National parks with scenic driving
Bright dots offer scenic driving. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for scenic driving
- 1North Cascades National Park46,925 visits
- 2Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve108,840 visits
- 3Great Basin National Park161,210 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for scenic driving
- California 5
- Arizona 3
- Colorado 2
- Montana 2
- South Dakota 2
- Washington 2
- Wyoming 2
- Alaska 1
29 parks
Where to go for scenic driving
Photo: NPS PhotoBadlands National Park
South Dakota
1,139,361 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPSBig Bend National Park
Texas
568,104 visits in 2025Quietest: August$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoCrater Lake National Park
Oregon
632,242 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo by Miguel SalasEverglades National Park
Florida
778,198 visits in 2025Quietest: October$35 / vehicle
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 / Bob CarrGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina, Tennessee
11,527,939 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
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 / Emily HassellJoshua Tree National Park
California
2,932,644 visits in 2025Quietest: July$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Scott ArnazLassen Volcanic National Park
California
504,777 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
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 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/J.MarinoRocky Mountain National Park
Colorado
4,171,431 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
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 / Neal LewisShenandoah National Park
Virginia
1,682,152 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Mark MeyersTheodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota
729,893 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
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
Ideas from the National Park Service
Scenic Driving ideas, park by park
- Drive Around the South Unit of the Badlands1-2 Hours · All year
Enjoy stunning views of Badlands National Park's South Unit by driving around its perimeter.
Pets OK - Drive Badlands Loop Road (Highway 240)1-2 Hours · All year
Enjoy the sights of Badlands National Park by driving its most popular road -- Badlands Loop Road, also known as Highway 240. Catch beautiful landscapes, informational exhibits, and glimpses of wildlife on this…
Pets OK - Drive Sage Creek Rim Road1-2 Hours · All year
Enjoy views of badlands formations and glimpses of wildlife from Sage Creek Rim Road, one of the dirt roads located in the North Unit of Badlands National Park.
- Explore Backcountry RoadsWinter, Spring, Fall
If you have a high-clearance, four wheel drive vehicle, Big Bend's primitive dirt roads provide many opportunities to get off the beaten path and explore the remote corners of this park.
Pets OK
- Scenic Rim Drive1-3 Hours · Summer, Fall
The historic Rim Drive includes 33-miles (53-km) of lake views, panoramic vistas, forests and meadows. The contours of the road were designed to compliment the natural landscape, and disappear from view as you look…
Pets OK
- Drive Going-to-the-Sun Road3-8 Hours · Summer
A drive across this engineering marvel has been a quintessential part of any trip to Glacier since the 1930s.
Reservation/permitPets OK
- Jenny Lake Scenic Drive15-30 Minutes · Spring, Summer, Fall
The Jenny Lake Scenic Drive skirts the east shore of Jenny Lake and provides spectacular views of the peaks
Pets OK - Moose-Wilson Road20-60 Minutes · Spring, Summer, Fall
The Moose-Wilson Road is a corridor road connecting the towns of Moose and Wilson.
Pets OK - North Park Road30-60 Minutes · All year
Take a drive on the North Park Road to view wildlife and enjoy dramatic views of Jackson Lake and the Tetons.
Pets OK
- Driving the Park60 Minutes · Spring, Summer, Fall
Great Basin offers access to many diffent road that travel through out the park. These road varry from paved to four wheel drive roads. please use good jugment and be prepared before venturing on to the roads.
Pets OK
Drive 16.6 miles (26.7 km) one-way on Foothills Parkway from Chilhowee to Walland.
FeePets OKDrive 5.6 miles (9.01 km) one-way on Foothills Parkway from Cosby to I-40.
FeePets OKDrive 14.75 miles (23.74 km) one-way on Foothills Parkway from Walland to Wears Valley.
FeePets OK
- Drive 4x4 Roads1-10 Hours · All year
Joshua Tree offers many miles of backcountry dirt roads for four-wheel drive vehicles to explore.
Pets OK - Drive Park Boulevard1-10 Hours · All year
A scenic drive through Joshua Tree National Park.
Pets OK
- Tunnel Log5-10 Minutes · Spring, Summer, Fall
Since 1935, people have been driving through Tunnel Log. You too can join in on the novelty of driving through a fallen Sequoia.
Pets OK
- Drive Lassen Volcanic National Park Highway60 Minutes · Summer, Fall
The 30-mile park highway connects the northwest (Manzanita Lake) and southwest entrances of the park. This scenic route passes through dense forest, winds around alpine lakes and meadow, crests at 8,512 feet near Lassen…
FeePets OK
- Explore Waterfalls from Longmire to Paradise2-4 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
This tour is a great opportunity to see four of Mount Rainier's stunning waterfalls between Longmire and Paradise without taking on any long or strenuous trails.
Fee - Road Trip Around the Mountain4-8 Hours · Summer, Fall
Even if you never step foot outside your vehicle, a drive through Mount Rainier National Park can be a rewarding experience. This road trip experience follows the historic design of the park from Nisqually Entrance to…
FeePets OK - Discover WildflowersSummer
Mount Rainier is famous for its wildflowers, but blooming season is short and varies with elevation. Discover the best times to visit to view wildflowers.
Fee
- Scenic Drive on Fayette Station Road45 Minutes · Spring, Summer, Fall
The scenic Fayette Station Road provides outstanding views of the gorge and the river while passing under the New River Gorge Bridge three times as it winds up and down the steep sides of the gorge.
Pets OK
- Drive the Newton B. Drury Scenic Parkway30-60 Minutes · All year
A ten mile drive through the heart of the redwoods. You have to exit HWY 101 to see the big redwoods.
Pets OK - Drive Howland Hill Road45-90 Minutes · All year
A ten-mile dirt road where the redwoods are so close they'll almost kiss your car.
Pets OK - Drive the Bald Hills Road2-6 Hours · All year
Scenic drive into the high hills and open prairies of the parks. Sweeping views, and opportunities for hikes, birding, wildlife viewing, and seeing historic barns and orchards.
Pets OK
- Enjoy a Scenic Drive on Trail Ridge Road2-2 Hours · Summer, Fall
Enjoy a scenic drive across Trail Ridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park. Trail Ridge Road is 48-miles one-way and connects the towns of Grand Lake and Estes Park during the summer season.
Reservation/permitPets OK - Enjoy a Scenic Drive on Old Fall River RoadSummer, Fall
Built between 1913 and 1920, a drive up Old Fall River Road is an incredible 9.4-mile scenic drive. This unpaved road begins next to Endovalley Picnic Area and ends at the summit of Fall River Pass and in the parking…
Reservation/permitPets OK - Winter Driving in RMNPWinter
Learn About Winter Driving in Rocky Mountain National Park
FeePets OK
The North Unit scenic drive provides access to the more rugged North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
FeePets OKThe South Unit scenic drive is the gateway to the South Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
FeePets OK
Drive, Hike, Bike, View Wildlife, Picnic & Scenic Vistas on McCarthy Road.
Pets OKDrive, Hike, View Wildlife, Picnic & Scenic Vistas on Nabesna Road
Pets OK
All of the roads in Yosemite National Park are scenic, but the most famous scenic drive is along the Tioga Road, a 46-mile (62 km) drive from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass. The road is typically open from late May or early…
Pets OK
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Scenic Driving, quickly
- Which national parks offer scenic driving?
- 30 of the 63 national parks list scenic driving as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Badlands, Big Bend, Crater Lake, Everglades, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Great Smoky Mountains, Hot Springs, Indiana Dunes, Joshua Tree, Lassen Volcanic, Mesa Verde, Mount Rainier, New River Gorge, North Cascades, Petrified Forest, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Saguaro, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Shenandoah, Theodore Roosevelt, White Sands, Wind Cave, Wrangell–St. Elias, Yellowstone, Yosemite.
- What's the least crowded national park for scenic driving?
- By 2025 recreation visits, North Cascades National Park (46,925 visits), then Wrangell–St. Elias (108,840). The busiest park on this list is Great Smoky Mountains, with 11,527,939.
- Which state has the most national parks for scenic driving?
- California, with 5, followed by Arizona (3).
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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