10 Underrated National Parks You Have to See
Looking for the best national parks to visit beyond the Grand Canyon or Yosemite?
Stunning Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park, actually an easy hike. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
We spent 2 years criss-crossing the US & visited 34 national parks (& many other national park sites). These are our top picks for underrated national parks.
There are 63 official national parks in the United States, e.g. the Grand Canyon & Yosemite & the newest park, New River Gorge, but there are 423 national park sites in total. These include national seashores, national monuments, national battlefields, etc., and many of those are equally spectacular and much less crowded. We include both here because there are so many spectacular hidden gems among the national park sites.
🔥 Hot tip: Get an annual national parks pass to save money. It’s totally worth it: it costs $80 and pays for itself in 3 visits to national parks. And if you’re over 62, a veteran or active-duty military member, or have a permanent disability, you can get a pass that’s valid for the rest of your life.
1. North Cascades: The Most Underrated National Park
Like Patagonia in the U.S.: Stunning glacial lakes & hikes at this 2nd least visited national park in the lower 48 states.
Go to North Cascades if you like: Patagonia, Norway, fjords, great hikes, mountain scenery, gorgeous lakes, nature with solitude.
North Cascades National Park, about 2 hours from Seattle, offers absolutely stunning hiking for many different levels. Shockingly, it’s actually off the beaten path, making it probably the most underrated park in the country — North Cascades gets only 0.5% of the visitors that Yellowstone or Yosemite get. It also has absolutely gorgeous blue glacier-fed lakes.
Top things to do in North Cascades National Park:
🥾 Hike to Diablo Lake: The spectacular lake in the photo above is an easy to moderate 3.4 mile, 675 feet elevation hike called Thunder Knob. It starts in a lovely alpine forest and then you get spectacular views of the lake along the hike and at Thunder Knob. Update: Tragically, at the time of writing there is a wildfire at Diablo Lake. Hopefully it will be put out soon....
🏞️ Go for a scenic drive: The North Cascades Highway is gorgeous, and you’ll want to stop and get out to take pictures all over. The views of Ross Lake, Diablo Lake, and many mountains are stunning.
🏔 Hike Maple Pass (pictured - photo by Sasha Lezhnev). This was our favorite hike. It’s hard — 7.4 miles, over 2,000 feet elevation gain, and essentially an all-day affair. But it’s well worth it — you get spectacular 360 degree views of mountains from the top, and amazing alpine lake views along the way.
🛏 ⛺ Where to stay:
Stay at the stunning Ross Lake Resort — right on gorgeous Ross Lake. If that’s booked, a good option is the nearby budget but good hotel, the Mt. Baker Hotel, about 40 minutes away.
Or camp like we did. We loved the first come, first served Gorge Lake campground, which was literally free off season. Nearby Newhalem or Upper or Lower Goodell are also good campgrounds and are reservable on recreation.gov.
There are also great Airbnb’s nearby, and we recommend the charming town of Winthrop, where we stayed in 2024. The park is only a 30-minute drive from Winthrop, and you can also visit the awesome Lake Chelan an hour away.
🚗 Getting there: Diablo Lake in North Cascades National Park is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Seattle. The road can be covered by heavy snows at times (as can different parts of the park), so check road conditions beforehand.
Chaco Canyon is an underrated national park site. This is the Great Kiva. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
2. Chaco Canyon: Hidden Gem of the Southwest
Explore hugely intact ruins in this amazing ancient civilization in the U.S. Our favorite national park site.
Go to Chaco Canyon if you like: Exploring historic ruins, Aztec pyramids and ruins, Machu Picchu, Roman ruins, American history, Native American history, the Southwestern US.
This is the national park that you haven’t heard of, and it’s spectacular. Chaco Cultural Historic Park offers a stunning display of ancient Native American civilization that is largely intact, AND you can walk all around the buildings. Definitely off the beaten travel. It’s in New Mexico, so if you’re doing White Sands National Park or Carlsbad Caverns, you could add Chaco.
It’s much more accessible than Mesa Verde National Park in that way, where the ancient sites are only open a few months a year, and you need to book a tour way in advance. At Chaco Canyon you can walk up any time.
Be sure to reserve a full day (actually we recommend 2 days), so you can explore the ruins but also do a hike or two and enjoy the spectacular night skies. This is technically a national historic park, but several National Park Service rangers told us they thought it definitely qualifies as a national park and should be made one.
Things to do in Chaco Canyon, an underrated national park:
🏞️ Walk around the mega complex of Pueblo Bonito (pictured, photo by Sasha Lezhnev).
🥾 Hike the Pueblo Alto trail.
See the Great Kiva.
For more info about these activities, see our more detailed Southwest blog.
🛏 Where to Stay: For more info about where to stay, see our Best Places to Visit in the Southwest blog.
🚗 Getting there: Chaco Canyon is a 3 hour drive from Albuquerque or Santa Fe.
🚗 We strongly recommend a high clearance vehicle (4x4 not necessary, however) because the last several miles are very rough. But this also makes the park not crowded, which is a major plus.
Canyonlands National Park has spectacular overlooks that rival the Grand Canyon. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
3. Canyonlands: Like the Grand Canyon but with solitude
Go to Canyonlands if you like: the Grand Canyon, the Southwest, Wadi Rum desert, Morocco, Zion National Park.
Canyonlands is an underrated national park that plays second, third, or fourth fiddle to the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches…. And yet we actually enjoyed it more than the Grand Canyon. The views into the Colorado and Green rivers are out of this world (we felt it was more breathtaking than the GC), you can drive right into the canyon with a 4x4.
Importantly, you can enjoy the sites without feeling like it’s a zoo. Canyonlands has 1/5th the number of visitors to Yellowstone, so you actually feel some solitude on the trails.
Top things to do in Canyonlands National Park, an underrated national park:
For details on all of these activities, see our Best Places to Visit in the Southwest blog.
🥾 Hike to the out of this world Upheaval Dome.
🏞️ Do the jeep drive down the canyon, the Shafer Trail.
And if you don’t have a 4x4, take this AMAZING tour that takes you down the Shafer Trail and all around Islands in the Sky area of the park.
Take in the Grand View. The Grand View (pictured above) is a different side but well worth the views.
Visit the Needles. The Needles area of the park, with sandstone spires, is a fascinating area to see.
The Grand View with snow-capped mountains in Canyonlands is special. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
🔥 Hot tip: Don’t sleep on Dead Horse State Park, which is just down the road and offers phenomenal canyon views with even fewer tourists. And since you’ll be going to nearby Arches, be aware there there’s a timed permit system there, so you now have to reserve your spot well in advance (or get lucky the day before, like we did).
🛏 Where to Stay: If you’re looking for a hotel/Airbnb, we recommend the Slickrock Retreat that is spacious and affordable or Moab Springs Ranch, which has charming bungalows near all of the parks.
⛺ If you’re camping, we recommend Devil’s Garden in Arches National Park (reservable) or Horsethief Campground (first come, first serve & $20/night). We stayed in Horsethief & loved it. Arrived at 4pm and got the last spot on a Friday.
🚗 Getting there: Canyonlands is very near Moab, Utah. It’s very near Arches National Park. You can fly directly to Moab, or drive 3 hours, 40 minutes from Salt Lake City or 5 1/2 hours from Denver.
The hiking in Olympic National Park is spectacular. Picnic on Hurricane Ridge. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
4. Olympic National Park: The Underrated National Park That Has It All
Hike snow-capped mountains, see the Hoh Rainforest, swim in glacial lakes, & visit beaches.
Go to Olympic if you like: The Rockies, rainforest, Colorado, Vancouver Island, waterfalls, kayaking, alpine lakes, hiking, family trips.
Olympic NP in Washington state would probably be number one on this list if it was less discovered, because it is spectacular. You can have and do it all here — alpine mountain hikes, camping on pristine lakes that resemble fjords, walking among old growth trees in an actual rainforest, and ocean beaches. And it’s good for all ages — there are easy walks and lake resorts or challenging mountain hikes.
Dungeness Spit is a wonderful area of Olympic, an underrated national park. Photo by Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved.
Top things to do in Olympic National Park:
🌲The Hoh Rainforest is a gorgeous, ultra-green old growth rainforest. This area has limited parking, so go early.
Do the short walk around the Hall of Mosses (1.1 miles). Just get there early because it can get crowded. Or…
🥾 Do a day hike or an epic backpacking trip along the Hoh River Trail (we did). It’s one of the only hikes in the world where you can see glaciers up close, alpine lakes, and rainforest all on the same hike, which leads to Mt. Olympus. You can also just camp a few miles in.
🏔 Hurricane Ridge is the high mountain area of the park and has phenomenal views all the way to Vancouver Island in Canada. For hikes, we recommend:
🥾 Hike Hurricane Hill (3.4 miles, 800 feet elevation gain, easy/moderate, views of Canada).
🥾 Hike to Grand Lake (8 miles, 2,800 feet elevation gain, but you don’t have to go all the way to the lake, phenomenal views, more solitude).
Lake Crescent in underrated Olympic National Park is a great place to relax. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Olympic National Park:
🏞️ Relax, kayak, hike, and/or camp at Lake Crescent is nestled among several mountains and reminds you of Switzerland or Norway.
🛏 Where to stay: The picturesque Lake Crescent Lodge is an amazing place to stay right on the lake. Or camp at the Fairholme campground, which we love. It has phenomenal kayaking and canoeing (rent one at the lodge), hiking to waterfalls and mountain tops, or just a relaxing shoreline to have a beer or dinner. We recommend two hikes there:
🥾 Walk to Marymere Falls, an easy and beautiful 2.1 miles with only 377 feet elevation again. Best on weekdays.
🥾 Hike to Mt. Storm King, a hard 2,100 feet elevation gain in 4.1 miles, but it has absolutely phenomenal views.
Sol Duc Falls is a kind of must-see in the park, offering rainforest, world class waterfalls, and hot springs.
🔥 Hot tip: Try to come in a drier season if you can, since it’s often very rainy here. August & September tend to be the driest.
🚗 Getting there: It’s a 3 drive to get to one of the park entrances from Seattle. If you haven’t been, we recommend driving to Hurricane Ridge & starting there, but alternatively if you’re pressed for time, go straight to the Hoh Rainforest.
Fantastic Tour from Seattle: If you’re in Seattle & would prefer a tour, this is a GREAT all-day tour that picks you up from your hotel, hits the highlights of Olympic with very experienced guides and hikes to hit the best spots.
Badlands National Park has wonderful sunrises, sunsets, & hikes. Note the bighorn sheep (right) Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
5. The Badlands: Feel Like You’re on the Moon at this Underrated National Park
Out of this world lunar landscape, bighorn sheep, special sunsets & sunrises.
Go to the Badlands if you like: Lunar landscapes, exploring on your own, the Grand Canyon, unique formations, family trips.
The Badlands is the one place where the park service actually encourages you to hike anywhere. There are very few trails, and so that means there’s so much exploring you can do and have solitude looking into all the nooks, crannies, and spires. It feels like a martian landscape and is an underrated national park compared to Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc.
🐏 There’s also a very good chance at seeing Bighorn sheep. We saw a ram within the first 10 minutes of being in the park, near Cedar Pass. It’s also excellent for families, with hikes for all levels and areas for kids to explore their hearts out.
Top things to do in the Badlands:
🌅 Camp and/or see the sunrise at Nomad View. Take your tent or RV and enjoy a unique, spectacular, and FREE site right on the edge of the canyon rim called Nomad View. We camped there and can’t recommend it enough.
There are spectacular sunrises on the rim (see photo above) and beautiful sunsets as well. We also saw plenty of Bighorn sheep there.
🏞️ Explore the canyons anywhere. Hiking anywhere in the park is the best part of the Badlands, so don’t leave without taking advantage of the off the beaten path exploring. Just pull over where you see a good spot and explore the canyons. We recommend the area slightly northwest of Cedar Pass, with deep vein canyons, but find your own adventure!
Badlands National Park isn’t easy to get to, but it’s amazing. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in & around Badlands National Park:
🥾 Hike the Notch Trail. This is the one marked trail we’d recommend — you go fairly deep in the canyons, climb a ladder, get a spectacular view of the valley at the end, and feel like you’re on another planet. It’s an easy 1.5 miles (though you can extend).
Check out a nuclear missile silo: For a change of pace, check out the Minuteman Missile Site, a well preserved 80s era missile silo.
🏞️ Custer State Park: This is a phenomenal hidden gem park with wonderful lakes and spires hikes 1 hour away from the Badlands.
Bismarck Lake is a perfect spot to camp and not crowded (reservable on www.recreation.gov)
Cathedral Spires is a 2-4 mile hike we recommend with unique rock spires like a cathedral & views for miles.
🛏 Where to stay: If you prefer a hotel, we recommend the Wagon Wheel, a charming & very clean motel, or this hotel in Wall, which is close to the park entrance.
🔥 Hot tip: The park can get very hot and has very limited to no shade, so you’ll want to start your hikes early in the morning.
🚗 Getting there: The Badlands is in South Dakota, so it’s not really near anything… Most people visit it on a trip driving across America. But if you’re not doing a cross-country trip, you could fly to Rapid City (1 hour drive) or Sioux Falls (4 hour drive).
The sapphire blue colors of Crater Lake are magical. This is the view from Watchman Peak. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
6. Crater Lake National Park: Breathtaking views & hikes
Stunning views of the azure lake, hikes for all levels, beautiful waterfalls, & a hidden gem mini train park.
Go to Crater Lake if you like: Lake Tahoe, beautiful lake views, Lake Titicaca, hiking, Switzerland.
Crater Lake in southern Oregon has more than meets the eye. It has arguably the best camping spot we’ve ever stayed at, Diamond Lake, where you can camp right on a gorgeous lake for almost nothing. It’s also close to a number of other beautiful waterfall hikes.
And last but hardly least, the azure blue of Crater Lake itself is breathtaking. As soon as you see it, it’s a simply wow moment. Most of the hikes give you different views of the lake. This is an amazing underrated national park.
Top things to do in Crater Lake National Park:
🌅 Watch the sunset on the lake from Mt. Watchman: We did this hike twice and can’t recommend it enough. It’s the perfect spot to see the sunset on Crater Lake. The Mt. Watchman hike is short but semi steep (1.2 miles, 400 feet elevation gain, moderate).
⛺ Camp at Diamond Lake. This is some of the best camping we’ve seen anywhere in the U.S. You can get a lake-front spot for around $25 a day, with gorgeous aspen trees, waterfront sunsets, and more. There are several campgrounds:
Reserve on recreation.gov or snag a first come, first served spot during the offseason (that’s a hidden gem). It’s less than 30 minutes from Crater Lake.
Watson Falls & Toketee Falls make an awesome day trip from Crater Lake National Park. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in & around Crater Lake National Park:
🥾 Hike to the top of Mt. Scott: The Mt. Scott Trail (4.2 miles, 1,200 feet elevation gain, moderate) is a full-day hike but you get to the top of a mountain with stunning views. Many people say this is the best hike in the park. We agree.
🏞️ See wonderful waterfalls. For a quick change of pace and off the beaten path locations, check out these world-class waterfalls only an hour from Crater Lake. Toketee Falls is a two-part waterfall and gorgeous, and Watson Falls (pictured) is a 270 foot fall (3rd highest in Oregon) that you can bathe in.
🚂 Ride on a miniature train at the world’s biggest miniature train museum. A total hidden gem in the area is the Train Mountain Railroad, the world’s largest miniature train that you can ride. It’s in Klamath Falls, about a 1 hour drive. It’s really fantastic for families.
🛏 Where to stay: This is a really cool, unique spot to stay in a cabin or do glamping near the park that gets 5 stars. We recommend it. If you’re looking for a hotel, our best recommendation is the Westfir Lodge, which is charming, quaint, & clean.
🔥 Hot tip: October is a secret but perfect time to go. The weather is still normally good, the crowds are thin, and importantly, the normally booked-up campgrounds are usually available.
🚗 Getting there: Crater Lake is a 4 hour drive from Portland or a 2 hour, 45 minute drive from Eugene.
There’s a magical light that comes through at sunrise in the Redwoods. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
7. Redwood: Hidden Gem National Park of California
See the world’s tallest trees, hikes and walks for all levels, great for families, drive through some redwoods.
Go to Redwood National Park if you like: Tall trees, forest light, Muir Woods, nature bathing, family trips, Sequoia National Park.
You can see redwood trees, the tallest living things on Planet Earth (and some of the oldest), in several places in California and the Pacific Northwest, but it’s a different experience entirely to walk among the oldest, tallest redwoods in a proper old growth forest without tons of people around. I dare say it’s magical and feels out of a fairy tale and is a very underrated national park compared to Yosemite. You may even have a spiritual experience; we’ve had several among the giants.
🌲 Redwood National Park is actually part of an interconnected network of state and regional parks in northern California, including Humboldt Redwoods, Jedidiah Smith, and others.
Top things to do in Redwood National & State Parks:
🌲 See some of the biggest trees at Karl Knapp: The Knapp and Cathedral Trees Loop is an easy 3 mile hike that features 300 foot trees and is particularly stunning.
🚗 Drive Avenue of the Giants, a 31-mile stretch where you can gawk at the trees and stop along the way for picnics or walks. You can also drive along the coast as part of your visit here, with spectacular cliffs along the Pacific Ocean.
Jedidiah Smith is an amazing underrated park in the Redwood park system. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Redwood National & State Parks:
🏞️ Check out Jedidiah Smith State Park. Jedidiah Smith (pictured) is the hidden gem park of the redwoods. Our favorite walks/hikes are: 🥾 Grove of Titans, 🥾 Simpson-Reed trail, & 🥾 Fern Falls. See our detailed blog about these hikes and Jedidiah Smith here.
🍽 Dine at the historic Requa Inn: This charming, farm-to-table restaurant in Orick is part of a 100-year-old inn and is open Wednesday to Sunday for dinner.
🛏 Where to stay: If you’re a bigger group, we recommend the Sunset Sanctuary Airbnb, an awesome 3 bedroom house with an ocean view. Or for a smaller group, the Oceanview Inn is lovely and only 5 minutes from the park.
🔥 Hot tip: Redwood is just a little over 3 hours from Crater Lake, so you could combine the two parks on a trip.
🚗 Getting there: Redwood & the bordering parks are in far northern California, about a 5 1/2 hour drive from San Francisco or Portland. You definitely need a car to explore the area.
Glen Canyon with its 1,000 foot cliffs and Colorado River is out of this world. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
8. Glen Canyon: Adventure of a Lifetime in this Underrated National Park
Kayak the Colorado River below iconic Horseshoe Bend. Stunning views. It’s mostly a float, not hard rapids.
Go to Glen Canyon if you like: The Grand Canyon, kayaking, the Southwest, river trips, cave paintings, slot canyons, The Wave hike.
Rafting down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon is very special, but it also costs $3,500 per person and you have to get on a multi-year waiting list. Want a much easier way to do it that is almost as spectacular? Check out Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, which includes Horseshoe Bend. This is off the beaten travel — adventure travel — and an very underrated national park site.
Glen Canyon is the park directly adjacent to the Grand Canyon, and you can canoe or kayak the very same Colorado River at your own pace for a tiny fraction of the price. When we RV’d across the country, this was probably the best thing we did all year. We did it in a 2 day trip with our then-4-year-old, but you could also make it a 3 day, 2 night trip for maximum enjoyment.
Top things to do in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area:
🛶 Kayak the Colorado River: You get incredible views of the 1,000 foot orange cliffs on each side almost the entire way, and you can camp for free at one of the 6 campsites along the river. The kayaking starts at Glen Canyon dam and goes downstream from there, so you have to get a boat ride to the dam from Lees Ferry.
How to arrange it: There are several operators who do that and will rent you the canoes or kayaks - Kayak the Colorado, Kayak Horseshoe Bend, and more. It’s then free to camp at any of the sites, including right at the bottom of Horseshoe Bend.
🛶 Kayak a gorgeous section of Lake Powell: If you prefer more of a day trip, kayaking Lake Powell is another great option. This is a really stunning part of the lake, also with narrow canyon walls.
Lees Ferry, the base for kayaking Glen Canyon, offers great hikes & sunrises. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area:
🥾 Hike fascinating canyons around Lees Ferry (pictured): The wash canyons around Lees Ferry, where you catch the boat to kayak the Colorado, are amazing day hikes. Cathedral Wash with its windy slot canyon and mini cliffs is a place we recommend exploring, including for families.
See ancient petroglyphs: Pull over to see an outcropping of petroglyphs that are between 3,000 and 6,000 years old.
🥾 Do a slot canyon hike: Stop and do a very scenic hike near the end of the paddle that leads into a slot canyon.
🔥 Hot tip: Combine this with a trip to Antelope Canyon, the out of this world orange/red slot canyon. We recommend Canyon X, the little known, gorgeous east end of the canyon. You need to book with a tour operator, since this is on Navajo land.
🛏 Where to stay: Lees Ferry Lodge is an awesome place to stay and is by far the closest place to the kayaking.
⛺ You can also camp at Lees Ferry - we did that. It’s a lovely campground with wonderful sunrises, sunsets, and views of the canyon and the Colorado River.
🚗 Getting there: The kayak trips leave from Lees Ferry, which is a 1 hour, 45 minute drive from the Grand Canyon National Park East entrance or a 50 minute drive from Page, Arizona.
9. Organ Pipe Cactus: Underrated National Park of the Southwest
Excellent hiking with amazing views, a hidden gem campground, close to safe beaches in Mexico.
Go to Organ Pipe Cactus if you like: Saguaro National Park, Grand Canyon hikes, the Southwest, desert hikes, solitude, camping.
This is a hidden gem national park in southern Arizona that we’re very happy we visited and would definitely go to again. It offers excellent rocky desert hiking, fascinating drives to see rock formations and mountains, and thousands of the unique cacti known as “organ pipes.”
It’s a very peaceful environment and has few tourists, so you can have nice solitude on the trails. Interestingly, it’s less than 3 hours from Phoenix but feels very remote when you get there.
Top things to do in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument:
🥾 Hike Arch Canyon: There are several good hikes in the park, but our top pick is Arch Canyon (the one in the photo above - photo by Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved). It’s 3-4 miles but a challenging rock scramble with several slick rock areas and ledges. But it’s worth it — the magnificent views at the end, oh la la.
🥾 Hike the Bull Pasture Trail, a more moderate 3 mile hike with stunning views as well. Bring plenty of water on your hike — these are very minimal shade areas, and it gets very hot.
Views for many miles into the Sonora desert & mountains at Organ Pipe Cactus. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument:
🚗 Drive the Ajo Mountain loop: This is an awesome 21 mile drive with lots of scenery through the park.
Camp: Book a camping spot at Twin Peaks campground - it’s a lovely, peaceful campground and is quite cheap.
🔥 Hot tip: Combine it with a trip to Puerto Peñasco, Mexico (aka Rocky Point, or Arizona’s beach), which is only 1 1/2 hours away. It’s very easy to cross the border at Lukeville, and Puerto Peñasco has lovely beaches and wonderful seafood.
🚗 Getting there: 2 1/2 hours drive south from Phoenix or 2 1/2 hours drive west from Tucson.
Glacier National Park offers some of the country’s best hikes - and even views from the car. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
10. Glacier National Park: The Alps in America
Some of the best hikes in the lower 48 states, phenomenal views, plenty of wildlife.
Go if you like: Colorado, the Alps, hiking, mountain vistas, seeing wildlife, glaciers, Norway, backpacking.
Glacier National Park in western Montana is simply jaw dropping at every turn, with arguably the best mountain vistas in the continental U.S., glaciers, alpine lakes, and wonderful hiking/backpacking with surprising solitude. It’s very close to our favorite national park. Sadly the glaciers are rapidly disappearing due to global warming, so go to the park while you still have the opportunity to see some of them.
Top things to do in Glacier National Park:
🚗 Drive the Going-to-the-Sun road. This is the iconic drive through the center of the park, and you’ll want to take a full day to do it. Stop at Lake McDonald, the Cedars Trail, Logan Pass, and really anywhere you see a great view.
🥾 Hike the Highline Trail: If you’re feeling fit and a bit adventurous, do part of the Highline Trail from Logan Pass. It’s a 15 mile hike with 2,500 feet elevation gain, but some of the best views are in the first mile on the sheer cliff with a wire cable to hold on to.
Iceberg Lake is a great reward hike in Glacier National Park. Photo: Sasha Lezhnev, all rights reserved
More things to do in Glacier National Park:
🥾 Hike to Iceberg Lake: This is maybe the best day hike in the park, where you get to see a lake with icebergs floating on it from a melting glacier. It’s 9 miles and 1,400 feet elevation gain (moderate).
🐻 See wildlife: Your best chances of seeing wildlife (bears, elk, maybe a moose) are often a few miles east of Logan Pass, right off the main road. Ask a park ranger at Logan Pass for details.
🏔 Do a more adventurous hike: The best of Glacier is seen in the backcountry, where you can have a surprising amount of solitude at phenomenal lakes and campsites. Our favorite hikes are:
🥾 Boulder Pass (from Goat Haunt - a hard hike but one of the best we’ve ever done),
🥾 Cracker Lake (magnificent & off the beaten path).
🥾 Grinnell Glacier. All of those are fairly hard hikes FYI. Iceberg Lake is easier.
🛏 Where to stay: We love the Elk Street Retreat, an amazing 2-bedroom house in Columbia Falls, just outside the park. If that’s booked up, we highly recommend the Good Medicine Lodge, a gorgeous & clean all-wood hotel with amazing food.
If you’re a bigger group, the Glacier Homestead is a wonderful 4-bedroom house with lots of outdoor space.
🔥 Hot tip: The Going to the Sun road now requires an advance reservation. Get yours early - we advise months in advance.
🚗 Getting there: Fly to Kalispell and rent a car. You can stay in Kalispell, Whitefish, or Bigfork (on Flathead Lake), all of which are only 30-45 minutes from the park entrance. We recommend Bigfork for its charm on the lake, but any will be good.
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Hi! We’re Sasha & Megnote
We’ve traveled to 50 countries on 5 continents & have been full-time travelers for the past 2 years with our now 5-year-old son. He now teaches us how to skateboard…
We got engaged in Bolivia, started a nonprofit in Uganda, and love outdoor adventures (& a good pisco sour).
We’re writing the book Travel More, Spend Less to help people get to full-time travel.
We’re passionate about finding hidden travel gems & off the beaten track destinations, and we want to share our tips with you. Come explore with us!