8 best national parks to visit this Labor Day weekend

You can see everything you should see in these parks for a long weekend, say the experts.


Three-day weekends give us an additional day for rest and relaxation, but they are also a great opportunity to Plan a little getaway . Although these weekends are probably not long enough for an international trip, they give ample time to make the most of some of the coolest destinations in the United States. .

In relation: The 6 best American national parks to see fall foliage .

1
Joshua Tree National Park (California)

skull rock and starry night sky at joshua tree national park
Sierralara / Shutterstock

If you are in California, consider booking a three -day trip to Joshua Tree National Park in Socal. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"It is one of the 10 most visited national parks in the United States and welcomes visitors with its incredibly unique desert landscape, its imposing rock formations and its wide range of outdoor activities that can be overwhelming in living in A quick weekend, but perfect for a three-day weekend! " Kristin Lee , travel expert and owner and author of the Travel blog Global Travel Eask , said.

Lee specifically recommends hiking in Ryan Mountain or along the Rock Arch trail, or trying climbing if you are even more adventurous. There is a lot of fauna of the desert to observe for a long weekend, but you will also have an additional night in Stargaze, which Lee calls "the best".

There is a light pollution limited to Joshua Tree, says Lee, allowing you to see "thousands and thousands of stars" in the night sky.

2
Everglades National Park (Florida)

wooden deck in everglades national park
Nick Fox / Shutterstock

On the opposite coast, at the southern tip of Florida, you will find the Everglades National Park - an ideal place for a long weekend.

"The Everglades National Park is located along the most southern coast of Florida and includes 1.5 million acres of wetlands, mangrove tunnels, grass fields, cypress and hammocks in mahogany, pine forests and fresh and salted water bodies "," Erin Moreland , travel blogger at Simple Salt Life , tell Better life . "In fact, Everglades is the third largest contiguous United States National Park, so it can take several days to explore. This makes it the perfect park for a three-day weekend!"

Moreland suggests a three -day route, starting with a trip from the Ernest F. Coe entrance outside Miami to the southern part of the park. You can take your time along the way and explore the different trails, she notes.

"Complete with Flamingo for an epic glamping adventure in an eco-tete just on the water and get one step ahead the second day," she recommends. "Starting just at the Marina Flamingo, kayaks and small electric centers are available to rent and explore the park's sails, heading for Florida bay or in the hinterland - look for the lamantins, alligators And sometimes crocodiles and dolphins! "

From there, your last day should be explored Shark Valley, which you can see in the comfort of a tram or taking a bicycle, then spreading in the ten thousand islands of the park.

"This area is just south of Naples, Florida, and is a literal labyrinth of the mangrove islands accessible by boat," said Moreland. "With three days full of action, the Everglades can be completely explored, so you will not miss anything."

In relation: The 12 best national parks that must be on your list of buckets .

3
Yosemite National Park (California)

el capitan and merced river at yosemite
Nadia Yong / Shutterstock

Yosemite is another California park ready to welcome you for a long weekend.

According to Adam Marland , travel photographer and blogger for us dream of traveling, three days is actually "the perfect time to carefully explore what is probably the The most beautiful national park in the country."

He continues: "While a typical weekend visit will limit visitors to one to two sections of the park, having this additional day allows you to see the entire Yosemite valley, to drive to the Glacier de Glacier Point, and even to travel through the tioga pass (time allows it). "

Marland highlights the various activities available in the park, which offer something for everyone, regardless of skill level or capacity.

"Those who love trekking have dozens of long paths to choose, while lovers of whistles can explore by car stopping at countless points of view and natural attractions visible from the side of the road," said -he. "There are also lakes to swim, the fauna to observe and an endless buffet of natural wonders for people of all ages and interests."

4
Acadia National Park (Maine)

acadia national park in autumn
Pisaphotography / Shutterstock

A hot spot for Peepers of the leaves And the adventurers, this jewel of a national park is also an ideal place if you have an additional day to spend.

"The Acadia National Park in Maine is ideal for a three-day weekend. It is one of the few American national parks on the East Coast, therefore for an immaculate nature, the Coasters of East N ' don't have to feel too far from their home, " Becca Siegel ,, editor On Halfhalftravel.com, said.

There are a lot of flights to get there quickly, says Siegel, including options with Jet Blue and United at Bar Harbor nearby, Maine.

"For excursioners, you look at a 4.5 to five hours of Boston's trip to Acadia National Park, which is not too bad and quite picturesque," she adds.

In relation: The 12 best weekends in the United States, you have to take this year .

5
Bryce Canyon (Utah) National Park (Utah) National Park

The sun rising above Thor's Hammer at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.
istock

You may think that a three-day weekend leaves you only enough time to see a national park, but Sophie Clapton , Blogger Travel with We Dream of Travel, says that this is not the case.

"This one is a double feature! While a weekend would generally be only enough Bryce Canyon , a three-day weekend creates the unique opportunity to discover both, "says Clapton." When the roads are clear, the driving time of Zion National Park in Bryce Canyon is only about an hour and a half. ""

More than three days, you can Explore everything Zion According to Clapton, on the free shuttle in the park and take the time to hike Zion Narrows or Angel's Landing. Then you can sit down and enjoy the Bryce Canyon player.

"As Bryce Canyon National Park tends to be a day trip for most visitors, combining these two parks in a three-day weekend is a perfect fit," she said. "And if you move quickly, you can even add a bonus stop to the national monument to cedar with only a slight detour between the two!"

6
Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

grand canyon at sunrise
Invisible witness / Shutterstock

If you have always wanted to see the Grand Canyon, do the comfort to know that you don't need a full week to see it.

"Most people who visit the tall canyon I only see it from the southern rim, and only as a day excursion. With a three-day weekend, however, the possibilities of really exploring this "natural wonder of the world" are opening considerably, "explains Marland.

With the additional time, you can see and do more, in particular by exploring the bottom of the canyon - that the notes of Marland can be reached by hiking or by making a mule - along the Sky Bridge and the campsite.

But even better, you can explore other parts of the park that you do not see if you only had two days.

"More specifically, having the additional day creates the opportunity to go to the northern rim, considered the most beautiful point of view to see this remarkable place," explains Marland.

In relation: 11 American national parks that you can do in one day .

7
Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming)

view from mount washburn at yellowstone national park
Andy Williams Photos / Shutterstock

Yellowstone is another big striker that you can explore in three days, especially if it is an "introductory trip", " Claire Ramsdell , adventure consultant at Wildland Trekking and owner of the Travel blog The effect of detour , tell Better life .

"Yellowstone is so massive that you really have to focus on one region of the park per day; you could spend a day around the West Yellowstone / Old Faithful district, one day in the northern part of the park near Mammoth Hot Springs, and a third Day in the more central region to see the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone or the Mount Washburn hike, "explains Ramsdell.

While she concedes that you could "spend a life" to explore the most remote areas of Yellowstone, a three -day section is sufficient for an overview of the major park prints.

"You can hit all the main attractions and even adapt to less known detours on a three -day Yellowstone trip and feel quite satisfied," said Ramsdell.

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8
Olympic National Park (Washington)

rialto beach olympic national park
Pierre Leclerc / Shutterstock

There are many three-day weekend outings in national parks to the west, but if you are looking to see the Northwest Pacific, you may want to consider a visit to the Olympic National Park.

"This park is really large and easily located a few hours away from Seattle, which makes it easy training for even non-locals", " Alice Ford ,, content creator , travel agent and expert in the national park, says Better life . "The park is surrounded by [the highway] 101, so no return backwards is necessary during the exploration of the four main ecosystems of the park - the oriental mountains, the coast, the lakes and the plains and the tropical forest."

You might end up wanting a few additional days here, but three will be enough to explore the essential points. On the first day, Ford recommends starting in the city of Sequim and taking an hour's drive to Hurricane Ridge.

"Here you can drive high on the ridge and have views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, distant glaciers and a beautiful forest," she said, noting that there are also several hiking trails. "After that, head west towards Lake Crescent where you can stop for swimming and make the short hike for Marymount Falls and Sol Duc Falls."

The second day went better to drive to Cape Flattery (the northernmost point in the contiguous United States), then return to Rialto Beach to explore a sea cave. If you are a fan of Dusk Series, be sure to book your stay of the second night in Forks and rest for your third and last morning at Hoh Rainforest and your afternoon in Kalaloch Beach or Lake Quinault.


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