An electric vehicle is an eco-friendly way to tour the national parks. Many of the parks are pretty remote, though, and the closest towns may lack charging stations. Fortunately, there are several national parks that have charging stations, and many more plan to add them.
Each park in this list has at least one to help you get around and get going when it’s time to leave. Beyond a charging station, here’s a look at what you’ll find at these national parks.
Biscayne, Florida
Most of Biscayne is underwater off the Atlantic coast. You can view the beautiful reefs here by snorkeling, diving, or taking a tour on a glass-bottom boat.
Crater Lake, Oregon
The deepest lake in the U.S., Crater Lake is a blue jewel filling the crater of Mt. Mazama, which blew its top ages ago. A scenic road encircles the lake, allowing you to appreciate it from many different perspectives.
Cuyahoga Valley , Ohio
Designated in 2000, this park preserves a rural stretch between two densely populated urban areas. It has an extensive road network, and its several waterfalls are among the top attractions.
Death Valley, California
The largest national park in the Lower 48, Death Valley has a charging station at Furnace Creek in the heart of the park. That’s a good thing because it’s easy to drive a few hundred miles in one visit to this park.
Denali, Alaska
On a clear day, you’ll get to see Denali, the highest peak in North America. Whether it’s clear or not, you should be able to view a wide variety of wildlife that can include grizzly bears, wolves, moose, caribou, Dall sheep, and more.
Everglades, Florida
Most of the Everglades is a broad slow-moving river through a sea of sawgrass, though there are also forests, mangrove swamps, lakes, and coastline. The park is known for its biodiversity, including many rare and endangered species. Still, it’s the alligators that seem to be the most popular attractions.
Glacier, Montana
Going-to-the-Sun Road is one of the most beautiful drives in the world. It connects the eastern and western entryways to the park via a mountain pass on the Continental Divide. Although it’s just 53 miles in each direction, you’ll appreciate starting with a full charge since you can spend most of a day on this road and visiting other sections of the park.
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Note that the charging stations here are only found on the South Rim side. If you are going by EV to the North Rim, check into the charging availability in Page and Kanab, the nearest towns. It’s a long way in to the North Rim.
Grand Teton, Wyoming
To really appreciate this park, it’s best to hike one of the steep trails into the mountains. Still, you can appreciate the scenery and wildlife by auto tours with frequent stops at scenic overlooks and easy nature trails.
Hot Springs, Arkansas
This is a small national park, but it’s convenient to have a charging station right there. As the name implies, hot springs are the main attraction here. Many have been developed with modern features, so this isn’t the park to go to for pristine wilderness.
Indiana Dunes, Indiana
One of the country’s newest national parks, the Indiana Dunes, is a beautiful spot of wilderness along the shores of Lake Michigan. For some, the sight of nearby towns and cities takes something away, but many others are happy for a national park in a region that has only a few.
Mesa Verde, Colorado
Located in southwestern Colorado, Mesa Verde is known for its ancient Native American ruins, including the famous Cliff Palace. After charging up, you head out to explore some of the other ruins in the region.
Mount Rainier, Washington
Like Denali, this iconic mountain isn’t always “out,” but when it is, it’s an amazing sight. The park also has waterfalls, streams, and, in summer, wildflower-filled meadows to enjoy.
Olympic, Washington
There are three charging stations in this park, which is nice since there’s so much to do and so much variety. In one day, you can drive up Hurricane Ridge for views of glacier-clad Mt. Olympus, visit temperate rainforests, relax by a lake, and visit the dramatic Pacific coastline.
Pinnacles, California
Named for its impressive spires, this park was long a national monument and has appeared on more radars since its upgrade. It’s also a key habitat for the critically endangered California condor, the largest bird in North America and a species that scientists brought back from the brink of extinction.
Shenandoah, Virginia
You can spend several days visiting this park up on Skyline Drive, so having three charging stations in the park’s Central District is nice. Driving out of the park and down into nearby towns to charge up would take a lot of precious travel time away.
Wind Cave, South Dakota
At this park in the Black Hills region, you can tour the namesake cave and also see free-roaming bison. With the inconvenience of in-park charging, you can use the park as a base to visit the many other outstanding cultural and natural attractions in the area.
Yellowstone, Idaho-Montana-Wyoming
In this huge national park, there are five charging stations to help keep you on the go. You might even see a geyser erupt or an elk or bison walk by while you recharge.
Yosemite, California
This park, one of the system’s crown jewels, has three charging stations within its boundaries and one just outside it. Two are in the world-famous Yosemite Valley, and one is up in the spectacular high country around Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass.
Zion, Utah
Zion Canyon is sometimes called the Yosemite Valley of the Southwest. There’s a lot more to it than the canyon, though, which you can’t even drive into for most of the year (free shuttles get people around). Drive out onto the east side and then explore some of the dry washes, which occasionally become narrow canyons with high walls.
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Robert Sihler is an educator, freelance writer, and rock climbing guide and instructor living with his family in Driftwood, Texas. In his spare time, he enjoys reading fiction, streaming films, completing crossword puzzles, and rock climbing. When he goes on vacation, he likes to visit the mountains of the West and climb remote, obscure peaks that have seen few or no prior ascents.