Not every national park trip has to be built around a grueling trailhead. Some of the best experiences in the park system don't require boots at all — scenic drives, boat tours, wildlife-watching buses, and quiet lakeside afternoons that let the landscape do the work. Here's how to enjoy two of the country's wildest parks without a single strenuous hike.
Olympic National Park, Washington: Rainforest, Coast, and Alpine — All by Car
Olympic is one of the only national parks where you can experience three totally different ecosystems in a single day, almost entirely from your car or a short, flat walk. The Hoh Rainforest's Hall of Mosses Trail is under a mile and flat, but it feels like a different planet — moss-draped maples and a rainforest floor that gets over 12 feet of rain a year. Hurricane Ridge is a scenic drive straight up to alpine meadows with views across the Olympic Mountains, and Rialto and Ruby Beaches let you walk among sea stacks and driftwood without any elevation gain at all.
Eat & stay: Lake Crescent Lodge, on the shore of one of the clearest lakes in the country, is a historic 1915 lodge with a restaurant overlooking the water — one of the most peaceful overnight stays in the entire park system. On the coast, Kalaloch Lodge sits on a bluff above the beach and is a favorite for sunset dinners. Port Angeles, the main gateway town, has the widest range of restaurants and hotels if you'd rather stay outside the park. Browse Olympic National Park tours and experiences below to plan your trip.
Denali National Park, Alaska: Let the Bus Do the Hiking
Denali only allows private vehicles on the first 15 miles of its 92-mile park road — beyond that, park buses do the driving, which turns out to be one of the best wildlife-watching setups anywhere in the National Park System. Grizzly bears, caribou, moose, and Dall sheep are regular sightings from the bus windows, and on a clear day the mountain itself comes into view. For an entirely different perspective, flightseeing tours out of the park entrance area fly right past Denali's summit — often the only way to guarantee a clear look at North America's tallest peak, since it makes its own weather and is visible only about 30% of the time from the ground.
Eat & stay: Most lodging clusters right at the park entrance and in nearby Healy, with the McKinley Chalet Resort and Denali Park Village among the most popular options for a comfortable base with restaurants on-site. Since Denali is remote by nature, booking a room with dinner included takes one less thing off your plate after a full day of wildlife spotting. Browse Denali National Park tours and experiences below to plan your trip.
Pack Light, Pack Smart
A car-and-bus-based park trip still means long days outdoors in changeable weather. The VacationGrabs Leather Backpack Briefcase is a versatile option that moves easily between a scenic drive, a lodge dinner, and a short coastal walk, and the VacationGrabs Leather Overnight Duffel is right-sized for a few nights at a national park lodge.
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