Best US National Parks for Beginners, According to Frequent Traveler

Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado is one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful places I’ve ever visited.

Just an hour and a half from Denver, this iconic and sprawling park is easy to access for a day trip. Just keep in mind you’ll need timed-entry reservations during the busy summer months.

Here, you can hike to incredible lakes and waterfalls on easy to moderate trails. I recommend starting from Bear Lake, where several scenic routes begin. Or, you can take a drive along Trail Ridge Road, which climbs to over 12,000 feet above sea level and offers sweeping views, along with chances to see wildlife.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is consistently the most-visited national park in the country — and I can see why.

Just over an hour from Knoxville and a short drive from the quirky town of Gatlinburg, it’s easy to visit for a day trip or longer.

I love that you don’t need to be an avid hiker to enjoy this park. Some of the best scenic overlooks, such as Newfound Gap and Kuwohi (the park’s highest point), are accessible by car with short, paved walks to panoramic views.

There are also plenty of beginner-friendly hikes to waterfalls and historic cabins, making it an ideal starting point for first-time national park visitors.

Yellowstone National Park is a must-visit for any first-time national park traveler. Spanning parts of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, it’s best accessed through cities like Jackson, Wyoming, or Bozeman.

The park offers an unforgettable mix of hot springs, geysers, and wildlife. With minimal walking, you can see iconic spots like Old Faithful, the Grand Prismatic Spring, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. You might even spot bison, elk, or bears from the roadside.

With well-maintained roads, visitor centers, and lodges throughout the park, I find it’s easy to navigate and unlike anywhere else in the world.

In my opinion, Arches National Park in Utah is one of the most visually striking and easy-to-navigate parks in the country.

Located just minutes from the outdoorsy town of Moab, and under four hours from Salt Lake City, it’s relatively accessible and the drive itself is beautiful.

The park is packed with over 2,000 natural sandstone arches and otherworldly rock formations, many of which are visible right from the road or by taking short, easy hikes.

Arches is a perfect introduction to red-rock landscapes and an excellent choice for travelers who want big views without strenuous hiking.

Death Valley National Park in California, which is about two hours from Las Vegas, is a surreal and surprisingly accessible desert landscape.

Despite its extreme name, many of the park’s most iconic spots, such as Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, and Artists Drive, are accessible by car with little to no hiking required.

I think it’s a great winter or early spring destination, offering incredible views, dramatic colors, and landscapes you can’t see in many other places.

In my opinion, Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona is one of the most iconic national parks. It’s also one of the easiest to visit. Just a few hours from Phoenix or Las Vegas, the South Rim is open year-round and offers stunning views right from the edge.

I recommend hiking into the canyon, but walking along the Rim Trail, stopping at scenic overlooks, or catching the sunrise at Mather Point are just as beautiful.

With visitor centers, shuttle buses, and numerous amenities, it’s ideal for a first-time park experience.