10 best states to visit for national park free entrance days

Our national park sites, which include national parks, national monuments and other protected areas, are incredible public spaces to enjoy and learn about nature. Some national park sites charge entrance fees, but the National Park Service has announced six free entrance days in 2024:

• Jan. 15: Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

• April 20: First day of National Park Week.

• June 19: Juneteenth National Independence Day.

• Aug. 4: Great American Outdoors Act anniversary.

• Sept. 28: National Public Lands Day.

• Nov. 11: Veterans Day.

A great way to take full advantage of these free entrance days is to visit multiple national park sites in one day. While that may be difficult or even impossible in some areas, there are several states with a high concentration of national park sites.

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10 best states for national park sites

The following states are great places to travel to visit national parks at any time of the year, whether or not you make it for the free entrance days.

1. Alaska

The Last Frontier has eight national parks and a total of 23 national park sites, including national monuments and other federally preserved areas. While Alaska is the largest state, three of the national parks are fairly close together — Alaska.org reports you can visit Kenai Fjords, Katmai and Lake Clark National Parks within one day.

2. California

The Golden State has nine national parks, the most of any state. The most popular national park in California is Yosemite, according to the NPS, but even the park with the smallest number of annual visitors, Pinnacles, is incredible and worth a visit. With a total of 28 national park sites, there is no shortage of beautiful locations to visit.

3. Utah

The Beehive State has five national parks, and they are much closer together than those found in Alaska and California — in fact, it takes a little under seven hours to drive from Zion to Canyonlands and stop at the three other national parks in between. However, it’s worth it to slow down and spend more time at each park, so consider sticking to two or three max per day.

4. Arizona

Arizona and Colorado, the next state on the list, both have four national parks. However, Arizona has a higher total of national park sites, at 22, making it a great place to take a national parks road trip. Grand Canyon National Park is the most well known in Arizona, but the lesser known Glen Canyon National Recreation Area also offers incredible vistas and outdoor opportunities.

5. Colorado

With four national parks and a total of 13 national park sites, Colorado is another great option for national parks enthusiasts. Mesa Verde National Park is remarkable because apart from its national park status, it is also recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its preservation of the rich cultural history of many indigenous tribes.

6. Hawaii

The Hawaiian islands have two national parks and a total of eight national park sites, which is especially impressive when you remember that’s within an area of 10,392 square miles, per the United States Census Bureau. One of the parks, Haleakalā, is located on the island of Maui, which was recently devastated by fires, so make sure to avoid the areas closed to tourism.

7. Washington

The crown of the Pacific Northwest is home to three national parks and a total of 15 national park sites. Mount Rainier is perhaps the most well known of the three, but North Cascades and Olympic both protect a huge array of diverse wildlife. Washington is also home to a former plutonium factory that makes up one-third of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park.

8. Florida

This state is home to three national parks, including Dry Tortugas, which can only be reached via plane, ferry or boat. The other two, Biscayne and Everglades, are within about an hour’s distance of each other, meaning you can easily visit both in one day.

9. Virginia

Although Virginia only has one national park, it is home to a total of 22 national park sites. Given its area of 42,775 square miles, that means there is a fairly high concentration of NPS sites within the state, making it an excellent area to explore for national park lovers.

10. Tennessee

Tennessee is home to part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which welcomes the most annual visitors of any national park site in the United States, according to the NPS. It also has a total of 13 national park sites, meaning there are a plethora of exploration opportunities.