We’re talking about a vacation this summer so we can plan ahead. My mother (who will pay for it) said she’d love to go to Yellowstone, but it looks like it’s about a 24-hour drive for us. Still, I like the idea of going to a national park. We’re in Indiana, so this image shows about the limits of where we’re willing to drive. Maybe 14-15 hours at most, which puts most of the ones in the image in range.

However-

• We’ve already been to Indiana Dunes and Gateway Arch.

• My daughter is scared of caves, so Mammoth Cave is out.

Out of the rest, which would you most recommend so I can suggest it to my mother?

Is there anything not in Indiana that is within this area that you think is more worth visiting than a national park that also would take a decent amount of time to visit and see different things? (Not a city, obviously.)

Any advice appreciated. Thanks!

  • orcrist
    2·
    11 months ago

    Shenandoah tends to be very very packed. It’s cool but it’s full of people. The Smoky Mountains also can be quite busy depending on the exact season that you’re visiting.

    And then it just depends what you want to do. National parks are national parks for a reason but then again there are a lot of great state parks that might suit your interests.