Condé Nast Traveler: 17 "Best" National Parks

Above, the Phantom Ship in Crater Lake. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

There are 63 national parks within the U.S. national park system. They all vary in attractions and features. 

If one is wondering which ones are the "best" ones, that all depends. One person may find particular parks the best, while another person may totally disagree and come up with a different list.

With that in mind, Condé Nast Traveler has come up with their list of 17 best national parks in the U.S.

They start it with:

The past year-and-a-half has heightened Americans' interest in spending time outdoors—and travelers continue to flock to national parks in record numbers. In fact, the National Park Service’s monthly visitation numbers in 2021 have already exceeded those of 2019 in a number of parks including Grand Teton, Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains, and Acadia. Some parks are even on track to have their highest visitation numbers yet.

But with 63 national parks nationwide, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the country's diverse landscapes. Below, we round up 17 of the very best national parks in the U.S.—from remote and seldom-visited sites, such as The Gates of the Arctic, to classics like Yellowstone that simply can’t be missed.

To see what the 17 are, go here.