Top 15 National Parks to Add to Your 2024 Bucket List

It’s hard to choose which natural wonders to see next with so much beauty worldwide. Untuckworld ranked the world’s top national parks based on reader votes, expert opinions, accessibility, wildlife, camping, and historic sites. Please vote for your favorite destinations below to help us rank next year.

Khao Sok National Park in southern Thailand’s Surat Thani province attracts visitors with its rainforest, waterfalls, caverns, and rock formations. Trekking through one of the world’s oldest rainforests allows visitors to see several endangered species and over 200 plant kinds per 2.5 acres. The national park also offers paddling the Sok River, Asian elephant encounters, and Cheow Larn Lake boat tours.

2. Serengeti National Park

World-famous Serengeti National Park is home to The Great Migration. An estimated 2 million wildebeests and hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles pass the park annually for food and breeding. Unless you can predict when this historic event will happen, a typical safari is your best bet. The Big Five—leopards, lions, elephants, buffaloes, and rhinoceroses—and Serengeti’s stunning terrain will await you.

3. Grand Canyon National Park

The views at this famed Arizona national park are unbeatable. Visitors marvel at the Grand Canyon’s changing colors, depth, and rock formations. The Grand Canyon will leave you breathless whether you’re helicoptering over it, rafting down the Colorado River, or exploring on foot. South Rim routes are crowded, so choose North Rim walks like the fast but beautiful Bright Angel Point Trail or the Widforss Trail to see canyon and woodland beauty. Want more thrills? Visit additional popular Arizona sights while you’re there.

4. Yosemite National Park

Visitors can see several natural beauties at Yosemite, 170 miles east of San Francisco. Tunnel View and Valley View overlook, Half Dome and El Capitan are among Yosemite’s most popular attractions. Visit a sequoia forest to see the massive trees. Thousands of waterfalls and 750+ miles of trails await visitors in the California park.

5. Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone is a national treasure with several attractions on its 2 million acres. America’s first national park, founded in 1872 across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, is still beautiful. Mammoth Hot Springs and Old Faithful astound visitors year after year, as do less-crowded sites like Hayden Valley, great for wildlife viewing, and Yellowstone Lake, great for kayaking or canoeing.

6. Glacier National Park

Glacier National Park is Montana’s crown. Mountainous scenery abounds in the 1 million-acre park named after 7,000-year-old glaciers. There are almost 700 lakes, six National Historic Landmarks (including Lake McDonald Lodge, Granite Park Chalet, and the Two Medicine Store), and the Continental Divide Highline Trail. Spend time on the Going-to-the-Sun Road or take a Red Bus Tour to see the attractions. To get the full experience, spend many days in the park.

7. Banff National Park

Canada’s oldest and most scenic national park is located in southwestern Alberta. Visitors can hike more than 1,000 kilometers in Banff National Park, including the Lake Agnes Trail, which has a seasonal European-style tea house, or drive the Icefields Parkway to see glaciers and waterfalls. Travel up Sulphur Mountain on the Banff Gondola to a viewing boardwalk, café, interpretive center, and multimedia theatre for a memorable experience.

8. Olympic National Park

Olympic National Park has approximately 1 million acres of snow-capped mountains, moss-covered rainforests, and over 70 miles of coastline. Since it takes hours to get between sites, you’ll need more than a few days to see Washington Park’s beauty. Visit the lovely Hoh Rain Forest for short treks, majestic Hurricane Ridge for demanding downhill climbs and skiing, and picturesque Kalaloch Beach with tide pools at Beach 4.

9. Fiordland National Park

Beautiful glacier-carved fjords in New Zealand’s largest national park rival Norway’s natural wonders. Milford Sound Piopiotahi and Doubtful Sound Patea are the most popular spots to see the fjords in the park. Adventurers go to the park for its lakes, rainforests, waterfalls, mountains, and wildlife, including New Zealand’s uncommon and endangered flightless birds like the takahe, seals, penguins, and dolphins.

10. Sequoia National Park

Vacationers visit this Sierra Nevada mountain area in California to photograph the world’s largest sequoias. Check out the Giant Forest grove in Sequoia National Park on your next West Coast road trip. The General Sherman Tree, at 275 feet tall and 36 feet wide, is the world’s largest living organism.

11. Kruger National Park

South Africa’s iconic Kruger National Park is one of the most tourist-friendly game parks on the continent. Kruger, which features paved roads for increased accessibility, is home to hundreds of animal species, including the Big Five and birds like eagles, storks, and vultures. What’s more, the national park boasts a variety of excursions and luxury lodges, as well as camping spots and specialty packages for honeymooners and families, meaning travelers with various budgets will be able to find something that suits their needs.

12. Arches National Park

The Eastern Utah National Park has almost 2,000 natural arches, as its name implies. Landscape Arch (the longest arch in North America) and Delicate Arch (seen on Utah postcards and license plates) are the most famous of these stone monuments. Arches National Park tourists are also impressed with Balanced Rock and The Windows Section, which has the park’s tallest arch.

13. Masai Mara National Reserve

One of Africa’s most popular safari parks is Masai Mara National Reserve, north of Serengeti. The wildebeest migration occurs from July to October in the Kenyan reserve, depending on Mother Nature. You can see lions, cheetahs, and leopards on safari if you can’t travel then. Additionally, Masai Mara’s small size and abundant animals make it a year-round destination. Spend money on a hot air balloon journey to see the savanna from above.

The misty peaks and calm river landscapes of Guilin and Lijiang River National Park in southern China amaze visitors. The park’s jagged limestone-formed karst hills, caverns, rice terraces, and cliffs have inspired Chinese folklore, artists, and poets. Elephant Trunk Hill, which resembles an elephant bending over the river to drink water, and Mural Hill, with horse-shaped natural frescoes, are best seen via river cruise (52 miles from Guilin to Yangshuo).

15. Manuel Antonio National Park

The smaller Manuel Antonio National Park on our list has 7 square miles of protected green space, but don’t let that deceive you. Wildlife, beaches, woodlands, and coral reefs flourish in the park. Explore the park’s tropical flora and fauna, including the butterfly garden, on a two- to three-hour guided tour, then relax at the beach. If you prefer to skip the trip and snorkel and lounge on the beach, visit Playa Manuel Antonio or Playa Espadilla Sur. Watch the sunset at Nahomi Park.

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