America is a big place and home to some of the most diverse scenery in the world. Our national parks, where you'll find everything from parched deserts with Seussianlike trees to marshy coastal waterways, are the perfect examples of this.
While the National Park Service reported slightly fewer visits in 2025 — 323 million versus 331.9 million in 2024 — 26 national parks broke all-time visitation records. This includes heavyweights like California's Redwood and Sequoia national parks, as well as lesser-known parks like Dry Tortugas in Florida and the Gates of the Arctic in Alaska.
If you're eager to steer clear of crowds, there are hundreds of sites in the National Park System, including historic battlefields, monuments, rivers and parkways. The 63 national parks are among the country's most exceptional and beautiful centerpieces — and these are 20 of our favorites.
A great solo travel tip spotted this week on The Points Guy Articles.
