National park road trips

1. Grand Canyon

   Bryce Canyon

   Zion

   Great Basin

   Trip 1 · AZ · NV · UT

   Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, Zion & Great Basin

   1. Grand Canyon National Park↓ 110 mi straight-line · ~2.6 h drive (est.)
   2. Bryce Canyon National Park↓ 50 mi straight-line · ~1.2 h drive (est.)
   3. Zion National Park↓ 132 mi straight-line · ~3.1 h drive (est.)
   4. Great Basin National Park

   ~379 road miles · ~6.9 h driving (est.)

2. Joshua Tree

   Death Valley

   Kings Canyon

   Sequoia

   Trip 2 · CA · NV

   Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Kings Canyon & Sequoia

   1. Joshua Tree National Park↓ 192 mi straight-line · ~4.5 h drive (est.)
   2. Death Valley National Park↓ 81 mi straight-line · ~1.9 h drive (est.)
   3. Kings Canyon National Park↓ 27 mi straight-line · ~36 min drive (est.)
   4. Sequoia National Park

   ~390 road miles · ~7.1 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Jan, Sep, Oct

3. Arches

   Canyonlands

   Capitol Reef

   Trip 3 · UT

   Arches, Canyonlands & Capitol Reef

   1. Arches National Park↓ 37 mi straight-line · ~54 min drive (est.)
   2. Canyonlands National Park↓ 74 mi straight-line · ~1.8 h drive (est.)
   3. Capitol Reef National Park

   ~144 road miles · ~2.6 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Nov, Dec

4. Carlsbad Caverns

   Guadalupe Mountains

   White Sands

   Trip 4 · NM · TX

   Carlsbad Caverns, Guadalupe Mountains & White Sands

   1. Carlsbad Caverns National Park↓ 25 mi straight-line · ~36 min drive (est.)
   2. Guadalupe Mountains National Park↓ 103 mi straight-line · ~2.4 h drive (est.)
   3. White Sands National Park

   ~166 road miles · ~3 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Jan, Feb, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec

5. Great Sand Dunes

   Black Canyon of the Gunnison

   Mesa Verde

   Trip 5 · CO

   Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison & Mesa Verde

   1. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve↓ 128 mi straight-line · ~3 h drive (est.)
   2. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park↓ 101 mi straight-line · ~2.4 h drive (est.)
   3. Mesa Verde National Park

   ~297 road miles · ~5.4 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Mar, Apr, Oct

6. Mount Rainier

   Olympic

   North Cascades

   Trip 6 · WA

   Mount Rainier, Olympic & North Cascades

   1. Mount Rainier National Park↓ 113 mi straight-line · ~2.7 h drive (est.)
   2. Olympic National Park↓ 129 mi straight-line · ~3.1 h drive (est.)
   3. North Cascades National Park

   ~315 road miles · ~5.7 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Jun, Sep, Oct

7. Theodore Roosevelt

   Badlands

   Wind Cave

   Trip 7 · ND · SD

   Theodore Roosevelt, Badlands & Wind Cave

   1. Theodore Roosevelt National Park↓ 246 mi straight-line · ~5.8 h drive (est.)
   2. Badlands National Park↓ 48 mi straight-line · ~1.1 h drive (est.)
   3. Wind Cave National Park

   ~382 road miles · ~6.9 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: May, Oct

8. Crater Lake

   Redwood

   Lassen Volcanic

   Trip 8 · CA · OR

   Crater Lake, Redwood & Lassen Volcanic

   1. Crater Lake National Park↓ 146 mi straight-line · ~3.4 h drive (est.)
   2. Redwood National and State Parks↓ 150 mi straight-line · ~3.5 h drive (est.)
   3. Lassen Volcanic National Park

   ~384 road miles · ~7 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: May, Oct

9. Cuyahoga Valley

   New River Gorge

   Shenandoah

   Trip 9 · OH · VA · WV

   Cuyahoga Valley, New River Gorge & Shenandoah

   1. Cuyahoga Valley National Park↓ 236 mi straight-line · ~5.6 h drive (est.)
   2. New River Gorge National Park & Preserve↓ 144 mi straight-line · ~3.4 h drive (est.)
   3. Shenandoah National Park

   ~494 road miles · ~9 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Mar, Apr, Nov

10. Biscayne

    Everglades

    Trip 10 · FL

    Biscayne & Everglades

    1. Biscayne National Park↓ 43 mi straight-line · ~1 h drive (est.)
    2. Everglades National Park

    ~56 road miles · ~1 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Oct, Nov

11. Grand Teton

    Yellowstone

    Trip 11 · ID · MT · WY

    Grand Teton & Yellowstone

    1. Grand Teton National Park↓ 54 mi straight-line · ~1.3 h drive (est.)
    2. Yellowstone National Park

    ~71 road miles · ~1.3 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: May, Oct

12. Pinnacles

    Yosemite

    Trip 12 · CA

    Pinnacles & Yosemite

    1. Pinnacles National Park↓ 130 mi straight-line · ~3.1 h drive (est.)
    2. Yosemite National Park

    ~168 road miles · ~3.1 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec

13. Great Smoky Mountains

    Mammoth Cave

    Trip 13 · KY · NC · TN

    Great Smoky Mountains & Mammoth Cave

    1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park↓ 183 mi straight-line · ~4.3 h drive (est.)
    2. Mammoth Cave National Park

    ~238 road miles · ~4.3 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, Nov, Dec

14. Petrified Forest

    Saguaro

    Trip 14 · AZ

    Petrified Forest & Saguaro

    1. Petrified Forest National Park↓ 200 mi straight-line · ~4.7 h drive (est.)
    2. Saguaro National Park

    ~260 road miles · ~4.7 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: Aug, Sep, Nov, Dec

15. Denali

    Kenai Fjords

    Trip 15 · AK

    Denali & Kenai Fjords

    1. Denali National Park & Preserve↓ 242 mi straight-line · ~5.7 h drive (est.)
    2. Kenai Fjords National Park

    ~315 road miles · ~5.7 h driving (est.)Quieter for every park: May, Sep

How these are built: parks are grouped so that every pair in a trip is within about 6hours' estimated drive, with up to 4 parks per trip and each park in one trip at most. Distances are straight lines between park reference points; drive times multiply them by 1.3 at 55mph. “Quieter” months are when every park on the route is below 70% of its own busiest month in NPS visitor counts and clearly open, a crowd heuristic rather than a weather forecast.