The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the US government that manages many important locations throughout the United States, the most important of these being designated “national parks.” While national parks are really popular locations to visit, I have only been to three officially. (I have been to the redwoods in California but never went inside the Redwood National Park. Similarly, I’ve been to the Colorado Rockies without visiting Rocky Mountain National Park. I have also seen the Everglades from a plane multiple times, but I don’t count those as visits). However, there are many places in the US that aren’t considered national parks that are overseen by the NPS. I like to visit these locations anytime I get a chance. So after going through the list of 419 units managed by the NPS, I picked out 10 of the units I have personally visited to rank below. There are many iconic sites I have seen that I won’t list because I either didn’t have a good experience (Statue of Liberty) or don’t remember well enough to rank (Lincoln Memorial). I’ll be ranking these by the overall experience I had there, not necessarily by the significance of the site. A place can be very important historically, but if there’s not much to experience then it will be lower than other places. So here is my ranking:
10. Mississippi National River and Recreation Areas
I have been to the beginning and end of the Mississippi River, which is the longest river in the US and have even flown the entire length of the river, following its path from beginning to end. But the actual park designated as the Mississippi National River and Recreation Areas is found at the source in Minnesota. There are several different parks that are a part of this, spread throughout the Minneapolis area, but the only one I made it to was Minnehaha Falls, named after Minnehaha in Longfellow’s “Song of Hiawatha.” The park is a very peaceful area in the middle of the city with a beautiful waterfall and quiet trails along the river. It’s much smaller than the other places on this list, but it’s a nice place to visit for an afternoon.
9. White House/National Mall/Washington Monument
I was young when I went to DC, but it was an important enough location that I can remember taking the tour of one of America’s most iconic locations. These are technically three different units, but they’re all related, so I’m including them together. I toured the White House back in 2001 and remember being a little disappointed that I never saw George Bush while I was there. My biggest memory was losing my balloon in a room with very high ceilings. We toured all the color-coordinated rooms as well. I also remember seeing the Washington Monument and walking the National Mall. While I was young, it made enough of an impression that I am including it on this list.
8. San Antonio Missions National Historic Park
After visiting the Alamo in San Antonio, I wanted to see the San Antonio Missions, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The missions are old Spanish Catholic churches that were built to help house and educate the local Native Americans in the 1700s. The compounds and churches have been well preserved, and the architecture is very impressive. The four churches include Concepción, San José, San Juan, and Espada, but the first two are the most impressive in my opinion. Mission Concepción is the oldest unrestored stone church in the United States, and Mission San José has the most impressive architecture and is the best preserved. While the churches are impressive to visit, there’s not much else to do other than tour the churches, and you have to drive to get to each of them, so this puts it lower on the list. But it’s still impressive to see if you’re in the area!
7. Gulf Islands National Seashore
I feel like I’m cheating by putting Gulf Islands National Seashore on this list because I grew up here. But even though I’m always wanting to leave the area and travel elsewhere, I have to admit that it’s a beautiful part of the country that I think more people should visit. The national seashore includes beaches in the Florida panhandle and the Mississippi coast, but I’ve only been to the Florida sections. The beaches along the Gulf of Mexico are the whitest beaches I’ve seen anywhere, and the warm water makes swimming enjoyable most of the year. If you’re wanting to escape the crowds, the Fort Pickens area is beautiful and has fewer people.
6. Pearl Harbor National Memorial
One of the most important events in US history was the attack on Pearl Harbor, sending the United States into World War II. The park is a beautiful area on the water with palm trees and memorials to see. But by far the most important experience you can have at Pearl Harbor is visiting the USS Arizona Memorial. In order to visit, you have to secure your spot online the day before your visit, but it’s definitely worth it. Before the tour, you watch a quick documentary on the attack that gives you a more accurate account of what happened and explains the importance of the site. You then take a boat to the memorial which was built over the actual USS Arizona which remains underwater. It’s an emotional experience seeing the list of names of those lost during this attack spread across a wall on the inside of the memorial. Pearl Harbor is a must visit in Oahu!
5. Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
One thing many people want to experience when visiting New Orleans is a swamp tour, but they can get expensive and you’re not guaranteed to see anything. If you’re visiting during the summer, I highly recommend driving out to Jean Lafitte, which is only 30 minutes from the French Quarter. The trail that passes through the Barataria Preserve is a beautiful boardwalk that passes right through a real Louisiana swamp. You are almost guaranteed to see multiple alligators and snakes during the summer, both up close and at a distance. Alligators like to rest right next to the boardwalk allowing you to get real close to them. Whether you see alligators or not, it’s a beautiful park to visit and one of my favorite places in the US.
4. Muir Woods National Monument
While visiting San Francisco, I had the opportunity to visit Muir Woods, a redwood forest. The redwoods are known as the tallest trees in the world, and walking through a forest of these trees is very impressive. I would just look up at these trees towering over everything in the area, and the tops seemed miles away. It was one of the most impressive forests I’ve ever been to. Unfortunately, my pictures from that trip are terrible quality, so I can’t really give a good idea of what the park is like. I’d definitely recommend checking it out if you’re in the area though!
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
It’s no surprise that the top three on my list are the three actual national parks I’ve been to. Putting the Smoky Mountains in last place of the three shouldn’t take anything away from it. It’s a beautiful part of the country, and many people have told me it’s their favorite place in the world. I just appreciate the other two a little more. I’ve been to the Smoky Mountains many times over the years and am always impressed with it. I enjoy staying in a cabin in the mountains and hiking the many trails up to waterfalls. A couple other places to note are Clingmans Dome and Cades Cove where I saw a family of bears close up on my most recent visit. While I certainly don’t want to spend every vacation there like many people I know do, I enjoy visiting occasionally when I get the chance.
2. Mount Rainier National Park
When visiting Seattle, I had to make it out to Mt Rainier. The mountain can be seen from almost everywhere in Seattle, and everyone I spoke to told me I had to visit it. Mt Rainier is a very special place that I instantly loved. There was snow, but it was warm. In fact, the snow was so thick it was too dangerous to hike up the mountain. But I was able to hike in other parts of the park where there were beautiful waterfalls and wild flowers. The weather was perfect, as it was warm with a cool breeze and no humidity. I was able to hike through beautiful forest along rushing streams with occasional waterfalls. It’s an absolute must visit in the Seattle area, and this park alone would push Seattle higher up in my trip rankings (if I actually took the time to rank them someday).
1. Grand Canyon National Park
This one shouldn’t really be a surprise. The Grand Canyon is one of the most iconic landmarks of the United States and for a good reason! It’s completely breathtaking. Pictures will never do it justice. Standing at the edge of a mile drop into the abyss known as the Grand Canyon is one of the most incredible experiences you can have in the US. Yes, it’s really hot in Arizona, but the Grand Canyon is definitely worth the hype. Every single view point I visited offered a new angle to the canyon, and each one was just as breathtaking. If you haven’t been to the Grand Canyon, I highly recommend it!
There are so many amazing places to see in the United States, and a lot are managed by the NPS, but many are managed by state or local organizations instead, so many great places I’ve been to didn’t qualify for this list. While I haven’t been to many official national parks, I have enjoyed getting to see much of this country and hope to make it to more national parks in the future. Thanks for reading!
Tyler's Travels 