63 parks, protected because someone decided they were too good to build a parking lot on. Here are eight to start with — tap "mark visited" once you've been.
The original national park, and still the one with the strangest ground underfoot — geysers, hot springs, and a supervolcano quietly doing its thing. Old Faithful erupts roughly every 60–110 minutes, so plan around it, not for it.
277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide — photos undersell it every time. The South Rim has the crowds and the services; the North Rim has the quiet and is closed in winter.
Granite cliffs, waterfalls that peak in late spring, and sequoias older than most countries. Half Dome's cables are permit-only in summer — book that months ahead if you want the summit.
A red-rock canyon you walk into rather than look down at. Angels Landing now requires a lottery permit, and the Narrows hike means wading through the Virgin River itself.
The most-visited national park in the country, and free to enter — no entrance fee, ever. Come for the fog-wrapped ridgelines and stay for the fall colors, if you can beat the leaf-peeping traffic.
Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the most dramatic drives in the country, when it's open — snow closes sections well into June most years. The park's glaciers are retreating fast, so this one has a shelf life.
The first national park east of the Mississippi, with rocky Atlantic coastline instead of the desert and granite the West Coast parks are known for. Cadillac Mountain claims one of the first sunrise views in the US for part of the year.
Not a swamp — a slow-moving river of grass, and the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles live side by side. Go in the dry season (December–April) to actually see the wildlife instead of the mosquitoes.
Tell me which parks, arenas, or landmarks are on your list and I'll build the itinerary.