Best national parks: Go west to these three parks for a stunning wilderness retreat this summer
Travelers in search of the best national parks don’t need any extra encouragement to visit the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, or Yosemite. The charms of these most popular National Parks are self-evident. Accordingly, so are the crowds of tourists lining up to see them.
That’s why we recommend these three parks that are no less scenic but require a bit more forethought to access their secluded locations. Luckily, our fleet of ultra-long-range airframes can deliver you directly to the smaller regional airports that serve as gateways to these pristine wild spaces. Contact our flight coordinators anytime to begin making your charter arrangements.
Kenai Fjords National Park
Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula is one of the most stunning and still-untrammeled slices of nature in the country. A visit to Kenai Fjords National Park is the best way to explore this dramatic landscape of mountains and ice.
The majority of the park is only accessible from the water, making a boat tour the best way to get your bearings in Kenai. Several companies launch tours from the harbor in Seward. Tours cruise Resurrection Bay in search of whales, porpoises, seals, sea birds, and other marine life. We recommend contacting the private boat charter companies in advance. Remember that summer reservations fill up quickly.
Experienced hikers should not miss the Harding Icefield Trail, a strenuous 8.2-miles with a 3,000-foot elevation gain. The view from the top is extraordinary. Up past the tree line you’ll find a lookout over an ancient field of glaciers and snowy peaks.
Depending on where you are lodging, we recommend arriving at either Ted Stevens International Airport (PANC) in Anchorage or Kenai Municipal Airport (PAEN) which is on the peninsula.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Every summer, Moab, Utah is inundated with hikers setting out for excursions in Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. To enjoy the scenery of Southern Utah with less of a crowd, we suggest Bryce Canyon National Park instead.
The hallmarks of Bryce Canyon are the hoodoos — irregular rock spires that spring up from the earth, sporting rings of stratified rock formed through thousands of years of erosion. Bryce Canyon has the greatest concentration of hoodoos in the world. They’re best viewed from overlooks in the Bryce Amphitheater near the park’s entrance.
A private jet arrival here couldn’t be easier. Bryce Canyon Airport (KBCE) is only four miles from the entrance to the park.
Olympic National Park
Comprising over one million acres of the Olympic Peninsula across Puget Sound from Seattle, Olympic National Park has something for everyone. The park is home to a diverse array of ecosystems. Visitors experience a temperate rainforest and rugged coastline to dramatic mountains covered in Sitka spruce.
The park is routinely hailed as one of the best hiking parks in the country. Trails range from seaside strolls to demanding mountain ascents. The crowds can be thick in the most popular areas of Olympic National Park, especially the Hoh Rainforest and Hurricane Ridge. Our recommendation is to go on a weekday (and to certainly avoid visiting during any major holiday) for the best experience.
The park has relatively few access roads for its size and driving there from Seattle is a long, but beautiful, trek. We can charter you directly to William R. Fairchild International Airport (KCLM) in Port Angeles, the gateway town on the north side of the park.
The Best National Parks to Visit 2024
Wherever your scenic adventures take you this year, Global Air Charters will make your journey easy and relaxing so you’re ready to hit the trails upon arrival. Contact us to learn more about exploring America’s National Parks this summer.
