Before you leave, stock up on the perfect backpacking gear for your epic trip. You’ll be glad you did.
Here is Olson’s original 2016 map.
Map: Randy Olson / Google
This ultimate national park road trip covers a total length of 16,847 miles and takes approximately two months to complete the circuit “at breakneck speed.” In other words, it’s better to take a few months off from work before you start.
Of course, this is not a complete list of national park systems. There is a national park (or national monument, or national forest) near nearly every place there is a person in the United States. The same goes for places where there aren’t many people. If you want to find your nearest national park no matter where you are, we also have a map of all 423 locations. Whichever park you go to, make sure you have the appropriate entry permit for the type of activity you want to do. After all, there are national parks to suit almost every type of traveler.
Here’s Matador Network’s new Ultimate National Park Road Trip Map.
Here is a list of all the national parks included in this new itinerary: Note that you can start your trip at any stop within the loop.
Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona Saguaro National Park, Arizona Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico White Sands National Park, New Mexico Big Bend National Park, Hot Springs National Park in Texas, Mammoth Cave National Park in Arkansas, Gateway Arch National Park in Kentucky, Indiana Dunes National Park in Missouri, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Indiana, Tennessee Everglades National Park, Florida Dry Tortugas National Park, Biscayne National Park in Florida , Congaree National Park, Florida, Shenandoah National Park, South Carolina, New River Gorge National Park, Virginia, Acadia National Park, West Virginia, Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Maine, Isle Royale National Park, Ohio, Michigan Voyagers National Park, Theodore Roosevelt, Minnesota. National Parks, North Dakota Badlands National Park, South Dakota Wind Cave National Park, Southern Dakota Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado Canyonlands National Park, Utah Arches National Park, Utah Capitol Reef National Park, Utah Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah Zion National Park, Utah Great Basin National Park, Nevada Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming Yellow Stone National Park, Wyoming Glacier National Park, Montana North Cascades National Park, Washington Mount Rainier National Park, Washington Olympic National Park, Washington Crater Lake National Park Oregon Redwood National and State Parks, California Lassen Volcanic National Park, Yosemite National Park, California, Kings Canyon National Park, California, Sequoia National Park, California, Pinnacles National Park, California, Channel Islands National Park, California, Joshua Tree National Park, California, Des California Valley National park
If you would like to learn more about this particular itinerary and Olson’s research, please visit his website. 
A version of this article was previously published on May 26, 2017, and updated with additional details on August 2, 2021 and March 3, 2022.
