U.S. National Park Tier List
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- Опубліковано 15 січ 2022
- Tier lists are always fun and infuriating at the same time, so here's mine! This is a tier list for all of the national parks in the United States (except two that I haven't been to). Where do all of the parks rank? Let's find out!
I hope you enjoy the list, even though there are some controversial choices.
you should also do a top florida state parks list! for us floridians :)
I'm glad someone made a list without feeling they have to dunk on the bad parks and throwing shade at crowded/ hard to get to parks. Great video : )
Thanks! I actually saw one tier list that complained about both crowds and inaccessibility and it kind of bothered me. I just don’t think it’s fair to hold either of those against a park experience as if there has to be a perfect middle ground for a park to be good.
I just think the sheer scale of Gates of the Arctic is incredible. No civilization, just amazing nature. The brooks range and the arrigetch peaks are gorgeous
Excellent point. I know I didn’t truly experience backpacking in the park, but the flight seeing did allow me to see stunning mountains and it is an amazing park. I just love so many others.
You definitely need to see more of Capitol Reef - it is way underrated. It has a lot of variety and unique elements. Everything from stunning cliff views, canyons, unique rock formations, and arches / bridges. Navajo Knobs is one of my favorite hikes in all of Utah. I personally enjoyed Capitol Reef more than Arches because it was a lot less crowded.
I'm an absolutely rookie when it comes to national parks, having only been to big bend and rocky mountain national park but man am I glad to see a big bend appreciator. Beautiful park that never feels too crowded. Also the most beautiful night sky I've ever seen. Awesome park.
It is an absolutely stunning place.
I've been so bust the past few months I have to catch up on your videos :) Love this video Eric and I love how you base it on your experience as well as personal preferences. After watch almost all of your biases it was fun to predict where you would place these. Great job as always !!
Thanks! It’s great to see your comments again.
Great list!
Here is my list of the parks I have visited:
1. Glacier NP - Fantastic scenery and wildlife. Hikes are the best.
2. Zion NP - Jaw dropping! Love the colors, and The Narrows are the most unique and one of the most special hikes I have ever done.
3. Yellowstone - Unique and very diverse. I typically gravitate towards the northeast side (Lamar Valley and mountains) more than the thermal features. When combined with the Beartooth Highway near the northeast entrance it is truly special mountain heaven.
4. Grand Canyon - The grand views! Have done some hiking, but only a couple miles from the rim. Need to hike farther down the canyon.
5. Bryce Canyon - Only spent a short amount of time here but it impressed me a lot. I loved the intimate scale and how close a person is to the scenery.
6. Theodore Roosevelt - Local to my state and the one I visit the most often. Not the most "wow", but for sure the most peaceful and relaxing.
7. Arches - Beautiful desert scenery.
8. Grand Tetons - I highly recommend hiking into the canyons. It gives a total different experience than just driving past looking at the mountains.
9. Death Valley - Visited a couple times, both in mid summer. The extreme heat is part of the charm I like (in short bursts). Walking on the sand dunes early in the morning with the long shadows and patterns in the sand make for excellent photo opportunities.
10. Crater Lake - Visit was short and limited. The lake and colors are surreal. Went swimming in the lake too, was really cool (and cold).
11. Redwoods NP - Got a sore neck from looking up at trees in this park. The redwoods are amazing, but scenery is not as diverse as the parks above.
12. Badlands - Nice scenery, but not too special to me. The ND badlands appeal more to me.
New park I plan on visiting this year:
- Voyageurs
Repeat visits planned this year:
- Theodore Roosevelt
- Yellowstone
- Glacier
- Zion
I gravitate towards mountains and canyons.
Highest ones on my wish list:
- Rainier
- Olympic
- North Cascades
- Haleakala
- Yosemite
- Acadia (in the fall)
Sorry for the long comment - I am seriously suffering from a case of "I need to be on a hiking trail right now".
Thanks for watching and sharing your list! I’m happy you enjoyed the video.
A word of advice for Rainier, Olympic, and North Cascades. Go as late in the summer as you can. We went at the beginning of June not thinking much about snow because we’re from Mississippi and it’s been 90 for a month by June. We were greatly limited in the hikes we could do because there was 30ft of snow in some places and even snowed on us two times. Still my favorite trip I’ve ever taken and still got to do some great hikes just not all the ones I want.
Also in the North Cascades, do not be afraid to look for hikes outside of the park. The actual park is kinda small (with some great hikes) but there are so many more around the park. We did Lake 22. It was a great hike with a great alpine lake at the end!
Hey! A word of advice for voyageurs as an MN native. Go in late September if you can. The ticks and mosquitoes will be gone but there won't be any snow yet. Also, the autumn colors are one of the best things about the state. If you do end up going in late spring/summer, bring a thin long sleeve shirt for mosquito protection, and wear white pants or shorts so you can see ticks before they crawl up past your legs. If you cover your shoes in bug spray you probably will only see a couple if any so I'd definitely recommend bug spray. And if you go in early spring/winter? Don't bother.
Acadia in the fall is magical, and it was especially nice because we could bring our dogs with us, one of the only parks where they’re allowed.
@@dustingroover3185 Good to now! Didn’t have a dog 9 months ago when I made my list, but now have a cutie who we’ve taken boating, hiking, biking…so Acadia sounds great!
Finally some love for Teddy! I live in ND and it’s always great telling people from out of state that there are thousands of prairie dogs, hundreds of bison, mountain rams, Longhorns, deer, rattlesnakes, hawks, eagles, and even the occasional porcupine that you can see in just one visit! Bonus points for the landscape looking like you can make it as a background for an Alien landscape type of movie!
Teddy is stunning! Glad to find another fan of it.
@@howarddamico1237 The bison at TRNP are hanging out everywhere, even amongst the cars at the parking lot of the eastern entrance (South Section). My son and I had to interrupt a couple of hikes and take big detours because the bison were in the middle of the trails.
Im at teddy Roosevelt right now! (I went online to see how good it was 😁)
Thanks for great insight. Valuable perspective. Definitely an excellent trip planning resource.
That means a lot. Thank you so much.
As a fellow native Floridian, I was also underwhelmed by Everglades and Biscayne, especially compared to FL state parks. Bahia Honda, Honeymoon Island, Payne's Prairie and Blue Springs (Volusia) easily beat the national parks in FL in my experience. Similarly, Congaree seems like a lot of inland FL state parks with large amounts of cypress groves and boardwalks.
Paynes Prairie represent! I absolutely love that place. Thanks for watching the video!
First of all love your videos. I just gotta advocate for Cuyahoga Valley a bit haha. Of course it can’t be anything above C tier really, but I had an amazing time there. I saw SO much wildlife it was just everywhere. Saw three beavers, one was building a dam. Saw bald eagles, a snapping turtle, snakes, deer, herons, muskrats, and more. The ledges trail is super fun, walking alongside those strangely colored rocks was unforgettable. But to me what really makes it worthy of national park status is its theme of nature reclaiming the land. There are countless of examples of this in the park. The Cuyahoga River was once so polluted that it literally caught fire. I kayaked 7 miles of it and you could never have known that from how it is today. Tons of wildlife.
The Erie Canal is another great example. Today the Erie Canal in the park is basically a long swamp with so much wildlife.
Like I said, it obviously can’t be that highly ranked compared to the other parks, but to me it might be the most underrated
Thanks for your input! I’m happy to here that you got to see wildlife and some good scenery at Cuyahoga. I’m always happy to hear that somebody has a great experience at a park I don’t like as much as others.
I really enjoyed Cuyahoga Valley too, the fall season helped a lot. It has the same kind nostalgic energy as Indiana Dunes.
Most controversial choice imo is putting Great Smoky Mountains at the bottom. Not to change your mind, it’s your list, but which hikes did you complete there? And what season did you go in? Despite placing it in my B tier, I agree that its crowds & foggy conditions can make it tougher to enjoy. Great video.
Thanks for your input! I agree that the Smokies at the bottom is a controversial choice. I went in summer because we were passing through on the way to visit family and did hikes such as Clingmans Dome and mostly hikes less than 2 miles. I do need to give the park another chance for sure, but for now I can’t put it very high.
@@NationalParkWildIf you visit again in Summer, I’d say Alum Cave Trail to Mt. LeConte & back (11mi RT) or just Alum Cave Trail to Alum Cave Bluffs & back (4.4mi RT) are great longer hikes. My favorite all-around hike there.
Clingman’s Dome is known for almost always being foggy, which is a downside.
Two other hikes I’d recommend are Abrams Falls (5.2mi RT), & Grotto Falls (2.6mi RT).
Do *not* swim in water though for Abrams Falls bc there’s been cases of deaths unfortunately from strong currents.
Abrams is most voluminous waterfall in park, & Grotto is only waterfall you can walk behind in park.
@@NationalParkWild I would also add Charlie's Bunion as a good hike. 4 miles out and back (so 8 total technically). One of my favorite hikes, but very brutal. Ramsey Cascades and Chimney tops are also really good.
I can understand why people west of the Mississippi like the Smokies because they have nothing like it out there but as someone who grew up in NY and now lives in Tennessee? It's not really spectacular compared to anything else around here that's a lot less crowded. Want to go see something like Cadies Cove but with alot less people? Head up the Cumberland Plateau to Crab Orchard and check out Grassy Cove which is larger and ALOT less crowded
@@AdamSmith-gs2dv As someone West of the Mississippi I look at it the opposite way. Great Smoky is beautiful and cool....but the scale and majesty is so much below the Western parks. Bigger isn't always better, but sometimes it is 😀
While I understand the Smokey Mountain hate, it really opens up with a multiday hike off the beaten path. It’s so huge, you can find something few have seen.
But there’s no views! It’s just a tree canopy and no sense of adventure! What are you hiking for or to do? The only places you can see views, you can see PARKING LOTS of surrounding towns.
Even if you get into “deep forest” it’s just not compelling
@@malaquiasalfaro81 lol hike the BT trail and you'll come across balds with view to the horizon, waves and waves of blue mountains. (Blue Ridge). I've camped up peaks with no one up there. Extremely peaceful. Also Smokys in the fall compares to any scenery out west.
@@malaquiasalfaro81 then go fly to Utah or whatever. Sometimes, people can’t get out for a week+ trip
@@thearchivist250 you’re right most people can’t. That’s a perfect reason to preserve the nature around you rather than overdevelop the paths and surrounding areas.
Love this video, I come back to it every once in a while for some reason
I appreciate that.
Mammoth I think stands above a lot of your C tier picks. Cave features and fauna, fantastic tours, expansive, with a huge amount of revisit value. Very underrated gem.
Great list overall, makes this East Coast guy want to pull the trigger on going on an adventure out west.
I was looking at visiting the parks in Alaska and was trying to forgot how to plan it and how much the plane rides were if you can get me some insight please. Also for covering Puerto Rico and the other parts of the islands
Plane rides to Katmai and Lake Clark can cost between $1000-2000 round trip. Plane rides to Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk, especially Kobuk are considerably more because of how remote they are.
Great video keep up the good work!!!
Thank yo so much!
Any plans to check out Acadia soon? I live in New England and have been to Acadia the most of any national park, it’s absolutely beautiful and has some gorgeous coastal views. A little touristy in parts, but the scenery more than makes up for it. I’d love to see your future ranking of that.
I actually will be going to the park next month, so I'm excited to see where it will rank.
I just finished a trip to Acadia. It would be in very high B tier or very low A tier. It’s pretty much the boundary between the tiers.
@@NationalParkWild That’s about what I’d rate it too, that’s awesome. Glad you enjoyed it!
Interesting list! Everyone has their own opinions, of course, so it's interesting to see which ones make the top tier and what your criteria are.
The North Cascades rank as one of my top parks (beating out even the Utah Big 5 IMO!). It is the backcountry hiking that is most inviting here. Highway 20 is pretty lovely but nothing outstanding (Olympic has similar peaks in terms of grandeur, plus absolutely stunning beaches). But just taking a few days out in the wilderness - you truly get to appreciate how jagged and tremendous the mountain peaks are. The hundreds of waterfalls are a bonus.
Your ranking is really fun and I think you put some really nice underrated picks where they deserve to be! As a Canadian I will always love hopping over the border to visit Glacier from Waterton Lakes. My father wasn't too excited about Glacier when we first took a visit (he thought it would be a worse Banff/Jasper/Yoho), but it's one of his favourites now.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and compliments. I would love another shot at North Cascades if I got the chance.
Hey man, I'm planning a trip out west and need some assistance choosing a state (and in turn, a park). I am not going to California this time, and have never been to a national park before. Just wondering if you have one in specific that you thing is ideal for first-time national park guests (and is in western US)
If you are going in spring or basically any time other than summer, I think Utah is the absolute best candidate. It is amazing and will give you a great feel for the parks but Utah can get very popular in summer. If you do go in summer, I feel that you will get a lot out of Washington state with its 3 great parks that are either quiet or large enough that they don’t feel crowded. I hope this helps and I hope you have fun!
I am planning to go west via Amtrak and see a few national parks I have not visited. This is why I really liked this video and well done and loved how you tried to be unbiased. Your descriptions helped me decide to go to Olympic, Zion and Bryce. I won’t likely visit Theodore Roosevelt and instead maybe North Cascades and if possible now Lassen Volcanic. I wonder about weather in early November at Olympic. Perhaps rating parks by weather when you visit would help decide also. Among parks I visited I highly rated Canyonlands as best among Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier and Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountains. Your video encouraged me to go to Alaska in future and perhaps Big Bend in Texas
Thank you for your comment. Im happy my style of national park review was able to help you plan a trip.
Nice list!
Thanks, Marc!
Great video!
Denali being a top teir park is a more than solid choice. I've been working here this summer and I've never fallen in love with a place more than Denali anywhere on the entire planet. It's just really special here, words can't capture it.
I’m thinking about working there in the summer as well. Would you recommend driving there, or can you get around without a car?
Hey appreciate the love for Saguaro. I’ve lived near the west end of the park my whole life and have a lot of great memories going behind the mountains and just vibing out there. Definitely underrated and I hope more people come visit 🤙🏼
Absolutely! It’s a wonderful place that really impressed me.
Saguaro is unique as has 2 parts on either side of Tuscon and each have their own differences as to the cacti and other plant life. I was there in Sept. 2022 and the temp about 100F so the wildlife wasn't around much, likely hiding from the sun.
Fun list, and I admire anyone who's visited most of the NP's! I've been to 13 so far, mostly out West, and just returned from Joshua Tree. I'll advocate it and say it surpassed my expectations. The sunrise at Cholla Cactus Garden is super cool, as the cacti all "glow" in the sun and are fun to photograph with due to the varied shapes. The sunset at Keys View is a stunner, with lots of mountain ridges/ranges in sight, the vast Salton Sea to the north, and the wind is crazy but kinda fun lol. The sunset skies here were beautiful.
But my favorite hikes were Ryan Mountain and Hidden Valley, both were really fun and a good challenge.
Joshua Tree is unique IMO due to its gnarly fauna and endless bouldering/rock scrambling. The rocks have a great sticky surface, so you feel like Spider-Man climbing and it makes the hikes fun. As for the Joshua trees, I found them to be interesting and unique.
Great hiking, good wildlife, six mountain ranges, the distinct differences between the two deserts (drive from the South to West entrance and you'll see the change), unique palm oases (which may be better in Palm Springs - Andreas Canyon rocks!), and sweet rocks. This park has a ton to offer!
But you ranking Saguaro ahead of it makes me curious to visit that one, now that I hold Joshua Tree in high regard.
That sounds like a great visit to Joshua Tree. Saguaro has beautiful wildlife, sunsets, and night skies.
Love learning more about our national parks! What was the hiking trail you loved in Lake Clark???
It’s called Tanalian Mountain, and it’s amazing.
I can appreciate your opinion but Capitol Reef on the bottom? Did you take the hike to Hickman Bridge? Or drive Capitol Gorge?
I did not. When I go back, I will certainly reassess.
I’ve got serious love for Pinnacles National Park. Easily one of my top ten favorites although I haven’t quite visited as many as you. Cheers!
Pinnacles is great! If you go there expecting a Yellowstone you’ll be disappointed, but if you go there in fall or spring it’s one of the most pleasant, peaceful places to hike
Absolutely! I just went back to the park a week ago and loved the scenery, hikes, and snakes.
I'm originally from the area Pinnacles is located in. I love the area and pinnacles dearly, but I was pretty confused when it got designated as a NP. The confusion comes from the fact there's even more fantastic and in my opinion better parks and scenery very nearby, namely Big Sur and Big Basin State Parks.
you need to go back to capitol reef again the park is astonishing but you have to bring a high clearance 4x4 vehicle and do your research as it isn't as easy to just show up and find all the good stuff do to its massive size, strange shape and ruggedness, there's only two paved roads in the whole park. if you go back make sure you do pleasant creek and keep your eyes pilled for petroglyphs they're all along the creeks canyon walls, Cassidy arch, kohab canyon, and last but not least sulpher creek the park is honestly so big there's way more to do these are just some of my favorites near the visitor center thats not even getting in to cathedral valley or the notom road area.
Absolutely. I would love to go back some day.
Just went to Shenandoah and New River Gorge. The appalachian mountain range is scenic but as you have said East best is closer to west worst. Skyline drive is nice, and the hiking was enjoyable. New River Gorge I thought had better scenery. The bridge was solid, the drive down to the river and back up was good. Some solid hikes there as well. Sunset was great. Overall they were solid but would rank them near the bottom half.
Agreed. Both are beautiful, especially New River Gorge for me, but I do prefer a lot of western parks.
The east simply sucks...I know about it...I live in Florida!
The west is the peak of beauty in USA!
@@towardsheaven4196 I don't disagree. I'm trying to show my kids all 50 states and all 63 national parks. Therefore when they are young I'm showing them the east. As they get older and are able to explore more, we will head west. One can argue though, the goals I have are not great as heading west for every vacation might be more enjoyable.
@@cooperstravels5725 Good idea. We took a trip to Alaska and visited parks as we drove back to the lower 48. After the experiences in Alaska, they found Glacier National Park underwhelming.
Where would you put New River Gorge?
I like the park, but it would have to go in C Tier. I found the bridge and some of the scenery beautiful, but because I love so many parks it’s only my #46 out of 61. Also, thanks for checking out this channel.
I take it you’ve been there before?
Fun video! Everyone will have their own opinions on which are best. I really love voyageurs as I am a huge canoeist. But like you said, if your into hiking it’s probably not going to be the best by any means. It really all depends on what you are into.
Thanks! Voyageurs certainly is a nice park and for certain activities it is among the best.
Can you put together a final graphic that can be saved? Or better yet create an app that does what you did so we could make our own rankings 😃
I can get you the link to the tier list template in a few hours. If not, search up “national park tier list” online and you can probably find it.
I have been to many western national parks and gone on lots of hiking trails, I live in a very rural area next to state forests and nationals and I LOVE CUYAHOGA. I went to it for a day and enjoyed it so much… Glacier is still the best though. 😅😂 ALSO I AM ON A FRIENDS DEVICE I DO NOT OWN THIS UA-cam CHANNEL MINE IS SCENIC SHORTS.
Olympic NP is stunning also the nearby Lake Crescent is worth a visit
So funny because no one talks about lake Cresent but it's the best part
I'm going to Cuyahoga Valley next week and wanted to see where it stacked up. Dang...
Don’t let this dictate your thoughts on the park. Everybody has different experiences and you might love the park.
@@NationalParkWildmy wife and I went to Acadia and now she wants to see them all lol... Hard living on the East Coast. It's part of a larger road trip so if it's not amazing it's no biggie. We were going to be driving through the area anyway!
In my life, I have been in 27 of the 'Capital N, Capitol P' National Parks as one ranger called them. I generally agree with your evaluations for the ones I have been in. Yes, your experience can vary due to numbers of visitors around, weather, if all areas open, the adjacent communities. Some seemed to be designated as NP's due to politics, close to cities and really closer to Recreational Areas.
All very true.
Just finished my trip at the big bend, it absolutely exceeded my expectation. I was so surprised by the diversity of landscapes. The canyons and Emory peak were stunning. I do want to comment that it’s a little unfair to rank white sands if you didn’t even get in, and for Guadalupe if you didn’t do the peak trail, which is pretty much the essence of the park. Guadalupe peak, in my opinion, is better than Emory Peak, it’s absolutely splendid. White sands is definitely a solid B to me, simply because it’s rare and unique. The only other major white sand desert is in Mexico which is decaying. I think you will change your mind after you learned the underground water and incredible wildlife in the park. I’m also not a huge fan of the smoky mountains, but I think it deserves C lol
I’m so happy you enjoyed Big Bend. You are correct in saying that some parks were at a disadvantage because I didn’t see or do much in some of them, but I did want to at least mention them and I tried to give reason for low rankings. Also, when I give Smokies another chance, the parks will probably get to C or even B tier, but the western scenery is far more impressive than the forested mountains to me.
@@NationalParkWild I totally agree with you! I am from the Midwest and none of the eastern national parks really impressed me maybe except Congaree. I left a comment because your appreciation of the big bend resonated with me, and it's a pity that you weren't fond of Guadalupe and white sands, which are better than most of the eastern parks. Guadalupe is, like big bend, grossly underrated due to its remote location. You will have to hike the peak trail and tell me if youd still rate it as D tier :p. For white sands, if you were to visit again, def go with the ranger tour to learn the geographic/sustainable aspects of the park. also I thought you are a 40/50-year-old to be able to travel so much until I found you're only 17. I wish my parents were more supportive of my traveling when I was a teen lol
@@mingperfunctory3210 I’ll definitely go back one day and I’m sure the parks will get better with every new visit. Thanks again for your appreciation.
As a person who Loves the Great Smoky Mountains, You're kinda right about the Fog and Crowds, it's really Annoying.
Shenandoah, Rocky Mountains, Theodore Roosevelt, Acadia, and Zion, are by far My Favorite National Parks.
I've never been to Yellowstone, after that Flood though, I don't know what it's going to be like when I go.
I honestly liked all the old buildings more than the nature at Smoky Mountains. Is it nice? Yes. But as someone who's grown up in the northeast my entire life it's nothing spectacular and there are plenty of state parks in Tennessee that have better nature and are not nearly as crowded as the Smokies
I love Kings Canyon NP. Doing the Mist Falls trail in 104 heat during the summer is one of my favorite NP memories. I truly believe it deserves A tier. I think that it is in fact better than Sequoia.
I’d love to go back one day.
I wish I went to as many National Parks as you have.
I will say I haven’t been to Voyageurs, but I have been to the Mississippi Headwaters state park in Minnesota. (Where the Mississippi River begins)
When you describe your experience with ticks at Voyageurs, I got reminded of the ticks at the Headwaters. They were BRUTAL! I was wearing blue jeans and after visiting, I found a tick on my ankle. (In long jeans)
I think the problem is with Minnesota for how short the summer is, the ticks in the wildlife are even more vicious than normal. They don’t get another opportunity to feed so they are doing it like their life depends on it. It is a theory so don’t take it as fact as I’m not a scientist.
However I would love to go to a National Park with you! (I’m planning a trip to Arcadia in the near future so I’ll tell you how Arcadia is!)
I’m actually also going to Acadia this summer! I’m interested to see how each of us feel about it.
@@NationalParkWild I don’t know if we are going to Arcadia this summer or next year. It depends on Covid and my California trip.
@@NationalParkWild I seem to visit more state parks than National Parks. I mean it is easier for me to go to local state parks in Indiana than traveling large distances. (Even though Indiana Dunes is in my home state, I still haven’t been. Maybe my parents are protecting me from it…)
@@roxynano it’s nothing to travel out of the way for. In fact, I’d say Indiana Dunes is hardly worth going to if you are nearby except for those who want to go to every park.
@@NationalParkWild Going to every park is a good goal.
Glad The smoky Mountain NP was ranked so low. It is WAY overhyped, and it’s remarkably ugly due to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg. People freak out and block up the road over seeing a single deer (which are not even uncommon in East TN) and sometimes people even stop IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD to just stare at barely a mountain.
Really gret presentation!
I only didn't see probably the smallest but so bright gewel: "Antelope Canyon" ... A part of an other one? And the well known "Horseshoe Bend"... assimilate to an other one?
Thank you! Antelope Canyon and Horseshoe Bend are both beautiful, but they are not national parks.
@@NationalParkWild So beautyful country you have. We went in the South West last september and are frustrated to have passed too quickly. Can't wait to go back. One big frustration you can perhaps resolve: to inform the people about the obligation to reservate the day of your visit in some parks... In spite of the entrance card the entrance of Arch and the Yosemite stayed closed for us. After driving 5 hours for the 1st one and 10 for the other one you can imagine our frustration. Only because we didn't know.
I have a strong desire to visit Hot Springs NP, and I think people tend to judge it on the wrong merits. It's beyond ridiculous to compare it with Yellowstone,Teton, Zion or Grand Canyon. It's by no means a "wildlife viewing" experience. Neither hiking nor camping is the attraction. There's no "wow factor," but that's not the point. A lot of the appeal is to fans of American history. Still, the real point is to enjoy a soak, as generations have, both for recreation and the water's purported medicinal qualities. It may not be what many NP enthusiasts are looking for, but it doesn't belong with foolhardy additions to the system like Cuyahoga, Gateway Arch, and Indiana Dunes. Hot Springs is a testament to the diversity of the park system. It may be unpopular, but I'd make the case for a strong C-tier.
I see your point, but in a list of national parks I am practically required to compare it to the other parks in the NPS. I can get behind a higher rating for it, but it is tough to judge on the same metric as some others as you said.
@@NationalParkWild Keep in mind, my comment wasn't entirely based upon your ratings, which were very well reasoned, and, as you acknowledged, often based upon personal preferences. Reading a lot of ranking lists, I see Hot Springs pretty consistently in the bottom 5, if not bottom 2 or 3 parks. I get it, but wanted to provide reasons why some would disagree with this seeming consensus. That said, for me, the proof will be in the visit. I hope to get out to Arkansas one of these days, but there are many parks I'd really love to see first (namely, many of the Alaskans, Glacier, and Big Bend.) Way closer to home, Dry Tortugas NP is pretty high up on my list, too.
Imo zion is my fav incredible hikes there
Awesome! It is definitely one of the best.
About King's Canyon: most of it is designated as wilderness focused on back & mule packing and preserving the High Sierra. It's not a "drive-thru"/ "amusement" park. While there's a few amazing sights along the roads, unless you're hiking (John Muir, PCT, Sierra High Route, Mt. Whitney), you're not going to see it's "raison d'etre".
Channel Islands: if you can take a rudimentary scuba class, diving the kelp forests is a "face of God" moment on par with the walking the Redwoods.
Thanks for the tips! I may check those things out when I go back to those parks.
You definitely have to go back to kings canyon in the summer. We hiked up the mist falls trails and it was one of the most beautiful sceneries I’ve seen in my life.
I will one day, I promise.
Good list overall. My only philosophical difference would be in rating parks lower just because you haven't seen much of them--I'd argue the opposite of you, that it's better to just not rate them than to punish them in such a way.
Otherwise, my own interpretation of the tiers you've established would be: S, best of the best; A, truly remarkable places; B, places that I really enjoyed and would take any opportunity to visit again; C, places that were nice enough but that I don't have any real desire to return to; and D, places that just plain should not be national parks to begin with. Also, I'm a photographer, so my personal ratings fall hard in the direction of scenic wonder. I also truly value remoteness and a lack of crowding, which is why Lassen Volcanic, Great Basin, and Theodore Roosevelt score as highly for me as they do while Glacier and Zion get bumped down from the top level. In that sense, here's my ratings of the parks I've been to (not as many as you, most obviously missing all of the Alaskan parks):
D)
Cuyahoga Valley
Gateway Arch
Hot Springs
Indiana Dunes
C)
Black Canyon of the Gunnison
Haleakala
Pinnacles
Saguaro
Everglades
Mammoth Cave
Petrified Forest
Shenandoah
Guadalupe Mountains
New River Gorge
B)
Arches
Canyonlands
Crater Lake
Sequoia
Carlsbad Caverns
Great Sand Dunes
Virgin Islands
Badlands
Joshua Tree
Kings Canyon
Mesa Verde
Redwood
Capitol Reef
White Sands
A)
Big Bend
Glacier
Zion
Bryce Canyon
Lassen Volcanic
Mount Rainier
Rocky Mountain
Theodore Roosevelt
Great Basin
Great Smoky Mountains
S)
Grand Canyon
Grand Teton
Yellowstone
Yosemite
Death Valley
Olympic
And for what it's worth, Yellowstone is also the clear top park for me, followed by either Grand Teton or Death Valley or Olympic, depending on my mood. :)
Thank you. I understand what you mean, but I've always felt that it is good to be honest about visiting a park but not fully experiencing it. I get that some might not watch the entire explanation and that could be bad, so I appreciate the advice.
@@NationalParkWild I suppose one possible option for that would be to have another "tier" of sorts, one where you say "These are parks that I've been to but not experienced enough yet to really give them a full rating." You could still mention anything that you particularly liked or disliked about them during your brief time in them.
Oh, and I forgot to mention--I agree with you that it's kind of frustrating at Petrified Forest for the park to close so early. I hate that, but I understand why they feel it's necessary, to try to cut down on theft of the petrified wood. Sort of similar to the situation at White Sands although for completely different reasons--there the park is on the edge of a missile range, and they don't want hordes of people wandering about at all hours. Understandable, but it does take away from the experience of the place.
@@rickramsey4134 that is a good idea. I appreciate the advice and I also thank you for explaining the reason for the early closure at Petrified Forest.
You absolutely need to spend some time in North Cascades. I've done 35 parks so far incl. Yellowstone, Tetons, Yosemite, several Alaska parks, etc. and North Cascades slides in my Top 5. The lakes are simply incredible, and the hiking there is elite too.
I have some great news, I’ll be going back next month for a proper visit. I’m very excited about it.
@@NationalParkWild Excellent... i think you'll see exactly why i love it so much
I agree with the Smokies, if you want the Smokies experience without all the crappy tourists go to the Adirondacks in NY it's literally no different except it's not a "National Park"
I’m glad you agree about the Smokies. Adirondacks look beautiful and I’d love to visit them.
@@NationalParkWild It's very similar to the Smokies but its bigger and is not ruined by tourists (yes Lake George and Lake Placid are touristy but you can easily avoid them). That's the main thing I didn't like about the Smokies, it's so packed that you can't enjoy it. Acadia has similar issues btw
Of all the amazing places I've seen in this world, nothing can compare to my first day at Yosemite.
Controversial list to say the least, if for no other reason than we all have different interests. I've been to 38 of the NP's. My fav's have been Kenai Fjords (you have to take the 6-7 hour long boat tours out of Seward to really see the park), Yellowstone (of course), Yosemite, Grand Canyon (hike down to the bottom and stay at Phantom Ranch for a couple of nights and you will enjoy the park so much more than just looking into the canyon from the rim), Bryce (amazing colors in the morning and evening), Carlsbad (beautiful cave formations, walk down the natural entrance, stick around to watch 300,000 bats fly out of the cave near dusk), Redwood and Sequoia (both because the massive trees were just stunning), Zion (great park but man is it crowded, hikers will like it).
It’s always fun to see differing lists. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
North Cascades National Park is an easy A tier. I can see why you haven’t visited it again because it’s the furthest National park in the lower 48 to Florida as it borders Canada. Why is it A tier? Diablo Lake is dramatically blue, because it’s fed by glaciers. The hikes are incredible, and the scenic drive is amazing. Go on a sunny day when you go back.
Gotta take the kenai fjords boat tour, it'll definitely bump it to at least an A
Smokey’s is great I’m assuming he went during the summer to fall it’s so packed you will hate that experience
I agree with many of the choices. I was more impressed with Mesa Verde and Kings Canyon. Pinnacles was the 1st one, I saw *before it was a park.
Also I haven't been to most of the east coast parks except Acadia.
Should've been a "can't rate" category. If you can't appropriately rate something because you don't have the experience, don't rate it. Otherwise, fun video idea!
Thanks! I appreciate the feedback and you are right. I hadn’t really thought about the issue of putting a park in a low tier due to not seeing much of it, but I now realize that many may skim the video. I’ve taken this advice to heart in my newer videos.
Gotta go up to paradise and do skyline loop before judging rainier
I was born in moab utah. We have two national parks in town. Mesa vedre is still my favorite.
Mesa Verde is beautiful.
I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of wildlife at Joshua Tree, saw some cool birds but that was about it. The scenery was really cool and I'd put it above C tier for sure but I was hoping to see some cool animals as well
I did hear coyotes too at night actually, that was really cool
Some of the desert parks don’t have abundant wildlife, but hearing coyotes is cool.
What about new river gorge national park
It wasn’t on the template, but I’d give it a solid C tier.
I hate you for putting Capitol Reef in D 😂
I get it, but remember that that one was based on a short visit from a while ago.
@@NationalParkWild if you plan to revisit, I highly suggest renting a jeep to do the Cathedral Valley drive. It is the Difference between putting CR in d and putting it in A.
Don't reveal the secret! Let's all keep our mouths shut and keep Capitol Reef to ourselves. So, yeah, bad park, don't go.
How can you put Everglades anywhere but S tier? Very few national parks can compete with the wildlife you can see in the park? Sharks, Flamingos, Spoonbills, Alligators and crocodiles, manatee, rattlesnakes, pythons, on the west side of the park you can see bears and panthers! Even the tree snails in this park are incredible. I’ve been to a good chunk of the parks on the list, and very few come close to the magic of the Everglades, only Yellowstone is better. And you were way to hard on Biscayne National park, did you go to Jones Lagoon? You were also to hard on Smokey Mountain and for sure Capital Reef both great parks.
Nah...I live in Florida and Everglades surely goes to the bottom of that list and any lost...people wanna see bears,wolves, moose, reindeer, caribou,huge mountains,tall beautiful waterfalls,big rocky formations,deep canyons, really green vegetation...etc.
People usually aren't too interested in seeing gray and dry vegetation (that's Florida) marshlands and swamps...and they certainly would love more to watch the animals mentioned above than seeing alligators,some swamp birds and snakes.
The east sucks and everyone knows that...and Florida is among the worst states for scenery of them all!
Don't be biased!
I love natinal parks they arr my 2nd fav yo
Great to hear!
18:10 - how you could possibly went to Mt. Rainier without seeing the mountain? 🤔
When it’s cloudy or foggy you can often only see the base. That happened on my first trip but I got a few clear hours this summer.
I'm puzzled by the fact that you rated Theodore Roosevelt NP as A and Badlands as C. Once you compared all the sections in both, these are two very, very similar parks. The former has better wildlife and no crowds; the latter a bit better hiking and scenery. But, although 200 miles apart, they could even be considered the same park.
It is weird for sure, but I personally found the scenery, hiking, and camping to be far superior at Theodore Roosevelt. There was something about that park that hit me differently, and I loved it for that. It’s hard to truly explain.
@@NationalParkWild I understand. The different experiences made it for you.
New river gorge??? Where is it?
It wasn’t on here because the person who made the list didn’t include it. I would put it in C Tier.
@@NationalParkWild okay, thanks!!!
A few quick comments. Kings Canyon is amazing but a it's a backpackers park. You have to walk days to appreciate it's beauty. Few get there and the same is true for Sequoia. I prefer Brice to Zion. I agree with you view on the Grand Canyon, it's amazing geology but gets old quickly unless you are hiking it. Not as high on Crater but like Lassen. Unless you backpack Yosemite you are seeing the best, but not real wilderness. Haleakala has an amazing hike into the crater. There are three cabins in the crater that you can rent, the solitude is breathtaking.
No real complaints as parks are very personal.
I appreciate all of your comments. National parks are wonderful places, and I appreciate something new on every visit. I will definitely try to return to Kings Canyon one day.
Wow, we had significantly different experiences at Olympic, I would’ve put that in C tier. I barely enjoyed it.
I think Yellowstone looks a little overrated but still awesome, maybe if I went it would be better than I expect, Glacier also looks super underrated
I feel that Yellowstone does have scenery that may not appeal to everyone, but if you like wildlife it is definitely the park for you. I can see the crowds being an issue for some, but there are amazing places to go with few people around. Also, Glacier is super amazing and has gotten lots of praise as of recently.
The crowds in Yellowstone suck, but it's not at all overrated. It lives up to its reputation and then some. There's no better park for wildlife viewing and there's no place on earth with close to the same amount of geothermal features. And something a lot of people don't realize, all you gotta do to beat the crowds is hike a single mile away from the road. Almost no one who visits actually goes hiking for some reason.
Redwood is incredible.
Ive been to both badlands and theodore roosevelt nat park and i like badlands better bc when i weny there i saw at least 200 deer 100 bighorns 5 cyotes hundreds of prarie dog and tons of bison
Why do you say Ceets, Beets....instead of a C or B...lol?
To add to my earlier comment, here is my list of parks that were disappointing. Congaree, Biscayne, Everglades, Mammoth, and Gateway Arch.
Also I think Smokies should be way higher, they're beautiful
I’ll give them a chance one day, but the mix of fog obscuring the scenery, the lack of wildlife, the fact that I didn’t do any good hikes, and my personal distaste towards Gatlinburg make it one where the experience was not great.
@@NationalParkWild the fog is one of the things I love, I didn't do any good hikes but I'll try when I'm in college, & I personally love Gatlinburg, it's one of my favorite towns, & one of the places I'm thinking about moving to so interesting!
North Cascades is S tier. For several reasons. I’ve worked in the park for several years now. If you want some recommendations definitely reach out
I’ll go back someday, and I’m super excited for that day. I just don’t know when it will be.
I worked in Stehekin for a season back in 2016! The North Cascades are definitely one of my favorite places and for sure what I consider the most underrated NP. It's just stunning everywhere you look and the hiking and mountaineering is world class. It's the lower 48's own little slice of Alaska.
Definitely go to Acadia!!
I went last summer and would probably put it in A tier.
As a Floridian, I'm disappointed in your Everglades ranking. I find I love the park more and appreciate it more the more I learn about it.
Well I’m very happy you like the park, and of course I like it more when I learn more about it. However, the same goes to all national parks, so that doesn’t really make it rank higher for me. It’s still a wonderful place, but not as unique to me as it is to others.
Nah...I live in Florida and Everglades surely goes to the bottom of that list and any list...people wanna see bears,wolves, moose, reindeer, caribou,huge mountains,tall beautiful waterfalls,big rocky formations,deep canyons, really green vegetation... grandiosity in front of your or their eyes...etc.
People usually aren't too interested in seeing gray and dry vegetation (that's Florida) marshlands and swamps...and they certainly would love to watch more the animals mentioned above than seeing alligators,some swamp birds and snakes.
The east sucks and everyone knows that...and Florida is among the worst states for scenery of them all!
Don't be biased!
Like I said... I live in Florida and maybe I'll die here too...but for nature and outdoor lovers this is not it!...FAR FROM IT!
I've hiked,backpacked and camped in Florida and outside of Florida... it's enjoyable here...but when compared to the rest it pales embarrassingly!
Great Kitty Box (Sand Dunes) has to be as bad as the gateway arch. Terrible total waste of time. (I live in CO, and will not go back
CA and AK got it
Those are definitely my two favorite states for nature, so good takeaway.
I agree with your list that most of the Eastern United States parks are mediocre. I'm from Washington state and this summer during College break am going to Mt Rainier and North Cascades. I'm also going to Hawaii to visit Volcanoes National Park.
My Top list of parks I want to visit are:
1. Grand Canyon (I went during winter but saw it for 30 minutes before a major snowstorm and didn't get the true experience of hiking into it)
2. Haleakala (I love Hawaii. My grandma lives there and I'd love to do some island hopping)
3. Olympic (I grew up in Washington my whole life and have never been - its only 4 hours away from my house)
4. Volcanoes (I love Volcanoes and am pumped to see this in a few days)
5. Mt. Rainier
6. Grand Teton
7. Yellowstone
8. Glacier
9. Yosemite
10. Channel Islands
I would have some Alaska parks way up on this list but need to do more research of the best parks
I'm happy that you agree with my judgement on the Eastern parks. Several get really mad over my thoughts on Smoky Mountains. Thank you for watching.
Man disrespecting Great Smokies. Now way that is at the bottom
We all have different experiences. I’ll go back someday, but for now it’s just not one I enjoy visiting.
How in the world is Gateway Arch a National Park? 🤔
It did improve tourism in the area, that’s probably the reason.
Your pronunciation of Acadia needs some work, LOL. Interesting list.
L great smoky mountains opinion I fear I think you just didn’t see any bears or hike Mt Leconte
I will go back one day and I’m excited to see it again, my first visit was just not particularly enjoyable. We all have different experiences in parks.
Painful to see Crator lake and Olympic dropped to A.
The cherry on top was when Redwoods was put in C 😢.
Headed back to those first two, so things could change.
How can you rank a park you barely visited or didn't actually visit (ie white sands)? All you are doing is flexing that you took the trek out to the park. Spending an hour in a park is not actually experiencing it.
If you've only been to a park for 2 hours, why rate it in the first place?
Because I enjoy ranking things.
Smokies should be B, if not A. Your inability to appreciate forests is strange.
Go back, and hike Mt LeConte, and then the Boulevard Trail down to the Appalachian Trail, and then to Charlie’s Bunion, ending at Newfound Gap.
If you do this hike, or anything similar, and still think that the Smokies is D tier, then your judgment is bunk.
I went back for a little bit in 2023, it would definitely be higher. Also, I do love forests, I just connect with mountains and deserts much more.
@@NationalParkWild from the park’s website:
“Great Smoky Mountains is the most biodiverse park in the National Park system. Biological diversity, or ‘biodiversity’, means the number and variety of different types of animals, plants, fungi, and other organisms in a location or habitat. Encompassing over 800 square miles in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, no other area of equal size in a temperate climate can match the park's amazing diversity. Over 19,000 species have been documented in the park and scientists believe an additional 80,000-100,000 species may live here.”
Also, the park is an UNESCO World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve, due its diversity in flora and fauna (boasting more species of trees than all of Europe combined).
Which national parks are not worth visiting if ur going to them specifically only??
Gateway Arch is the one least worth visiting, others could include Indiana Dunes, Cuyahoga Valley, and Hot Springs. All of these places are enjoyable but they are not worth the time investment like the others.
@@NationalParkWild really??? But I heard the gate arch and the hot springs are very touristy meaning ppl are saying that there probably really good areas to visit
@@NationalParkWildso is gateway arch and hot springs not worth visiting then?
North cascades is criminally low
I somewhat agree with Smoky Mountains (minus the scenery). My problem with it is that it may be the most racist area that I’ve ever been to
@@keepingitsweet3743 I never saw so many confederate flags until I went to East Tennessee
I totally agree, I went there and near the park I got out to fill up my gas tank. I immediately ran into a white dude calling a man of color racial slurs out of anger :/ nobody reacted, it was super jarring@@realtimewithcollinbentley3940
For me all the desert park’s are highly overrated
Fair enough
The desert isn't for everyone. Personally I love it. It's a cathartic beauty in the desert and time just stands still. Death Valley and the 5 parks in Utah are among the most stunning places on earth.
Kenai Fjords in C is just wrong.
Yeah I’ve changed my mind since I made this.
@@NationalParkWild that makes me happy. That is one of my favorite places ever and I was sad that it felt like you didn’t get a chance to truly experience it.
@@NationalParkWild do you have an updated tier video?
You didn’t miss the mark with North Cascades.
Don't you have to get a shuttle to hike at Zion?
Great video!
Thank you!