The location is one of the priorities when you are planning for a wedding. If you are an outdoor enthusiast, it will be great to make a change by planning your wedding in one of the best outdoor venues. And if you are thinking over the traditional, a national park could be an ideal place to exchange vows. Let’s look at the best national parks for weddings all across the United States. From a number of options from 50 states, we brief you on the top 13.
- Mount Rainier National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Redwood National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Haleakala National Park
- North Cascades National Park
- Zion National Park
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Olympic National Park
- Grand Teton National Park
- Grand Canyon National Park
- Crater Lake National Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
While there is an uncountable number of wedding venues out there in the United States, people move towards Mother Nature choosing national parks. Different from other traditional outdoor venues, national parks can bring stunning views, different settings than usual. And all these for reasonable pricing. It is better to start planning your destination wedding in one of the best national parks for weddings in the United States. But truly, that needs some planning ahead.
A national park is mostly of pristine nature and taking a ceremony in such a setting is quite interesting and a different way you can celebrate. While there are many options across the country, it is up to you to make the right pick. Find out everything you need to know about planning your dream wedding in the best national parks in the United States.
Best National Parks for Weddings- Venue for your spectacular wedding
If traditional wedding venues do not work for you, you can definitely stop at a venue with an impressive backdrop. And if you are having an idea to make your guest go through adventures and get surrounded by stunning views you can go over the traditional venues. Planning for a national park wedding can have a number of different reasons. And it is perfect to say “I do” together saying “I do” for nature.
There are hundreds of national parks in the USA spanning millions of acres. And here we brief 13 of the best national parks for weddings if you want to find a perfect nature escape.
Mount Rainier National Park
For a perfect national park wedding, Mount Rainier National Park is an ideal setting with luxurious sceneries everywhere. This takes the most iconic landscapes in the state of Washington and Mount Rainier itself is found to be the tallest mountain in the entire Pacific Northwest. If I say Mount Rainier has something for everyone, you would definitely agree. No matter if you plan for an out-and-back quick hike or multi-day backpacking you can find endless trails here.
Summer and fall are the best seasons at Mount Rainier for your adventure wedding. And you can find accommodation at Cougar Rock Campground or White River Campground in the national park while it has National Park Inn and Paradise Inn as lodges. If you like staying in any outside places, Packwood lodge, Mill Village Motel, and Cowlitz River Lodge are more available.
The park hosts different wedding venues at the park for your different choice. From lakes to greens to mountain peaks, every place in the park is great for your day.
Best wedding venues:
- Golden Gate
- Grove of the Patriarchs
- Reflection Lake
- Tipsoo Lake
- Skyline Trail
You can find more information here
Glacier National Park
Planning your dream wedding at the crown of the continent? Come and meet the pristine woodlands, verdant meadows, Rocky Mountains, and gorgeous lakes.
Glacier National Park is a hikers’ paradise with more than 700 miles of trails and is equally loved for rich wildlife, and lakes ranging in dimensions and elevation. Also, it is popular for “Going-to-the-Sun Road,” which is a scenic mountain highway that divides the east and west of the park. Overall, this is a perfect wedding destination with wilderness and solitude in a perfect blend.
All around the year, the park showcases its different layers of beauty. The best time for your wedding is at Glacier national park is in summer and early fall while the snow comes in late fall it stays until early summer with its high elevation creating spectacular views. And here, accommodation is not a problem thanks to the places nearby such as Charming Log Cabin, Reclusive Moose Cabin, Moose Run Ski Haus, Luxurious Ski Lodge, and Charming home with joint facilities.
Best wedding venues:
- Trail of the Cedars
- Hidden Lake Trail
- Avalanche Lake
- Grouse Mountain Lodge (ceremony and reception)
- Glacier Park Lodge (ceremony and reception)
Find more information here
Redwood National Park
If you love saying “I Do” in a grove of giant redwood trees, it should definitely be Redwood National Park. If you are impressed by the spectacular surroundings, this can be the best place for you to exchange your wedding vows among giants at redwood and in the stretch of the wonderful coastline which is about 40 miles.
In all seasons, there’s its own beauty in Redwood National Park. So spring, summer, and fall are good to get married at the park. But if you love winter sensation, there is also access to the park in winter depending on elevation and state. And if you are doubtful about accommodation, there are few places nearby to stay; Home with Ocean View, Secluded House on the Coast, Secluded Cabin, and A-frame Cabin are some of them.
Best wedding venues:
- Lady Bird Johnson Trail
- The Miners’ Ridge and James Irvine Loop
- Stout Grove
- Berry Glen Trail
- River Trail
- Crescent Beach Day Use Area
- Gold Bluffs Beach
Read more about the national park here
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the most visited national parks in the United States for its granite mountainside and spectacular waterfalls. It is home to scenic landscapes such as El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, and Half Dome. As to National Geographic, this is a place full of granite cathedrals.
If you are planning for 10 or fewer attendees in the ceremony anywhere in the park works as long as you have acquired a permit. But if you are having a larger group you can choose from gorgeous lodges and resorts in and nearby.
Camping inside the Yosemite National park is possible with both reservations and first-come-first-serve. Or else stay at the Yosemite AutoCamp, or even Five Butterflies Lodging that is only a few miles away from the national park.
Best wedding venues:
- Taft Point
- Glacier Point
- Sentinel Dome
- Tunnel View
- Yosemite Chapel
- Tenaya Lodge
Find more information here
Haleakala National Park
Haleakala National Park is a tropical wedding destination that is of high cultural value. Maui’s Haleakala National Park covers two entirely different zones as barren Summit Area and lush Kipahulu Area to give an exceptional experience to visitors.
Ceremonies in the wild areas are not open to including some of its popular trails. So you can choose your venue from the scenic spots on the far-off east coast of Maui, where sunrise and sunset at the summit are incredibly beautiful. Year-round, Haleakala National Park is ready for Hawaii weddings. And you can accommodate at Bamboo Temple, Hamoa Beach House, or Garden Gingerbread House on Maui.
Best wedding venues:
- Pa Ka’oao
- Hosmer’s Grove Nature Trail
- Leleiwi Overlook
You can find more information here
North Cascades National Park
Do you know North Cascades National Park is known as the Alps of America? Yes, it is. With spiky peaks, snow-capped mountains, and hilly lakes this is popular as one of the top wedding destinations to which you can access by a great hike. And here solitude is high as we find this national park among least-visited compared to others. So if you are planning your wedding here, the whole mountain is yours. Believe me; you can spot the most spectacular settings in Washington in the North Cascades awaiting your visits.
Summer in North Cascades is ideal for a national park wedding with favorable weather. Even the fall is good but the possibility of storms to come in fall is high making summer the best recommendation. Even though the destination is less known, you can find Mount Baker Campsites and Ross Lake Resort as top accommodations near the park with good facilities.
Best wedding venues:
- Diablo Lake Overlook
- Artist Point
- Park Butte Lookout
Get more information about the park here
Zion National Park
As to the most popular magazine Forbes, Zion National Park is one of the most remarkable places for weddings with breathtaking landscapes. Southwest Utah holds Zion in its region bringing amazing, red canyon walls, gorgeous rivers, spectacular waterfalls, and slot canyons. And as Utah’s very first national park, Zion offers more green and foliage than others.
Taking your wedding at Zion National Park can bring a variety of colors to your ceremony within iconic desserts, rich greenery, and lush water features. Not only its visual splendor is the reason but also weddings at Zion are reasonably priced.
In every season, Zion brings up its own colors. And for your wedding, early summer, fall, and spring are good as Zion probably holds about 300 weddings annually. Near the national park, you can find Zion Guest House, Extraordinary Home, and Convertible A-Frame for staying to make accommodations easy.
Best wedding venues:
- The Watchman Trail
- Zion Canyon Overlook
- Emerald Pools Trail
- Zion Red Rock Oasis
Get more information about the national park here
Rocky Mountain National Park
Located in Colorado, Rocky Mountain National Park is a paradise of rural wonders and an astonishing setting for a small national park wedding. And if you have a slightly larger ceremony, you can go with Harbison Meadow and Hidden Valley while receptions can be hosted at some other venues nearby the park. Many are impressed by the national park with its aspen foliage, spiky mountain peaks, rich water sources, and deep forestry.
Staying near the national park is easy with different options. You can find accommodation nearby in any place like Cabin with views and a hot tub, Cozy Apartment with views, Historic Cabin, or 3-Bedroom Cabin Chalet.
Best wedding venues:
- Emerald Lake Trail
- Bear Lake Nature Trail
- Dream Lake Trail
- Alluvial Fan Bridge
- Lily Lake Picnic Area
Read more about the national park here
Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park is located across the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, covering approximately a million acres. If you are looking for a serene setting for your day, this is perfect with an array of environments. It brings different colors from the beautiful coastline, rugged Olympic Mountains, and lush greenery in the rainforest bringing 3 different sensations in one land.
With diverse landscapes, Olympic National Park has something for everyone. It is open all year round for your wedding plans although some areas are closed in winter. And if you think about staying near the park, Creekfront Cabin near Olympic National Park, Beach Front Cabin, Thompson Point, and Majestic cedars are good options to look for.
Best wedding venues:
- Hoh Rain Forest
- Hurricane Ridge
- Ruby Beach
- Lake Quinault Lodge
- Rialto Beach
- Sol Duc Falls
- Nature Bridge site
Get more information here
Grand Teton National Park
If you want special magic in your wedding, definitely choose Grand Teton National Park as a perfect getaway community and touch the picturesque qualities. With a perfect view of the snow-capped Alps, luxurious greens, and tranquil river waters, Grand Teton National Park creates a perfect remote wedding experience for you. Located next to Jackson, Wyoming, Teton is the best setting for an exciting and adventurous national park wedding while you can take part in the celebration of reception in town.
The park is full of beauty in every view; make sure you do not miss wonderful wedding portraits by simply pulling off the way through the valley.
Grand Teton National Park wears splendor on its own all around the year. But it is recommended to plan your wedding at the park in summer and fall for the best weather. And places to stay near the park include Rocking Rackets Cabin, Abode at Moosehead Cabin, Contemporary Cabin, Baitshop Cabin, and Outpost Cabin making it no trouble about the accommodations as it brings wide options.
Best wedding venues:
- Taggart Lake Loop
- Jenny Lake
- Hidden Falls Trail
Read more information here
Grand Canyon National Park
Among the most beautiful national parks in the United States, Grand Canyon National Park is found with its unique beauty, enormous size, and layered red rock in bands. Being a top tourist destination, it takes many natural sensations including the Colorado River. When it comes to things you can do while visiting, Grand Canyon has so much made it an ideal spot to plan your wedding to keep visitors engaged.
The park is full of destinations indoor and outdoor to take in both ceremony and reception. All the locations are perfect for intimate national park weddings you dream of supported by scenic overlooks. While most of the times in the year are good to take visits to the Grand Canyon, spring, fall and summer are ideal enough for planning weddings.
Those who are planning to go with this amazingly beautiful Grand Canyon can try the lodges in the park for staying. They are Bright Angel Lodge & Cabins, El Tovar Hotel, Thunderbird Lodge, Maswik Lodge, Kachina Lodge, and Yavapai Lodge. And for outside options, we recommend The Grand Hotel, and Grand Canyon Railway and Hotel.
Best wedding venues:
- Pima Point
- Shoshone Point
- Moran Point
- Lipan Point
- Grandeur Point
- Point Imperial Viewpoint
- Cape Royal Amphitheater
Know more about each destination outdoors and find options you can try indoor locations from here
Crater Lake National Park
Oregon’s only national park is rich in beauty and memorable to plan your dream wedding of which the most attraction goes to splendidly blue caldera lake known as “Crater Lake”. Encircling the entire lake, Scenic Rim Drive is rich with trailheads, and picturesque viewpoints making Crater Lake one of the best national parks for weddings.
The best time to get married is at Crater Lake national park is in summer. While it is home to two campgrounds, you can stay at Crater Lake lodge in the park. And there are different options outside the park including Crater Lake Resort, Aspen Inn, and Melitas Crater Lake.
If you are looking for the best outdoor settings for your wedding, you can choose an ideal location at Crater Lake as it does not support indoor facilities for weddings. However, outdoor locations at the park are immensely beautiful for your dream wedding.
Best wedding venues:
- Watchman Peak
- Discovery Point
- Garfield Peak
- Watchman Overlook
Read more information here
Joshua Tree National Park
If your pick is desert park features with exceptional rock formations and diverse plant life, it is definitely about getting married at Joshua Tree National Park. With diverse landscapes, and being home to rich wildlife, this is a highly popular destination among hikers, climbers, and photographers. If you are in southern California and look for the best parks for weddings nearby, this is the best setting for a glamorous wedding in desert style.
Spring and fall at Joshua Tree National Park are amazing for your wedding planning with perfect weather. While there are about five beautiful campgrounds at the park it offers no lodges. Therefore, find some Airbnbs and glamping locations outside the park for accommodation. Places near Joshua Tree include Holiday Inn Express Indio, Hampton Inn & Suites Indio/ CA, and Royal Plaza Inn.
Best wedding venues:
- Hidden Valley Picnic Area
- Split Rock
- Rattlesnake Picnic Area
- Turkey Flats
- Porcupine Wash
- Cap Rock
Read more about Joshua Tree National Park here
What do you need to know about getting married at a National Park?
Did you know; Best National parks in the United States are the perfect outdoor wedding destinations? Different from typical outdoor concepts, national park weddings take dramatic landscapes and backdrops taking your dream day to the next level. But if you do not have any idea about planning your National Park wedding, here are some tips you should know.
Apply for the National Park Wedding Permit
The National Park Service requires a special use permit to take a wedding in any national park you select. You have to pay the applicable wedding permit fee in order to take the legal agreement to host your wedding. And do not forget to take your national park pass on the right day.
Compared to other venues outdoor and indoor, national parks for weddings are reasonably priced too. And this is one main reason people move to a change in arranging your wedding in a national park that is worth trying. From one to another, the fee varies. Contact the National park service for the applicable fee and permit for your site for further planning.
National Park’s Entrance Fee
Usually, for business, parks charge entrance fees for busses. So when providing guests information, you should note the entrance fees for guests if you do not want them to pay. You can arrange a meeting of all of them at one place outside the park and take a shuttle to have them at the ceremony.
Take a visit to the park before you organize your National Park Wedding
Only by seeing pictures, you cannot take an accurate idea about the location you are going to plan your destination wedding. So make sure you know well about your wedding destination, spending time, the best time to visit, access to the park, and more information. It is better you choose a national park you have visited at least once to get an informed decision about the best National parks for weddings.
The pro tip for you is always to choose a destination you know well. Better you know easier you can stay with planning your dream wedding. And have a good idea about the weather, accessibility to your site with concern to your target crowd category.
Hire the best local wedding planner
If you are truly a travel enthusiast, you must already know about national parks and travel information. But if you do not have a single idea above just traveling to your favorite places, you better hire a professional for the job.
Professional wedding planners have comprehensive knowledge about planning a wedding in the right order. If you are planning for a national park wedding, the best one to help you out with that is a local wedding planner to involve in the process of managing permits, finding vendors, choosing park-friendly decoration, and so on. Find the right professional that you can work with and sketch out your destination wedding to get it done with professional hands.
Plan well on crowd
The popular sites in national parks cannot be jammed off for ceremonies having a lot of crowds. Better plan ahead with your crowd and look for private locations depending on the number of people you are planning to take to your ceremony. Let your local wedding planner know the number of crowds to decide on the perfect wedding location. Different sites are accepting different crowd limits; respect the local service rules and make sure not to exceed the limit.
Decors and Dress Code
When it comes to decorations, many national parks have certain restrictions. Especially the impact on the natural environment is highly concerned here and it is totally prohibited to bring or put anything that may harm the local setting. So leave it to the wedding planner and your florist to make it simple and clean. In a fascinating outdoor ceremony, you can try easy and simple decorating ideas at the same time respecting the rules. Make sure you stick with natural elements and do not exceed the crowd limit.
Unlike in other outdoor ceremonies, you better dress simple and comfortable when it comes to a wedding at a national park. And if any special clothing is required, let your guests know what you plan with the dress code and any other.
Bathroom facilities for guests
The site you are choosing for your wedding ceremony should provide sanitary facilities to make guests feel comfortable during their stay. So check for the bathroom facilities or ask the park authority to have portable restrooms brought in when the ceremony takes place. In case there is no other way working to have bathrooms, let your guests know about it when you announce to them where you are going to have your ceremony. But it is always good to go to a place where there is access to bathrooms. Most of the sites provide these basic facilities to guests or even arrange with the right portable settings as per the requirement.
Planning to tie the knot in one of the most picturesque National Parks in America? Believe us, it is going to work really well. If you are too tied with nature, a national park wedding is the best way you can celebrate your day in your style. While the options are wide, it is up to you to go with the perfect decision.