From Yosemite Falls to the rocky isles of Acadia National Park, it’s easy to see why the national park system has been called America’s best idea.
It’s even better when you get out there.
In celebration of the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary, our favorite data scientist Randy Olson is back with a map that routes the shortest possible road trip passing through all 47 national parks in the contiguous United States.
Olson designed the roadtrip to form a loop around the U.S., so you can start anywhere (except for the 12 national parks omitted, which happen to be in Alaska, Hawaii and other U.S. territories).
Wherever you start, the trip will cover 14,500 miles door to door, from Everglades National Park to North Cascades National Park. Olson’s portion through the Badlands is reason alone to pack up and go.
This isn’t the first time Olson has created the most optimal road trip route. He’s the same guy who created the greatest U.S. road trip of all time. He’s also behind another one of our favorites: the ultimate brewery road trip.
But this national parks trip?
His best idea yet.
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