Arches National Park (Photo: National Park Service)Arches National Park
Utah
This national park is especially convenient for families whose kids may be too young for a strenuous hike. It only takes a couple of hours to drive past many of the park's 2,000 brawny, pink sandstone arches. And you'll still have time to reach Moab, less than 20 miles away, for lunch. The park's real time to shine, literally, is at sunset, when Delicate Arch reflects the sunlight in blazing reds that contrast sharply with the snow-topped La Sal Mountains in the backdrop. Expect to see tons of photographers there, as if Beyoncé were about to appear.
