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10 Best National Parks for Wildlife Viewing for RVers

| Updated Nov 14, 2022

Not every National Park is accessible by RV. But the following are the best national parks for wildlife viewing for RVers… 

Jennifer and I have been to dozens of national parks in our beautiful country. In fact, we have been lucky enough to see many of the animals on this list! 

As RVers, we might not have easy access to Glacier Bay National Park or other national parks known for their wildlife. However, there are still plenty of RV-friendly national parks that boast unique and stunning wildlife.

Some wildlife you can see nowhere else in the world! Wouldn’t it be incredible for you to see them firsthand? I know it is for Jennifer and me!

10 Best National Parks for Wildlife Viewing for RVers

10 Best National Parks for Wildlife Viewing for RVers - bison

There are so many great national parks for wildlife viewing, but I have highlighted 6 that I think deserve special mention. I’ve also included a list of 4 more that I highly recommend but don’t have room enough to write about today.

So, based on my personal experiences and research, here are the best national parks for spotting wildlife. 

*If you’re an animal lover, be sure to read 10 Animals Unique to North America & Where to Find Them.

1. Grey Wolves in Yellowstone

Yellowstone is a mecca for wildlife enthusiasts, and for good reason. You can see American bison, elk, moose, bald eagles, bighorn and pronghorn sheep, and more.

There is, however, an animal that I say stands out above the rest: the grey wolf. The park’s Lamar Valley is famed for being home to a healthy grey wolf population.

Not long ago, I interviewed Deby Dixon, a passionate wolf and wildlife advocate that photographs and writes about Yellowstone full-time.

Mike and Jennifer Wendland's Yellowstone Travel Guide

At the top of every RVers bucket list, it is a place so majestic, so wild, and so big that it calls us to return, to explore, to get to know the diversity of its land and animals over and over again.

Everywhere you look are waterfalls, fast-moving rivers, geysers, sheer rock faces, towering lodgepole pines, all framed by mountains under the bright blue cloudless sky.

It’s spectacular for those who love the wilderness and getting up close and personal with it. Enjoy Yellowstone for RV travel.


2. Synchronous Fireflies in Great Smoky Mountain National Park

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When you think of spotting wildlife, you probably don’t think of fireflies. But Jennifer and I will never forget our experience watching fireflies in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

The flashes of light were a mesmerizing dance that only nature could perfect. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring. Truly, we couldn’t help but ooh and aah through the entire experience.

The Great Smoky Mountain National Park straddles the border of North Carolina and Tennesse. It is home to much more wildlife beyond fireflies. You can spot white-tailed deer, black bears, elk, and more.

3. Grizzly Bears in Glacier National Park, Montana

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Glacier National Park belongs on any RVer’s bucket list. As you can see above, I dedicated an entire video on Why You Need to Take an RV Photo Trip to Glacier National Park.

This national park is known for lots of wildlife, including much of the same wildlife as Yellowstone. But it is known for one North American beast more than any other…

Grizzly Bears!

Glacier National Park has the healthiest grizzly bear population in North America. Here’s a helpful article on where to see grizzly bears in Glacier National Park

Just be sure to practice bear safety!

4. Alligators in Everglades National Park, Florida

If you follow RV Lifestyle, you know Jennifer and I are big fans of Florida. So, we’d be remiss not to include Everglades National Park. 

We have an article on the 7 Best Things to Do at Everglades National Park. I suggest you read the whole article, but you can bet seeing alligators is included!

Everglades National Park is also a must-go destination for birdwatchers. However, there is another bird-watching paradise…

5. Birds in Big Bend National Park, Texas

I know it’s rather generic to say you can see “birds” in Big Bend National Park, but there are simply too many to highlight! In fact, Texas has many rare birds.

You can see hundreds of birds during annual migrations. Plus, according to the park’s foundation document, “Big Bend National Park contains more species of birds, bats, butterflies, scorpions, ants, reptiles, and cacti than any other unit in the National Park Service.”

6. The Big 5 in Denali National Park, Alaska

moose

This national park takes some grit to visit in an RV, but it’s well worth the effort. Denali National 

Park is home to the “Big 5 Animals” that people travel from all over the world to see.

The Big 5 animals are moose, bear, Dall sheep, caribou, and wolves.

These are incredible creatures to see firsthand in the wilds of Alaska. If you’re up for the challenge, be sure to read 7 Helpful Alaska Travel Tips for RVers.

Oh, and it’s worth noting that Denali is also one of the most reliable U.S. Destinations to See Northern Lights.

4 More Great National Parks for Seeing Wildlife

There are 4 more great national parks that I highly recommend but don’t have room enough to write about. So, I’ve listed them with helpful links.

Mike and Jennifer's Favorite Places in Florida – all 3 ebooks!

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We RVers may wander far and wide but it’s true for most of us that we end up with some favorite “Go-To” places – places that draw us back again and again.

Florida is one of those places for us. And we know it is for many RVers looking to get away and explore during the winter. 

That's why we've created three guides, covering Florida's Atlantic Coast, the Gulf Coast, and the Keys. 

Each of these guides is a seven-day guided exploration of one of the coasts. And each stop is a curated view of the best things that we’ve enjoyed on this trip and want you to experience.

Altogether these guides are over 300 pages of content! 


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Mike Wendland

Published on 2022-11-14

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

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