Sure National Parks are perfect for hiking and camping. But, there are also dozens of parks within the National Park system that are perfect for scenic drives.
So if you’re not able to easily hike or wander the parks, you won’t miss out. These drives also come in handy for people who want to explore some other parts of the park and get some Instagram worthy shots.
In this post, we’ll cover a few of our favorite National Parks that offer incredible scenic drives.
Ready to take a look?
Acadia National Park (Bar Harbor, ME)
It’s not often you can find a National Park that allows you to drive from the beach to the top of a mountain in one day, but you can find that at Maine’s Acadia National Park. The best route to get a beautiful view of Acadia’s rugged coastline is the Park Loop Road. This 20-mile loop will make you fall in love with Acadia (and its views).
Bryce Canyon (Bryce, Utah)
Bryce Canyon National Park is pretty unique. So it’s fortunate that the majestic scenes of this part can be viewed from your car. Your best bet for views is to make your own scenic drive loop that travels along Highway 12 to the Bryce Canyon Access Area and then to Highway 63 which has a number of pullouts for viewing canyons, points, and bridges.
Glacier National Park (West Glacier, MT)
When you think of perfect scenic drives in the National Parks, the first one that comes to mind is the Going to the Sun Road. This drive is in Montana’s Glacier National Park and provides breathtaking views of the mountains, streams, and even local wildlife. For fun, you can also use the free shuttle provided by the park that uses the road too.
Shenandoah National Park
Take it all in at the Blue Ridge Mountains along Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive. This road goes just over 100 miles and runs the entire length of the park. Travel slowly and see all sorts of mountains, trees and valleys, and natural wildlife too. This ride is very popular in the fall months when the leaves have started turning; it’s a one of a kind sort of view.
Natchez Trace Parkway (Kosciusko, Mississippi)
When the US National Park System designates a parkway as something special, you know it should be on any list of scenic drives! If you’re a history buff, you’ll love traveling the 444 miles along the Old Natchez Trace. This road goes through three states and was first used by local Native Americans centuries ago, and then later by settlers and soldiers.
Get the Car Ready to Roll
These are a handful of the scenic drives you’ll find in our National Park System. Before you go be sure to make sure you have plenty of gas, a few snacks, and the GPS ready to go. Check the park websites, that way you know ahead of time if there are any closures due to weather. Also, check out our sister site, HotelCoupons.com, for help with your stay.
