This page presents a ranking of U.S. National Parks. All of the parks featured here have been personally visited by the site owner. This ranking is highly subjective, but the most important criterion is whether visiting the place allowed the visitor to experience a strong sense of escape from everyday life.
Many U.S. National Parks are located far from urban areas, often requiring long drives through vast wilderness and untouched landscapes. Personally, I have found that this journey itself helps clear the mind, leading to a state of mental emptiness and deep refreshment.
Traveling through remote national parks, enjoying their scenery, spending time in this state of “emptiness” and resetting the mind feels, in many ways, like a form of meditation.
On this site, not every place I have visited is documented. Only locations that left a strong and lasting impression are featured; this is not a record of travel history. With this in mind, I hope you will read through the articles, and if a place resonates with you, consider visiting it yourself.
Each national park in this ranking is evaluated based on the following three criteria. The overall ranking is determined by the total number of stars.
■ Impact ★★★★★
Immediate visual and emotional impact
■ Scenic Quality ★★★★★
Overall beauty and completeness of the landscape
■ Sense of Escape ★★★★★
The degree of separation from everyday life
#1：The Wave/ Arizona
After getting the right to go, pathless way and a scorching land waiting for. Complete a small adventure and feel overwhelming awe in an unreal space.
#2 : Monument Valley / Utah, Arizona
Looking at the reddish-brown butte, which is the original landscape of the United States standing in the vast wilderness. Feeling the energy emitted by the earth.
#3 : Bryce Canyon / Utah
The unreal space formed by the accumulation of spire-shaped rock formations. Feel ing as if looking at contemporary art, intoxicated with that space.
#4 : White Sands / New Mexico
The world of “white”. Putting myself in an unreal space where only “white” spreads, the word “escapism” comes to mind.
#5 : Grand Canyon / Arizona
It is a representative place in the US National Park, amazed at the sight of the vast canyon never seen before, feeling vomiting.
#6 : Capitol Reef / Utah
Go north on Route 12 with various landscapes. Going further into a remote place, Coming across monolith never seen before, and be impressed.
#7 : Arches / Utah
The land of rock art. Walking along the rocky trail, arriving at “Delicate Arch”. Be hot with the emotions.
#8 : Canyon de Chelly / Arizona
Overlooking the divine Spider Rock on the Indian Reservation, I feel the special space where different time is flowing.
#9 : Death Valley / California, Nevada
Salt Lake, Dry Lake, dunes, strange rocks, castles. Travel around with various faces, experiencing the scorching heat land at the lowest place in the Western Hemisphere, feeling dizzy.
#10 : Glen Canyon/ Utah, Arizona
Seeing the contrast between the “blue” of the water in the lake / canyon, the “brown” of the rock surface of the rocky mountain, and the “blue” of the sky, feeling my heart washed.
#11 : Carlsbad Caverns/ New Mexico
Surprised by the cave holes that appear in the wilderness, walking the trail to the underground while listening to the cries of bats, getting lost in the world of science fiction and imagine the appearance of underground people.
#12 : Yellowstone / Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
The sights of the hot springs of Porcelain Basin seem to be looking at contemporary art, cannot leave this mysterious landscape.
#13 : Petrified Forest (Arizona)
While walking through the wilderness, feeling the howling winds and seeing the fossilized trees, I sense the magnificent history this land has passed through.
#14 : Zion / Arizona
While driving along the highways in the park, fascinated by the scenery of the rocky mountains on both sides and discover the hidden charm of this popular national park.
(described on Apr 30 2019)
(latest update on Mar 21 2026)