Exploring the National Parks

141: Best Scenic Drives in the National Parks

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If you love a drive that has you gasping, laughing, and pulling over every few minutes for “just one more” viewpoint, you are going to have so much fun with this episode. We’re sharing 15 of our favorite scenic drives across the national parks and how you can plan your own visit to each!

In this episode, we cover:

  • Our top 15 national park scenic drives, grouped into big bucket list roads, overlooked drives in popular parks, and hidden gems in lesser known parks
  • Key logistics for each drive, including typical opening seasons, road lengths, and important vehicle size or road condition notes
  • The hikes, overlooks, and viewpoints we love along these roads, plus the wildlife you are most likely to see
  • How these drives fit into a bigger trip so you can plan your time around sunrise, sunset, and trail days

    • Your task for today: 

    Pick one of the 15 scenic drives from this episode and move it to the very top of your national park bucket list, then head over to the @DirtInMyShoes Facebook or Instagram page and tell us which drive you are most excited to experience next!

    Don’t miss the full show notes packed with all the links we mentioned so you can plan your adventures like a pro: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/best-scenic-drives-in-the-national-parks/ 

    Planning your own scenic drive adventure?

    • Episode 117: Favorite national parks road trips: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/favorite-national-park-road-trips/ 
    • Episode 23: Scariest national park roads ranked: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/episode-23-scariest-national-park-roads-ranked/ 
    • Episode 81: Insider tips for driving Going to the Sun Road: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/insider-tips-for-driving-glaciers-going-to-the-sun-road/ 
    • Dirt In My Shoes Itineraries: https://shop.dirtinmyshoes.com/ 
    • Master Reservation List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/list/
    • National Park Checklist: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/national-parks-checklist/ 
    • Trip Packing List: https://www.dirtinmyshoes.com/pack/
      • ...more
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