August is the most crowded month in the national parks and the hottest, which makes it the month where choosing well matters most. Everything below is either above 8,000 feet, on the water, or in Alaska. The famous desert parks are absent on purpose: in August they are a genuine health risk, not a hard day out.
1. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
The largest national park in the country, bigger than Switzerland, and August is its best month: the light is still long, the rivers are down from the June melt, and the tundra is starting to turn.
Two gravel roads and a bush plane are the whole access network. That is exactly why it stays empty in the busiest month of the year.
Our 4 days itinerary: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park: A 4-Day Alaska Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
2. North Cascades National Park, Washington
Late August is the window when the last snow has gone from the high routes and the larches have not turned yet. The alpine lakes are actually swimmable, which they are not in July.
Huckleberries ripen through the month at altitude. So do the bears that want them.
Our 4 days itinerary: North Cascades Backpacking: A 4-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
3. Wind River Range, Wyoming
Not a national park, which is the point. The Winds hold the best alpine backpacking in the lower 48 and they do it without permits, quotas or shuttle buses in a month when Yellowstone next door is at a standstill.
Cirque of the Towers in August is as good as mountain walking gets in this country.
Our 7 days itinerary: Wind River Range Backpacking: A 7-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
4. Kings Canyon National Park, California
The high Sierra is at its most benign in August: passes clear, creek crossings down to ankle depth, and stable weather for days at a stretch. Rae Lakes and the Kings Canyon high country are the quieter half of the Sierra.
Wilderness permits are quota controlled and released on a rolling window. Set a reminder rather than hoping.
Our 4 days itinerary: Kings Canyon Backpacking: A 4-Day Sierra Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
5. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
An island in Lake Superior reached only by ferry or seaplane, and one of the least visited parks in the system. August is warm enough to swim and late enough that the black flies have given up.
The park closes entirely from November to April, so the season is short and August sits in the middle of it.
Our 4 days itinerary: Isle Royale Backpacking: A 4-Day Itinerary. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
6. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
August is the mountain at its most reliable: settled weather, the meadows still holding colour at Paradise, and the Wonderland Trail in full condition for anyone walking the whole circuit.
The mountain makes its own weather regardless of the forecast. Carry the layers even on a clear morning.
Our 3 days itinerary: Mount Rainier National Park Itinerary: 3 Days at Paradise and Sunrise. Day by day, with where to sleep and what to book.
More trips that work in August
- Maroon Bells Four Passes Loop: Backpacking Guide 3-4 Days · Aspen, Colorado
- Resurrection Pass Trail: 5-Day Alaska Backpacking Itinerary 5 Days · Alaska
- Eastern Sierra 10-Day Loop: Mammoth Lakes Backpacking Trip 10 Days · California
- Superior Hiking Trail: A 4-Day Minnesota Itinerary 4 Days · North Shore
