So many people rank the national parks on their favorite places to visit in the United States. There’s a reason for that. The national parks for full of incredible natural beauty that you won’t find anywhere else. With that natural beauty comes hundreds of miles of hiking trails lacing their way through the parks. If you’re a big hiker, this is paradise.
But what if you don’t like to hike? Can you still enjoy the national parks? I believe the answer is yes! While your experience at the parks is sure to be different than a hiker’s, many national parks have enough activities for non-hikers to enjoy.
However, that doesn’t mean that every national park is ideal for hikers. In this guide, I’m going to cover what I believe are the best national parks for non-hikers. I’ll talk about what you can do at these parks and why you should consider them.
Best National Parks for Non-Hikers
In the interest of fairness, I have to say that this list does not evaluate every US National Park. I have not visited every national park (yet!), so I don’t think that it’s fair to make judgments on the parks that I haven’t been to. That said, as I visit more national parks, this list will be updated. But for now, it’s based solely on the parks I feel are best for non-hikers.
I determined this list based on how much I feel is available to non-hikers. There are plenty of parks that can be visited without hiking, but I think the excitement level drops dramatically if you aren’t hiking (as so much of the beauty can only be accessed via hiking trails). So this list is the parks that I feel are still exciting, even if you don’t get out and hike.
Finally, this list is in no particular order. Just because a park is listed first, doesn’t mean that it’s better than other parks further down the list.
Rocky Mountain National Park
I know that I said that this list was in no particular order, but I’m starting with Rocky Mountain National Park. This is the park that started this whole series of visiting national parks without hiking.
I visited the park as the last stop on my Colorado road trip and everything was going great until I dislocated my knee hiking back from Sky Pond. The next morning, my knee had swollen to twice its normal size (hiking four miles back to my car after the incident did not help) and hiking was out of the question. That inspired me to look at Rocky Mountain National Park, and subsequently other parks, through a new lens.
In my opinion, one of the top experiences is driving Trail Ridge Road which stretches all the way through the park. As you drive this road, you’ll see dramatic mountain views as you work your way through the trees and up above the tree line and into the tundra. The views are constantly changing and no part of the road feels like the other. Without stopping, it takes a minimum of an hour and a half to do this drive, but that are so many pullouts and overlooks that it takes many people longer.
Beyond the scenic drive, there are a few short walks on trails that are listed as accessible. This is where I found myself focusing my time after my hiking disaster. Many of these take you to alpine lakes with beautiful views. The trails circle the lake so you can choose how much or how little you’d like to walk.
For more information, check out my guide to Rocky Mountain National Park without hiking.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is the next park to make this list. Don’t get me wrong, there are miles of epic hiking trails, but there’s so many amazing views that you can get without hiking.
By far, the best thing for non-hikers at Yosemite National Park is to take in all of the different views. There’s Tunnel View which offers a sweeping landscape, Glacier Point which features the back of Half Dome, and everything in Yosemite Valley (I can’t pick a favorite). Plus, waterfalls pour over the sides of cliffs offering breathtaking views (if you time your visit appropriately). Beyond these views, there are some short, accessible paths you can walk (my favorite is the boardwalk through Cook’s Meadow).
While it’s true that I think other parks may offer more things to do for non-hikers, I still firmly believe that Yosemite National Park deserves a spot on this list because the views here are spectacular, even if you aren’t on a hiking trail.
For more information, check out my guide to Yosemite National Park without hiking.
Glacier National Park
I visited Glacier National Park with my dad who is not a hiker. As someone who normally doesn’t think twice about packing her day full of hikes and viewpoints, this trip forced me to slow down and reevaluate. I came up with a plan and we had a fantastic mostly hike free trip (my dad and I separated for an hour and a half so I could get just one hike in).
So what is there to do at Glacier National Park? Like Rocky Mountain National Park, the scenic drive is a showstopper. At Glacier National Park, that’s Going to the Sun Road, which consistently pops up on lists of the best scenic drives in the United States. There’s a reason for this. The road is just that awesome. There’s numerous viewpoints and stops throughout the road and you can easily turn it into a full day adventure. If you only do one thing at Glacier National Park, make it the drive along Going to the Sun Road.
Beyond the scenic drive, there’s also a handful of accessible trails that you can walk or hike. Admittedly there aren’t many (only two showed up during my research), but both are lovely. Visit a waterfall and stroll through a forest of cedar trees.
Glacier National Park has several lakes and the Glacier Boat Company offers tours on four of those lakes. I’m not usually a tour person, but our tour on St. Mary Lake was excellent. It gives you a different perspective of the park and so much more information than what you would have had if you would have self explored.
For more information, check out my guide to Glacier National Park without hiking.
Death Valley National Park
Death Valley National Park may seem like a surprising addition to this list, but honestly, I think it’s a great park for non-hikers. While I do enjoy hiking at the national parks, I didn’t do as much hiking here, but I still saw a lot.
In my opinion, the best thing about Death Valley National Park is its variety. Every stop feels so different from the others and that leads to a very interesting day. There are two scenic drives that feel incredibly different. Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road takes you through through mountains of packed sand and clay and feels like a real adventure. Artist’s Drive is calmer, but no less spectacular and features colorful mineral deposits adding a unique twist on the mountain views.
There’s no shortage of viewpoints across the park. Dante’s View and Zabriskie Point feature the surrounding mountains, but head to Badwater Basin to reach the lowest point in the United States. Likewise, Devil’s Golf Course looks like something from another planet. And I haven’t even mentioned Ubehebe Crater which was created from the remains of a volcanic explosion.
Of course there is hiking opportunities and at several viewpoints, you’ll need to be prepared to walk a little bit to the actual views. But I still believe Death Valley gives you the most variety in scenery for non-hikers out of everything on this list.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are managed together. While they are two parks, I’m including them as one entry on this list since both parks are great for non-hikers (and many people visit both parks in one visit).
One of the big highlights of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are seeing some of the largest trees in the world. These aren’t the tallest trees, but are the largest when you measure by volume. Sequoia National Park is home to General Sherman Tree which is the largest tree in the world. At Kings Canyon National Park, you’ll visit General Grant Tree, which is the second largest tree. But these aren’t the only two sequoia trees you’ll find.
Beyond the trees, the mountain views get my vote for the best experience at these parks. The Generals Highway takes you into the park and features so many pullouts with great views. These were great, but I think the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is even better. On this highway, you’ll drive deep into Kings Canyon with towering mountains all around you. These views were some of my favorite.
A visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park will have a lot of driving, but you’ll get some fantastic scenery along the way and I think that makes up for all the driving.
Grand Canyon National Park
I went back and forth on whether or not to include Grand Canyon National Park on this list. In the end, it obviously earned its spot on this list. Though that may have something to do with this being my first national park and the inspiration for me to explore more of the US national parks.
So, the Grand Canyon. Obviously the big draw here is the views of the canyon. They are so spectacular and I don’t think that photos can do it justice. It’s just that spectacular. For hikers and non-hikers alike, the views of the canyon are going to be the highlight. The only difference will be which views you get.
For non-hikers visiting the south rim near the town of Tusayan, AZ, your best bet is to jump on the free shuttle and visit the different viewpoints along the rim. You can even take your car to the eastern entrance to visit even more viewpoints. Another option, though it varies greatly on your mobility, is to rent a bike. My mom and I rented bikes through Bright Angel Bicycles and road our bikes along the rim from Hopi Point to Hermit’s Rest. It was a nice way to see the Grand Canyon and it was a lot easier than hiking into the canyon.
Additionally, you can look into helicopter tours, informational movies at the visitor center, and even a train that takes you to the north rim.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah is home to five national parks and I had to pick one of them for this list. Bryce Canyon National Park gets my vote. Yes, all of the other four parks can be visited without hiking, but I think your experience is dramatically better if you do get out and hike (although the drive through Zion National Park is pretty fantastic and you don’t have to hike for that). That leaves me with Bryce Canyon National Park.
Don’t get me wrong, my favorite experience at Bryce Canyon National Park was hiking into the canyon, however, like the Grand Canyon, there are so many viewpoints along the rim. Take your time and savor these views. Even without hiking into the canyon, you’ll still be able to get a sense of just how massive this canyon is and how cool those hoodoos look.
New River Gorge National Park
My mom has visited many national parks with me, so I asked her opinion for this post. One of her top responses was New River Gorge National Park. Admittedly I didn’t have this park on my short list, but I do understand where she’s coming from.
This is another park where the big thing for non-hikers is the mountain views. If you love a good scenic drive, this is another great park for you to look into. We loved driving Fayette Station Road which takes you down and under the famous New River Gorge Bridge, but honestly all of the views throughout our visit were great.
Apart from the scenic drives, don’t miss Grandview viewpoint for a truly spectacular view. Head to Sandstone Falls for a waterfall, but note that you will need to do a little walking to get to the falls.
While I do think New River Gorge is a great option for non-hikers, I don’t think it would be my first pick because many of the other parks on this list just pack a bigger punch.
Carlsbad Caverns National Park
There are three national parks that focus on caves. Carlsbad Caverns is just one, but if you’re a non-hiker interested in caves, Carlsbad Caverns National Park should be your top pick.
If I’m being honest, I liked Mammoth Cave National Park better. I don’t feel like I can adequately judge Wind Cave National Park as the elevators were down and tours were cancelled during my visit. But Carlsbad Caverns is still pretty neat. All of three of these national parks offer guided tours and all will have an accessible option.
So why do I include Carlsbad Caverns on this list? Because Carlsbad Caverns has a great self exploring option. While hikers can take the natural entrance into the cave, non-hikers can take the elevator down to the bottom of the cave (where they would then meet up with the trail that the hikers followed in). Then they can follow the accessible paths and explore at their own pace. Hikers and non-hikers can then take the elevator back to the surface when they are done.
Like New River Gorge, Carlsbad Caverns isn’t my first pick for a national park without hiking. However, with three national parks focusing on caves in the United States, I felt like I had to include one of them on this list. So if you’re a non-hiker, but still want to see a cool cave, I’d recommend Carlsbad Caverns.
Honorable Mention: Gateway Arch National Park
Including Gateway Arch National Park on this list feels like cheating. In some ways, I guess it is which is why I’m including it as an honorable mention.
Gateway Arch National Park is home to the famous St. Louis Arch. It’s located in downtown St. Louis so even if you wanted to hike, there really isn’t an option for you. At Gateway Arch, you can visit the top of the arch, go to the museum under the arch, or tour some of the nearby historical buildings that are also managed by the NPS. Plus, you’re in downtown St. Louis, so there’s plenty of other adventures to be had.
National Parks That I Would Skip as a Non-Hiker
In general, I think every park can be visited by a non-hiker, but there’s a few that stick out to me as parks that I wouldn’t recommend to people who don’t want to hike. Let’s talk about those.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park
The first of the parks is Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Don’t get me wrong, there are some nice mountain views, but in my opinion, the best views come from the trail. There’s no scenic drive through the park so without hiking, much of your views will just come from the highway. I think if you’re looking for dramatic mountain scenery without hiking, there are better parks to visit.
Great Sand Dunes National Park
Great Sand Dunes National Park is another park that I’d think twice about visiting if you aren’t a hiker. In my opinion, the best thing to do at Great Sand Dunes is to rent a sand board or sand sled and ride down the dunes. The problem with that is you have to walk (or hike) up the sand dunes.
I think for this park, it really comes down to why aren’t you hiking. If it’s because you aren’t able to hike, I’d recommend finding another park (there’s plenty in Colorado). If it’s you don’t want to hike but are able to, you could consider a visit if you want to try sandboarding. The caveat being is that you need to be prepared to carry your board up the sand dunes so you can ride down.
Final Thoughts
While it’s true that the US National Parks are full of hiking trails, many parks can still be visited without needing to hike. Not every national park is perfect for this, but with the appropriate research, I believe that it’s possible to enjoy several national parks without hiking.
Continue Your Adventure
National Parks Without Hiking: For more specific guides about enjoying national parks without hiking, check out my guides for Rocky Mountain, Glacier, and Yosemite National Parks.
US National Parks: Start planning your national park vacation with my US National Park Travel Guide. You’ll find information about each park, photos, itineraries, budget tips, advice for non-hikers, and more. Plus, don’t forget to book your timed entry reservations in advance!