Your 2026 national park travel guide

While well-known parks are always worth a visit, Western National Parks’ 72 partner parks—hidden gem national park sites across 12 states—often offer quieter trails, deeper stories, and distinctive landscapes away from the crowds. This guide is designed to help you explore them throughout the year.

Each month features several recommended parks, chosen for seasonal highlights, special events, or meaningful moments to visit. Whether you’re planning a longer trip or looking for an easy getaway closer to home, you’ll find flexible options to fit your schedule. As you plan your visit, be sure to check the National Park Service website for alerts, weather conditions, and updates related to events or recreation.

We’ve also highlighted the 2026 fee-free days, though many national park sites are free to visit year-round.

Winter is the perfect time to visit these dazzling Southwest desert landscapes. Head to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Coronado National Memorial, or Saguaro National Park, where winter sun lights up spiked cacti limbs. Complete your Arizona national park road trip with a stop at Casa Grande Ruins National Monument and Tonto National Monument, Native American heritage sites located in central Arizona. 

Spring light spills into canyons, alighting the walls of centuries-old dwellings and towering spires. Experience Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico, Canyon de Chelly National Monument on the Navajo Nation in northern Arizona, or Chiricahua National Monument in southern Arizona. 

If you're looking for an early glimpse of wildflowers, plan a trip to Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates Flint Quarries National Monument in the Texas Panhandle. These two parks are located less than an hour's drive apart and make a great weekend pairing. Further south in Texas, visit Big Thicket National Preserve for paddling, wildlife watching, hiking, and wildflowers. 

As snowmelt feeds the waterways and temperatures warm lakes and rivers, Curecanti National Recreation Area, Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Chickasaw National Recreation Area, and Amistad National Recreation Area become havens for paddlers, anglers, and photographers alike. Bring a kayak, rent a boat, or sit on the shore. Fish, watch wildlife, and hike miles of trails at one of these these unique destinations, each located in a different state! 

Special event: Golden Spike National Historical Park hosts the annual commemoration of the anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad, featuring cultural demonstrations and historical reenactments. 

Fee-free day: May 25, 2026 

Early fall hits a little different in a national park: warm days, cool evenings, and trails thinning of summer crowds. Great Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve glows with soft light against the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, while longer nights means enjoying astronomy events at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Special events: Mes de Cultura (Hispanic Heritage Month) kicks off mid-September and lasts through mid-October. It's a perfect time to visit national parks that celebrate and preserve this vibrant community of cultures. 

Fee-free day alert: September 17, 2026 

By November, trails quiet and landscapes rest. Wander through El Morro National Monument, where inscriptions carved by explorers and travelers mark centuries of passage, or head to Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site, the oldest continuously operating trading post in the Southwest, steeped in Navajo culture and history. 

Visiting historic sites can be a deeply meaningful experience. In November, Washita Battlefield National Historic Site and Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site mark the anniversaries of two tragic and significant events. While the weather may be turning colder, visiting during this time offers a powerful opportunity to better reflect on these events, and honor the resilience of Indigenous peoples. 

Discover even more parks that preserve Native American heritage and plan a trip during November, which is Native American Heritage Month.

Fee-free day: November 11, 2026