What is the Best National Park for Photography?

Updated May 3rd, 2022
Photographer on Sentinel Dome
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The best National Park for photography is Yellowstone National Park. Yellowstone is known for its geothermal features, including geysers, hot springs, and mudpots, as well as its wildlife, including bison, elk, and grizzly bears. The park also has some of the best scenery in the country, with its mountains, forests, and rivers.

Near Yellowstone, there are also several other National Parks with great photography opportunities. The Grand Tetons National Park is adjacent to Yellowstone and has its own unique landscape, with the Teton Range of mountains and the Jackson Hole valley. Glacier National Park is also nearby and has some of the most beautiful mountains in the country, as well as glaciers, waterfalls, and forests.

1. Yellowstone National Park

When photographing in Yellowstone National Park, expect stunning views of geysers, boiling mud pots, and snow-capped mountains. The park is also known for its wildlife, including grizzly bears, elk, and pronghorn antelope. Because the park is so large, there is plenty of opportunity to capture unique and beautiful photos.

geyser pool in Upper Geyser basin of Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
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2. Yosemite National Park

When Photography in Yosemite National Park, you can expect stunning landscapes with iconic landmarks like Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and El Capitan. The park is also known for its stunning wildflowers, and its varied terrain including forests, granite cliffs, and meadows. The weather in Yosemite National Park is famously mild, so you can photograph all seasons without having to worry about the weather. There are also many designated photography areas in the park that offer unique opportunities to capture the park's beauty.

Yosemite National Park
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3. Grand Canyon National Park

When visiting Grand Canyon National Park, photographers will find many different photo opportunities. The park is home to awe-inspiring scenery, from the bright green and red of the canyon walls to the vastness of the Colorado River. There are also plenty of opportunities for Point of Interest photography, such as the Horseshoe Bend, viewpoints along the rim, and the Grandview Plateau. Grand Canyon National Park is also a great place to photograph wildlife, as the park is home to a wide variety of animals, from bighorn sheep to grizzly bears.

Grand Canyon National Park
Image credit: Matthieu Louis

4. Glacier National Park

The best park for photography is Glacier National Park because of its stunning natural beauty. The park is full of mountains, glaciers, and lakes, and the scenery is always changing. The park is also full of interesting photo opportunities, such as views of the glaciers or the beautiful waterfalls.

Lunch creek in Glacier National Park, Montana, USA

5. Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is the best park for photography because of its stunning scenery. The park features stunning mountain ranges, lakes, and rivers, as well as plenty of wildlife to photograph. The park is also home to many famous landmarks, such as the 15,259-foot Mount Evans and the Estes Park Hotel.

Alpine forest in rocky mountains national park, Colorado, USA
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6. Zion National Park

Zion National Park is the best park for photography because of its vast and stunning landscapes. The park is full of stunning canyons and mesas, and the surrounding areas offer plenty of opportunities for photographers to capture stunning scenes. The park also has a rich history and culture, making it a great place to explore and photograph.

Zion National Park
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7. Joshua Tree National Park

When visiting Joshua Tree National Park, photographers will find a vast and diverse landscape that is perfect for capturing stunning images. The park is home to a variety of landscapes, including mountains, canyons, and deserts, which provide photographers with countless opportunities to capture stunning images. Additionally, Joshua Tree National Park is one of the few parks in the United States that is open year-round, which makes it the perfect place to capture photos of the Northern California landscape.

Joshua Tree National Park
Image credit: Copyright: Sergey Borisov

8. Grand Teton National Park

Grand Teton National Park is the best park for Photography because of the amazing scenery and the opportunity to capture natural moments that will last a lifetime. The park is filled with stunning mountains, valleys, and lakes, and provides photographers with a wealth of opportunities to capture stunning images of nature. The park also offers a variety of trails that offer different perspectives of the park, making it easy to find the perfect spot to take your photos.

Grand Teton
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9. Death Valley National Park

When visiting Death Valley National Park, photographers will find a wide variety of landscapes and locations perfect for capturing stunning photographs. The park's dry, hot climate and vast expanses of open landscape make for stunning photos of mountains, valleys, and deserts. The park also features many iconic spots, such as the Badwater Basin, that are perfect for capturing stunning images of the natural landscape. The park is also home to many interesting and unique wildlife species, making it a great place to capture photos of animals in their natural habitats.

Death Valley
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10. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

When photographing in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you can expect dramatic landscapes and wildlife. The park is located in the Appalachian Mountains, which provide plenty of interesting landscapes to photograph. There are also many opportunities to photograph wildlife in the park, including bears, deer, elk, and turkeys. The park is also a great place to photograph sunrise and sunset, as the colors are often beautiful.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Road in Autumn
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