5 National Park Road Trips To Take This Summer

Summer is the perfect time for a road trip, whether you’re taking the kids on a new adventure or going on a romantic getaway with your significant other. The hardest part is coming up with a destination, but luckily there are over 400 national parks to choose from, which means you just need to narrow down your pick by choosing a region of the United States. There are many historic and recreational lands amongst these parks, so you can visit more than one place in one go if you plan correctly.

If you need some help planning your vacation, consider going to one of these five national park getaways.

1. Northern California

Head to the northern part of the West Coast for the ultimate taste of multiple national parks. Start in San Francisco and traverse the famous Pacific Coast Highway, and make sure to check out the Point Reyes National Seashore and the Redwood National and State Parks.

2. Joshua Tree And Grand Canyon

If you’re a fan of the desert climate, this one is for you. Begin at Joshua Tree National Park in the Mojave desert, located in Southern California. Continue east through Death Valley National Park, eventually making your way to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, where you’ll see one of the most spectacular sites in the world.

3. Colorado Rockies

Get a comprehensive tour of Colorado with this ultimate road trip. Check out the grandeur of the Rocky Mountains at Rocky Mountain National Park and make your way down south to Mesa Verde National Park, where you can check out stone villages in alcoves of canyon walls. You’ll pass a plethora of other national parks and wildlife refuges along the way.

4. Culture Of The South

If you’re not as much a fan of the great outdoors, consider taking a historical tour of the south. Begin at Big Bend National Park in Texas, making your way to the New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, only to find yourself at Martin Luther King’s birthplace in Atlanta.

5. Cape Cod

If you want a quintessential summer trip, you might want to consider a drive on the Atlantic coast. Start in Boston and make your way to Cape Cod, which is only 110 kilometers from the city. The drive is filled with quaint beach towns and rural scenery, and you can even take a ferry over to Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard for more beaches and harbor towns that’ll provide you with stunning views.

Photo by TimOve