These Are The Best National Parks In America To Visit If Hiking Isn't Your Thing, According To Research

Throughout the many national parks in the United States, there are more than 21,000 miles of hiking trails to explore. As wonderful as that may sound to a lifelong hiker, let's face it, not everyone who loves getting out in nature is looking (or able) to go on a long walk, wade through streams, or scramble up rocky hills. However, that doesn't mean you're out of luck when it comes to enjoying the beautiful landscapes the country offers. Many national parks offer exciting activities and incredible views that you can experience without having to pack a backpack full of hiking gear. Some are even completely accessible by car.

To help you figure out where to begin, we've done the research and compiled a list of the best national parks to visit if you're not a fan of hiking. According to our findings, your best bet may be visiting the iconic geysers of Yellowstone National Park, the breathtaking landscape of Rocky Mountain National Park, snowy Glacier National Park, the waterfalls of Yosemite National Park, or the wild forests of Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

While Yellowstone National Park is a fantastic spot for backcountry campers to get out into the Wyoming wilderness and traverse the trails in Montana, you definitely don't need to hike to enjoy the best sights that the park has to offer. The park is best-known for its vibrant hot springs and exciting geysers — and there's no need to lace up your hiking boots to see them. If you want to experience the Old Faithful Geyser Loop Trail, you're in luck. Although it's called a trail, it's actually a wooden boardwalk with railings, and considered one of the best wheelchair accessible routes in US National Parks.

Additionally, the park offers a "scenicruise" of Yellowstone Lake, which lets you appreciate the scenery from the deck of a boat instead of along a trail. But for some, the best way to experience the park may be from behind the wheel of your car. Driving the Grand Loop Road through Yellowstone will take you near many of the park's most famous attractions, while driving through Lamar Valley on Route 212 will give you plenty of opportunities to pull over by the side of the road and check out wildlife, from herds of bison to wolf packs.

If you prefer to watch nature from the comfort of your car, you're in luck at Rocky Mountain National Park. The park's road system weaves through the woods and mountains so that visitors can see some iconic natural sights without having to set foot on a hiking trail. Along certain routes, like Trail Ridge Road, you'll encounter high summits, such as Longs Peak, while others allow you to follow the winding path of rivers. It's a fantastic way to spot wildlife, too. On routes like Old Fall River Road , you may see herds of grazing elk outside your window.

While you're probably heading to this national park to experience nature firsthand, keep in mind there are fascinating exhibits and incredible views to be had inside the park's visitor centers. If you plan your visit for the right time, you may be able to sign up for an activity with the park rangers to learn more about the fascinating history of Rocky Mountain and the incredible creatures that make their home there. While some of these are walk and talk events, there are others that you can enjoy from a visitor center or your campground.

Montana's Glacier National Park is known as the crown of the continent for a reason. This park is famous for its staggering views, and the best way to see them might not be a hiking trail. The park offers guided tours by boat, bus, and raft, as well as guided horseback rides within the park that allow you to experience the natural beauty of the place without setting foot on a hiking trail.

Glacier also has some incredible scenic drives which attract visitors from all over the world. The Going-to-the-Sun Road takes you by some of the most incredible natural vistas in the park, including the observation platform McDonald Creek Overlook which has views of azure water plunging through the rocky landscape with astonishing power. You'll need to drive up winding switchbacks in order to climb as high as this road will take you, but you'll be rewarded by the waterfall known as the Weeping Wall.

No road trip itinerary for California would be complete without Yosemite National Park. This park is best known for its incredible waterfalls, giant sequoias, and incredible mountain views, and luckily for those who don't want to work up a sweat just to see some gorgeous nature, you can get to some of the best sights in the park like the Glacier Point Overlook, by car. Seeing the park this way is so popular that visitor centers in the park sell the "Yosemite Road Guide" to help you choose which sights to visit on your trip. The most famous of the scenic byways through the park is the dizzyingly high Tioga Road. In the warm weather, you can take this trip through the mountains and admire the valley below.

If you don't want to spend your entire vacation driving, though, there are other ways to traverse this park without having to do it all on foot. The Valley Floor Tour, for instance, lets you ride in an open air tram while hearing all about the things you're seeing from park rangers, naturalists, and other experts. If you prefer to be inspired by the beauty of nature, you can visit the Ansel Adams gallery to see art inspired by the park's natural landscape. You can also take art classes in the park through the Yosemite Conservancy.

If you're traveling to North Carolina and Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you're probably looking for gorgeous rolling mountains and untouched natural landscape. Fortunately, those who aren't into hiking can experience it all from the over 380 miles of roads running through the park. While many are paved with gravel, the bumpy journey is well-worth it for the views. Depending on the season, you might see valleys erupting with wildflowers or mountains blanketed in red, orange, and yellow foliage.

The best views of the park may be found at Newfound Gap Road/ US 411, a pass which takes you up through the mountain tops. To see as far around as possible, you'll want to stop at the lookout tower on Clingmans Dome Road. You also won't want to miss the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, which takes you deep into the woods by some pretty overlooks and a low waterfall which you can see, and maybe more importantly hear, without ever getting out of the car.

To find the best national parks for visitors who want to see nature but aren't particularly enthused by the idea of a long, difficult walk, we started by making an extensive list of the best scenic roads through national parks. From there, we went through the top activities recommended by each national park and took note of how many of these favorite things-to-do there were appropriate for folks who aren't interested in heading out on trails in order to have a good time.

Finally, we read through each park's reviews across platforms like Google Reviews and TripAdvisor, as well as recommendations from forums such as Reddit and travel blogs. To ensure that we were recommending the best spots, and not just those accessible without hiking, we prioritized parks which had the top reviews overall. We also did our best to include a variety of parks around the country so that those seeking different kinds of trips in different regions would have a good range of choices.