National parks with guided tours
Bright dots offer guided tours. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for guided tours
- 1Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
- 2Isle Royale National Park29,091 visits
- 3Katmai National Park & Preserve34,479 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for guided tours
- California 7
- Alaska 6
- Utah 5
- Arizona 3
- Florida 3
- Washington 3
- Colorado 2
- Hawaii 2
53 parks
Where to go for guided tours
Photo: NPS Photo by Kent MillerAcadia National Park
Maine
4,079,318 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoArches National Park
Utah
1,511,740 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPSBig Bend National Park
Texas
568,104 visits in 2025Quietest: August$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photoBiscayne National Park
Florida
486,567 visits in 2025Quietest: OctoberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Peter DensmoreBryce Canyon National Park
Utah
1,967,367 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Rhodes SmarttCanyonlands National Park
Utah
796,057 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoCapitol Reef National Park
Utah
1,388,476 visits in 2025Quietest: January$20 / vehicle
Photo: NPS / Michael LarsonCarlsbad Caverns National Park
New Mexico
410,778 visits in 2025Quietest: January$15 / person
Photo: NPS/Brett SeymourChannel Islands National Park
California
227,186 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPSCongaree National Park
South Carolina
287,833 visits in 2025Quietest: AugustFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoCrater Lake National Park
Oregon
632,242 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPSDeath Valley National Park
California, Nevada
1,320,134 visits in 2025Quietest: September$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan KostegianDenali National Park & Preserve
Alaska
543,300 visits in 2025Quietest: January$15 / person
Photo: NPS Photo / Brett SeymourDry Tortugas National Park
Florida
89,355 visits in 2025Quietest: October$15 / person
Photo: NPS Photo by Miguel SalasEverglades National Park
Florida
778,198 visits in 2025Quietest: October$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/Sue FordGateway Arch National Park
Missouri
2,209,028 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / T. VandenBergGlacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Alaska
740,044 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoGlacier National Park
Montana
3,136,557 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/M. QuinnGrand Canyon National Park
Arizona
4,430,653 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoGreat Basin National Park
Nevada
161,210 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS/Patrick MyersGreat Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Colorado
432,498 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS / Bob CarrGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina, Tennessee
11,527,939 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS/BieriGuadalupe Mountains National Park
Texas
206,423 visits in 2025Quietest: August$10 / person
Photo: NPSHaleakalā National Park
Hawaii
853,711 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoHawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii
1,877,854 visits in 2025Quietest: April$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photoHot Springs National Park
Arkansas
2,494,611 visits in 2025Quietest: SeptemberFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoIndiana Dunes National Park
Indiana
2,629,497 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Paul BrownIsle Royale National Park
Michigan
29,091 visits in 2025Quietest: January$7 / person
Photo: NPS / Emily HassellJoshua Tree National Park
California
2,932,644 visits in 2025Quietest: July$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/David JacobKatmai National Park & Preserve
Alaska
34,479 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo, S. RainoneKenai Fjords National Park
Alaska
425,369 visits in 2025Quietest: NovemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Scott ArnazLassen Volcanic National Park
California
504,777 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / J. CooperMammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
660,734 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoMesa Verde National Park
Colorado
463,130 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / E. BrouwerMount Rainier National Park
Washington
1,635,342 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlinNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve
West Virginia
1,958,440 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/D.DixonNorth Cascades National Park
Washington
46,925 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/Jon PrestonOlympic National Park
Washington
3,584,187 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoPetrified Forest National Park
Arizona
315,951 visits in 2025Quietest: February$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Steve OlsonRedwood National and State Parks
California
1,202,480 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoSaguaro National Park
Arizona
847,749 visits in 2025Quietest: August$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Rick CainSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
California
2,158,128 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Mark MeyersTheodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota
729,893 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoVirgin Islands National Park
US Virgin Islands
471,074 visits in 2025Quietest: SeptemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Daniel DendlerVoyageurs National Park
Minnesota
206,326 visits in 2025Quietest: AprilFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoWhite Sands National Park
New Mexico
659,742 visits in 2025Quietest: February$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoWind Cave National Park
South Dakota
606,258 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal HerbertWrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
108,840 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. FrankYellowstone National Park
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
4,762,988 visits in 2025Quietest: November$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoYosemite National Park
California
4,278,413 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Shane CarteZion National Park
Utah
4,984,525 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Ideas from the National Park Service
Guided Tours ideas, park by park
- Join A RangerAll year
Join a Park ranger for a guided hike, talk, or evening program. Discover the amazing stories behind the scenery of Big Bend.
- Hoodoo Geology Talk20-30 Minutes
Typically offered year-round at Sunset Point at 11 a.m. Geologists have spent years studying the unique geologic story of Bryce Canyon and its amphitheaters of hoodoos. Join the Ranger along the rim at Sunset Point to…
Pets OK - Bryce Canyon Evening Program45-60 Minutes · Summer
Evening programs, typically offered from Memorial Day through Labor Day, offer topics that go beyond the rim! Check the calendar for daily times and locations. This is a Ranger’s Choice program offering an exploration…
- Rim Walk with a Ranger45-60 Minutes · Summer
Typically offered Memorial Day through Labor Day at Sunset Point at 2:00 p.m. Join a Ranger and experience the enchantment of the hoodoos, the history of the people who have passed through the amphitheaters for…
- King's Palace Tour90 Minutes · All year
The King's Palace Tour takes visitors through four highly decorated chambers and the deepest portion of the cavern open to the public.
Reservation/permitFee - Lower Cave Tour3 Hours · All year
In 1924, National Geographic expedition members wrote about the wonders of Lower Cave. Visitors today can see the evidence left behind from those and other explorers.
Reservation/permitFee
- Shark Valley Tram Tour2 Hours · All year
Exploring the Shark Valley area by tram is a great way to see and learn about the wildlife and hisotry of Everglades National Park. Guided two-hour tram tours are offered along a fifteen-mile loop trail into the "River…
Reservation/permitFee
- A View From the Top45-60 Minutes · All year
Tram Ride to the Top: Getting there is part of the adventure. Enjoy stunning views from the top of America's tallest monument.
Reservation/permitFee - Travel aboard Trails & Rails: Amtrak’s Lincoln Service between St. Louis and Springfield6 Hours · Summer, Fall
Enjoy your train ride and learn fascinating local history!
Reservation/permitFeePets OK - Become a Trails & Rails GuideSummer, Fall
Have fun riding the train and sharing St. Louis area history!
Reservation/permitPets OK
- Listen to Glacier's Podcast1-30 Hours · All year
Rangers recommend Glacier's podcast, Headwaters: a podcast about how Glacier is connected to everything else!
Pets OK - Visit One of Glacier's Historic Lodges1-3 Hours · Summer
Step inside one of the historic lodges and pretend you are a traveler on the Great Northern Railway in the 1910s.
- Lehman Caves Tour30-90 Minutes
Lehman Caves Tours
Reservation/permitFee
- Attend a Ranger Stroll30-45 Minutes
Join a ranger on an educational stroll.
- Attend an Evening Ranger Program45 Minutes
Attend an evening program at Joshua Tree National Park.
Pets OK - Attend a Keys Ranch Tour90-120 Minutes · Winter, Spring, Fall
Take a tour of Keys Ranch with a park ranger.
Reservation/permitFee
- Take a Guided Tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes7 Hours · Summer, Fall
Join a ranger-guided tour to the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Experience the raw power of nature and learn about the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century.
Reservation/permitFee
- Learn the Inside Story at a Ranger Program15-60 Minutes · Summer
Discover the parks with an expert! Learn more at an all ages ranger program.
- Attend a Ranger-led Program10-60 Minutes · All year
Attending a ranger-led program in the park is a great way to discover new things and learn more about the Mammoth Cave National Park.
Pets OK - Cave Tours1-6 Hours · All year
Join a ranger as you discover the complex history and intricate geology of the worlds longest cave system.
Reservation/permitFee
- Discover Bird Watching in the Virgin Islands90 Minutes · All year
Join our Park Ranger for a tour of Francis Bay Trail and the nearby salt pond. While there you will enjoy to opportunity to view the many resident and migratory birds that call Francis Bay home.
- Take a Cave Tour60-90 Minutes · All year
Visit one of the world's longest and most complex caves.
Reservation/permitFee
- Virtual ToursAll year
Explore with geologists and their helicopter pilot around Kennicott Glacier on an interactive website virtual tour to learn how National Park Service staff monitor changes in the size of the glacier! Check out the…
Pets OK - WebcamsAll year
Webcam views from the Visitor Center at Park Headquarters in Copper Center, Kennecott Mill and Mt. Blackburn and Kennicott Glacier and the Chugach Range.
Pets OK
- Zion Ranger-led Activities20-120 Minutes · All year
Join a park ranger to learn about what makes Zion National Park such a special place! We have a variety of ranger-led activities throughout the year, and you can check the schedule on our Events Calendar. Topics range…
Pets OK
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Guided Tours, quickly
- Which national parks offer guided tours?
- 54 of the 63 national parks list guided tours as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Acadia, Arches, Big Bend, Biscayne, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Carlsbad Caverns, Channel Islands, Congaree, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Denali, Dry Tortugas, Everglades, Gateway Arch, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smoky Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, Hot Springs, Indiana Dunes, Isle Royale, Joshua Tree, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mammoth Cave, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, New River Gorge, North Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwood, Saguaro, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Theodore Roosevelt, Virgin Islands, Voyageurs, White Sands, Wind Cave, Wrangell–St. Elias, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion.
- What's the least crowded national park for guided tours?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (19,778 visits), then Isle Royale (29,091). The busiest park on this list is Great Smoky Mountains, with 11,527,939.
- Which state has the most national parks for guided tours?
- California, with 7, followed by Alaska (6).
Sources · 2
- 1.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
Activities are the ones each park lists in the NPS Data API. Check the park's own nps.gov page for current trail, water and permit conditions.
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