3 California national parks ranked ‘very best’ in US. Which ones made the list?
California is home to three of the best national parks in the country, according to Lonely Planet.
The travel guide recently combed through all 63 protected nature destinations in the contiguous 48 states to discover the top 12 national parks in the United States.
The best national parks in the nation “preserve some of the continent’s wildest places and most spectacular landscapes, from soaring mountains and fantastically sculpted canyons to rugged coastlines, vast grasslands and towering forests,” Lonely Planet said.
Lonely Planet did not include national parks in Alaska or Hawaii in its rankings because they “merit a category of their own,” the travel guide said.
About 12,160,000 people visited national parks in California in 2024, according to federal data. That’s an increased of 7% from the previous year.
Here’s which Golden State destinations landed on Lonely Planet’s list:
Why is Yosemite National Park one of best in US?
Nestled in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite National Park boasts nearly 1,200 square miles of wilderness filled with waterfalls, grand valleys, wildflower meadows and ancient sequoias, according to the park’s website.
The 161-year-old national park is “not just a great valley, but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra,” the Yosemite National Park website said.
Yosemite is home to the highest waterfall in North America — the 2,425-foot-tall Yosemite Falls — and “iconic rock formations” including Half Dome and El Capitan, Lonely Planet said.
Currently, more than 94% of the park is designated as wilderness.
Lonely Planet called Yosemite the “best for iconic hiking and climbing” due to its abundance of winter and summertime recreational activities, including biking, snowshoeing, skiing and ice skating.
“The park continues to exert a magnetic pull on modern-day visitors with its glorious landscapes,” the travel guide said.
Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park
Lonely Planet combined two adjacent parks in the southern Sierra Nevada on its list, calling the duo the “best for supersized trees and landscapes.”
The jointly managed Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks are known as the “land of giants” due to towering trees that include some of the largest in the world, according to the National Parks Service website.
Highlights of the national parks include Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States, and Kings Canyon, the second deepest canyon in the country, according to Lonely Planet.
“Opportunities abound for both day hikes and longer wilderness backpacking trips, as well as recreational activities on and around the parks’ wild, scenic rivers, many waterfalls and thousands of lakes and ponds,” the travel guide said.
Travel + Leisure named Yosemite and Sequoia national parks as two of the 25 best national parks of 2024, along with Redwood National Park in California.
Where are the top 12 national parks in the US?
Here are the top 12 protected wilderness destinations for outdoor adventurers in the United States, according to Lonely Planet:
- Yellowstone National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Mt. Rainier National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Acadia National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Zion National Park
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Arches National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
What to know before visiting national parks
Travelers heading to national parks this year could experience longer wait times, less services and reduced hours after the Trump administration fired 1,000 National Park Services employees in February, The Sacramento Bee previously reported.
In addition, more than 700 Park Service employees submitted resignations in response to a federal offer, according to The New York Times.
In California, layoffs have led to staff reductions at Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, as well as Joshua Tree and Death Valley national parks, The Bee reported.
According to Associated Press reporting, the Trump administration promised to restore dozens of Park Service jobs and hire up to 7,700 seasonal positions in 2025.
Lonely Planet advised people to do some research before hitting the road to see if parks require reservations to enter, especially during the busy summer season.
“To avoid any disappointment, check in advance if this applies to any parks you’re visiting,” the travel guide company said.
Yosemite National Park has developed a visitor access management plan to limit crowd size, protect natural resources and provide “a great visitor experience,” The Fresno Bee previously reported, but had yet to implement it as of March.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "3 California national parks ranked ‘very best’ in US. Which ones made the list?."
