Best National Parks to Visit in May
Where to go as spring peaks: Yosemite's waterfalls at full roar, wildflowers in the Great Smoky Mountains, Zion before the summer heat, and the green quiet before summer crowds arrive.
The best national parks to visit in May, as spring hits its peak.
May is one of the best months of the year to be in a national park. Winter snow is melting fast, which sends waterfalls into their loudest, fullest roar, while wildflowers explode across meadows and forest floors. The heat and crowds of summer have not arrived yet, so the best national parks to visit in May are green, alive, and far quieter than they will be in July.
This guide features one park per section. It opens with the marquee May park, Yosemite National Park in California, where snowmelt drives the famous waterfalls to their annual peak. From there it moves through the giant trees and reawakening canyons of Sequoia and Kings Canyon, the warm-but-not-yet-scorching red rock of Zion, the spring wildflowers of the Great Smoky Mountains and Shenandoah, and finishes with the wildflowers and condors of quiet, spring-perfect Pinnacles.
Two May realities to plan around: high country is often still under snow, so mountain roads like Yosemite's Tioga Road usually stay closed into June, and that same snowmelt can run rivers high, which sometimes closes water routes like Zion's Narrows. Plan around the valleys and lower trails, and May rewards you with the parks at their freshest.
Yosemite National Park, California · waterfalls at their peak
If you pick one national park for May, make it Yosemite. This is peak waterfall season, the single best time of year to see the park's signature feature. As the Sierra snowpack melts, the falls swell to their loudest, fullest roar, and Yosemite Falls, the tallest in North America, thunders in a way it simply does not by late summer, when many falls slow to a trickle.
Spend your days chasing water and green. Walk the misty Mist Trail past Vernal and Nevada Falls, watch Bridalveil Fall billow in the wind, and photograph Yosemite Valley glowing with fresh dogwood blossoms and green meadows. One planning note: the high country is still under snow this month, so Tioga Road usually stays closed until late May or June, which keeps the crowds and the best of the park down in the valley.
- Things to do in Yosemite (NPS) ↗Waterfalls, valley trails, viewpoints · the park's own planning hub
- Hike the Mist TrailVernal and Nevada Falls · loudest and mistiest at spring snowmelt
- Bridalveil Fall & Yosemite FallsBoth at full roar in May · easy valley-floor viewpoints
- Base in Yosemite Valley or MariposaIn-park lodging books far ahead · gateway towns just outside
- May is the annual peak for the waterfalls. Go now for the fullest flow, because many of the falls fade or dry up by late summer.
- The high country is still snowed in. Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road often stay closed into late May or June, so plan your visit around Yosemite Valley.
- Valley trails can be busy on weekends. Start early, use the free shuttle, and hit the Mist Trail before mid-morning for smaller crowds.
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, California · spring in the big trees
A few hours south of Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon come alive in May. The lower and mid elevations shed their winter snow, dogwoods bloom, and seasonal waterfalls run hard, all while you stand beneath the largest trees on Earth in the Giant Forest. Walking up to the General Sherman Tree, the biggest tree by volume anywhere, is unforgettable with fresh spring green all around.
May is also when the deep gorge of Kings Canyon reopens. The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway typically clears of winter snow in spring, unlocking the roaring Roaring River Falls and Grizzly Falls and the green meadows of Cedar Grove. The very highest trails may still hold snow, so keep to the giant-tree groves and the canyon floor, and check road status before you drive up.
- Things to do in Sequoia & Kings Canyon (NPS) ↗Giant Forest, Kings Canyon, waterfalls · the parks' planning hub
- General Sherman & the Giant ForestThe largest tree on Earth · easy walks among the sequoias
- Kings Canyon waterfallsRoaring River and Grizzly Falls run hard on spring snowmelt
- Base in Three RiversGateway town below the Sequoia entrance · lodging and food
- Spring green and blooming dogwoods make May a beautiful time in the Giant Forest, and the seasonal waterfalls are at their fullest.
- The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway usually reopens in spring after clearing of winter snow. Check the park road status before planning a Cedar Grove day.
- The highest trails can still be under snow in May, so keep to the giant-tree groves and the canyon floor, and carry layers for cool mornings.
Zion National Park, Utah · spring before the summer scorch
May is a sweet spot for Zion: the desert has warmed into pleasant hiking weather, but the brutal summer heat that pushes afternoons past 100°F has not fully arrived. The canyon floor is lush and green, cottonwoods have leafed out along the Virgin River, and the towering red cliffs look their best against fresh spring color.
Spend the days on Zion's greatest hits: the exposed switchbacks and chains of Angels Landing for those with a permit, the tiered pools and waterfalls of the Emerald Pools, and the paved Riverside Walk. One spring caveat: heavy snowmelt can run the Virgin River high, which sometimes closes the famous Narrows to hikers in May, so check the river flow and current conditions before you count on wading upstream.
- Things to do in Zion (NPS) ↗Angels Landing, the Narrows, Emerald Pools · the park's planning hub
- Angels Landing & Emerald PoolsZion's signature hikes · Angels Landing needs a permit
- Check the Narrows river flowSpring snowmelt can close the Narrows for high water · verify first
- Base in SpringdaleGateway town at the entrance · shuttle-connected, books ahead
- May is warm and pleasant, but afternoons can still climb. Start hikes like Angels Landing early and carry plenty of water.
- The Narrows can be closed in May when spring snowmelt runs the Virgin River high. Check the flow rate and current conditions before you plan it.
- Angels Landing requires a permit through a seasonal lottery, so enter well ahead. The park shuttle is the way into the canyon in spring.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park · wildflowers and green ridges
The most-visited national park in the country is at its lush, blooming best in May. The Great Smoky Mountains, straddling the Tennessee and North Carolina line, earn their nickname as the wildflower national park, and by May the forests are thick with spring ephemerals, trilliums, and the first flame azaleas and mountain laurel at higher elevations. The whole range glows in a hundred shades of new green.
Spend the days on classic Smokies experiences: chase waterfalls on trails like Laurel Falls, loop the wildlife-rich Cades Cove where black bears, deer, and turkeys roam the meadows, and drive up to Clingmans Dome, the highest point in the park, for long spring views. Because these are ancient, gentle mountains rather than snowy peaks, nearly everything is open and comfortable in May.
- Things to do in the Great Smoky Mountains (NPS) ↗Wildflowers, waterfalls, Cades Cove · the park's planning hub
- Cades Cove wildlife loopMeadows, historic cabins, black bears and deer · go early
- Laurel Falls & spring wildflowersEasy waterfall hike · forest floor thick with spring blooms
- Base in Gatlinburg or TownsendGateway towns just outside the park · lodging and food
- May is prime wildflower season. The forest floor is thick with spring blooms, and higher elevations start showing flame azalea and mountain laurel.
- Cades Cove is best early in the morning for wildlife and before the loop road fills. Bears are active in spring, so keep your distance and store food safely.
- The park is free to enter, but a parking tag is required to park for more than 15 minutes, so grab one ahead of your visit.
Shenandoah National Park, Virginia · waterfalls and green vistas
A day's drive up the Blue Ridge from the Smokies, Shenandoah comes into its own in May. Spring rains and snowmelt push the park's waterfalls to their fullest, the forest bursts into new leaf, and wildflowers line the trails. The whole length of Skyline Drive is open, threading 105 miles along the ridgeline with overlook after overlook of the green, hazy Blue Ridge.
Spend the days hiking to the water: the popular Dark Hollow Falls, the cascades of Rose River, and stretches of the Appalachian Trail that run right through the park. May is also peak spring for birdsong and migrating warblers, and the mild, pre-summer weather makes it one of the most comfortable months to be on the Blue Ridge, all within easy reach of Washington.
- Things to do in Shenandoah (NPS) ↗Skyline Drive, waterfall hikes, overlooks · the park's planning hub
- Drive Skyline Drive105 miles of ridgeline overlooks · fully open and green in May
- Dark Hollow Falls & Rose RiverWaterfalls at their fullest on spring rain and snowmelt
- Base in Luray or Front RoyalGateway towns near the park entrances · lodging and food
- Spring rains make May one of the best months for the park's waterfalls, so prioritize hikes like Dark Hollow Falls and the Rose River loop.
- Skyline Drive runs the full length of the park with dozens of overlooks. Give yourself time, because the 35 mph limit and the views make it a slow, scenic drive.
- May brings peak birdsong and spring migration. Bring binoculars, and expect cool, breezy mornings up on the ridge even when the valley is warm.
Pinnacles National Park, California · wildflowers, caves, and condors
For a quieter May pick, few parks are better timed than Pinnacles, tucked in the hills east of California's Salinas Valley. Spring is unquestionably the best season here: wildflowers carpet the chaparral, the rock spires and talus caves are comfortable to explore, and the summer heat that regularly bakes this park past 100°F is still weeks away. Go now, before the landscape browns and the trails empty out under the sun.
Pinnacles is also one of the best places in the country to see the endangered California condor, and spring is prime viewing as the huge birds soar over the crags. Hike the High Peaks Trail for the best condor odds and dramatic rock scenery, and explore the Bear Gulch and Balconies talus caves, formed by boulders wedged into narrow canyons, when they are open. Bring a headlamp for the caves and check which are accessible before you go.
- Things to do in Pinnacles (NPS) ↗Talus caves, High Peaks, condors · the park's planning hub
- High Peaks TrailDramatic rock spires and the best odds of spotting condors
- Explore the talus cavesBear Gulch and Balconies Caves · bring a headlamp, check openings
- Base in Soledad or HollisterGateway towns for the west and east entrances of the park
- Spring is by far the best time to visit, with wildflowers and comfortable temperatures. Summer here routinely tops 100 degrees, so May is a gift.
- For condors, hike the High Peaks Trail and look up in the morning and evening. Pinnacles is one of the top spots in the country to see them soaring.
- The two talus caves can close seasonally to protect bats or after storms. Bring a headlamp and check which caves are open before you drive out.
May parks in photos