The best national parks in the USA for adventure

State: Colorado
Area: 124 sq km
Created: 1999
Best for… Jawdropping lookouts, rim rambles

Why go? It doesn’t have quite the scale of the Grand Canyon, but the sheer, 600m-high walls (some of the oldest exposed rock on the planet) flanking a 19km stretch of the Gunnison River are arguably more dramatic – at points, the gorge is only 12m wide. Indeed, the ‘Black’ of its name alludes to the darkness of its narrow depths.

When to go: Open year-round. In winter, North Rim Road and some of South Rim Road are closed; cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are possible on South Rim.

Plan your trip: The park is around 400km southwest of Denver. Make a loop of Colorado’s wild places, linking Rocky Mountain NP, Black Canyon, Mesa Verde, the San Juan Mountains and Great Sand Dunes NP.

State: Alaska
Area: 16,300 sq km
Created: 1980
Best for… classic scenery, remote lodges, rafting

Why go? Though just 160km from Anchorage, fewer than 12,000 visitors made it to Lake Clark in 2013. Indeed, plan an adventure in this expanse of glaciers, rugged mountains, salmon-heaving rivers, bear-foraged tundra and active volcanoes, and you won’t see many other souls.

When to go: Open year-round. Most people visit June-September for the best weather.

Plan your trip: Lake Clark is a one- to two-hour flight from Anchorage, Kenai or Homer; charter boats on the Kenai Peninsula run tours to parts of the park. Incorporate Lake Clark into a southern Alaska itinerary that also includes bear-watching in Katmai National Park or even a sail along the Aleutian chain.

State: California
Area: 430 sq km
Created: 1916
Best for… volcanic action, scenic drives, snowshoeing

Why go? Lassen is the laidback Golden State at its most inhospitable. All four types of volcano are found here: shield, cinder cone, composite and plug dome; 3,187m active Lassen Peak is one of the largest plugs in the world. Add sizzling fumaroles and burping mudpots, and this is weirdly wonderfully lively terrain.

Winter hits hard at Lassen: 15m of snow isn’t unusual. Roads close, so cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are the ways to go; ranger-guided snow-hikes are run for novices.

When to go: Open year-round. Winter/spring access is limited. Mosquitoes are most problematic June-July.

Plan your trip: The park is 265km north of Sacramento. Plan a northern California roadtrip loop from San Francisco, also visiting Napa Valley’s wineries, Lake Tahoe and Yosemite.

State: Washington
Area: 3,734 sq km
Created: 1938
Best for… hikes of all types, tidepooling

Why go? This park is a jack-of-all-trades. It incorporates a diverse range of habitats from the glacier-cloaked highs of the Olympic Mountains to moss-fuzzed temperate rainforest; its wild Washington coast section – separate from the main bulk of the park – is dotted with tidal pools, driftwood and Native American settlements.

When to go: Open year-round, though some roads and campsites close outside summer months.

Plan your trip: Olympic is just west of Seattle. Try a classic two-week roadtrip: Seattle-San Francisco, via Olympic, Portland, the Oregon coast, Redwood NP and Napa.

State: Ohio
Area: 133 sq km
Created: 2000
Best for… cycling, hiking, railways

Why go? Cuyahoga Valley is Ohio’s only national park, and attracts people in their droves: over two million visited the park’s waterfalls, steep ravines and caves in 2013. But what is it about this ‘crooked river’ valley that’s so enticing?

When to go: Open year-round. Trails can be crowded on the weekends, especially in the spring and summer. Fall colours peak mid-October.

Plan your trip: Start a seven-day round-trip in Chicago, passing through Grand Rapids, Pittsburgh and Cleveland, before reaching Cuyahoga. En route, you could stop off at several state parks along Lake Michigan, as well as the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

State: Texas
Area: 3,242 sq km
Created: 1944
Best for… birdwatching, hiking, river-floating

Why go? This south-west Texan stunner does exactly what is says on the tin, named for the grand curve of the Rio Grande that lies within its boundaries. It is a place of remote and rare beauty, where the Chihuahuan Desert is at its most dramatically carved, colourful and wildlife-rich.

You might encounter wildlife on some of the park’s 240km of hiking trails too, which include paths amid the forested Chisos and out into the desert, to canyons, cacti, mesas and oases. However, the best way to gorge-gaze is on a river trip: half-day or multi-day floats on the Rio Grande can be arranged.

When to go: The park is busiest November-April. Desert plants usually bloom late February-late April and July-August.

Plan your trip: Big Bend is 1,050km west of Houston. Got a month? Pay a visit while crossing the States’ bottom: Miami to San Diego, via New Orleans, Texas, the Grand Canyon and Vegas.

State: Alaska
Area: 16,273 sq km
Created: 1980
Best for… bears, ‘flightseeing’, more bears

Kayaking, boating and hiking are all wild and wonderful here, but flightseeing is the only way to grasp the scale of the place; trips leave from hubs such as Anchorage, Homer and Kodiak. Peer into the craters of the Aleutian Range, make out vast schools of salmon and, with luck, spot bears.

When to go: Open year-round. Backcountry activities are best June-September. Prime bear-viewing months at Brooks Camp are July and September; coastal bear-watching is possible June-August.

Plan your trip: Park HQ is in King Salmon, a one-hour flight from Anchorage. Combine Katmai with Lake Clark (see no 2), or Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge for more bears.

State: Hawaii
Area: 122 sq km
Created: 1916
Best for… stargazing, volcano hiking, local legends

There’s a steep road up to the Summit Area, and ranger-led activities can provide more insight. However, the best way to explore is on foot – trails range from 400m ambles to overnight hikes. Wilderness campgrounds and cabins allow you to stay on the volcano – which is a great thing, as the sunrises, sunsets and pollution-free star-gazing are spectacular; even if it’s cloudy, you might see rainbows and moonbows.

When to go: Open year-round. Temperatures are fairly constant, but the climate is drier April-October.

Plan your trip: Maui is a 30-minute flight from Big Island; Haleakalā’s Summit Area is a 90-minute drive from Kahului Airport. Plan a two-week self-drive stay on Maui and you can see the lot – including the waterfall-splattered coast drive from Pa’ia to Hana, snorkelling with turtles at Malu’aka Beach and humpback watching off the west coast (Dec-Apr).

State: Alaska
Area: 34,287 sq km
Created: 1980
Best for… getting lost, northern lights, fishing

Why go? No facilities, no fees, no tracks, no rules. If you’re ready to go all Ray Mears – just you and the rugged wildlife – this is the place to do it. Wild rivers slice through glacial valleys; grizzlies, moose and wolves roam; the aurora dances across wintry night skies while the midnight sun lights up summer.

When to go: Open year-round. The best, safest, time to visit is June-August.

Plan your trip: Two weeks in the Gates of the Arctic will test your survival skills. Local air taxis provide flightseeing trips, day trips or overnight camp-outs at remote locations, but most people fly in on floatplanes and spend a week or more exploring here with a guide.

State: Florida
Area: 262 sq km
Created: 1992
Best for… swimming with turtles, camping, some remarkable history

Why go? Dry Tortugas is the realm of the sea turtle; the creature even gave the archipelago its name (tortuga is Spanish for turtle). Five species – loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, hawksbill, green sea and leatherback – frequent the warm waves of this underwater national park, and can sometimes be seen, breaking the surface to breathe.

The park is also home to Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry fort in the Americas, built between 1846 and 1875 to protect the USA’s access to the Gulf. Take a tour, then camp right by the fort for majestic sunsets.

When to go: Open year-round, though some keys close during certain months. The rainier summer season (May-October) is the best time to visit, with warmer, calmer waters and good visibility for snorkelling and diving.

Plan your trip: Fly to Key West via Miami. Boats depart from Key West Ferry Terminal to Dry Tortugas daily. Include the park in a wider south Florida trip: Key West (visit Ernest Hemingway’s house), cool Miami and the croc-rich Everglades.

State: Virginia
Area: 806 sq km
Created: 1935
Best for… dramatic driving, lots of hikes, fall colours

Why go? Shenandoah is a capital escape: this protected piece of the Blue Ridge Mountains is less than 100km from Washington DC; the fresh, forested wilderness is the perfect antidote to all those political machinations.

When to go: Open year-round. Autumn is busy. Spring brings wildflowers.

Plan your trip: The park is 90km west of Washington Dulles airport. Visit the capital’s sights, head to Shenandoah then follow the Blue Ridge Parkway to Great Smokey Mountains NP. Finish in Charleston or further south in charming Savannah, Georgia.

State: Utah
Area: 1,366 sq km
Created: 1964
Best for… mountain-biking, 4WD-ing, rafting

Why go? The Colorado River isn’t responsible for only the Grand Canyon – in southern Utah, this artistic waterway has carved a dramatic array of rust-red gorges, buttes and pinnacles that have been collected into Canyonlands National Park.

When to go: Open year-round. Temperatures are most pleasant in spring and autumn; summers are hot and stormy. High water for rafting is May-June.

Plan your trip: Canyonlands is just south-west of Moab, and 400km south of Salt Lake City. Include it in a two/three-week Four Corners roadtrip to absorb the Wild West landscapes and Native American culture of Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.

State: Kentucky
Area: 214 sq km
Created: 1941
Best for… cave tours, history, boating

Why go? Welcome to the world’s largest known cave system, 645km of passages, grottoes and underground extraordinariness. Human remains dating back over 4,000 years have been found inside, suggesting man has always been curious; luckily, taking a peep is now much easier.

For the claustrophobic, the park also offers surface adventures. Paddle on the Green River, which helped sculpt this karst landscape into subterranean Swiss cheese, or explore by bike or on horseback. The Mammoth Cave Hotel offers an in-park alternative to camping.

When to go: Open year-round, though activities vary by season. June-August is busiest.

Plan your trip: Mammoth Cave is 145km south-west of Louisville. You could combine the caves with cool tunes by flying into Cincinnati (Ohio) and out of Atlanta (Georgia), driving via Louisville, Nashville and Chattanooga.

Territory: American Samoa
Area: 55 sq km
Created: 1988
Best for… Polynesia, marine life, paradise

Why go? Spanning three south-west Pacific islands (Tutuila, Ofu and Ta’u), the National Park of American Samoa is the only US park that lies south of the equator. The emphasis here is on protecting Polynesian culture as well as the mountainous, volcanic, rainforest-draped, reef-laced, wildlife-rich landscapes.

When to go: Open year-round. May- September is the driest period. Humpbacks may be seen August-November.

Plan your trip: Hawaiian Airlines flies direct to American Samoa’s Tutuila Island from Honolulu. More airlines fly to Western Samoa, from where connections are available. Small planes serve Ta’u; local boats link Ta’u to Ofu.

State: Texas
Area: 349 sq km
Created: 1966
Best for… climbing, hiking, birding

Why go? Guadalupe Mountains is an ‘island in the desert’, a Permian-era reef rearing over 1,500m out of the now dusty wilderness. It’s home to marine fossils, three major ecosystems, eight species of hummingbird and the highest peak in Texas.

When to go: Open year-round. Visit in spring, when flowers are blossoming, or autumn, for fall colours.

Plan your trip: Guadalupe Mountains is 180km from El Paso. It is also close to Carlsbad Caverns, making it easy to combine the two. If you have two weeks, consider flying into Las Vegas, heading to the Grand Canyon, and then veering east into New Mexico and Texas for Guadalupe.

State: South Carolina
Area: 107 sq km
Created: 2003
Best for… wildlife-watching, canoeing, hiking

Experience the cacophony of birdcalls on foot or from the comfort of a canoe and you’ll also get up-close to this bottomland forest, one of the USA’s largest left. Canoe rides are usually free on weekends and, as you paddle through this dense wilderness dwarfed by the tallest loblolly pines alive (51m), you may even spot otters, white-tailed deer and racoons along the banks of Cedar Creek.

When to go: Open year-round. Avoid the rainy summer months as some trails get washed away.

Plan your trip: Congaree is a 90-minute drive from Charlotte Douglas airport; you can fly there direct from Heathrow. Add a visit to Charleston 160km south-east, to explore the city and snorkel with dolphins around the offshore islands.

State: Montana
Area: 4,101 sq km
Created: 1910
Best for… snowshoeing, hiking, road trips

There are over 1,100km of walking trails, numerous campsites and opportunities for boating and biking. You don’t even need to get out of your car (though you should): the 80km Going-to-the-Sun Road, the only road that crosses the park, intersects the 2,026m continental divide at Logan Pass and offers sweeping views. In winter, skis and snowshoes provide access to much of the park, in all its icy, uncrowded glory.

When to go: Open year-round. Autumn is colourful and quieter than peak summer months; winter offers great snow sports.

Plan your trip: The park is 48km from Glacier Park International Airport, near Kalispell, which is served by flights from Salt Lake City. In a two-week trip, you could fly into Seattle, drive east to Glacier, then head south via Yellowstone and Grand Teton to Salt Lake.

State: New Mexico
Area: 189 sq km
Created: 1930
Best for… spelunking, bat tours

Why go? Carlsbad Caverns is a wet wilderness hidden deep beneath the desert. Made up of 119 prehistoric caves, it was forged around the Ice Age when sulphuric acid sizzled through the limestone, creating sculptural stalactites, stalagmites and seemingly impossible rock formations.

When to go: Open year-round. Desert wildflowers bloom March-April and October-November. The best bat flights are in July and August.

Plan your trip: Fly in to Albuquerque for a two-week driving tour of this diverse state. Head to the Chihuahuan Desert for the world’s largest field of blinding-white sand dunes and to supernatural Roswell for a UFO tour. New Mexico is renowned for its clear skies too, so expect super stargazing.

State: Alaska
Area: 7,085 sq km
Created: 1980
Best for… getting utterly off-grid, river trips, caribou

Why go? No giftshops, no campsites, no roads, no trails: Kobuk Valley, which nudges inside the Arctic Circle, is proper wild-man backcountry. Here, you have to make – and survive – your own adventure; it is not for the unprepared.

When to go: Open year-round. Mid-August to mid-October has bright skies, fall colours and fewer mosquitoes than the warmer summer months. July-early September is the best time to float the Kobuk River.

Plan your trip: Park HQ is in Kotzebue, which is served by flights from Anchorage. From Anchorage it’s easy to access all other areas in Alaska; for instance, you could take the historic railroad to Denali’s mountains.

State: Florida
Area: 700 sq km
Created: 1980
Best for… boating, snorkelling, dolphins

When to go: Open year-round. Guided canoe trips run Jan-April; this is also the best time for camping, when there are fewer insects.

Plan your trip: Convoy Point is 50km south of Miami. Linger in the art deco city, and combine a trip to Biscayne with the Everglades and Florida Keys. Or plan an East Coast epic, riding the Amtrak Silver Service train from New York to Miami, via Washington DC, Charleston, Savannah, Jacksonville and Orlando, before hitting Biscayne itself.

State: Michigan
Area: 2,314 sq km
Created: 1940
Best for… canoeing, camping, wolves

Why go? The car-less, virtually untouched wilderness of Isle Royale, which floats in the north-west corner of Lake Superior, is officially the least-visited national park of the lower US states. There are a couple of campstores and a lodge, but otherwise this basalt-and-sandstone outcrop is given over to forest, inland lakes, bogs and wildlife.

Those who don’t want to paddle can take guided boat trips from Rock Harbor (Jun-Sept). Or head off on a hike: there are short routes, or try the 64km Greenstone Ridge Trail, which follows the island’s rugged spine.

When to go: Open 16 April-31 October. Mid-July to mid-August is busiest; mosquitoes are worst June-early July. Fall colours can be impressive.

Plan your trip: Boats and seaplanes for Isle Royale leave from Houghton and Copper Harbor (Michigan) and Grand Portage (Minnesota). Consider a loop up from Chicago (640km south of Houghton) – you could travel north thorough Wisconsin (via Frank Lloyd Wright’s Taliesin and Chequamegon National Forest) and back south via Michigan (Hiawatha Forest, Mackinac Island, Saugatuck).

Main image: Haleakala volcano (Shutterstock)