US national parks, ranked

A personal order, argued over years: scenery, trails, and how far you get from the crowd.

Bookmarks

1. Yosemite National Park

   5/5

   The valley is crowded for a reason; earn the quiet on the Four Mile Trail.

   Yosemite Valley, California

2. Glacier National Park

   5/5

   Going-to-the-Sun Road is the show; the trails past Logan Pass are the reward.

   Logan Pass, Montana

3. Grand Canyon National Park

   5/5

   Do not stop at the rim — an hour down Bright Angel changes what you saw.

   Grand Canyon Village, Arizona

4. Zion National Park

   4/5

   Angels Landing takes the fame; the Narrows deserve more of it.

   Zion Canyon, Utah

5. Grand Teton National Park

   4/5

   No foothills — sagebrush straight to granite, moose in between.

   Jenny Lake, Wyoming

6. Olympic National Park

   4/5

   Rainforest, ridgeline and wild coast in one park; the moss wins.

   Hoh Rain Forest, Washington

7. Yellowstone National Park

   4/5

   Geysers by the hundred and traffic to match; dawn in Lamar Valley fixes it.

   Old Faithful, Wyoming

8. Bryce Canyon National Park

   4/5

   An amphitheatre of hoodoos, best walked below the rim at sunrise.

   Sunset Point, Bryce Canyon

9. Acadia National Park

   4/5

   Atlantic granite and carriage roads; October is the month.

   Cadillac Mountain, Bar Harbor