Shannon O'Brien Travel Itineraries

The best destinations

Young woman explores Yosemite Valley - Sentinel / Cook's Meadow Loop on a wooden boardwalk, with Yosemite Falls in sight, on a sunny day of summer

Best National Parks in the USA

1. Yosemite National Park, California

Yosemite National Park California USA July 26 2019: scenic view of Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View in the Yosemite National Park, Sierra Nevada mountains — Tunnel View

Featured in The Best of California

2. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado

Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado - July 26, 2021 - Visitors hike on crowded Emerald Lake Trail on sunny summer morning. — Emerald Lake Trail

Featured in The Best of Colorado

3. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington

The Silver Falls Waterfall in the Mount Rainier National Park, Wahsington USA — Silver Falls Loop

Featured in The Best of Washington

4. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

Boys paddle boarding on Jackson Lake in Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming, USA — Jackson Lake

Featured in The Best of Wyoming

5. Zion National Park, Utah

Looking down on the east side of the Mount Carmel Tunnel, in Zion National Park. — Zion – Mount Carmel Highway

Featured in The Best of Utah

6. Acadia National Park, Maine

Panoramic aerial view of Acadia National Park in foliage season, Maine. — Park Loop Road

Featured in The Best of Maine

7. Glacier National Park, Montana

Scenic Highline Trail Views of Glacier Valley by the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, Montana — Going-to-the-Sun Road

Featured in The Best of Montana

#36 in Best Attractions in the USA

#24 in Most Surreal Attractions in the USA

8. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming

Panoramic view on Grand Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone National Park. — Grand Prismatic Spring

Featured in The Best of Wyoming

9. Redwood National and State Parks, California

Wooden Bridge to Lady Bird Johnson Grove, Redwoods National and State Parks, California — Lady Bird Johnson Grove Trail

Featured in The Best of California

10. Denali National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Denali is the highest mountain peak in North America, located in Alaska — Denali

Featured in The Best of Alaska

11. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee

Laurel Falls in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park — Laurel Falls Trail

Featured in The Best of Tennessee

12. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah

Bryce Canyon National Park Wall street — Wall Street and Queens Garden Loop Trail

Featured in The Best of Utah

13. Lassen Volcanic National Park, California

View of Bumpass Hell geothermal area in Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, USA. — Bumpass Hell

Featured in The Best of California

14. Canyonlands National Park, Utah

Sunrise at Mesa Arch, Utah-USA — Mesa Arch Trail

Featured in The Best of Utah

15. Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

Girl walking with a backpack in front of Exit Glacier, Seward, Alaska — Exit Glacier View and Overlook Loop

Featured in The Best of Alaska

16. Olympic National Park, Washington

Blacktail deer at Hurricane Ridge with Olympic Mountains in the distance. — Hurricane Ridge

Featured in The Best of Washington

17. Katmai National Park and Preserve, Alaska

brown bears stand on the edge of Brooks Falls waiting for salmon to jump up the falls. — Brooks Falls

Featured in The Best of Alaska

18. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina

Great Smoky Mountains National Park -2022: Clingmans Dome Observation Tower. Concrete observation tower features a circular observation platform accessed by a spiral ramp. — Kuwohi

Featured in The Best of North Carolina

19. Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona

Petrified Forest, Arizona USA - October 13, 2017: Painted Desert scene, Petrified Forest National Park, October 13, 2017. — Painted Desert

Featured in The Best of Arizona

20. Arches National Park, Utah

Sweeping sunset panoramic view of famous Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Moab, Utah (HDR) — Delicate Arch Trail

Featured in The Best of Utah

21. North Cascades National Park, Washington

diablo lake north cascades national park — Diablo Lake Vista Point

Featured in The Best of Washington

22. Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado

The Great Sand Dunes Rising Above the Fall Forest in Great Sand Dunes National Park in Colorado — Montville Nature Trail

Featured in The Best of Colorado

23. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona

View over the south and north rim part in grand canyon from the helicopter, USA — Grand Canyon South Rim

Featured in The Best of Arizona

24. Sequoia National Park, California

Congress Trail sign in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park, California. Hiking and active lifestyle concept. — Congress Trail

Featured in The Best of California

25. Crater Lake National Park, Oregon

An aerial view of Rim Drive winding around Crater Lake with surrounding mountain peaks and pine trees. Deep dark blue lake reflections in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon, USA. — Rim Drive

Featured in The Best of Oregon

#4 in Best Beaches in the USA

26. Big Bend National Park, Texas

Santa Elena Canyon and Rio Grande river at Big Bend National Park — Santa Elena Canyon Trail

Featured in The Best of Texas

27. Blue Ridge Parkway, North Carolina

Blue Ridge Parkway at fall — Blue Ridge Parkway

Featured in The Best of North Carolina

28. Saguaro National Park, Arizona

Saguaro National Park — Mica View and Cactus Forest Loop

Featured in The Best of Arizona

29. Joshua Tree National Park, California

Cholla cactus garden with hiking trail, near sunset, Joshua Tree National Park, California, USA — Cholla Cactus Garden

Featured in The Best of California

30. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

Fall Overlook at Shenandoah National Park — Skyline Drive

Featured in The Best of Virginia

31. Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

Hiking to Hickman Bridge in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah — Hickman Bridge Trail

Featured in The Best of Utah

32. Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Congaree National Park, South Carolina, Boardwalk Loop, an elevated walkway through the old-growth bottomland hardwood forest and swampy environment that protects delicate fungi and plant life. — Boardwalk Loop

Featured in The Best of South Carolina

33. Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska

Tidewater terminus of Margerie Glacier, a World Heritage site, the largest glacier in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, with a view of mountains in the area, mid afternoon in southeastern Alaska — Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Featured in The Best of Alaska

34. Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii

Entrance of the Turston Lava Tube in Hawaii Volcano National Park. HDR image created by combining three exposures. — Nāhuku (Thurston Lava Tube) Trail

Featured in The Best of Hawaii

35. Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Underground pool with calm reflections with stalactites hanging from the ceiling inside the Lehman Caves in Great Basin National Park — Lehman Caves

Featured in The Best of Nevada

36. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida

aerial view of Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida — Fort Jefferson

Featured in The Best of Florida

37. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado — Warner Point Nature Trail

Featured in The Best of Colorado

38. Channel Islands National Park, California

Coast of Santa Cruz Island, Channel Islands National Park — Santa Cruz Island

Featured in The Best of California

39. Death Valley National Park, California

DEATH VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, USA - APRIL 2016: Group of tourists admiring beautiful view of Death Valley from Dante's View viewpoint, California, USA. Exploring the American Southwest. — Dante's View

Featured in The Best of California

40. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

Rock Harbor Lighthouse stands at the intersection of Moskey Basin, Middle Islands Passage, Tonkin Bay, and Lake Superior, in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. — Rock Harbor

Featured in The Best of Michigan

41. Haleakalā National Park, Hawaii

Seven Sacred Pools in Hana, Maui, Hawaii. Beautiful vertical long exposure photo of several waterfalls and streams with green plants and rocks. — Seven Sacred Pools Trail ('Ohe'o Gulch)

Featured in The Best of Hawaii

42. Everglades National Park, Florida

United States, Florida, Miami-Dade County, Everglades National Park, Anhinga Trail — Anhinga Trail

Featured in The Best of Florida

43. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in USA, New Mexico — Carlsbad Caverns National Park Visitor Center

Featured in The Best of New Mexico