National Parks are known for their epic breathtaking views… And the strenuous multi-mile hike that it takes to see the views. But not every Instagramable spot is hard to get to. *Enter National Parks for soft adventures.*
Natural rock arches and bridges, 50-foot tall cacti, the largest cave system in the world. What would you say if we told you that seeing all of those required less than 5-miles hiking combined? The list of wonders doesn’t stop there, either. If you’re putting off visiting a National Park because you think the views are inaccessible, we are here to show you where to start!
These MUST VISIT National Parks for soft adventures have incredible views AND are easy to see! Some views you can even see without getting out of your car. There are stunning overlooks and pull-outs and easy short hikes so that you can fully experience each park. No backpacking or wilderness skills required.
And these soft adventure National Parks won’t skimp on the views. You’ll see some of the most amazing sites in this country and you won’t need to buy any outdoor equipment, apply for a permit, or feel like you need to train for weeks.
WHAT MAKES THESE SOFT ADVENTURE NATIONAL PARKS?
As professional soft adventurers, we are out conducting constant research to find the best hikes, views, and things to do, that are the most bang for the buck! There are many aspects that we take into consideration when determining a soft adventure National Park. We can confidently say that if you want to adventure but are a either beginner, are traveling with kids, or just know that going hard isn’t your type of fun, than you’ll find soft adventures here you can do with ease.
We have visited almost 40 National Parks and completed tons of hikes, and all activities in this article are Soft Adventure Approved. While there are soft adventures in every National Park, we would say that these give the best diversity and have the most to see without the extreme effort. Let’s take a look at how we selected these 9 Must Visit National Parks for Soft Adventures!
DRIVABILITY
The number one aspect of a National Park that earns it a spot on our Soft Adventure Approved list is drivability. Can you cover a lot of ground without white-knuckling on the steering wheel? Can you see many different areas in one day? This qualifier means mostly smooth paved roads throughout the park, or at the very least, a nice dirt road. It also means that there are overlooks, pull-outs, or quick stops right off the road that give you different vantage points.
Drivability is an even bigger factor when you travel in any type of vehicle that isn’t a regular car. So for all of our nomadic folks traveling in RVs, campervans, and the like, it’s important to know ahead of time if there are roads with length or weight limits, and parking options.
EASY HIKES
We can do 8 or 9 mile hikes, but we don’t always want to. The reasons as to why range from how much time we have in a particular park to weather conditions to our skill and comfort levels. It also depends on if we bring the dog or not. So now we use our soft adventure formula for finding the best hikes! We factor in distance, elevation, terrain, and the view at the end. Our sweet spot is under 3 miles with a great payoff view.
Some of these soft adventure hikes almost feel like you’re cheating the system. The incredible view without the treacherous hike? But that’s what makes them so cool. You can check out bucket list destinations and never feel like you’re missing out. So let’s go hike amongst Saguaros and venture into enormous caverns!
EPIC VIEWS
Our favorite part of visiting U.S. National Parks is how unique each park can be. In some cases, the park may be the only place in the country (or the world!) that has a particular feature. What we love about this list of parks is the variety of the landscapes you’ll see if you visit them all!
Geological towers that took millions of years to form. The deepest lake, the tallest cacti, the lowest point below sea level, the largest cave. There are truly magnificent natural wonders out there just waiting for you!
CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
Capitol Reef is an absolutely underrated park. It’s located in Utah, but because Utah is home to some of the most incredible landscapes in America, it doesn’t get the credit it deserves. You won’t believe the colors until you see them with your own eyes. Layers of silt, clay, and sand, create geological formations that tell the history of the area.
SOFT ADVENTURES IN CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK
- Capitol Reef Scenic Drive
- Cathedral Valley Loop
- Sunset Point
- Panorama Point
- Fruita Trail
- Pioneer Register
- Hickman Bridge
Get more details here: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CAPITOL REEF NATIONAL PARK!
CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
This lake was formed by a volcano and now is the only lake in the world that exists in a volcano crater. It is the deepest lake in the United States, and all the water is a result of rainfall and snowmelt. The blueness of this lake is hard to believe!
Crater Lake doesn’t seem to get the attention that it deserves. Maybe it’s because it’s *just* outside of the typical infamous Pacific Northwest. Whatever the reason, this National Park is an absolute MUST VISIT!
SOFT ADVENTURES IN CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK
- Rim Road Scenic Drive
- Watchman Overlook
- Lightning Trail
- Phantom Ship Overlook
- Pinnacles Overlook
- Sun Notch Trail
Find more info here: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO CRATER LAKE NATIONAL PARK!
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
With a name like Death Valley, it’s hard to believe that this park might actually be the MOST Soft Adventure National Park that we’ve ever visited. This is a sprawling National Park that covers over 3.4 million acres and has some of the most diverse landscapes that any one National Park holds. Colorful hills in Artists Palate, the lowest point in the United States in the salt flats of Badwater Basin, and then the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
SOFT ADVENTURES IN DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
- Artists Palette
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- Golden Canyon
- Zabriskie Point
- Badwater Basin
If you want more on these soft adventures, check out the ULTIMATE GUIDE TO DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK!
GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to find that Grand Teton was a soft adventure park! We would imagine that any park surrounded by stunning mountains, it involves extreme elevation and high mileage hikes. What a surprise of what amazing views we could see from the road. On top of the scenic drives, there are a few short hikes that we’d highly recommend to fully immerse yourself in Grand Teton National Park!
SOFT ADVENTURES IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK
- Taggart Lake Trail
- Leigh Lake Trail
- Jenny Lake Scenic Drive
- Teton Park Road
- Wildlife Viewing
- Oxbow Bend
- Mormon Row
- Schwabacher Landing
All the inspo you need is right here: 10 SOFT ADVENTURES IN GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK!
JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
There is something special and unique to visit Joshua Tree National Park. The Joshua Tree only grows in very specific conditions, so they are very rare. They grow only at 3,000 foot elevation in desert landscapes, so they are not something you’ll come across very often!
This park is SO drivable! Well-maintained paved roads wind through all areas of this park through miles and miles of Joshua Trees and unique boulder piles like you’ve never seen before! And even though we have it listed as a soft adventure – be careful around the Cholla Cactus Garden! Stay on the trail and don’t get pricked by this “jumping cactus.”
SOFT ADVENTURES IN JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
- Hidden Valley Trail
- Cholla Cactus Garden
- Fortynine Palms Oasis
- Arch Rock Trail
- Stargze
- Skull Rock
Find everything for planning your trip here! JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK: HOW TO PLAN YOUR VISIT
MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK
One thing we can say for sure about this National Park, is that it lives up to its name. When you picture a cave, you probably imagine narrow passageways and tight squeezes. But then you walk into Mammoth Cave and with a shine of a flashlight from a ranger, you’ll see just exactly how mammoth this place is.
Mammoth Cave is the longest cave system in the world measuring at 426 miles. Much of this is not accessible for tours, and undiscovered areas are still being found which means when you visit – the cave could be even longer!
Keep in mind that you will need to buy tickets for cave tours and the caves cannot be explored on your own. The tours that are offered change throughout the year depending on seasons and cave conditions. Tours do sell out, so plan ahead when you can!
SOFT ADVENTURES IN MAMMOTH CAVE NATIONAL PARK
- Grand Historic Cave Tour
- Violet City Lantern Tour
REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS
Located in Northern California, the only way to describe this park is “magical”. Being amongst these 300+ foot tall redwoods makes you feel so small. Not only do you get to drive through these giants (in one case, you can quite literally drive through one), but this park runs along the California coast and includes beaches. This rugged coastline of California will take your breath away every time.
Redwood is comprised of four different park areas: Redwood National Park and three California State Parks – Del Norte Coast, Jedediah Smith, and Prairie Creek. All of these parks are free to enter for scenic drives, but the State Parks do collect day-use fees in certain areas.
SOFT ADVENTURES IN REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS
- Newton B. Drury Scenic Drive
- Avenue of Giants Scenic Drive
- Drive through Chandelier Tree
- Klamath River Overlook
- Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail
- Karl Knapp Trail
- Gold Bluff’s Beach
For all the details, check out 5 MUST-DO ACTIVITIES IN REDWOOD NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS!
SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
A cactus may just look like a cactus to you, until you find out a little bit more. Saguaro can live to be 200 years old, and many do. There are thousands of Saguaro within the limits of the National Park, and each of them is unique. Sometimes, the Saguaro do not grow arms until they reach 20-30 years old, and sometimes they never do. But the more arms, the older the cactus! Here you’ll see young cacti, old cacti, and even the insides of dead cacti.
Saguaro National Park is located in Southern Arizona, split into two districts by the city of Tucson. On the west of Tucson is the Tucson Mountains District and on the east is the Rincon Mountain District, with the two sides being about an hour apart. No matter which district of the park you visit, you’ll find soft adventures!
SOFT ADVENTURES IN SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK
- Badaja Loop Drive
- Valley View Overlook Trail
- Signal Trail
- Desert Discovery Trail
- Cactus Forest Drive
- Mica View Trail
- Desert Ecology Trail
For more details, check out ULTIMATE GUIDE SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK!
WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK
In the most southern part of New Mexico, almost to the U.S.-Mexican border is the phenomenon that is White Sands National Park. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss it, but if you visit you’ll witness one of the most beautiful places in the country. What looks like snow-covered dunes in the desert is actually gypsum, which is a type of salt. Formerly covered by water that has evaporated and all that remains is the salt.
SOFT ADVENTURES IN WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK
- Interdune Boarwalk
- Playa Trail
- Walk on the dunes
- Sand Sledding
Get all the info here: ULTIMATE GUIDE TO WHITE SANDS NATIONAL PARK!
If you are someone like us who is either on a mission to visit every single National Park in the U.S., or plans to visit more than 2 or 3 U.S. national parks per year, then we’d highly recommend getting the America The Beautiful Pass. For $80, this annual pass gives you full access to all 63 National Parks in the U.S., as well as any federal recreational sites that charge a fee for entry. Visit 3 National Parks and this easily pays for itself.
9 MUST VISIT NATIONAL PARKS FOR SOFT ADVENTURES
If you are a soft adventurer like us, then these National Parks and activities need to be added to your bucket list. Scenic drives, viewpoints with breathtaking mountain views, epic hiking trails, paddle boarding, kayaking or canoeing, incredibly unique landscapes… These parks have it all. So next time you’re planning a trip or vacation, head to one of these parks. You won’t regret it!
And let us know what you thought of this list, if we missed anything, and if you plan on visiting one of these epic places at some point, down below in our comments!
If you’re looking for some additional soft adventure inspiration, check out some of our other articles:
- 10 OF THE MOST EPIC U.S. SOFT ADVENTURES
- ULTIMATE GUIDE TO GLACIER NATIONAL PARK IN MONTANA
- ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK
- VISITING HORSESHOE BEND IN ARIZONA
- ULTIMATE OREGON ROAD TRIP ITINERARY
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Thanks for stopping by!
Ryan & Katy
