Best Month

National Parks to Visit in August

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For August, I recommend going off the beaten path to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Basin, Isle Royale, Kings Canyon or Voyageurs. While some more famous parks are crowded and hot, a little effort visiting any of these rewards you with exceptional natural beauty.

The popular rim of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison sits around 8,000 feet, so summer is peak season with August a little cooler than July. Although the 2025 South Rim Fire closed campgrounds and washed out some roads and trails, most visitors only drive along the scenic rim and walk out to the overlooks which remain open. Mid-day can get hot, so plan a relatively short stay on either a clear morning or afternoon to take some great photos.

Great Basin is another very high altitude park where the hiking is good in August up where the bristlecone pines are. While the caves are at lower elevations, they never get hot. And August is less crowded than July. Make reservations and enjoy.

Isle Royale is best in August. It’s warm enough to spend time out hiking, camping or on the water. The bugs aren’t as bad as June and July, and everything is fully open. You just need to get tickets and make reservations by January, which is challenging.

Kings Canyon in August has great weather for hiking. So drive the scenic byway to Roads End, and let your feet take you away into the wilderness. Smart park travelers make reservations in advance and hit the busiest sights first thing in the morning.

Voyageurs has fewer bugs in August than June/July and the water is warmer. And you’re going to want to get out on the water, maybe canoe camping on an island. Again, early planning and reservations are essential.

For earlier months in this series, click January, February, March, April, May, June and July.

National Parks to Visit in June

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I recommend Badlands, Great Smoky, Teddy Roosevelt, Yellowstone and Wind Cave in June. These popular parks are big enough to accommodate some crowds, are more fun in summer, and are even busier in July and August.

The Badlands are at their mildest in June, with wildlife about and even some greenery. Spend some time soaking in the scenery from a campground, time your hikes for the sun angles and weather, and listen to a ranger talk at an amphitheater. You won’t have the place to yourself, but do you really want to be in the Badlands by yourself?

Great Smoky in June is good for seeing bears, fireflies, and for swimming holes or rafting, so no wonder it’s so popular. Plan ahead and spend some time camping here, so you can visit the most popular spots on weekday mornings. Take your time hiking and ask folks what they’ve seen.

Teddy Roosevelt is another fun park that’s great in June. I enjoyed driving to all three park units, hiking and enjoying wildlife and scenic viewpoints. But if I go again, I’m going to stay longer. The folks at the campgrounds were very friendly and nice.

Yellowstone is the best park in the contiguous US and is big with lots to see and do. So you need to go when there’s good weather and activities are in full swing. Book campgrounds and activities well in advance, give yourself time for everything on your list, and go in June before it gets even busier in July and August. The grand old park can handle the crowds, but planning ahead is the key.

Wind Cave is crowded in summer, so common advice says to visit in May or September to avoid crowds and heat. But it’s a cave, so heat is not an issue. And the cave tours are all in guided groups, which are similar in size most of the year. So my advice is to visit when you’re visiting other parks above in the region. And you should absolutely book your tickets in advance. Bison can be seen outside the park entrance in June and other months.

June is a beautiful month, so take advantage of the fine weather, go camping and enjoy some of the best national parks in the country.

National Parks to Visit in May

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See January, February, March, and April. May is a great month to visit many parks, especially river and forest parks that are full of life in spring. I recommend Congaree, Cuyahoga Valley, New River Gorge, Olympic and Yosemite.

Congaree is a great place to kayak, so high water may allow you to roam more. But May is also when the fireflies all blink together. Recreation.gov holds a lottery in early April for evening passes during the week long synchronous firefly event mid May.

Cuyahoga Valley is popular in May as the Brandywine Falls are awash and the trails are surrounded by spring greenery. I like biking there, and the tourist trains run a full schedule in May also taking bikes.

New River Gorge may be best in May as the wildflowers are out on the trails, the temperature is just right, and the river runs fast for rafting.

Olympic for me is all about the rainforest. Go early, wear good hiking boots, a thermal layer and rain gear, but try to visit Hoh Rainforest and hike the Hall of Mosses when it’s wet and green. Visiting the rainforest is a unique national park experience, unlike mountain hikes or beaches. The park is beautiful during the summer, but it gets very crowded at Hoh beginning Memorial Day weekend.

Yosemite’s waterfalls all flow strong in May, and Bridalveil, Sentinel and Yosemite Falls are spectacular at peak snowmelt. Wildflowers bloom on the valley trails, the temperature is pleasant during the day, and it’s not as crowded as summer. Glacier Point viewpoint usually opens to vehicles in May, earlier now that there’s less snow.

You may notice that my recommendations on when to visit are often a little earlier than common advice, and that’s usually to avoid crowds, to take advantage of planning and because the climate is changing. Planning ahead is particularly important for saving time and money, as a simple campground reservation made six months in advance can put you in the best possible location at the best time for $30. Summer used to be the best time to visit most national parks, but many parks are now too crowded and too hot in July and August. But stay tuned, because I’ve got more national parks recommendations coming on the first Friday of each month.