi-Fi, and internet access vary, and some parks will have coverage while others may be completely cut off.

Most visitor centers, lodges, and restaurants will offer free internet access, but it’s worth reading up on coverage or checking with your guide before your trip begins so you can be prepared.

Do I need to purchase travel insurance before traveling?

Absolutely. All passengers traveling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

Does my trip support The Intrepid Foundation?

Yes, all Intrepid trips support the Intrepid Foundation. Trips to this country directly support our global Intrepid Foundation partners, Eden Reforestation Projects and World Bicycle Relief. Intrepid will double the impact by dollar-matching all post-trip donations made to The Intrepid Foundation.

Eden Reforestation Projects

Eden Reforestation Projects are helping to mitigate climate change by restoring forests worldwide; they also hire locally and create job opportunities within vulnerable communities. Donations from our trips support restoration across planting sites in 10 countries around the globe. Find out more or make a donation World Bicycle Relief

World Bicycle Relief provides people in low-income communities with bicycles to mobilize school kids, health workers, and farmers in far-out areas – giving them access to vital education, healthcare, and income. Donations help provide Buffalo Bicycles – specifically designed to withstand the rugged terrain and harsh environment of rural regions – to those who need them most. Find out more or make a donation

U.S. National Park Tours

For over 100 years, the United States National Park system has been the envy of the world.

From spectacular  sunsets over the Grand Canyon  to giant redwood and sequoia trees, amazing sights await guests on one of our guided US National Parks tours. View incredible hoodoos and sandstone monuments at Bryce and Zion National Parks. Experience hot springs and gushing geysers at  Yellowstone National Park , where American wildlife roam freely.

At California’s Yosemite National Park, take in the awe-inspiring granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome. In Sequoia National Park, gaze skyward at General Sherman, renowned as the largest living tree in the world.

Alaska’s untouched beauty awaits on one of our popular  Alaska cruise and land tours . Voyage through Denali to see the Alaskan wildlife in person and get the local experience. From there, you can witness the unbelievable sight of calving glaciers in Glacier Bay and Kenai Fjords National Parks. There’s a reason why Alaska is known to be “The Last Frontier”!

Enjoy one of our US National Park tours and take in America as you have never seen her before.

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Ultimate Pacific Northwest & California Tour

Per person, double occupancy, excludes roundtrip airfare

On this tour, the West Coast is your playground. Travel from Seattle to Los Angeles as you combine our Sights of the Pacific Northwest tour with the California & National Parks tour.

Ultimate Canyons & Rocky Mountains National Parks Tour

Discover the American West on this tour through 9 spectacular National Parks. The fascinating history, diverse landscapes, and stunning views on this itinerary will captivate you!

Sights of The Pacific Northwest

The Pacific Northwest is as famous for its natural beauty as its sophisticated yet quirky cities-experience the best of both worlds on this journey from Seattle to San Francisco.

Rocky Mountains & Black Hills National Parks Tour

Be captivated by America?s most beautiful western landscapes as you discover historic sites, visit uniquely charming towns, and take in endless vistas on a Rocky Mountains tour.

Majestic Alaska Cruise & Tour

Leave no sight unseen on this Alaskan vacation! Start off with gold mining in Fairbanks, wildlife in majestic Denali, colorful coastal villages, and a cruise through Kenai Fjords.

Grand Alaskan Cruise & Tour

Rugged, remote, and so beautiful it takes your breath away, the wilds of the Frontier State come alive on this guided Alaskan cruise tour. Experience the best that Alaska has to offer.

Crimson Canyons & Mesas National Parks Tour

Enjoy natural wonder after natural wonder on this unforgettable journey through the rugged beauty of?six of America?s most spectacular national parks.

California and National Parks

Get to know the real California on this scenic guided tour. Soak in magnificent vistas, sunny beaches, the culture of San Francisco and the glamour of Los Angeles.

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Natural Wonders and Iconic Landmarks Abound on this 15-day Guided Tour in the U.S.

Explore America's top national parks on this 15-Day guided tour. After an evening in Scottsdale, start your journey in bohemian Sedona, where spiritual seekers and nature lovers alike will revel in its red-hued mountainous landscape. Take a short jaunt to the Grand Canyon, where a Local Expert will show you the wonders of America’s most famed natural beauty. In Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Make Travel Matter and board all-terrain vehicles and ride through the desert with your Navajo guide. Glide through Zion National Park on a private shuttle, before watching the red cliffs and valleys give way to the Rocky Mountains of Grand Teton and Yellowstone. Finally, scale the 563-foot-tall Crazy Horse Memorial and stand face-to-face with the stone carving of the Lakota warrior.

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Start Phoenix, United States of America. End Denver, United States of America.

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National Parks of America

About this tour.

Experience the grandeur of the American West as you explore five fantastic national parks on this exciting journey. In Arizona, contemplate the vast beauty of the Grand Canyon, and in Yellowstone, relish iconic sights like Old Faithful and Yellowstone Lake. Marvel at the magnitude and color of Zion’s cliffs and the hoodoos and spires at Bryce Canyon. Enjoy 2-night stays in Springdale, Utah (Zion) and Jackson Hole. Drive through the incredible Bighorn Mountains and the great Sioux Nations Territory before seeing Mt. Rushmore and Crazy Horse Monument. Meet a local Lakota Native American at dinner and learn about their fascinating way of life, past and present. Gain new appreciation of the great outdoors on this journey that takes you from the Grand Canyon to Mount Rushmore National Memorial and everywhere in between.

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• 9 Handpicked Accommodations
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• Grand Canyon
• Lake Powell

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Must-See Inclusions:

Spend a night at the spectacular Grand Canyon.

Visit Yellowstone National Park, home to the famous Old Faithful Geyser.

• See one of the country's most famous landmarks, Mount Rushmore.

Cultural Experiences:

Explore the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, a tribute to Buffalo Bill Cody.

Meet Native Americans and discuss their unique and colorful culture.

Culinary Inclusions:

Experience a chuck wagon dinner* and cowboy entertainment.

• Bryce Canyon
• Salt Lake City
• Jackson Hole
• Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
• Old Faithful
• Bighorn Mountains
• Crazy Horse Memorial
• Mount Rushmore

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Hotel-Courtyard by Marriott Scottsdale

If your interests stretch beyond the beauty of downtown Jackson Hole, we have a special treat for you! Swing your own paddle for a thrilling ride through the white waters of the Snake River. An experienced guide conducts the trip, and you provide the paddle power. This unforgettable addition to your vacation is an experience you will talk about for many years to come.

Enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Snake River on a gentle float trip. Your guide will paddle while pointing out interesting sights along the way. The trip is a great way to see the beauty of the river and the geology that forms the Snake River. The river is home to a variety of waterfowl and native animals including moose, deer and river otters. It is also the nesting area of our nation’s symbol, the bald eagle, as well as ospreys. You will enjoy an included picnic lunch.

See one of the country's most famous landmarks, Mount Rushmore.

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Courtyard by Marriott Scottsdale

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National Parks

Tauck's National Park vacations offer inside experiences thanks to our relationships and partnerships within the parks. With exceptional access, we are able to handle all of the details for you so you can spend more time enjoying these must-see places at the best time of day and with fewer crowds.

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Welcome to the National Parks

Our relationships with the national parks runs deep going back many many years. With that... we are able to show you something pretty special as you visit must-see places at their must-see times of day and when you stay at inside-the-park hotels, the crowds are fewer and the experience is richer. There's no planning and no organizing – and the best of all, no driving; we take care of all the details. And at the end of the day, hearing "I've seen and done everything I hoped to" is music to our ears.

Explore three national parks on one journey, grand teton national park, niagara falls, ontario, "canada's capital cities plus niagara falls" and "cruising the great lakes: chicago to toronto".

Comprised of three waterfalls – American Falls, Horseshoe Falls and Bridal Veil Falls – Niagara Falls water stems from the upper Great Lakes; the river is estimated to be 12,000 years old. Journey to thundering Niagara Falls for a catamaran cruise near the plunging waters and misty spray of the waterfalls – getting wet is a distinct possibility – and explore the quaint Victorian village of Niagara-on-the-Lake with its flower-filled, tree-lined streets.

Yellowstone National Park

Bryce canyon national park, a feast for the eyes... and the soul.

Oranges and pinks never seen anywhere else dance and dazzle the eye as sunlight plays over Bryce Canyon National Park, where wind and rain have sculpted the canyon's famously quirky, logic-defying "hoodoos" that, according to Paiute legend, were once human before a powerful god called Coyote froze them into rock (for the record, the rock is Navajo sandstone). This universe of warm colors literally glows at sunrise and sunset – a sight to see that can send shivers up your spine. The park reveals nature dressed in a coat of many colors – hues beyond imagining, deeply satisfying to the eye, and energizing to the spirit.

Grand Canyon National Park

Not just a hole in the ground....

Surely you have stumbled upon some other planet... or at least it feels that way at Grand Canyon National Park. Your first glimpse of the enormous Grand Canyon strains credulity. What giants have been playing with the rock here? Or what cataclysmic force of the universe? Then the drama starts. Clouds, shadows, and the shifting sun keep transforming the landscape. As the sun flames in the west, canyon walls turn red while the giants paint the sky, creating masterpieces so beautiful they freeze you in your tracks. The Grand Canyon sprawls wide open, carved out by the Colorado River, revealing two billion years of Earth's history; here is where air meets land, where you meet what feels like destiny, with just the white-tailed Kaibab squirrel, only found here, as witness.

Yosemite National Park

Through the eyes of john muir and ansel adams.

What a young Ansel Adams saw through his lens as he trekked into the California wilderness more than 100 years ago – as John Muir did a half-century before him – has inspired countless visitors to explore its chiseled landscapes in starry-eyed wonder ever since. You won't find modern conveniences here. Celestial bodies trump electricity. Running water falls from rocks. Residents are furred, finned or feathered. And skyscrapers with names like Half Dome and El Capitan are nature made. Adams was just 14 when he first spied the grandeur of Yosemite National Park, armed with a Kodak Brownie camera his father had given him… and a new era began not only for him, but for the wilderness treasures he spent his lifetime celebrating. His iconic photographs need no words or explanation. Even in black and white, they capture what he felt about places now immortalized for future generations.

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Welcome to the National Parks... the Tauck Way

Our National Parks are included on many of our immersive journeys for good reason. With a combination of strong cultural heritage, precious landscapes & topography worth protecting, these vast lands need to be discovered so that we all can come to appreciate their beauty and grandeur.

America's canyonlands, yellowstone & grand teton national parks, canadian rockies, whistler & victoria, best of the canadian rockies, traveling with tauck, never settle for ordinary.

Travel Experiences that are as memorable as the places...

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US National Parks

America’s natural wonders.

From the explosive geysers of Yellowstone National Park to the Navajo Nation’s majestic Monument Valley, America’s national parks tours include some of the most spellbinding scenery in the world. Travel with Globus and explore the canyons, peaks, arches, and waterfalls, carefully preserved for generations to enjoy, along with the opportunity to stay inside some of the most picturesque U.S. National Parks.

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Epic Wonders of the National Parks

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Tour overview.

Cameras at the ready! On this holiday, you are going to encounter some of the most spectacular sights and scenery the USA has to offer.

Your road trip starts in Denver, Colorado and takes you through seven different states to the bright lights of Las Vegas. Along the way, you will discover historic sites and landmarks dedicated to those who helped define the country’s history and step into the cowboy world of the ‘Wild West’.

This meticulously planned journey travels through no less than nine of America’s national parks. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and see spouting geysers in Yellowstone, then prepare yourself for the beauty of the Rocky Mountains in Grand Teton. Discover vast, rugged landscapes shaped by the power of nature, visit ancient cave dwellings and marvel at geological wonders galore. From dramatic red-rock arches to hoodoos, towering cliffs and the iconic Grand Canyon, this trip is packed full of once-in-a-lifetime experiences. And with time in between for you to explore at leisure, sip a quiet drink or enjoy a cosy meal, you can slow things down and relive every moment

Your Holiday Includes

• Return flights from London
• 15 nights in great quality hotel plus 1 night in flight
• 17 meals: 15 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner and welcome drink
• Travelsphere Holiday Director and Specialist Local Guide
• Overseas transfers, other transportation and porterage

Included Holiday Highlights

• Visit Mount Rushmore National Memorial
• See the Crazy Horse Memorial
• Tour Badlands National Park
• Discover the ‘Wild West’ city of Deadwood
• Tour the Battle of Little Bighorn site
• Visit the world’s first national park, Yellowstone
• Enjoy a tour of Grand Teton National Park
• Explore Salt Lake City
• Admire Canyonlands National Park
• Discover Arches National Park
• See the cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde National Park
• Visit Monument Valley
• Discover the iconic Grand Canyon National Park
• Marvel at Bryce Canyon National Park’s unique geology
• Zion Canyon National Park
• Stay at the heart of the action on the Las Vegas Strip

Day 1 UK - Denver

Your journey through some of the most spectacular scenery in America is about to begin. After dropping off your bags and clearing security, why not treat yourself to a drink at the airport before boarding your flight to Denver. On arrival, we'll drive you to your overnight hotel.

Day 2 Denver - Rapid City

Your adventure begins in earnest today with a journey to Rapid City in South Dakota. On the way, we're going to stop at the former military and trading outpost of Fort Laramie. This is where Chief Red Cloud signed the treaty that gave the supposedly worthless Black Hills to the Sioux. Just six years later, Custer discovered gold in the Black Hills, prompting the Gold Rush and ultimately causing the Battle of Little Bighorn. There's a treat in store tonight as we head to Fort Hays Chuckwagon supper and cowboy music show located on the film set of 'Dances with Wolves'. Here we'll enjoy a hearty meal and some foot-stomping fun and entertainment.

Day 3 Mount Rushmore & Badlands

Your day begins with a visit to Mount Rushmore National Memorial, famous for its majestic granite sculptures of Presidents Roosevelt, Lincoln, Washington and Jefferson. Carved between 1927 and 1941 by sculptor Gutzon Borglum and around 400 workers, each face is around 18 metres high. You're also going to see the Crazy Horse Memorial, another monument carved into the Black Hills. An immense masterpiece that's still being worked on, it honours the heroic 19th-century leader of the area's native people.

The highlights keep on coming as we embark on an afternoon tour of Badlands National Park. Here you'll discover an eerie world of geological wonders that was carved over millions of years by the forces of nature

Day 4 Rapid City - Deadwood - Sheridan

You're heading into 'Wild West' territory today with a drive through the Black Hills to Deadwood, a town created on the back of the Gold Rush. The entire city is a national historic landmark and there's time for you to have a good look around. Maybe you'll visit Adams Museum and learn about the history of the Black Hills, browse the shops for souvenirs or enjoy lunch in a bar or saloon. We'll then head to Sheridan for the night.

Day 5 Sheridan - Little Bighorn Battlefield - Cody

The highlight of your day is a visit to the historic site of the Battle of Little Bighorn, fought in June 1876 between the US Army and Native American warriors. A guided tour gives you the chance to relive Custer's Last Stand and get a fascinating insight into one of the most famous conflicts of the American Indian Wars. Afterwards, you'll have a chance to delve deeper into the history of the battle with free time at the visitor centre and museum.

There's an inviting selection of restaurants in Cody, so after arriving at the hotel why not venture out for dinner. Your Holiday Director can point you in the right direction if you need a recommendation.

Day 6 Cody - Yellowstone National Park

After today, you'll be able to say that you have set foot in the world's first national park. Yellowstone is a wonderland of spouting geysers, hot springs, boiling pools and bubbling mud pots. On your tour you'll see the extraordinary Yellowstone Canyon with its waterfall twice the height of Niagara and, of course, 'Old Faithful', the famous geyser which erupts every 93 minutes or so. The park is also a wildlife sanctuary with bears, elk, moose and herds of bison all roaming freely, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for sightings.

Day 7 Grand Teton National Park

The next national park you'll tick off your list is Grand Teton. It's home to the Teton Range, a series of mountains that form part of the Rockies and stretch for 40 miles from Yellowstone National Park towards Jackson. The park is famed for its beautiful landscape of snow-capped peaks, lakes and glaciers and you can take in these exceptional sights today.

Day 8 Yellowstone - Salt Lake City

We'll head to Utah today for an overnight stay in the state capital, Salt Lake City. Founded by the Mormons, Salt Lake City is set on the shores of the Great Salt Lake and at the foot of spectacular mountains. When we arrive this afternoon, our first port of call will be the elegant Utah Capitol Building, which overlooks the city from a hilltop setting. Surrounded by manicured gardens planted with trees and shrubs, you can step inside to see the Supreme Court and House of Representatives with a tall rotunda in the centre. Be sure to look up and admire the painted ceiling of the rotunda, a celebration of the state bird, the seagull.

You'll then have some free time to explore downtown Salt Lake City. A good place to start is Temple Square, the area surrounding the Salt Lake Temple, a place of worship for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here you'll discover a collection of museums, libraries and historic houses interspersed with gardens and monuments. As one of the world's largest genealogical libraries, the city's Family History Library is another interesting place to visit.

Day 9 Salt Lake City - Canyonlands National Park - Moab

Today we make our way to Canyonlands National Park, an incredible rugged landscape of canyons carved by the Colorado River. The Islands in the Sky district of the park offers expansive views of the spectacular canyon wilderness stretching for miles below. We'll make several stops to take in the magnificent scenery, so be sure to have your camera at the ready. Later we'll arrive in Moab for an overnight stay where you can take an optional sunset jet boat ride on the Colorado River. This scenic trip gives you the chance to view the red rock cliffs from the water and is followed by a cowboy-style dinner.

Day 10 Moab - Arches National Park - Cortez

Your next base is Cortez, which we reach via a visit to Arches National Park. This unfathomable red-rock landscape is home to more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, giant rock formations and pinnacles. The story of this geological wonder dates back around 65 million years to when the sandstone sculptures began to form. Shaped by water and erosion the scenery evolved over time and is ever-changing to this day. We'll spend this morning exploring the park and you'll have the opportunity to get a closer view of one of the arches on a short walk.

Day 11 Mesa Verde National Park

Mesa Verde National Park is also within reach from Cortez, and it's where your tour takes you today. This archaeological masterpiece was once the home of the Ancestral Pueblo people and is famed for its well-preserved cliff dwellings. Centuries ago, thriving communities lived, worked and played in this rugged wilderness and we've arranged for a Local Guide to escort us on a tour of this fascinating site. One of the highlights is Cliff Palace, the largest cliff dwelling in North America with more than 150 individual rooms.

After our tour, we'll drive to Park Point, the highest peak of Mesa Verde National Park. On a clear day, the incredible view stretches for hundreds of miles over Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico.

Day 12 Cortez - Monument Valley - Grand Canyon National Park

Today we are heading to Monument Valley, instantly recognisable as the setting for many western movies with its wide-open spaces dotted with incredible sandstone monoliths. The park sits within the Navajo Nation Reserve and is said to be one of the most photographed places on Earth, with sandstone rock formations towering up to 300 metres tall. An optional tour narrated by an expert Navajo guide is available if you'd like to find out more about this fascinating destination and the heritage of the Navajo people.

Our journey continues with a drive to the Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona and we'll catch our first glimpse of this iconic natural wonder this afternoon.

Day 13 Grand Canyon National Park - Kanab

As highlights go, the Grand Canyon is hard to beat, and today is the day that you get to fully take in the magnificence of this spectacular sight. This mile-deep, steep-sided canyon, carved by the Colorado River is a breathtaking sight however viewed, but an optional helicopter flight gives you the thrilling chance to see it from the air.

As we continue our journey to Kanab, we'll stop at the Native Grill and enjoy a traditional frybread taco. This food truck is run by a local Navajo family and supported by our Travelsphere Cares programme.

Day 14 Bryce Canyon National Park

There are just two more national parks to go now, and today you'll view the spires of rock, known as hoodoos, which form the unique geology of Bryce Canyon. The most iconic section of the park is a bowl-shaped area known as the Bryce Amphitheatre and we'll admire its beauty from a series of viewpoints.

Day 15 Kanab - Zion National Park - Las Vegas

A day of contrasts begins with a visit to Zion National Park, where you'll see mesmerising rock formations and sheer cliffs in shades of pink and cream. You've time to explore at your leisure and can use the park's free shuttle bus to discover highlights including the Temple of Sinawava, a natural amphitheatre carved by the Virgin River and surrounded by dramatic canyon walls. Equally as enthralling is your destination tonight, the man-made wonder that is Las Vegas. To appreciate the city in its neon-lit glory, why not join a sightseeing tour this evening.

Day 16 Las Vegas - UK

Spend today exploring Las Vegas at your leisure. Marvel at the epic buildings lining the famous Strip and watch the incredible dancing fountains outside the Bellagio. Try your luck in one of the elegant casinos or shop till you drop; the opportunities are endless! Later, we'll meet up for the final time and travel to the airport for our flight home.

After an unforgettable holiday, you'll arrive back in the UK today.

Additional Information

Favourite moment.

Yellowstone National Park offers so many opportunities to spot wildlife. To see the magnificent bison is incredible.

Accommodation (as specified or similar)

Aloft gateway park denver.

The Aloft Gateway Park is located close to Denver airport, convenient for an overnight stay on arrival before departing on tour the following day. The hotel features a bar offering light meals, gym and indoor pool. Rooms are modern in style and offer TV, fridge and tea & coffee making facilities.

Country Inn & Suites By Carlson

Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Rapid City is situated in South Dakota close to local attractions such as Badlands National Park, Jewel Cave and Custer State Park. Hotel facilities include a fitness centre, indoor pool, two hot tubs and a breakfast buffet. Bedroom facilities include cable TV, tea and coffee-making facilities, free Wi-Fi, hairdryer, iron & ironing board, refrigerator, telephone and private bathroom facilities.

Ramada Plaza Sheriden Hotel

Located just outside of Sheridan, the Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Sheridan Hotel is a convenient base for our tour on the way to the Battle of Little Bighorn site. The hotel features a restaurant and sports bar, a pool and a gym. Rooms feature TV, coffee maker and free WiFi.

The Cody is located in the heart of the American West in Cody. Hotel facilities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and fitness room. Bedrooms have private facilities, microwave, refrigerator, hairdryer, TV and coffee/tea-maker.

Crosswinds Inn

Family owned and operated, Crosswinds Inn is just minutes from Yellowstone National Park, and is within walking distance of shops and restaurants. Hotel facilities include free WiFi, an indoor pool and hot tub, plus a breakfast room offering continental breakfast.

Bedroom amenities include tea/coffee making facilities, microwave, refrigerator and hairdryer.

Crystal Inn Hotel & Suites

The Crystal Inn Hotel & Suites is in the middle of downtown Salt Lake City. Hotel facilities include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, sauna and fitness room. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, microwave, refrigerator, coffee-maker, iron, hairdryer and TV.

Aarchway Inn

Guest rooms offer amenities such as a flat screen TV and air conditioning, and free wifi. Hotel amenities include 24 hour front desk, baggage storage, and a sun terrace and a pool

Baymont by Wyndham Cortez

The Baymont Cortez is a convenient location for visiting Mesa Verde National Park, just a 15 minute drive away. The hotel features a pool and fitness centre. Rooms feature tea / coffee maker, fridge, hairdryer and free WiFi.

Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel

Grand Canyon Plaza Hotel is situated in Tusayan, within reach of the Grand Canyon. Hotel facilities include a restaurant and a swimming pool. Bedrooms have private facilities, air-conditioning, hairdryer, complimentary Wi-Fi, tea/coffee-making facilities and a TV.

La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wynham Kanab

The La Quinta Inn is close to some of Kanab’s most popular attractions, landmarks and restaurants, and offers guests an outdoor pool and hot tub, fitness centre, 24-hour front desk, free WiFi and there’s also a small onsite shop.

Bedrooms feature air conditioning, refrigerator, microwave, desk, ironing amenities, television, tea/coffee making facilities and hairdryer.

Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel & Casino

Horseshoe Las Vegas Hotel & Casino (formerly Bally's Las Vegas Hotel & Casino) is situated at the heart of the Las Vegas strip. With a range of different restaurants to choose from you'll be spoilt for choice at this hotel. From a fine dining Steak house and Nobu, Italian and Mexican, as well as, some fast food outlets. Why not enjoy a drink at the hotel bar if you want to after exploring all day, the bars have a choice of beers and cocktails for you to choose from. Or enjoy a poolside cocktail while you enjoy the warmer climates by the outdoor swimming pool if you choose to opt for some relaxation during your time here. Recently renovated air-conditioned hotel rooms ensure a relaxing and comfortable stay with a flat screen TV.

Travelsphere Cares

When you book this holiday you're supporting the DineHozho project 'Native Grill' - a food truck run by a local Navajo family. DineHozho aims to further integrate Navajo culture by assisting indigenous-owned businesses in their development and connecting them to the tourist industry.

Experience even more of your destination by adding one or more optional experiences to your holiday before you set off. Take a look below at the extra trips you can enjoy on this tour

USA - Monument Valley - Open vehicle tour with Navajo guide

USA - Las Vegas by night

USA - Grand Canyon - Canyon Spirit Helicopter flight

Sunset jet boat tour on the Colorado River with dinner

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Choose to extend your stay with an organised add-on. 

Epic Wonders of the National Parks with Las Vegas Add-on

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Prices shown are based on twin occupancy of a double or twin bedded room with private facilities unless otherwise stated. Single occupancy supplements will apply. Travelsphere have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the hotel images provided on this website and images of room types displayed may vary to those offered on your tour. Therefore due to the possibility of inadvertent errors we do not guarantee their accuracy. Accommodation, airlines used and flight times are subject to change and will be confirmed in your final documents.

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All Travelsphere holidays are financially protected via ATOL (flight-inclusive holidays) and financial insurance (non-flight packages). Additionally, all customer money is held in a Trust Fund, governed by independent Trustees. This means your money is 100% protected no matter what.

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Last updated: June 3, 2024

Alaska Has the Biggest National Parks and Some of the Least Visited. Here’s How to See Them All.

Alaska has the four largest national parks in the u.s.—and four more. here’s everything you need to know for a visit to these famous (and less famous) natural wonders..

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Alaska has eight national parks—which will you visit first?

Photo by Shutterstock

It’s challenging not to talk about Alaska’s national parks in superlatives—after all, the 49th state claims 60 percent of all land protected by the U.S. National Park Service. Alaska’s total national parkland protects more than 41 million acres (roughly the size of Wisconsin) and encompasses biomes ranging from temperate rainforests to arctic tundra.

Within that acreage are the four largest national parks in the United States (Wrangell–St. Elias, Denali, Gates of the Arctic, and Katmai), the 10 highest peaks in the country, the longest tidewater glacier (the 76-mile-long Hubbard Glacier in Wrangell–St. Elias), and more.

Alaska’s national parks also have the distinction of being the most remote (only three of the eight are accessible by road; the other five require a boat or air taxi) and the least visited (five of the top 10 least-visited national parks are in Alaska).

Where to begin in this statistically remote—but profound—wilderness? During seven years living in Alaska, I visited each of its magnificent national parks (multiple times in the case of Kenai Fjords, Denali, and Wrangell–St. Elias) to learn about what makes each unique. Read on for our guide, so you can choose the best national park in Alaska to visit on your trip.

Denali, the highest peak in North America, is known as “The Great One” to Indigenous Alaskans.

Denali National Park and Preserve

• Why go: To marvel at the highest peak in North America
• Nearest town: Healy, population 865, 12 miles away (although there are seasonal shops, dining spots, and hotels a mile from the park entrance, in an unofficial community called “the Canyon” by locals)

The most remarked-upon part of Denali is the 20,310-foot mountain for which the park was named (known to the Indigenous Athabascans as the Great One), but the 6-million-acre national park encompasses much more. What makes Denali so well loved is how egalitarian its adventures are.

If your idea of a good visit involves scanning the landscape for Alaska’s Big Five (bear, moose, Dall sheep, caribou, and wolf) from the comfort and safety of a bus while a certified guide dispenses nuggets of trivia, Denali can deliver. If you’d rather spend days bushwhacking through a complex boreal forest, hunting for an inspiring place to unfurl your sleeping bag, Denali can provide that, too. Other activities include hiking, rafting, and flightseeing (it’s even possible to land on Denali).

It’s important to note that there’s only one road into Denali National Park. While the Denali Park Road is 92 miles long, you can’t drive your personal vehicle past Milepost 15. Beyond there, you need to be on a narrated tour or hiker shuttle . And through the 2027 season, the road will be closed after Milepost 43 due to a landslide. One alternative, though? Catch a glimpse of the park from a scenic train ride:

Where to stay in Denali National Park and Preserve

There are six campgrounds within Denali, but given the park’s popularity, it can be challenging to get a reservation (and the Wonder Lake Campground , made famous by Ansel Adams’ “ Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake ” photo, is closed through at least 2027). If you have wilderness know-how, you can get a permit and wild camp most places in Denali’s vast backcountry. If you’d rather not rough it, there are several accommodations just north of the park entrance ( McKinley Chalet Resort and Denali Bluffs Hotel are favorites).

Alternatively, a handful of lodges are actually within the park, although due to their locations, they are fly-in only at this time. Historic Kantishna Roadhouse is 90 miles into the park, as is Camp Denali, while luxurious Sheldon Chalet is high up on the mountain ( overlooking Ruth Glacier ), just 10 miles from the summit. Both Camp Denali and Sheldon Chalet were named to AFAR’s top 10 hotels in Alaska list.

More than 2,000 brown bears call Katmai National Park home.

Katmai National Park and Preserve

• Why go: To photograph brown bears (there are more than 2,000) trying to eat their fill of salmon before winter
• Nearest town: King Salmon, population 383

Katmai, on a remote peninsula in southern Alaska, holds more than 4 million acres, but what draws the most attention is a single six-foot-tall and 250-foot-wide waterfall.

Brooks Falls is famous for two things: hungry brown bears and spawning salmon. Each summer, hundreds of thousands of salmon try (and try again) to jump the falls en route to their spawning grounds farther upstream. Consequently, large populations of brown bears gather here to snatch the fish out of the turbulent waters or paw them out of midair, all in an effort to bulk up for hibernation.

In peak season (usually late June through late July), as many as 50 bears may perch on the lip of the falls at any given time, and an estimated 300 salmon may attempt the leap every minute. Visitors can watch the spectacle from raised wooden platforms nearby.

Another area of interest is the Valley of 10,000 Smokes. In 1912 the Novarupta volcano erupted, turning some of what is now Katmai into a landscape of smoking valleys, steam vents, lava flows, and ash-buried mountains. The post-apocalyptic terrain is the reason Katmai became protected land—the geothermal features are an important living laboratory. In 1965 and 1966, Apollo astronauts traveled here for astronaut training because the dry, barren volcanic landscape was thought to resemble the moon. Operators like Brooks Lodge and Katmailand offer hiking tours of the Valley.

Where to stay in Katmai National Park and Preserve

Visitors to Katmai usually come for a day ( Rust’s Flying Service , Regal Air , and others offer trips from Anchorage), though it is possible to stay the night.

There are two options for camping in Katmai. The first is Brooks Camp . It’s on the shores of Naknek Beach; there aren’t designated sites, but there is a 60-person limit, and reservations tend to fill up months in advance. The second option is backcountry camping. No permit is necessary, but you must have all the gear you need to overnight safely in bear country, which is a lot . For more peace of mind, there’s Brooks Lodge , the only proper hotel in the park, with 16 rooms, all of which have two bunk beds.

Kennecott Mines, an abandoned mining camp, is one of the attractions in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park

Photo by Trina Barnes/Shutterstock

Wrangell–St. Elias National Park

• Why go: To feel like a true explorer
• Nearest town: McCarthy, population 107

The biggest national park in the United States is vastly underrated .

Its 13.2 million acres (larger than roughly 70 of the world’s independent nations!) encompass everything from glaciers and tundra to temperate rain forests and volcanoes. For adventure lovers, this is the land of promise. The opportunities for exploration—be it hiking, biking, climbing, rafting, fishing, and beyond—are limitless.

Ice climbing is a big draw for adrenaline junkies. It makes sense, considering that more than a third of the park is covered by glaciers (the largest of which is bigger than Rhode Island). Most of those glaciers feed into braided rivers and streams, so packrafting—similar to kayaking, but in an inflatable boat—is wildly popular in Wrangell–St. Elias, too.

Even if you aren’t an avid outdoors person, one more thing might coax you into making the trip: history. Within 35 years in the early 1900s, nearby Kennecott went from a boomtown pumping out copper to a ghost town. Today, park rangers lead guided tours of the iconic red mill buildings and the surrounding townsite.

Where to stay in Wrangell–St. Elias National Park

Within the park some local favorites include Ma Johnson’s Historic Hotel in McCarthy, Kennicott Glacier Lodge in Kennicott, and the opulent 20-bedroom backcountry lodge Ultima Thule (which means “a distant or unknown region”). The latter may offer the most opportunities for exploring the park. Every stay comes with a private pilot and a Piper Super Cub plane so guests can spend their days packrafting on an alpine lake, hiking across glaciers with guides, picnicking in abandoned gold mines, or whatever other adventure they can dream up.

Humpback whales come to Kenai Fjords National Park each summer to feed on krill.

Courtesy of the National Park Service

Kenai Fjords National Park

• Why go: To witness Alaska’s glaciers while you can
• Nearest town: Seward, population 2,851

Kenai Fjords is one of Alaska’s most accessible parks—it’s a 2.5-hour drive from Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city.

This national park got its name for its towering fjords, but it’s better known for the slow-moving glaciers that chiseled them over the course of many millennia. The 700-square-mile, 23,000-year-old Harding Ice Field—and the more than 40 glaciers it currently feeds—is actually what earned the area national park distinction in 1980.

More than 50 percent of Kenai Fjords is under ice. Exit Glacier sees the most visitors, largely because it’s the only one you can (almost) drive to. From the parking lot, it’s a two-mile round-trip walk to the toe of the glacier. It used to be closer—there are trail markers along the route that denote where the face of the glacier once sat, showing just how much the river of ice has melted over the years due to climate change.

Another popular way to experience the park is by water. Day cruises (either half- or full-day) depart from the harbor in Seward from mid-March to mid-October. It’s a lovely way to spend a day; pleasure cruisers glide past seals sprawled out on rocky outcroppings, humpback whales seem to defy gravity as they breach, and tidewater glaciers spit growlers (small chunks of ice) and icebergs (massive chunks of ice) into the water below.

Where to stay in Kenai Fjords National Park:

The good news: There’s a campground at Exit Glacier that’s free. The bad news: There are only 12 spots, and they’re on a first-come, first-served basis, and people can stay up to two weeks, so it’s unlikely you’ll get a space.

Your best bet is to find a place to stay in Seward. In downtown, try Hotel Seward . Harbor 360 Hotel overlooks the harbor, and if you opt for a day cruise, it will likely be steps away. Seward Windsong Lodge is a little outside of Seward, but it’s easily one of the best accommodations in the area. Two Afar favorites are Salted Roots and Rusted Roots, boutique luxury sister properties near the Lowell Point beachfront.

More than 200,000 caribou migrate across Gates of the Arctic National Park each spring.

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve

• Why go: For the bragging rights of having explored the least-visited U.S. national park
• Nearest town: Coldfoot, population 270 (though from here you’ll need to book an air taxi into the park)

Imagine an area about the combined size of Connecticut and Vermont. Now take away all infrastructure and the vast majority of the people. Then transport it to the tundra and add wild rivers, ribbons of unnamed granite peaks more than 7,000 feet tall, vast valleys, and herds of more than 200,000 caribou (as well as a large musk ox population and more than 145 species of birds). That should give you some idea of what Gates of the Arctic is like.

Even though Gates of the Arctic is the second-largest park in the nation, it sees fewer people than any other protected land— visitorship is usually between 5,000 to 12,000 people each year. That’s not because it’s not worthwhile—it’s just exceedingly remote. No roads reach Gates of the Arctic, so visiting requires multiple planes. There also isn’t a single paved road, no maintained trails, and nary a designated campsite. This is true wilderness.

Given its far north location, daylight hours vary widely throughout the year. In the summer, the sun scarcely sets. In the winter, the landscape is lit only by the Northern Lights . Most visitors come with wilderness guides—this isn’t a place you can wing it, even if you are proficient in the outdoors.

Where to stay in Gates of the Arctic

There are no lodges, cabins, or allotted campsites in Gates of the Arctic. Where you stay depends on where you find to pitch your tent.

Some (relatively) nearby options that involve wooden walls instead of nylon tents include Coldfoot Camp and Bettles Lodge. The latter also offers guided backpacking trips in the Gates of the Arctic.

The Kobuk River starts in the Endicott Mountains in the Brooks Range and flows west to Kotzebue Sound.

Kobuk Valley National Park

• Why go: Hike the jewel-toned tundra, climb the Baird Mountains, or marvel at the sand at the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes
• Nearest town: Kotzebue, population 2,983

Truly the only thing that has changed this landscape over time is nature. As with Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk Valley has no roads, trails, or infrastructure. Which is to say: The wilderness here is magnificent and unspoiled.

The lack of roads means the area sees one of the last great large mammal migrations on Earth. Every year, half a million caribou travel between their calving and summering grounds in what is now Kobuk Valley National Park. It’s a ritual that has been going on for more than 10,000 years.

While that migration happens on the tundra, it’s not the only biome within the park. You may be surprised to learn that North America’s largest Arctic dune field, Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, is here. The 20,500 acres of rolling dunes were formed over thousands of years as glaciers dragged across the landscape, pulverizing the rocks beneath them into sand. It’s a landscape so otherworldly that, just as at Katmai National Park and Preserve, NASA has used it for training programs (in this case, to better understand the environment of Mars).

Where to stay in Kobuk Valley National Park

Your only option is backcountry camping—there are no designated campgrounds or lodges. The National Park Service recommends contacting the Northwest Arctic Heritage Center for tips on the best places to make camp.

There are a handful of options in Kotzebue, the closest town and likely where you’ll start and end your trip, including Nullagvik Hotel and Bibber’s B&B.

Another option is to stay at Kobuk River Lodge in Ambler or Bettles Lodge in Bettles. Both are a flight away from Kotzebue but can arrange day trips into Kobuk Valley with local guides.

The most popular way to visit Glacier Bay National Park is by boat.

Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

• Why go: Jagged peaks, cerulean glaciers, and marine animals, including sea otters and humpback whales
• Nearest town: Gustavus, population 620

Glacier Bay is dreamy. Here seven tidewater glaciers flow from the mountaintops and calve millennia-old ice into the sea. While that dramatic spectacle earned the park its name, it’s hardly all it entails. The park spans 3.3 million acres, encompassing a craggy coastline, protected fjords, snow-capped peaks, emerald-green forests, a Huna Tribal House, and such wildlife as mountain goats, porpoises, and sea birds.

The park is a favorite destination for cruise ships—there’s something both exciting and haunting about creeping through a waterway filled with icebergs of various shapes and sizes to get close to the face of the glacier. Granted, it’s important to remember that this park has witnessed one of the most dramatic examples of climate change: In the past 200 years, the ice has receded more than 65 miles.

Where to stay in Glacier Bay National Park

Interestingly, most people who visit Glacier Bay do so by ship and never set foot on parkland. But it is possible.

As with many other protected lands in Alaska, accommodations can be challenging to come by and aren’t often in the park itself. From May 1 to September 30, it’s possible to camp within the park , either at the Bartlett Cove Campground or in the backcountry, provided you file for a permit and go through an orientation, in person or online.

Another option in the park is Glacier Bay Lodge . The 56-room hotel is set among Sitka spruce trees, just feet away from the park headquarters. For something more luxurious, you may consider Gustavus Inn . It’s 10 miles from Bartlett Cove (by road) on a beautiful homestead.

Salmon-rich rivers make Lake Clark National Park an excellent habitat for brown bears.

Courtesy of J. Pfeiffenberger/the National Park Service

Lake Clark National Park

• Why go: Brown bears—glorious, rotund brown bears
• Nearest town: Port Alsworth, population 158

Lake Clark is an enticing cocktail of glacier-covered mountains, two active volcanoes (Mount Iliamna and Mount Redoubt), scraggly coastline, and salmon-rich rivers that have long drawn a healthy population of brown bears to their shores.

Like Katmai, Lake Clark is renowned for bear viewing, and many day-trippers shoot in to fill their camera memory cards with the animals feasting on fish. But you’d be remiss not to spend at least some time at the 42-mile turquoise lake for which the park was named. It’s wreathed by towering mountains and is an excellent spot to look for moose, fox, and Dall sheep or spend an afternoon fishing.

Know that the park is only accessible by plane. Operators like Rust’s Flying Service and Regal Air , among others, offer day trips to Lake Clark from Anchorage. Itineraries usually include roughly four hours on the ground and a packed lunch. However, backcountry lodges on the park’s outskirts also offer (longer) day trips for their clients.

Where to stay in Lake Clark National Park

Lake Clark has a surprising number of lodging options, given how remote it is. Like most national parks in Alaska, campers can stake their tent almost anywhere they please within the park. The National Park Service also operates a handful of (very rustic) public use cabins . In the nearby town of Port Alsworth, there’s Alaska Backcountry Fishing Lodge , the Farm Lodge , Tulchina Adventures , and Wilder House Bed & Breakfast , to name a few places to stay. Another option is to visit Lake Clark on a day trip from Homer, a quick flight by bush plane. In the Homer area, consider Tutka Bay Lodge , which can arrange trips for guests.

This article was originally published in 2022; it was updated most recently on June 3, 2024, with current information.

These Are The Most Haunted National Parks In America

• Many national parks are hiding more than just amazing views - they have ghost stories and urban legends to share around the campfire.
• Some national parks are a magnet for paranormal activity, with deceased guides and Native Americans still lingering to protect their land.
• Always show respect when visiting national parks, as some areas are dangerous to enter and should only be visited as part of a guided tour.

The national parks of the US are some of the most popular natural attractions in the world. Millions of visitors come through the gates each year, enjoying the one-of-a-kind formations and activities that each region offers. Even before these places became national parks, many were significant cultural hubs for Native Americans and early pioneers.

With so much activity and so much history, it seems these national parks are hiding more than just amazing views. Many national parks have a ghost story or two, fun urban legends to share around the campfire. Other national parks have an unsettling aura, especially those national parks with particularly strange hiker disappearances .

A few national parks, however, seem to be a magnet for paranormal activity. Deceased guides who just can't move on, Native Americans still protecting their land, and parents mourning the loss of their children; these national parks are the most haunted in America.

Believers and skeptics alike should always show respect when visiting national parks. Some structures are too hazardous to enter, and many places can only be visited as part of a guided tour. Remember to leave no trace, and never let the hunt for a good ghost story get in the way of having a safe, responsible visit to America's national parks.

7 Wildest Stories Of Found Missing Persons In National Parks

Grand canyon national park, watch for the wailing woman, or wander the canyon with unlucky hikers.

Over 1,100 people have been reported missing in Grand Canyon National Park since 2018. With so much uncertainty, it's no wonder the Grand Canyon has so many ghost stories associated with its name.

One of the most haunted hikes in the US is the Transept Trail in Grand Canyon National Park. Night hikers have often come across a woman in white, a widow wailing into the darkness about the loss of her husband and child, who fell to their deaths on the same trail. Many hikers hear her crying, while others claim to see her wandering the trail, blue flowers in hand.

The woman in white is undeniably the most famous ghost in the Grand Canyon National Park, but with over 900 known deaths over the last 200 years, there are more than a few nighttime noises that may be hard to explain away.

This Is America's Most Dangerous National Park As Of 2024

Mammoth cave national park, stay with the tour group, or the tuberculosis victims may cough on you.

Caves are naturally spooky, and Mammoth Cave National Park, the largest cave system in the world, is no exception. By day, guests can enjoy guided tours of the various caverns and rooms, but by night, these rooms entertain a different kind of guest.

Everything from Native American remains to tuberculosis camps have been found in the cavern. Some claim to hear the coughing of patients in some of the cabins. Meanwhile, the ghost of Floyd Collins, the cave explorer credited with discovering much of Mammoth Cave, is said to roam the park.

He was killed in a cave-in in 1925, and spent nearly two weeks trapped in the cave, listening to unsuccessful rescue attempts try to free him before he finally succumbed. Today, it is said that he protects cavers from suffering the same fate, acting as a guide for those in need.

Unsettled spirits or simply the wind whistling through the tunnels, it seems Mammoth Cave National Park still has a few secrets.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Lost hikers have been known to get a (ghostly) helping hand finding their way back home.

The largest and most visited national park in the US, the Great Smoky Mountains is full of activity of every kind. Remnants of the Native Americans and pioneers who lived in the mountains can still be found throughout the park, and many of them are deceptively full of life.

In one case, a father who went looking for his lost daughter died in the area that later became Lake Fontana. Today, it is said that he patrols the area, helping lost hikers find their way home.

The strangest, and most supernatural, aspect of this park, however, is the floating lights. No, that's not an alliteration. There really are many recorded instances of floating lights in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

No one knows what causes these orbs to appear, but they seem to float without reason or pattern, sometimes disappearing into the sky, and other times sinking to the ground. Regardless of what they mean or why they are here, these little balls of light are here to stay.

Yosemite National Park

President kennedy still loves his rocking chair at the (very haunted) awahnee hotel.

No park has more active missing persons cases than Yosemite National Park. Home to some of the most unsettling unsolved national park mysteries , Yosemite has some figurative and literal skeletons in its closet.

Yosemite National Park's official page even has an official link to the " weird and wonderful " occurrences within the park's boundaries. The Awahnee, a historic hotel in Yosemite, is one of the most haunted corners of the park.

Former President John F. Kennedy, who once visited the hotel, is said to come by his favorite rocking chair in the room he stayed in. Rocking back and forth, the empty chair leaves guests feeling far from alone.

7 Most Dangerous Hikes In Yosemite National Park

Badlands national park, the native americans dubbed this area a "bad land," and the ghostly shrieks suggest they were right.

It may seem corny to include a place called Badlands on the list of most haunted national parks in America, but the Native Americans had good reason to refer to this area as "bad land." The rock formations themselves were not good for farming or foraging, and it seems these desolate structures have an even more sinister side.

Towering structures like Dog Watch Butte have a particularly bad reputation, with hikers reporting ghostly sightings and blood-curdling screams along the trails. The Native Americans believed their ancestors still resided in the area, protecting the land from all who dared enter, including their own descendants.

More recently, Badlands National Park was a popular hiding spot for fugitives from the law. It was easy to hide in the rocky terrain, particularly in the early 1900s, before the area was well-mapped. Today, visitors to the Badlands, a highly underrated South Dakota national park , can enjoy a hike or take a scenic drive through the region, so long as they are alright with a little extra company.

Big Bend National Park

The sky is falling, or at least dropping hot rocks, in this desolate national park.

The Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park literally translates to "ghost" or "spirit," so it's safe to assume that at least some historical visitors felt there was something going on in this park. Hikers in this area have reported numerous strange noises, like whispers (or full-blown screams) coming from seemingly nowhere.

It seems that even the skies of Big Bend National Park are supernatural. The region of Big Bend has a long history of things, such as hot stones and other small, hard objects falling from the sky. This phenomenon has killed livestock, injured visitors, and struck fear in plenty of guests.

The heat and mountains of the area make electrical failures common, which can add to the isolation of Big Bend. All alone in the mountains of the South, it's easy to feel like someone is watching.

Everglades National Park

Murder victims, lost boats, and disappearing planes - everyone is haunting the everglades.

Determining the most haunted national parks in the USA isn't an exact science, but, objectively speaking, Everglades National Park is absolutely the most haunted of them all. Toothy predators, the Bermuda Triangle, swampy mangrove forests - the Everglades have all the makings of a horror movie backdrop.

Indeed, it seems this sentiment has existed for several hundred years. Long before the Everglades became protected by the National Park Service, this unique Florida landscape was prime real estate for body dumping. Outlaws utilized the twisting maze of marsh to hide from the law and used the alligators and bull sharks to hide their crimes.

Murderers like Edgar Watson disposed of an unknown number of victims in the Everglades, and not every lost soul has moved on. Since then, more disappearances have been linked with supernatural phenomena, including the Ghost Ship of the Everglades, manned by a crew of lost souls, doomed to wander the marsh without rest.

Even more eerie, Flight 401 disappeared on a routine fly-over of the Everglades area. As the base crew listed to the flight team got more and more panicked before going radio silent, they realized they needed to send help. Another flight was sent looking for them, but it promptly disappeared as well.

These missing planes became the heart of the Bermuda Triangle conspiracy and fueled the theory that something very haunted is going on in Everglades National Park.

7 Creepiest Places In U.S. National Park Sites

Many of America's most beautiful national parks hold dark secrets from ages past that will frighten even the bravest tourists.

• Uncover the chilling past of Massacre Falls in the Arizona Tonto National Forest, rumored site of a gold miners' massacre.
• Encounter extraterrestrial mysteries at Star Dune in Colorado's Great Sand Dunes National Park, known for alien encounters.
• Explore the eerie La Brea Tar Pits in urban Los Angeles, home to Ice Age fossils and a mysterious human skeleton.

The U.S. National Park System is home to some of the country's most beautiful natural features, the most significant historical locations, and the most abundant wildlife. Tourists flock far and wide to glimpse some of these incredible wonders for themselves.

At the same time, many of these areas contain dark secrets. Some national parks are known for a number of missing people , while others are historic sites of brutal acts. Some are famously creepy due to paranormal activity reported in the region and abandoned structures, while others contain confusing natural phenomena like caves.

In this list, tourists will discover seven of the creepiest places located in America's national park sites (plus two national forests) that are sure to frighten even the bravest among us.

While it can feel exhilarating to read about the creepy things that have happened throughout history, there are a few ways that travelers can mitigate feelings of dread. Stay safe and prepared while hiking, hunting, or camping; letting an outside person know one's whereabouts is a must. Secondly, show these sites the proper respect and choose to approach situations with kindness.

7 Massacre Falls, Tonto National Forest

Hike the site of a 19th-century massacre in mountains rumored to hide hidden treasure.

Tonto National Forest is home to one of Arizona's top-rated waterfall hikes : the trail at Massacre Falls. As tourists watch the long white stream of water descend into the canyon pond below, it can be hard to imagine that anything horrible could have happened in such a beautiful place.

Located in Arizona's aptly named Superstition Mountains, there's more to Massacre Falls than just being a great hiking destination. This 5.4-mile trail has a history of curses, sacred land, greed, and death. In the 1840s, a group of Mexican miners lived and worked in this area, in search of the precious metal that has enraptured men's hearts for time immemorial: gold.

Although they found success, their efforts were halted by political shifts. The land they worked on became part of Arizona in 1848, meaning that the workers could not stay any longer. In order to bring as much gold home as possible, they chose to mine on land that was sacred to the local Apache. Although the Apache told the miners to stop desecrating their land, their boundaries were left unheeded. This resulted in a massacre with few survivors.

Local legend states that their lost gold is still in the mountains somewhere, buried in a hurry as the miners were chased through the wilderness by the Apache. As of today, tourists report seeing treasure hunters with metal detectors searching for this lost gold.

7 Wildest Stories Of Found Missing Persons In National Parks

6 star dune, great sand dunes national park & preserve, this unique feature of colorado geology is also a hotspot for alien encounters.

Beneath the rise of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in Colorado sits a great sand dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve. In the light of the evening, it appears as red as the blood that its neighboring mountains were named after. In the shadow of these massive mountains, the dune seems to be dwarfed. But tourists who know this park well will remember that this is actually one of the tallest sand dunes in North America, standing at 741 feet tall.

While this location is indeed significant for its unique geologic features, it's even more well known for its alien encounters. The strange occurrences began in 1967, when an Appaloosa horse coined Snippy was brutally murdered under mysterious circumstances . The horse's murder was quickly attributed to aliens, and since then, the community has become known for strange, extraterrestrial encounters. In the following decades, a UFO watchtower has been set up near the national park. Tourists today can head to the park to search the starry, Colorado skies for signs that we are not alone.

More People Go Missing In This Alaska Region Than In All Of America

5 la brea tar pits, california, the national natural landmark of the la brea tar pits museum is a creepy reminder of life during the ice age.

In the center of urban Los Angeles lies a national natural landmark: the La Brea Tar Pits . During the last Ice Age, megafauna would wander into the area's bubbling tar pits, only to find themselves hopelessly stuck. As they died, predatory animals would feed on them, only to become trapped themselves.

Archaeologists have uncovered 3.5 million fossils from the site, including the bones of mammoths, dire wolves, saber-toothed cats, bison, sloths, lions, and more. It's likely that ongoing excavations will uncover even more specimens.

While the mass animal death at the La Brea Tar Pits and the horrible manner in which they died does make the site creepy, this isn't the focal point of this entry. What makes this site truly creepy is the sole human skeleton that was found in the pits. Dating to around 8,000 BCE, the partial remains of a 22-year-old woman were found . To add to the mystery, researchers believe the woman likely died from a blow to the head, causing a skull fracture.

4 Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky

Mammoth cave national park is home to the world's largest cave system... and one of the world's most haunted places.

The world's largest cave system is also said to be one of the world's most haunted places. The incredible cave system at Mammoth Cave National Park is more than 426 miles long, and is likely even longer. Every year, tourists flock to this Kentucky site to take lighted cave tours, where they get to glimpse the tight corridors, expansive pits, and cave vaulting rooms.

Rumors of these caves being haunted come from a variety of places, from local legend to tourist reports to creepy finds from the park. Some of the oldest human remains found in the park are prehistoric mummies, carefully interred in the caves with grave goods.

Thousands of years later, the caves were used as the site of a tuberculosis ward in the 1840s by a slave-holding doctor, John Croghan. Stephan Bishop, a slave on the property, was famous for being a cave guide, naturalist, and explorer who led tours of these winding caves. After Bishop's death in 1856, rumor states that his ghost has remained in the caves he so loved.

What To Know Of The National Park Tours Of Mammoth Caves: The Longest Network Of Caves In The USA

3 gettysburg national military park, pennsylvania, the site of the civil war's bloodiest battle is rumored by many to be haunted.

As the sites of horrific death and human suffering, many battlefields remain places of fright in the public consciousness and are considered to be sacred grounds. In the U.S., there's no battlefield like Pennsylvania's Gettysburg National Military Park . In 1863, as the Civil War raged, the Union and the Confederates fought at this site for 3 days. With the Union's victory, the tide of the war turned; historians consider this famous battle to be one of the most significant of the entire war.

Approximately 50,000 people died or were wounded here. That alone makes this site gut-wrenching to visit. But some tourists and explorers report that the site is creepy for another reason: that it's actually haunted. Sources claim that the sounds of the battle can still be heard to this day, from the pained cries of dying soldiers to the shouts of battle to the sound of gunfire. If any American site were to be haunted by the ghosts of the tormented dead, it would be this one.

400 People Never Returned Home After Visiting This US National Park

2 mount mazama, crater lake national park, the eruption of mount mazama 7,700 years ago was a cultural trauma that still impacts the lives of those who live in the pacific northwest.

Around 7,700 years ago, the volcano Mount Mazama erupted, forming Crater Lake . At 1,943 feet deep, Crater Lake is the deepest freshwater lake in the United States. One can only imagine what it would've been like to see the explosion as the mountain's summit was destroyed in the eruption as ash rained down upon the landscape like snow.

Klamath Native American oral tradition tells the story of a violent battle between the chief of the underworld and the chief of the sky, causing the earth to shake and the mountain to explode in fire and ash. The oral history states that the eruption was only quelled by the self-sacrifice of two holy men. With a history of habitation in the area that goes back at least 10,000 years, this Klamath oral history is likely recounting the catastrophic eruption of Mount Mazama.

The trauma of this event was so immense for the indigenous community who lived there that shamans forbade people to even look upon the mountain and lake. Klamath religious tradition states that to look upon the volcano will cause death.

The Alaska Triangle: Why Do So Many People Go Missing Here?

1 superior national forest, minnesota, tourists can visit the frighteningly beautiful lake that's said to "never give up her dead".

Tourists who visit the Lake Superior National Forest in northern Minnesota get to hike, camp, kayak, and fish along the shores of the nation's largest national forest east of the Mississippi. And while this lake is famous for its outdoor activities, it's also widely known for its dangerous maritime history. Lake Superior can be as wrathful and treacherous as she can be beautiful, especially during icy winter storms.

Throughout history, many ships have sunk in this frigid lake due to the intense winds and waves. The wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was so ravaged that the ship was split completely in half. While these many shipwrecks make this Great Lake scary, what truly makes Superior so creepy is that she is said to "never give up her dead."

While most bodies that die at sea eventually rise to the surface due to gas from bacterial decay, Lake Superior's freezing waters severely slow this process. Those who die in shipwrecks are thus preserved remarkably (and horrifyingly!) well. Divers have reported seeing fully clothed bodies floating in the water, even after more than 50 years beneath the lake's chilly waves.

While tourists can visit the Superior National Forest and other national park sites along Superior's coast, the sites of the shipwrecks are considered gravesites and aren't open for recreational diving.

While national park sites contain plenty of beautiful sites, wildlife, and historical landmarks, there are also some truly creepy things to discover. From Lake Superior's icy shores that hide preserved dead bodies to the haunted tunnels of Mammoth Caves to the sorrows still present at Gettysburg, America's national parks are home to some truly frightening tales, natural phenomena, and supernatural happenings.