Explore The National Park System!

By Kurt Repanshek - October 21st, 2011

America offers more than just "national parks," but before you dive into the comprehensive list below that includes monuments, historic sites, memorials, trails, rivers, battlefields and more, start with the Traveler's Essential Park Guides to some of our most enticing national park vacations.

National Parks Traveler's Essential Park Guides

Organizing a national park vacation can take a lot of planning, but with the Essential Park Guides below it shouldn't be hard work. You'll want to consider lodging possibilities, know what camping options exist, and look into the all activities available.

The following multi-page national park primers offer overviews of their respective parks, lodging, camping, and hiking opportunities, and other aspects of the parks, such as wildlife resources. These are "living" profiles and will continue to evolve, so check back from time to time to see what additions have been made.

Traveler's Comprehensive Overview of the National Park System

Below is a complete listing of the various units of the National Park System and stories we've written about them (the default for units that have not yet appeared in the Traveler is the respective nps.gov site).

National Parks

National Battlefield (Battlefields, parks, sites, etc)

National Cemetery

National Heritage Corridors

National Historic Areas

Aleutian World War II National Historic Area

National Historic Sites

National Historical Parks

National Lakeshores

National Memorial

National Military Parks

National Monuments

National Parkways

National Preserve

National Recreation Areas

National Rivers (Scenic, wild, etc)

National Seashores

National Trails

Miscellaneous Sites

Haleakalā National Park, on the island of Maui, Hawaii, is both a lush, green paradise and a colorful, high-altitude, landscape of cinder cones and lava flows. Waterfalls plunge like long, white tresses over jaw-dropping heights into pools surrounded by tropical vegetation. Rare birds found nowhere else in the world flit from tree to tree, adorning the branches like gems in a tiara.

In this national park, you can hike through a forest “canyon” of spindly bamboo growing over 25 feet tall, gaze out upon sweeping ocean vistas, and watch what many call an “otherworldly” sunrise over Haleakalā crater before hiking down into that volcanic heart to discover life on the cinder plain, including the rare Haleakalā silversword.

Hawaiian for “house of the sun,” Haleakalā (huh·lay·ah·kuh·lah) is divided into two districts - Summit District and Kīpahulu District, each as distinct from each other as night from day. As the crow flies, these districts are separated by only 12 miles (19.3 km). To get from one district visitor center to the other, however, it’s about a 3-hour, 79-mile (127 km) drive along the narrow, winding Hāna Highway, with its hairpin turns and one-way bridges.

There’s plenty to do within the two districts. You can hike over 30 miles (48.3 km) of trails leading you through lush tropical forests and past sparkling waterfalls, or across a colorful and barren volcanic landscape dotted with cinder cones and a sprinkling of rare silversword. Bring your binoculars or telephoto lens to try and spot one or more of Hawaii’s endemic bird species: the rare nēnē (Hawaii’s state bird), the 'ua'u (Hawaiian petrel), and any one of only six remaining forest bird species. Arise at dark-thirty to view a sunrise at Haleakalā volcano summit (you’ll need a reservation for this), stick around to observe a fiery Pacific sunset, and remain at the summit past your bedtime to behold the Milky Way while enjoying a little star gazing. Ranger-led programs introduce visitors to Hawaii’s culture and stories as well as to this national park’s geology and ecosystems.

You might want to indulge in a side trip or two outside Haleakalā National Park. You can book a tour to go whale watching, take a surfing lesson, relax on the beach, go snorkeling, tour a pineapple farm, do a little shopping while checking out the arts community of Makawao, or enjoy the sights, sounds, and taste of a luau dinner and show.

While driving the Hāna Highway toward the Kīpahulu District, make sure to stop at the remote town of Hāna (population 731 as of 2022) along the way. Once a sugar cane plantation, this town is now considered one of the last unspoiled Hawaiian frontiers, according to gohawaii.com.

If you’ve never traveled to this national park, you’ll need to do a little planning. The pages below will help you prepare for your trip and provide ideas of where to stay and what to see. You might even learn something new.

Traveler’s Choice For: geology, birding, photography, hiking

INN Member

The easiest way to explore RV-friendly National Park campgrounds.

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

Here’s the definitive guide to National Park System campgrounds where RVers can park their rigs.

Our app is packed with RVing- specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 national parks.

You’ll also find stories about RVing in the parks, tips helpful if you’ve just recently become an RVer, and useful planning suggestions.