3 National Parks A Day’s Drive And Worth Leaving South Idaho For

Spring is one of the best times a year to hit the road and visit one of the many incredible national parks the western United States has to offer. For those who are lucky enough to get a couple of weeks of vacation time off a year, there are three specific parks that I love that take a full day to get to but are definitely worth the time and money.

When many people in southern Idaho start to plan a park trip, one of the first destinations that comes to mind is Yellowstone National Park. It's close, doesn't require multiple tanks of gas, and offers some of the most stunning visuals you'll find anywhere. For those who don't mind putting a few extra miles on the odometer, there are two California parks and one in Oregon that are must-visits if you ask me.

I've visited Joshua Tree three times since 2021, and it's one of my favorite places in the country.

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The first park that people in southern Idaho should consider visiting this spring or summer is Yosemite National Park. The drive is approximately 670 miles and takes between 11 and 12 hours to get to. El Capitan, Half Dome, and Bridal Veil Falls are just a couple of amazing landmarks the park offers. Once you cross into California from Nevada, taking the route through Kirkwood Mountain Resort offers the best scenery and is quicker than going the Donner Summit way.

Crater Lake National Park is the shortest drive of the three parks from the Magic Valley. I finally had the opportunity in 2022 to take the 520 mile drive (8 hrs) from Twin Falls, and didn't regret the trip whatsoever. The 27-square-mile crater is impressive to say the least.

Finally, Joshua Tree National Park is about a 730-mile drive (11 hrs) from Twin Falls and offers some incredible rock climbing, hiking, and sightseeing. Landmarks such as Skull Rock are a great representation of the amazing scenery the park has to offer. I've visited Joshua Tree three times since 2021, and it's one of my favorite places in the country.