9 National Parks That Are Actually Easy to Visit (No Hardcore Hiking Required)

If you haven’t had the opportunity to visit our beautiful National Parks, you may assume that you need to be an experienced hiker with expensive gear and weeks of vacation time to enjoy them. Fortunately that’s not true!

Some of the best National Parks in the United States are easy to visit and explore. You can see their main attractions from your car, take short walks on paved trails, and stay in comfortable hotels nearby (like our editor did with her summer visit to Death Valley!). You don’t need to summit anything or carry a 40-pound backpack to have an incredible experience.

Here are nine national parks where accessibility meets amazing scenery – be sure to visit each park’s NPS webpage for the most up-to-date information about safety or potential closures, and to plan your visit!

1. Acadia National Park, Maine

Acadia sits on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine, and you can see most of its highlights without breaking a sweat. The Park Loop Road takes you past rocky coastline, mountains, and forests, with pullouts at every major viewpoint. Cadillac Mountain has a road to the summit where you can watch the sunrise from your car or take a short walk to the peak.

The park has 45 miles of carriage roads that are perfect for casual walking or biking on smooth, crushed stone surfaces. Jordan Pond offers a flat, easy loop trail around clear water with mountain views. The town of Bar Harbor sits right outside the park entrance with hotels, restaurants, and tour operators offering boat trips and bus tours.

2. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon is one of the most accessible national parks in the country. You can park at multiple viewpoints along the rim and see one of the world’s most famous natural wonders without hiking at all. The Rim Trail is a mostly paved path that runs along the canyon edge for 13 miles, but you can walk just a small section and still get incredible views.

Free shuttle buses run between viewpoints during peak season, so you don’t even need to drive. The park has lodges right on the rim, and the nearby town of Tusayan offers hotels and tour companies that run helicopter and bus tours. Sunrise and sunset viewings from Mather Point or Yavapai Observation Station require nothing more than showing up.

3. Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite Valley concentrates the park’s most famous sights into an easily accessible seven-mile-long valley. You can drive or take the free shuttle to viewpoints where you’ll see El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls from the comfort of paved parking areas. The valley floor has paved walking paths that are flat and easy, taking you to the base of waterfalls and meadows with mountain views.

Mirror Lake offers a two-mile paved loop that’s flat and accessible, with views of Half Dome reflected in the water. The park has hotels and lodges inside the valley, and the gateway town of Mariposa offers additional accommodations. Tour operators run guided bus tours that handle all the driving while you sit back and enjoy the scenery.

4. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Yellowstone is massive, but its main attractions are concentrated along the Grand Loop Road. You can drive to Old Faithful and watch it erupt from the bench seating area, see colorful hot springs like Grand Prismatic Spring from boardwalks, and spot bison and elk from your car. The park has extensive boardwalk systems around the geyser basins that let you walk right up to thermal features on flat, stable surfaces.

The Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone has viewpoints accessible by short walks from parking areas, including Artist Point and Inspiration Point. Multiple lodges inside the park offer rooms, and gateway towns like West Yellowstone and Gardiner have hotels and tour companies running wildlife watching and geyser tours. Getting an America the Beautiful Pass makes sense if you’re visiting multiple parks.

5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina

The Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the country, partly because it’s so easy to access. Newfound Gap Road crosses the park with pullouts at scenic overlooks where you can see mountain ridges stretching to the horizon. Cades Cove has an 11-mile loop road through a historic valley where you’ll see wildlife, old buildings, and mountain views from your car.

The park has several short, easy trails including Laurel Falls, which is paved for the first mile and a half to a waterfall. Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail is a one-way loop through old-growth forest with pullouts at historic cabins and waterfalls. Gatlinburg and Cherokee sit at the park entrances with hotels, restaurants, and tour operators offering guided drives and wildlife tours.

6. Zion National Park, Utah

Zion Canyon is one of the most dramatic landscapes in the Southwest, and you can see it from the free shuttle bus that runs through the canyon. The Riverside Walk is a paved, flat trail along the Virgin River that takes you to the entrance of The Narrows. Pa’rus Trail is fully paved and wheelchair accessible, following the river with canyon walls rising on both sides.

Canyon Overlook Trail is only one mile round trip with incredible views of Zion Canyon. The town of Springdale sits right outside the park entrance with hotels, restaurants, and tour companies offering guided shuttles and photography tours. If you can’t do stairs or steep inclines, the shuttle rides alone give you stunning views of the red rock cliffs.

• Read our guide to four easy trails you can hike over two days at Zion!

7. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

Crater Lake is the deepest lake in the United States, filling a collapsed volcano with bright blue water. Rim Drive circles the lake for 33 miles with over 30 viewpoints where you can pull over and see the lake from different angles. You never have to leave your car to see one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.

The park has short walks from parking areas to viewpoints like Watchman Overlook and Sinnott Memorial Overlook. The historic Crater Lake Lodge sits right on the rim with rooms and a dining room overlooking the water. Boat tours run from late June through September, taking you down to the lake level and out to Wizard Island.

8. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon is famous for its hoodoos – tall, thin rock spires that cover the amphitheater. The Rim Trail runs along the edge of the canyon with multiple viewpoints accessible by short walks from parking areas. Sunrise Point, Sunset Point, Inspiration Point, and Bryce Point all offer views of the hoodoos without requiring you to descend into the canyon.

The park is small and easy to get around, with a free shuttle running between viewpoints during peak season. The town of Bryce Canyon City sits right outside the park with hotels and restaurants. If you want to get closer to the hoodoos, the Mossy Cave Trail is less than one mile round trip and relatively flat compared to other trails in the park.

9. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Shenandoah runs along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains for 105 miles, and Skyline Drive takes you the entire length with over 75 overlooks. You can see layers of mountain ridges, valleys, and forests from pullouts that require nothing more than parking and walking a few steps. The park is particularly beautiful in fall when the leaves change color.

Several trails from Skyline Drive are short and relatively easy, including Dark Hollow Falls, which is 1.4 miles round trip to a waterfall. The park has lodges at Big Meadows and Skyland with rooms and dining. Front Royal and Luray sit at the park entrances with hotels and tour operators offering guided drives and wildlife watching tours.

National parks don’t require suffering to be worth visiting. Pick a park, get your annual pass, and see some of the most beautiful places in America without destroying your knees in the process!

About the Author

Originally from Indiana, Heather believes every destination has a story worth telling and a reason to visit. With a deep love of adventure, history, and psychology, she shares travel trivia, tips, and inspiration to encourage you to explore the world with curiosity and optimism. Read her other articles on Frayed Passport here.

Featured image by Katie Polansky on Unsplash