From the awesome geysers of Yellowstone to the purple mountains of the Smokies, America’s national parks have long been known as great road trip destinations. But what if you prefer to travel without getting behind the wheel?
“You don’t need a car to have a fantastic and fulfilling experience,” says Mike Augustine, a custom trip consultant at MT Sobek and a Travel + Leisure A-List travel advisor specializing in national parks.
Several parks have their own robust networks of (often free) shuttles, while others sit enticingly close to commercial airports, cruise ports, and train stations. So, while visiting national parks without a car may not be common, it’s certainly doable — and the National Park Service points out that it has historical precedent, too.
“For over 150 years, from horse-drawn stagecoaches to electric shuttle buses, public modes of transportation have helped visitors experience the wonders of national parks,” says Kathy Kupper, a public affairs specialist with the NPS. More than 30 million people used NPS transit systems in 2023, she adds, and that doesn’t even account for the many more who use other train, plane, or bus networks to reach their desired destinations.
Add on the countless tour companies offering chauffeured travel for individuals and groups, and there’s no denying that national parks are great places to be a visitor without a vehicle.
With Kupper and Augustine’s help, we’ve narrowed down America’s 63 national parks to this list of 12 that are the very best for car-free travel. Even if you normally love driving, we believe that a public transit-powered visit to these 12 parks is worth considering.
After all, Augustine asks: “Wouldn’t you rather focus on the view than Google Maps?”
Glacier National Park
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“Many early park visitors traveled to national parks via passenger trains,” Kupper points out, “and that tradition continues today” — particularly at Glacier National Park. Amtrak’s Empire Builder route traces the park’s entire southern edge and, depending on the season, makes up to three stops in or near the park. The stop in West Glacier gets the most attention (it’s connected by seasonal shuttle to the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road), but we recommend disembarking at East Glacier Park. The station in this walkable, well-connected gateway town lies right on the front lawn of Glacier Park Lodge, a hotel purpose-built in 1913 to welcome visitors arriving by train.
Acadia National Park
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With a rugged island location closer to Canada than to Boston, Maine’s Acadia National Park may seem too remote for car-free visitors. The park’s neighbor, though, is Bar Harbor, a beach town so beloved by the jet set that it has its own transport infrastructure. A teensy airport connects the town by flight, while, by sea, the town serves as a cruise port of call as well. No matter how you arrive, getting between Bar Harbor and Acadia is blissfully simple: Take the Island Explorer, a free bus with stops at the airport, downtown, and at trailheads and landmarks throughout the park.
Haleakala National Park
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If you like to do your exploring on two wheels rather than four, Haleakala National Park may be the place for you. Nearly a million people visit this volcanic Maui icon annually, and a brave few thousand of them do so by bicycle. If you’ve got the stamina for the 10,000 feet of elevation gain required, begin in the town of Pa’ia for a 36-mile ride to Haleakala’s summit. Pa’ia (named T+L’s Best Beach Town in America in 2024) sits just a stone’s throw from Maui’s main airport, allowing serious riders to complete this national park adventure without ever stopping at the rental car counter.
Grand Teton National Park
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Grand Teton National Park boasts a uniquely appealing amenity for car-free travelers: the only commercial airport inside a U.S. national park. With a direct flight to Jackson Hole Airport from any of 11 American cities, you can land right in the middle of the Tetons without doing anything tougher than boarding an airplane. Most of the town of Jackson is located outside Grand Teton proper, but it’s still easy to explore the park while staying there — many tour companies operate locally, and the park’s southern entrance lies just six miles from downtown, making it reachable by bicycle for ambitious visitors.
Zion National Park
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Augustine and Kupper both list Zion as a must for car-free travelers. Personal vehicles are forbidden on the main road here for most of the year, making it easier to get around on the park’s free shuttle than by any other means. Plus, “The shuttle stops at iconic locations like The Narrows, Angels Landing, and other trailheads,” Augustine notes. Getting to the park without driving has traditionally been a challenge, but things are improving; the city of St. George (where the nearest airport is located) recently announced a new bus route to the gateway town of Springdale, and Kupper says discussions are ongoing about even more direct bus options.
Gateway Arch National Park
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Okay, so a landmark in a Midwest urban core may not be the typical picture of a national park vacation. But, if all you want is a bona fide national park you can visit without driving, you can’t do much better than Gateway Arch. This 91-acre park lies right in the middle of downtown St. Louis, so it’s easy to reach. How easy? Light rail can get you from the airport to the Arch in under an hour, and standout hotels like the 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis and the local Four Seasons lie within walking distance.
Virgin Islands National Park
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If driving to your vacation spot doesn’t appeal, how does sailing in sound? Virgin Islands National Park is located on St. John, and since the island has no airport and only a few roads, the easiest way to get here is by boat. Private vessels offer the most direct park access, thanks to several mooring spots for overnight boaters, but visitors arriving by cruise or ferry are in luck, too. The port in Cruz Bay lies just 10 minutes on foot from the park’s main entrance, and from there, hotspots like Honeymoon Beach are reachable with a bit of scenic hiking.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
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We have two words for you: Blackberry Farm. This beloved Tennessee property lies just 12 miles from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and its concierges are happy to arrange guided hiking tours. This adventure doesn’t come cheap (especially since ground transfer from Knoxville’s airport to the resort requires some spending), but it is an appealingly luxurious way to see America’s most-visited national park.
Yellowstone National Park
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With 2.2 million acres spread across three states, Yellowstone National Park is perhaps the most quintessential stop on the great American road trip. But thanks to a wealth of guided tours like the ones Augustine’s company provides, the park is surprisingly accessible to visitors without their own car. On an escorted tour with MT Sobek, “expert hiking guides handle all the driving, so you can focus entirely on the adventure,” Augustine says. “This approach also opens up opportunities to explore lesser-known areas of the park that shuttles don’t reach — hidden gems that offer a more unique experience.”
Saguaro National Park
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While the NPS system writ large has plenty of properties located near big cities, most are national monuments or historic sites rather than national parks proper. In Tucson, though, urban living sits side-by-side with the natural wonders of Saguaro National Park. The park’s two segments lie just east and just west of the city, and each one has a visitor center and trailheads reachable by 30-minute Uber from downtown. Hiking in either segment can get you stunning views of some of the world’s largest cacti, but remember, it can get scorchingly hot here — so bring plenty of water and consider pre-booking your air-conditioned rideshare journey home.
Denali National Park
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As a state that’s larger than most countries, Alaska may not seem like an easy place to get around. At Denali National Park, though, officials have worked to ensure that visitors don’t have to log hours of driving. The Alaska Railroad offers a relaxing and scenic way to get to the park — its Denali Star Train runs daily in the summer from Anchorage and Fairbanks — and, once you’re there, a network of shuttles and buses can get you into the park’s interior for wildlife viewing, hiking, and more.
Yosemite National Park
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Yosemite National Park has several options to get visitors out of their cars and onto mass transit. The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) offers buses connecting the park to nearby towns and transit centers, including the airports and Amtrak stations in Fresno and Merced. Once you’ve bused your way into Yosemite proper, the park’s own shuttle system can ferry you to various must-see spots, including Lower Yosemite Falls and El Capitan Meadow.
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