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Want to take an outdoor parks adventure but need to narrow down the best national parks to visit in summer? My travels have taken me to some of the most beautiful parts of the US in every season, so I’ve compiled a list perfect for your summer parks bucket list.
Many national parks see better weather and longer days in the summer over any other time of the year — this is the time to go! Summer is also a great time to visit a mountainous park thanks to mild days and cool nights.
Keep reading to get inspired with the best national parks to visit in summer (plus how to qualify for free or discounted rates).
How To Get Free Entry To National Parks
As I mentioned in my Get Outdoors 101 guide (under “How to Afford Getting Outdoors”), there are some national parks that are free, but most will have an entry fee that starts at $20 a person. There are passes, however, that can basically get you into parks for little to nothing!
Here are a variety of annual or lifetime passes that offer free entry for certain groups of people:
- Current US military members, military veterans, and their immediate families
- 4th Graders (starting that school year through the following August)
- Seniors ages 62-years and older
- Those with documented permanent disabilities
- Federal volunteers with 250 service hours
Simply pay a small registration fee for these passes and/or register for these passes online or in person at select locations listed on the National Park Service’s website. If none of these passes apply to you, there’s also the annual pass that pays for itself in just a few park visits each year!
Again, I highly recommend reviewing the affordability segment of my outdoor crash course because you can also get free entry days and tips on low-cost gear.
If you want tips on free camping near national parks, review this post I wrote on it.
The Best National Parks To Visit in Summer
1. Mount Rainier
Washington’s Mount Rainier is stunning any time of the year! But it makes my list as one of the best national parks to visit in the summer for all the fun warm-weather activities. Mount Rainier has it all– hiking, stargazing, scenic gondola rides, and more. There are whole parts of the park that are only free of snow starting at the end of June!
Horseback riding through old-growth forests is a popular summer activity. These guided tours are offered year-round, but you can’t beat the views in the summer. If horseback riding isn’t your thing, there are also some beautiful hikes through Mount Rainier’s picturesque wildflower-covered meadows.
Trails vary in difficulty, from easy to strenuous. And, best of all, summer is the only season that you can camp at the park’s 4 different campsites.
2. Olympic National Park
What first drew me to Seattle’s Olympic National Park was the otherworldly Hoh Rain Forest. I had to see it for myself. It’s one of 3 different temperate rainforests inside the vast national park! Within almost a million acres, there are actually 3 different ecosystems you can visit.
Whether it is a self-guided or a guided tour of Olympic National Park from Seattle, it is a great place to find day hikes of all levels, as well as multi-day hikes.
During the summer, tide pools along the rocky coastline get really low. You can explore the pools and observe cool sea creatures, like anemones and sea stars!
3. Rocky Mountain
Head about an hour northeast of Boulder, Colorado, to visit the Rocky Mountain National Park. Known for its mountainous views, you’ll love the wildflower-covered meadows that occur in the summer!
Hike along the park’s 355 miles of trails, from lakeside strolls to difficult mountain adventures. Keep an eye out for moose, elk, and especially bighorn sheep during the summer months! Horseback riding is also popular from May through September, with several local stables opening on Memorial Day weekend.
4. North Cascades
If you’re an experienced wilderness hiker, you don’t want to miss out on this PNW park! Get out of the heat of the summer and head to mountain elevations and snow-covered trails.
Summer is an ideal time to head to the North Cascades’ Ross Lake. You can boat on the lake, camp, or stay at the seasonal Ross Lake Resort. The resort also rents paddle boats and motorboats to anyone, including day visitors.
5. Yellowstone National Park
Summer is the best time to check out Yellowstone National Park in northern Wyoming. With an average elevation of over 7,000 feet, you can enjoy balmy warm days while you explore the easy-to-navigate park.
Observe grazing bison or check out the park’s naturally occurring hot springs and geysers. You can also take a guided 2-day tour of the entire park along the Southern and Northern Loops.
6. Isle Royale
For lovers of water activities, check out Isle Royale on Lake Superior. Untouched and isolated, you can only get to the park by ferry!
Scuba dive to explore 10 different underwater shipwrecks or do some day hiking at either Windigo or Rock Harbor. For more adventure, explore miles of waterways in a canoe or kayak.
7. Crater Lake, Oregon
Crater Lake in Southern Oregon offers some of the most fascinating geological features in the country. The lake was formed in the crater of a dormant volcano that’s over 7,000 years old!
A popular activity is to take a boat tour of the lake, but it’s only accessible by a strenuous 5-mile hike to the edge of the water along the Cleetwood Cove Trail. Seasonally, you can go camping, stay in cabins, or book a room at the Crater Lake Lodge.
8. The Grand Tetons
Just south of Yellowstone is the Grand Tetons Mountain Range. It’s one of the best national parks to visit in July. Before then, parts of the park are still closed due to snowy conditions!
Go rafting down Snake River, enjoy a hot air ballon ride, or spend the day in the town of Moose. Here you can head to the park visitor’s center or take self-guided tours through historic districts. The Grand Tetons are also a popular destination for mountain climbers all year round.
9. Glacier Bay
While the main attraction in Glacier Bay in southern Alaska is the famous glaciers, there are also stunning fjords and sprawling rainforests. It’s one of the best national parks to visit in August when the warmest temperatures hover in the 60s.
Only during the summer, you can go on kayaking tours, either for the day or overnight. For hikers, Bartlett Cove is the only area in the park with trails, from 1 to 10 miles long.
10. Voyageurs National Park
Voyageurs National Park in northern Minnesota is a wonderland of hardwood forests, lakes, rivers, and rocky cliffs. The parkland is an important part of the history of the Ojibwe people.
During the summer you can find all kinds of historical exhibits at the park’s visitor’s centers. Summer also allows you the opportunity to rent a houseboat. It’s a popular thing to do because they don’t limit the number of houseboats on the lake!
11. Acadia National Park
You can find Acadia National Park on Main’s Mount Desert Island. While summers at Acadia can get crowded, there’s a reason why it’s considered one of the best national parks to visit in the summer. You can’t beat the attraction!
Horseback riding and hiking are popular pastimes at the park with hundreds of miles of trails. You can enjoy 2 botanical gardens or swim at Sand Beach. During the summer, you can also attend educational programs held by the Wabanaki people at the Abbe Museum.
12. Shenandoah
A little over an hour outside of Washington, D.C., in Virginia, is Shenandoah National Park. You have over 200,000 acres of woodland, waterfalls, caverns, and more.
You can hike here all year round, but in the summer, twilight hiking is a unique experience! Stay at Big Meadows Lodge for some cozy cabin vibes and a relaxing place to take in the night sky.
13. Great Smoky Mountains
Deep in the mountains of Tennessee and North Carolina is the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Enjoy hundreds of the park’s well-worn trails or backcountry hikes. The Smokies is one of the best national parks to visit in June when it comes to hiking.
You’ll love the lush green views, and to cool off, there are lots of swimming opportunities! Take the Trillium Gap Trail to see the 25-foot-tall Grotto Falls. There’s also a variety of camping opportunities for every kind of outdoor experience.
14. Badlands
The Badlands in South Dakota is one of those places that you can know about, but you won’t understand until you see it in person. It’s an experience to gaze over vast horizons full of ancient geological deposits that show the age of the earth itself.
This is one of the best national parks to visit in summer because you can enjoy exploring the variety of hiking trails with relatively mild summer weather. As you walk along, read educational markers to learn all about the history of the land.
15. Redwood National Park
I’ll never forget my trip to the Redwood National Park in Northern California. We hiked Fern Canyon and had a great time. The whole area just feels so alive, untamed, and absolutely beautiful.
The park has tons of trails, from easily accessible to very strenuous trails that are not for the faint of heart. In the summer, it’s warm enough to explore the tide pools along the beach for starfish. In July, stop by the Jedediah Smith Campgrounds to observe renewal dances by the Tolowa and the Yurok tribes.
16. Sequoia National Park
Continuing south, next on my list of the best national parks to visit in summer is Sequoia National Park. It’s less than 2-hours east of Fresno. This national park really is “The Land of Giants!”
You will feel tiny walking through the immense, old sequoia groves. If you just have a day, definitely enjoy the walking paths throughout the park. Summer makes for a great time camping at one of the dozens of campgrounds run by the Rocky Mountain Recreation Company.
17. Yosemite
About 2-hours east of Modesto, California, you’ll find Yosemite National Park. This is one of the most famous nature preserves in the US. It’s also one of the busiest, with free permits to enter the park from May through September.
You can swim in most of the lakes inside Yosemite during the summer. There are also guided day and multi-day rock climbing. Don’t forget to explore some of Yosemite’s hiking trails for more views of the park.
18. New River Gorge
Ironically, West Virginia’s New River Gorge is one of the oldest rivers on the continent! You can see the way the river carved its way through the land around it. Enjoy stunning views of the river with a variety of park amenities.
You can go whitewater rafting on the New River starting in April. At the visitor centers, they offer guided tours led by knowledgeable park rangers. You can also take the African American Heritage Tour, a self-guided auto tour. You’ll learn about the Black working community of the New River Gorge area.
19. Kenai Fjords
I had to include Alaska’s Kenai Fjords on my list of best national parks to visit in summer. Alaska is the perfect climate for those looking to get out of the heat and still explore the great outdoors.
Take a boat tour of the fjords or hike the strenuous Harding Icefield Trail. Summer is an ideal time to enter the freezing water. Experienced paddlers can take kayaks out for an up-close view of the glaciers!
20. Denali National Park
Further north in Alaska is the giant Denali National Park. The 6-million-acre park has just 1 main road running through it. The vast ruggedness of the land is appealing to experienced adventurists.
Backpacking in the Denali wilderness is popular all year, but especially in the summer. If a day walk is more your thing, you can attend a guided nature walk by heading to the Denali Visitor Center.
What National Park Should You Visit This Summer?
Give yourself a break from the sweltering heat of the desert and head north. Enjoy lush ferns, mossy rocks, icy glaciers, and vast mountain ranges! Get in the water and take in nature on your summer adventures.
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