My solo travel in Africa
24/06/2020
Planning your trip to the Azores Islands
12/06/2023
10 best National Parks in western USA
As an avid nature lover, I spent most of the time on my trips in the US in the US National Parks, mainly in places where I could breathe as much nature as possible, and the US National Parks are definitely the place for that!
I have spent a few months traveling western USA with a car that I bought, 90% of the time in National Parks.
The states I passed through on my trip, and which I will also talk about in this post, are California, Oregon, Washington, Nevada, Arizona and Utah.
And here you have a very detailed post about the ten best national parks in the western US to visit, what I did in them and what you absolutely must not miss.
Later I will publish more detailed posts about the larger parks with more detailed information about each park, including costs, how to get there, where to sleep, what to eat, what to do, where to shower, where to see bears and so on.
I'll just mention that I traveled to a lot of other parks on my way, and I really tried to give my point of view here on the parks that left an impression on me that I think you will also appreciate.
So, what are we waiting for? :)
An amazing trail. Can you guess where?
Joshua Tree National Park - California
About two and a half hours drive from San Diego or Los Angeles (assuming no traffic jams in the city), will bring you to Joshua Tree National Park.
In fact, this is the first park I visited in the US, and it has already set a high bar for others.
If you are a desert lover and are traveling the USA in the winter, fall, spring months - you should really jump into this park because it is simply the land of dinosaurs in its character.
Apart from the fact that the Joshua Tree trees are completely alien, and even without psychedelics you will feel a bit like you're tripping, the place itself is simply an amazing nature reserve to walk through.
The place is quite reminiscent of the Spitzkoppe reserve in Namibia if you happen to visit.
There are a lot of really beautiful hiking trails between the huge rocks that pop up everywhere, and if you're a climbing enthusiast like me, you'll get to climb some routes that will make your knees tremble and your calves burn.
[Note from Malcolm: Spending time in Hidden Valley Campground in the winter months offers an amazing community of nomadic climbers. As they say, Joshua Tree: 3 star climbing, 5 star hang :)]
Because I arrived in May and it was already quite hot, I climbed a bit and did some relatively short hiking trails there, among them the Hidden Valley Trail, I think.
Most of the routes there look the same, so you can just wander where it looks nice. You are technically allowed to walk off trail, but are advised not to, to protect the native plants.
[You can also enjoy some spectacular sunsets, by scrambling up one of the many round rock features]
Here you can find all the updates about the Joshua Tree National Park >>
Joshua Tree Psychedelic's trees
Sequoia National Park - California
Well, I will write a whole post about this park because it opened up emotional sides in me that I didn't know existed towards trees.
I had a strong emotional experience there, and I was also locked out of my car there for a whole day in nothing but pajamas, so I really have no shortage of stories about this place.
In the Sequoia National Park you can not only find the biggest trees in the world, but actually the biggest tree in the world.
There are so many great hiking trails in the park, I think I did about 10 different trails in the days I was there.
Among the routes I did, you can find Big Baldy + Little Baldy two routes with a gorgeous panoramic view and also Takopah Falls, a quite popular trail to a really beautiful waterfall.
In addition, I did some of the classic routes such as the Moro Rock Trail, a stair route that goes up to a high and wonderful view of the park.
And also the trails in the huge forest like The Congress Trail (a circular trail that is suitable for everyone), and of course the Sherman Tree Trail; the trail that will take you to the largest tree in the world.
There was actually another, much less known route that I did on my first day there, and I really, really liked it. I was so captivated by the experience that I just can't remember its name.
Here you can find more information about Sequoia National Park >>
A very big tree
Yosemite National Park - California
A lot of words have already been said about this park but it is definitely worth a visit.
I wrote a whole, very detailed post about Yosemite with all the information you should know about the place, I invite you to read it here >>
For me, Yosemite was a big dream as a climber. I got to climb and also fulfill my biggest highline dream, which was to walk on a rope at a height of 1,000 meters at the top of the Lost Arrow Spire.
There are hiking trails in Yosemite that are really suitable for all levels, and I did quite a few trails there as well.
Somehow I started from Yosemite Falls, a classic route that I miscalculated and instead of 3.5 km, it was actually 3.5 miles..! It wasn't nice to get stuck in the middle of its endless climb without water, but good people helped me along the way. The view is amazing all the way , and especially when you reach the top you can get a sense of how high you really are.
In addition, I did some of the more relaxed walks in the park, such as Cooks Meadow Loop, which is suitable for families with small children, and the Valley Loop, which I heard bears were seen there, so I went to check it out.
There are some other nice routes that I have done such as Mirror Lake and Mist Trailhead, which can be suitable for families.
To be honest, Yosemite destroyed me a little from fatigue. Combining both hikes and climbing became tough on the body.
Another less famous trail I did which is on the other side of the park, is the Porcupine Creek Trail and I followed it mainly to get to the highline spot. By the way, on this route we also met a mother bear and two baby bears on the way :)
Besides hiking trails, there are also many observation points in the valley that are really beautiful and you will probably get to see quite a few wild animals during your visit.
Here you can find all the updates about Yosemite National Park >>
Yosemite Falls
Crater Lake National Park - Oregon
If you come to travel in Oregon, which is a simply perfect state, you really should stop at Crater Lake.
When I got there I was greeted by snow. lots of snow. At a level where almost all the routes were closed, and those that were open for walking were simply not worth the cold that caught me.
And so it turned out that I mostly wandered through the park in my car and stopped between different observation points in the hope that the fog would clear up.
Indeed it became clear..! don't lose hope :)
It was quite a change of atmosphere from the sweltering heat of California to arrive in the snow of Oregon, and I personally really enjoyed the welcome change.
There are many observation points along the road surrounding the lake that are worth a stop, and I think I stopped at almost all of them :)
Here you can find all the updates about Crater Lake National Park >>
Crater Lake at winter. I mean, June :)
Olympic National Park - Washington
Another park that received a separate blog post, and became my favorite park in the west.
Parts of the Olympic National Park is simply an amazingly beautiful rainforest and you can read the full post with all the details about the park here (SOON) >>
There was a part where I was walking and stopped to take a picture, and the guy who walked before me looked at me and asked me - do you believe this place is real?
It's so magical there..!
There are many hiking trails, some of which are really wild, and there is a chance to encounter elks, cougars (hopefully you won't), bears and more.
I personally encountered a small bear one morning and I just felt like I was in a fairy tale.
I actually visited the Olympics twice, and I also celebrated my birthday there by myself, and I will really mention only a small part of the routes I did because I did about a million there (check out the full post for a detailed itinerary).
I started with Graves Creek Trail and Maple Garden Rain Forest - two routes that are simply amazing in their beauty and I highly recommend visiting..!!
I also did the Storm King Trail, but I didn't have the strength to climb the mountain so I only did the part that goes to Marymere Falls.
A classic and easy route is the Sol Duc Falls which takes you to some really beautiful waterfalls at the end.
On my birthday I did the route to Lake Angeles. It's not the most popular route, but quite long and pretty, and takes you to a very nice lake.
Another point worth stopping at if you arrive during the salmon run (September and October) is Salmon Cascades where you can watch the many salmon jumping against the current of the river.
Here you can find more information about the Olympic National Park >>
Can you believe this place exists?
Bryce Canyon National Park - Utah
If you read the previous post I published about my travel itinerary in Arizona and Utah, you can already find out that Bryce Canyon was one of the parks I liked the most during my entire trip in Arizona and Utah..!
I will mention that I traveled in this area in winter, so the place was full of snow, which in my opinion made the views even more beautiful.
In Bryce we stopped at some viewpoints with hot tea and blankets to watch the sunset, but we also did a route that became one of my favorite hiking routes in the world.
The route is called Navajo Loop which we connected with Queen's Garden (the weather conditions helped guide our choice of hiking route). The hikes which go down into the canyon take you winding through an endless maze of alien-like sandstone towers. It is really magical.
Some of the trails in the park were closed when we arrived, and sometimes only partial sections of trails were open due to snow.
Anyway, I didn't feel like we missed out because there was still a lot to see.
I also decided to do another short and cute route called Mossy Cave Trail, which is at the exit of the park.
Even if you are less of a fan of long walks, there is an easy route that goes between different observation points, and of course with a car you can reach different observation points suitable for sunset or sunrise (but sunrise is best because of the angle of the hillside).
Here you can find all the updates about Bryce Canyon National Park >>
The picture does not show the real beauty of this plave
Zion National Park - Utah
Although I have already seen beautiful cliffs in my life, my jaw still dropped when I arrived at this park.
Let alone the drive to the park entrance, as soon as you enter more and more beautiful parts are discovered.
On our first day there we did a relatively easy and short route called Canyon Overlook, which takes you to a really beautiful observation point on the park.
You can literally see the entire surrounding valley from it, and it is a route that can definitely be suitable for families with children as well.
Unfortunately our time in the park was short due to the weather conditions that were about to arrive, so we only stayed there for about two days.
There are a lot of different trails in the park, and we chose to do a really pretty circular trail called the Upper Emerald Pools Trail.
This route was a bit more difficult than the previous one (longer), but I also think it can really suit anyone.
Here you can find all the updates about Zion National Park here >>
No words to describe...Zion National Park
Arches National Park - Utah
If you come to the Moab area, it is very worthwhile to enter Arches National Park and watch all the cool arches formed in stone.
The place itself is really beautiful even regardless of the arches, and there are different hiking trails of different levels of difficulty that will take you to all kinds of beautiful arches.
We decided to go to the most famous arch, (which also appears on Utah license plates) called Delicate Arch.
And then we made another route to also see Landscape Arch and a few other arches along the route to it.
This moment when the arch suddenly appears is definitely exciting, and don't be shy to walk in different parts of the park because the views are really beautiful all around even without connection to the arches.
Keep in mind that during the high season (spring and fall) this park becomes quite busy, and you will likely have to reserve an entry time slot.
Here you can find more information about Arches National Park and book your entry >>
The famous Delicate Arch
Canyonlands National Park
The truth is that when we were in the park, it didn't seem like a National Park.
Because we arrived in the winter, just after a snowstorm that hit Utah, the hiking trails in the park were completely closed. All of them.
It was a bit annoying to drive all this way and find that everything was closed, but on the other hand, we also needed to rest a bit.
Despite this, I really don't regret that we went there because the drive through the park is simply amazing.
I recommend that you first go to the visitor center and consult which routes should be taken according to the weather conditions.
This park is huge, and there are some magnificent hiking and mountain biking trails that can be explored (when there isn't half a meter of snow :)).
You can find all the updates regarding Canyonlands National Park here >>
Saguaro National Park - Arizona
Although I did not officially enter the grounds of the park, I walked a lot around it and in the area of the city of Tucson.
For me it was really a dream to see the giant cacti of this area, and it is true to see them all over the desert that surrounds the city of Tucson, and even in people's home landscaping!
I think that if you are already in this area, you should really jump into the park and walk among the different routes that exist there (and try to catch some classic sunset of the cactus landscapes).
I think this is one of the least known National Parks, so it was important for me to mention it in this post.
[Note from Malcolm: I lived in Tucson for two years.
This is a really beautiful place to visit, and it often gets overlooked. Next to Tucson is a mountain range called Mt. Lemmon.
It is a really beautiful place to drive, hike, climb, mountain bike, picnic, ski, etc. Regardless of the time of year, there is a place on Mt. Lemmon that has perfect weather.
I also highly recommend exploring the Tanque Verde Falls area. There is a nice river to swim in, a beautiful waterfall and many thousands of beautiful saguaro cacti.]
For all the updates regarding Saguaro National Park, you can find it here >>
Saguaros all around at Saguaro National Park
Tips for visiting national parks in the western US
In this section I will give you some tips on how to prepare for a visit to the national parks.
Entry Costs
If you plan to visit more than two parks, it is already worth buying the annual entrance ticket to the national parks throughout the USA.
Its cost is about 80 dollars, and it allows for a whole car full of people. (For the sake of comparison, entrance to one park costs about 35 dollars).
As mentioned, the card is valid for one year and in my case it was used for two seperate trips around the USA.
The ticket can be purchased at the first park you enter, so there is no need to order it in advance or anything like that.
The ticket covers only the entrance to the park and does not include accommodation.
Hiking at Sequoia National Park
Fuel
There are many parks, such as the Sequoia National Park, which has one (very expensive) gas station in it.
Therefore, I really, really recommend filling a full gas tank before entering the various parks (especially those in California).
Don't forget, everything is bigger in the US. That includes open spaces and parks. Some parks are far away from civilization, and some are quite large and require some driving to get around.
It really sucks to make the whole trip out of the park just to fill up with gas, so it's best to come prepared.
Shuttles
In many parks throughout the US you will find free shuttles to central areas within the park.
When I was in Yosemite, for example, I didn't move the car at all for a whole week and only used shuttles.
This is an excellent way to save fuel and trips with the car and still reach all the worthwhile places.
It is worth asking at the visitor centers if there are shuttles and if it is possible to get the deatails of their schedules and stops.
Prepare yourself for some encounters with animals :)
Lodging
Almost all the parks I mentioned have lodges or camping sites where you can spend the night.
Costs vary according to the different standards, but you can usually expect about $25 for camping per night.
I personally wanted to save these amounts and usually slept for free outside the parks on BLM or National Forest land, or simply stayed in the park in the parking lots of lodges and camping sites and hoped for the best :)
I was never caught. Not even Yosemite.
Food
In many of the parks, especially the big ones like Yosemite and Sequoia, there are a few restaurants. (Yosemite even has pizza, and the most delicious chocolate muffins in the world...!).
In some you can even find little markets with really high prices.
Apart from ice and occasionally to satisfy the hunger for sweets, I usually came prepared in advance with food items for cooking.
Especially if you arrive by car and stay a few nights, it is advisable to stock up on food before entering the parks.
Please note that in many parks it is forbidden to leave food in cars (especially in California), because of the bears that hang around there and tear apart cars that have food in them during the night. No joke, they can rip off the door of your car or break your window :)
Watch out for bears :)
Useful apps for the road
During my trips to these parks there were a few apps that definitely made my life easy.
All of them can be easily found and downloaded in the Apple Store and the Android App Store.
Google Maps
Google Maps is an excellent app for navigation to and in national park in the US.
Please note that the parks do not always have such good cellular reception and it is advisable to download the maps in advance if you use Google Maps.
It still helped me a lot in navigating the car.
Maps Me
I used Maps Me mainly for hiking navigation.
This is an application that I have been traveling with for years, and it allows offline use, so it is excellent for navigation in the wilderness. It also has nice features for hiking which cannot be found on other free map services.
I traveled a lot alone and most of the times I didn't even get lost. (Okay okay, sometimes I got completely lost).
My birthday lake at Olympic National Park
iOverlander
For those traveling with a tent or a vehicle you can sleep in - this is the app that helped me find places to stay throughout the US, and in particular in the national park areas.
It presents a lot of completely free options, as well as paid camping sites.
Thanks to this app, I could plan exactly where I would park my car every night.
NPS
The official app for all US National Parks.
I used this app to find hiking trails, navigate them, read information about the park, and plan my route through the various parks.
In short, it helped me with everything.
Now that you have all information - Go explore :)
Last Words
So this was a slightly more concise post (compared to the rest of the blog), designed to give a general overview of the most worthwhile national parks in the western US.
As I mentioned, I will write extended posts about some of the parks later, so it's worth staying updated.
You are of course welcome to follow me on Instagram, where I upload stories from my trips to the US and other trips around the world, and update you with new posts that go up to the blog. It also helps me a lot to grow and create more content for you :)
Enjoy your trip to these spectacular National Parks!
---
All photos in the post were taken by Malcolm or myself, and may not be used without permission.
I have a confession..
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means that if you book something through them, the prices are the same, AND you are getting me closer towards my first million ;)
My dream is to make a living from this blog, and I hope that while I help you fulfill your travel dreams, you can also help me get closer to my dream.
So if you appreciate the content you read and you trust the value of my recommendations, I would love for you to book your travel reservations through those links.
Enjoy your trip :)
