National Park Itinerary

Need help planning the perfect national park itinerary? Get ideas for your next road trip, including single and multi-day itineraries for the US national parks.

Road Trip Itineraries

This is one of the best road trips in the USA. On this 14-day itinerary, visit the Grand Canyon and Utah's Mighty 5, as well as a handful of wonderful state parks and national monuments. Not only do you get to visit some of the most popular sights in the American Southwest but you also get to visit several off-the-beaten-path destinations.

LEARN MORE: Two Week American Southwest Road Trip: Grand Canyon & Utah's Mighty 5

You can do this road trip year round. However, the best time of year are the spring and fall months, when temperatures are mild and crowds are lower. We did this road trip in early May and conditions were perfect. In the summer, temperatures can be scorching and these parks get an enormous number of visitors. Winter is cold but crowds are low. Snow is possible, especially at the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, but it would be magical to see these sights with a dusting of snow.

On this 10-day national park itinerary, view the breathtaking vistas of the Grand Canyon, hike the thrilling trails in Zion National Park, and photograph the millions of hoodoos in Bryce Canyon. The list keeps going, with the sweeping views of Monument Valley, dusty, off-road adventures in Grand Staircase-Escalante, and numerous slot canyons to scramble through.

LEARN MORE: 10 Day American Southwest Itinerary: Arizona & Utah

You can do this road trip year round. However, the best time of year are the spring and fall months, when temperatures are mild and crowds are lower. We did this road trip in early May and conditions were perfect. In the summer, temperatures can be scorching and these parks get an enormous number of visitors. Winter is cold but crowds are low. Snow is possible, especially at the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon, but it would be magical to see these sights with a dusting of snow.

In this guide, we provide 18 different road trips in the USA. Each of them includes at least one national park. With maps and itineraries, it is a great way to get an overview of multiple road trip ideas in one article.

LEARN MORE: Best USA Road Trips: 18 Ideas for Your Next Big Adventure

Learn how to plan the ultimate road trip through Utah’s Mighty 5. This can be done in a whirlwind 7-day road trip. But with more time, you can further explore each park or add in state parks, slot canyons, scenic drives, and even places like Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. In this post, get several detailed itineraries to help you plan your road trip, ranging from 7 to 21 days.

LEARN MORE: The Ultimate Utah National Parks Road Trip

The spring and fall months are the best times to visit. Weather conditions are pleasant and you can avoid the big crowds that flood the park in the summer. During the summer months, expect soaring temperatures, large crowds, expensive prices for hotels, and lots of traffic at viewpoints and on hiking trails. In the winter, the parks are much less crowded, but temperatures can get below freezing and snow is likely (especially in Bryce Canyon).

Arches, Canyonlands, and Capitol Reef National Parks are three spectacular parks to visit in Utah. With 10 days, you have enough time to visit the highlights in each park, add on Goblin Valley and Little Wild Horse Canyon, and venture into the backcountry, where the real adventures await.

LEARN MORE: Arches, Canyonlands & Capitol Reef National Parks: 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

The spring and fall months are the best times to visit. Weather conditions are pleasant and you can avoid the big crowds that flood the park in the summer. During the summer months, expect soaring temperatures, large crowds, expensive prices for hotels, and lots of traffic at viewpoints and on hiking trails. In the winter, the parks are much less crowded, but temperatures can get below freezing and snow is likely.

On this 10-day Arizona road trip, you will visit three national parks, drive past the buttes and mesas of Monument Valley, walk through magical Antelope Canyon, and hike the desert hills of Sedona. Arizona is home to some of the most iconic landscapes in the United States and this road trip is the perfect way to see them.

LEARN MORE: The Ultimate Arizona Road Trip Itinerary

Las Vegas is the perfect place to start a road trip to the Grand Canyon. Here are five sample itineraries, ranging from 5 to 10 days, all of which include Las Vegas and the Grand Canyon. Depending on the length of the itinerary, you can also visit places like Zion National Park, Antelope Canyon, Sedona, Death Valley, and Monument Valley.

LEARN MORE: Grand Canyon Road Trip: 5 Itineraries from Las Vegas

This road trip can be done year-round. The best months are March through May and September through October, when the weather is pleasant and the parks are not too crowded. During the summer months (June through August) expect sweltering temperatures, the possibility of flash floods, and very high crowds. During the winter months, snow can impact travel, particularly around the Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton are two of the most popular national parks in the USA. These two parks sit by side and together they create an incredible vacation destination. In this guide, we lay out a detailed 8-day itinerary, with suggestions on how to modify it, depending on how much time you have.

LEARN MORE: Yellowstone and Grand Teton Itinerary: Best Routes, Maps & Photos

Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Parks are three of the top parks to visit in the United States. With 10 days, you can visit all of them on an epic road trip. Start in Grand Teton, where the lakes and the jagged mountain range create a hiker’s and photographer’s paradise. Journey north to Yellowstone, a national park that is situated on top of the world’s largest supervolcano. Your road trip ends in Glacier National Park, one of the USA’s most beautiful national parks.

LEARN MORE: Grand Teton, Yellowstone & Glacier: 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

This is one of the best road trips in the USA. With 10 days, you can visit Yellowstone, Devils Tower, and Mount Rushmore, but that’s not all. You also have enough time to visit the highlights of Grand Teton, day trip out to Badlands National Park, spend some time at Wind Cave National Park, and cruise the scenic drives and spot wildlife at Custer State Park.

LEARN MORE: Yellowstone, Devils Tower & Mount Rushmore: 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

With four national parks, numerous national forests and state parks, plus historic towns scattered throughout the Rocky Mountains, Colorado makes an awesome road trip destination. On this Colorado itinerary, you will visit all four national parks (Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and Rocky Mountain National Parks), linking them together with gorgeous scenic drives.

LEARN MORE: The Perfect Colorado Itinerary: National Parks & Scenic Drives

There are many different ways to spend one week in South Dakota. This itinerary focuses on the southwestern corner of the state, visiting sights located in and around the Black Hills. On this itinerary, visit Badlands and Wind Cave National Parks, along with Mount Rushmore, Devils Tower, Custer State Park, and the Black Hills of South Dakota.

LEARN MORE: One Week in South Dakota: Black Hills & the Badlands

Spring, summer, and fall are great times to do this South Dakota itinerary. In the spring and fall, daytime temperatures range from the 50’s to the 70’s. Rainfall is more likely during the spring months, so if you want to drier weather, go in autumn. During the summer months, temperatures can be blazing hot in Badlands National Park. However, in the Black Hills, temperatures are more moderate, with daytime high’s reaching 80°F. The winter months in South Dakota are very cold. Needles Highway in Custer State Park closes during the winter months due to snow.

This Washington itinerary is geared to visiting the three national parks in Washington state: Olympic, Mount Rainier, and North Cascades. But you also have enough time to visit Leavenworth, a Bavarian-themed town, go wine tasting at Lake Chelan, visit Mount Baker, and go on a day hike in the Enchantments.

LEARN MORE: Washington Road Trip Itinerary: 7 to 14 Days in the National Parks

Driving from Miami to Key West is one of the best road trips in the USA. White sandy beaches, palm trees, beautiful aquamarine water, warm sunny skies…sounds nice, right? On this road trip, you can also add in three national parks: Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas.

LEARN MORE: 7 to 10 Day Florida Keys Itinerary: Miami, Key West & the National Parks

In this guide, we provide three different road trips in Alaska. Each of them includes at least two national parks. Learn how to put together a trip to Denali, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, and Wrangell - St. Elias National Parks.

LEARN MORE: 10 Days in Alaska: 3 Epic Road Trip Itineraries

On this 10 day itinerary, go hiking in Big Bend and Guadalupe Mountains, explore the underground wonderland of Carlsbad Caverns, and sled on dunes as white as snow at White Sands National Park.

LEARN MORE: 10 Day Texas New Mexico National Parks Road Trip

Southern California contains some of the largest areas of protected land in the USA. Go on a national park road trip, visiting both Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park on the drive. Or, you can spend some time in the Mojave National Preserve, which is home to a surprisingly wide variety of landscapes.

LEARN MORE: Las Vegas to San Diego 10 Day Road Trip Itinerary

One Day Itineraries

If you only have one day, what should you do? Here are detailed one day itineraries for the national parks.

Multi-Day Itineraries

Get day-by-day detailed itineraries for the national parks in this list. The 5-day itineraries also have suggestions for the best way to spend 2, 3, or 4 days, if 5 days is too much time.

"And into the forest I go, to lose my mind and find my soul."
John Muir

Learn More About the National Parks

National Parks by SeasonOur recommendations on the best national parks to visit each month.

National Parks ListThe complete list of 63 national parks with information on where we have been.