People walk through tents at Yosemite Valley campground in Yosemite National Park, California on Oct. 25, 2025. The national park is one of the best in the United States, according to Travel + Leisure.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP
TNS
Whether you’re a beginner hiker or avid rock climber, national parks across the United States offer maybe opportunities to lean into your nature lover side.
Travel + Leisure readers recently ranked the top 25 best national parks in 2026, based on a voting survey.
Three national parks in California made the list, including a couple of Sierra Nevada standouts.
“No matter what you’re searching for, this winning list is proof that there’s always more to explore,” the travel magazine said.
See what California national parks were voted the best in the country:
El Capitan, left, and Half Dome are seen in Yosemite Valley from the perspective of a helicopter looking east toward the Sierra Nevada mountains. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com What is California’s best national park?
Yosemite National Park landed the No. 5 spot on Travel + Leisure’s 2026 ranking of the best national parks in the United States.
Nestled in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite features waterfalls, meadows, giant sequioas and granite cliffs spread across 748,542 acres.
It’s home to El Capitan, Half Dome and Yosemite Falls, which all can be seen while hiking in Yosemite Valley.
At 7,573 feet high, El Capitan is “one of Yosemite’s most iconic landmarks with one of the mountain’s many legendary routes,” the Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau said.
The park also offers guided tours, astronomy programs, camping and lodging.
“Yosemite boasts five of the planet’s tallest waterfalls, pristine streams, three sequoia groves, picturesque meadows and rich biological diversity,” the travel magazine said.
According to National Park Service data, Yosemite was the most popular national park in California in 2025.
That year, it attracted more than 4.2 million visitors, The Fresno Bee previously reported.
On the road in Redwood National Park. Getty Images Which other national parks in California made the list?
Redwood National Park ranked No. 13 on Travel + Leisure’s list of the top destinations for national park fans.
The 70,300-acre park on the northern California coast is home to the world’s tallest trees.
Redwood National Park and its three sister state parks — managed together as Redwood National and State Parks — are “globally recognized for their rich ecological diversity,” the National Park Service said, with species ranging from banana slugs and salamanders to elk, sea lions and endangered California condors.
Redwood National Park offers hiking trails running along the coast, as well as camping, swimming and horseback riding.
A visitor takes photos at a pair of giant sequoias in Sequoia National Park on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Located in the Giant Forest it is one of the park’s largest groves. Paul Bersebach TNS
Elsewhere in the Sierra Nevada, Sequoia National Park ranked No. 15 among the best national parks in the country.
“Huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns and the world’s largest trees exemplify the diversity of landscapes, life and beauty here,” the Park Service said.
Whether you’re into camping, fishing, rock climbing or overnight backpacking, Sequoia National Park has something for everyone, park officials said.
Hikers crowd together to get a view of Vernal Fall on Yosemite National Park’s Mist Trail on a busy Memorial Day weekend, Saturday, May 23, 2026. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com What are the top 10 national parks in the US?
According to Travel + Leisure, these 10 national parks were the best in the United States in 2026:
Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana and IdahoGrand Teton National Park, WyomingKatmai National Park, AlaskaRocky Mountain National Park, ColoradoYosemite National ParkGlacier National Park, MontanaGreat Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North CarolinaKenai Fjords National Park, AlaskaZion National Park, UtahGlacier Bay National Park, Alaska
The first national park in the United States, Yellowstone National Park has earned the No. 1 spot six years in a row, according to Travel + Leisure.
Water pours from Yosemite National Park’s famous Upper Yosemite Falls on a spectacular spring day in the park, Thursday, May 21, 2026. CRAIG KOHLRUSS ckohlruss@fresnobee.com How did Travel + Leisure rank the best national parks?
To determine the winners of its World’s Best Awards, Travel + Leisure said it asked readers to “weigh in on their favorite travel experiences across the globe.”
Readers made nominations and shared their opinions on the top hotels, resorts, cruise ships, spas and more.
In 2026, more than 207,000 readers voted in the 2026 survey, casting 661,000 votes across more than 10,088 total properties.
“Some winners have consistently ranked in the awards for more than two decades,” Travel + Leisure said, while “others are catching your attention for the first time.”
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Alexiah Syrai Olsen is a service journalism reporter for The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, California. She earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and design from The New School in New York City.