WASHINGTON
Olympic National Park
Effectively three parks in one, Olympic contains a trio of ecosystems nestling against one another. The 7,965-foot glaciated Mount Olympus looms at its center, 73 miles of coastline stretch to the west, and one of the finest examples of temperate rain forest in the world resides in the southwest.

STRATEGY It's well worth some serious driving to sample the highlights of each one. Enter from the north and hit Hurricane Ridge first, which at more than 5,200 feet offers a panorama of the snow-draped Olympics. Hike up the 1.5-mile Hurricane Hill Trail for fewer rubberneckers and better views. About three hours farther west, near the very northwestern tip of the lower 48, lies Shi Shi Beach, with windswept sand, craggy rock formations, and the thundering Pacific. A backcountry permit lets you camp on the sand and build a driftwood fire to grill your steaks. Drive three hours southeast of Shi Shi to the Hoh Rain Forest, home to Sitka spruces 200 feet tall and 23 feet around (360-565-3100, nps.gov/olym).

BONUS POINTS The summit of Mount Olympus bestows Zeus-worthy views of ocean and mountains. See it for yourself on a five-day trek from the Hoh River Trailhead. The first 18 miles bring you to your camp in Glacier Meadows -- with the occasional black bear. The next day push two and a half more miles -- and nearly 4,500 vertical feet over rock and ice -- to the top. Sign up with the experienced guides of Mountain Madness, who can provide the necessary gear ($775; 800-328-5925, mountainmadness.com).

BASE CAMP The newly remodeled cabins of Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, west of Hurricane Ridge, neighbor mineral hot pools (from $125; 866-476-5382, visitsolduc.com).

PIT STOP Peak 6 Adventure Store stocks maps and all the outdoor gear you forgot to pack (360-374-5254). --Doug Merlino

ARIZONA
Grand Canyon National Park
Never give up on the Grand Canyon. Even if the place conjures memories of a sweaty family vacation spent in traffic between a tour bus and a Winnebago, the most iconic feature of the West demands a closer look.

STRATEGY Bypass the hot asphalt of the South Rim and head straight for the cool ponderosas of the less-visited North Rim. A seven-hour drive from Las Vegas delivers you to Cape Royal, one of the canyon's most spectacular viewpoints. The vantage point might just make you wish you were down in the canyon. While a round-trip journey to the Colorado River takes three to four days on foot, hiking nine miles down and up on the North Kaibab Trail to the oasislike Roaring Springs only takes a day and drops 3,000 feet into the canyon. Back up on the rim, save another day or two for mountain biking to the aptly named Point Sublime along 17 miles of the North Rim's dirt roads (rentals $34 a day from Bicycles Unlimited in St. George; 888-673-4492, bicyclesunlimited.com). Note: Bikes are not allowed on hiking trails (928-638-7888, nps.gov/grca).

BONUS POINTS The classic way to get to know the Grand -- its thundering whitewater, tranquil side canyons, and sandy beaches -- is to float it. Run the legendary rapids of the Colorado on a guided six-to-16-day rafting trip. Although most trips fill up a year in advance, you can often grab a last-minute slot with Canyon Explorations and Expeditions (from $1,580; 800-654-0723, canyonexplorations.com).

BASE CAMP The Grand Canyon Lodge offers the sole accommodations on the North Rim. Built in 1936, it's one of the jewels of the entire national park system, with a soaring log-and-stone sun room with views of the canyon's edge (from $94; 888-297-2757, grandcanyonnorthrim.com).

PIT STOP The only place where you can drive to the Colorado River is in Lees Ferry, a dusty settlement and a worthwhile 90-mile round-trip detour if you're coming in from Vegas. If you dare, take a dip in the clear and icy dam-released current. Then have a beer and a burger just up the road at the Vermillion Cliffs Bar & Grill, a small sandstone and timber outpost built in 1929 (800-451-2231, leesferrylodge.com). --Mark Sundeen

CALIFORNIA
Yosemite National Park
The vast majority of Yosemite's 3.5 million annual visitors never get beyond the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley, which leaves 1,162 square miles for the rest of us.

STRATEGY Unless you love traffic, limit a pilgrimage to the valley to a surgical strike on the first day. Arrive by noon, park below El Capitan, and stroll into the huge meadow for an hour. Let the looming oceans of upright granite fill you with awe, and then take a dip in the Merced River before hitting the road again. Route 120 east whisks you away from the crowds, across the park, and up into the real Yosemite: Tuolumne Meadows. Pitch a tent at the Tioga Lake Campground (see below) and the next morning set out on a three-hour, no-trail hike up to the Dana Plateau -- a windy mesa in the sky with staggering views along the whole Sierra Crest and into arid Nevada. Make for the summit of 12,590-foot Mount Conness the next day, and traverse glorious meadows and babbling brooks before scrambling up a hairy rock notch onto the summit ridge. Then push for a peak experience you'll never forgetÊ(209-372-0200, nps.gov/yose).

BONUS POINTS Stuff four days' worth of freeze-dried food into your ultralight pack -- don't forget the bear-proof canister -- and amble 35 miles from Tuolumne Meadows to the ski resort town of Mammoth Lakes. Trailhead taxis and even a local bus can shoot you back to your car (check the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System schedule, 877-989-2787, yarts.com).

BASE CAMP For a quieter scene try the first-come, first-served Tioga Lake Campground, with lake views, in the Inyo National Forest, two miles outside the east entrance of Yosemite ($15 a night; herronweb.com).

PIT STOP Don't miss the seared ahi and fish tacos at the Mobil Station in Lee Vining, where Route 120 intersects I-395. The tasty food draws adventurers in, and the park rat scene is half the fun. --Daniel Duane

TENNESSEE & NORTH CAROLINA
Great Smoky Mountains National Park
On the TennesseeÐNorth Carolina border, Great Smoky's forest ridges span more than half a million acres, and the 9 million annual visitors driving through make it the most visited park in the nation.

STRATEGY Don't shirk all the congestion; some sites reward patience. Start with a full tank and drive or hike to the summit of the popular 6,643-foot Clingmans Dome, the highest peak along the entire Appalachian Trail, in the center of the park. Then make for Cades Cove, a 19th-century homestead in the western region. Arrive before 10 am on Wednesdays and Saturdays, when it's closed to cars, and bike the 11-mile loop past square-timbered cabins built by the first settlers in the valley (bike rentals $4 an hour from the Cades Cove Campground store). When solitude beckons, light out for the Big Creek Trail, which leads past wildflowers, and some of the park's best swimming holes and trout fishing. For a real escape, a two-night in-and-back trip tops off at 5,842-foot Mount Sterling (865-436-1200, nps.gov/grsm).

BONUS POINTS Feeling fanatical? Check off the 70-mile Smokies portion of the Appalachian Trail, which traces the park's highest ridgeline (appalachiantrail.org).

BASE CAMP Hike five miles to the top of 6,593-foot Mount LeConte and the LeConte Lodge in the park's eastern half. There's no electricity, but there are tidy rough-hewn cabins and classic Appalachian fare: beef stew and cornbread (from $89 per person; 865-429-5704, lecontelodge.com).

PIT STOP Order the ribs cooked on an open pit and fried green tomatoes from Bennett's Pit Bar-B-Que in Gatlinburg, Tennessee (865-436-2400). --Lolly Merrell

WYOMING, IDAHO, MONTANA
Yellowstone National Park
Most Yellowstone visitors stick to the roads that circle the park's central plateau for a stop at Old Faithful or glimpses of the park's famous bison herd. To dodge the tourist herds, choose one major attraction to hit.

STRATEGY Start with the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone -- its 308-foot waterfall near the center of the park always impresses -- then beeline it to the wild northeast corner, the Lamar Valley, 20 miles farther up the road. This sprawling grassy drainage is one of the best places on earth to glimpse wolves. (Some 118 now range the park.) To boost your odds of a sighting, catch the Lamar Valley's first hour of light with a good set of optics and keep watch as the sun crests the Thunderer ridge, illuminating the sere yellow valley and -- if you're lucky -- a few pointy-eared silhouettes. Then strike out on foot for a day or three from the Lamar Valley Trailhead, gateway to a network of trails forging through limestone hoodoos and an area ravaged by an intense wildfire in 1988 (307-344-7381, nps.gov/yell).

BONUS POINTS Sight cast to 24-inch cutthroat trout at Slough Creek, accessible from a trailhead about six miles east of Tower Junction, where you'll find some of the best backcountry fishing in the northern Rockies. Yellowstone Angler in Livingston, Montana, arranges guided day trips to Slough Creek and rents rods, boots, and waders (from $375; 406-222-7130, yellowstoneangler.com).

BASE CAMP Forget car camping in the park: Hard-to-score reservations can make finding a spot at the trailhead impossible at times. Instead, go to the Pine Edge Cabins in Silver Gate, near the northeast entrance and a quick 20-minute drive from the Lamar Valley (from $89; 406-838-2371, pineedgecabins.com). The eight recently renovated cabins have high-end spotting scopes for rent to spy wildlife.

PIT STOP Just down the road from Silver Gate is the two-bar town of Cooke City. Grab a buffalo burger and one of the 130 beers stocked at the Beartooth Cafe on Main Street -- easily found by the string of Harley-Davidsons parked out front (406-838-2475, beartoothcafe.com). --Will Rizzo