My Mom is quite a bit limited in her mobility, but still loves to travel with our family to National Parks.

What are the best National Parks that can be toured by Car, Bus, Train, etc? This can be through the park service but preferably through privately owned tour guides or small groups (have done this in Yellowstone, Tetons, Smokey Mountains, Acadia, Olympic)

We have been to many of the parks but looking for opinions particularly on Glacier and Bad Lands as we have not been there.

My assumption is all National Parks will have ample hiking opportunities which is my preference.

Can't help with your listed ones but arches in Utah and volcanoes on the big island (obviously not easy to get to for her, but including for anyone else curious).

A lot can be seen from the car or a short, easy walk out in big bend. Obviously there's much missed from the car, but that's the case most anywhere.

You mentioned that you have been to Yellowstone (presumably in summer), but if you haven't done it, I would strongly recommend visiting in winter. It is spectacular. Wildlife is down in the valleys and easily viewable by car, way more so than in summer. You can also do the snow coach ride into Old Faithful and spend a couple of nights at the Snow Lodge.

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/accessibility/index.htm

https://www.travel-experience-live.com/best-scenic-drives-in-national-parks-usa/

Going to the Sun Road in Glacier is take-your-breath-away awesome

Joshua Tree. Wife and I did a hike or two, but otherwise saw it by convertible since we only had a few hours.

Some of the Civil War battlefields? I remember Dad popping in a tape that had a narrator as we drove around.

Beautiful national park roads off the top of my head....

Top 3:

Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier is the most beautiful drive we've ever seen in a NP

In Yosemite, when you're driving into the valley and wind your way through the trees and all of a sudden El Cap fills your entire windshield....that was a WOW moment for me. Tioga Road is also beautiful.

When you take the Hana Highway counterclockwise on the south side of Maui, you go through a part of Haleakala NP - it was incredible.

The rest (which are amazing in their own rights):

Rocky Mountain NP has Trail Ridge Road (and if you're ok with exposure and catch it when it's open - Old Falls River Rd)

Big Bend has Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive

Acadia has the Acadia Scenic Byway

Joshua Tree has Scenic Drive

Grand Tetons has Teton Park Road as well as Moose-Wilson Rd

Yellowstone has a LOT of road but driving through Hayden Valley is always a treat. You can stop and set up a chair and just watch the bison and bears.

Arches also has a road called Scenic Drive

You can ride the shuttle through Zion canyon which is an awesome ride. Also, I loved driving in through the east entrance in the early morning - the rough landscape was stunning in the light.

Not in a NP but you get to it coning or going. The Beartooth Highway. Between Yellowstone and Red Lodge MT

Husky Boy Jr. said:

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We have been to many of the parks but looking for opinions particularly on Glacier and Bad Lands as we have not been there.

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My recollection is that Badlands is just one major road that cuts through the park. There are scenic turnouts throughout. It was a pretty park. Custer State Park isn't far from there and has some cool drives. There are some caverns (Wind Cave and Jewel Cave) nearby but they will probably involve more walking, even though you go down in elevators.

Badlands and the Black Hills area is great. My 69 year old mom went with us there last year, and we did a lot of drive through trips and she loved it. Badlands is basically a drive through park anyway with scenic pullouts. In the Black Hills you must do Needles Highway and Iron Mountain Road

Shenandoah National Park is basically a linear park that follows Skyline Rd for 105 miles. It has great scenic views, with dozens of lookouts that you can pull over for.

Agreed on Badlands and Black Hills.

Badlands you'll see all the wildlife you want from the road. You'll enjoy Castle Trail, and in Badlands you don't have to stay on the trail.

Black Hills, Custer State Park is absolutely amazing. You can include Mt Rushmore for another national site and if you want to hike around it, go across the street into the Black Elk Wilderness.

Jewel Cave, the Discovery Talk takes you into the cave via elevator, receive a ranger talk in one room, then return to the surface. No walking involved, but you yourself could take one of the longer tours that does involve walking.

I think South Dakota is exactly what you are looking for. Plenty of hiking for you, but also most everything you can see from the road.

plus if your mom is like most old mom's she'll love the kitsch of a place like Deadwood

And Wall Drug. That's walking but it's shopping walking and that's different than walking walking.

Mathguy64 said:

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And Wall Drug. That's walking but it's shopping walking and that's different than walking walking.

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NO! It's stupid, don't do it

Pahdz said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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And Wall Drug. That's walking but it's shopping walking and that's different than walking walking.

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NO! It's stupid, don't do it

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It's free water. Who doesn't like free ice water?

And the donuts are tasty.

jamesf said:

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Shenandoah National Park is basically a linear park that follows Skyline Rd for 105 miles. It has great scenic views, with dozens of lookouts that you can pull over for.

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We did Shenandoah last fall as the leaves turned colors. It was beautiful.

So much good stuff here - thanks all. Is whitefish the best home base for Glacier? A great little town with restaurants, shops is a big plus and worth extra drive. In terms of towns - Bar Harbor was everyone's favorite.

Also - if you are like me and spend a lot of time behind the wheel with older parents or younger kids I highly recommend checking out an app called "Just ahead" for National park audio tours

We stayed at Cedar Creek Lodge in Columbia Falls. It's closer to the entrance. Whitefish is a great town tho.

We unexpectedly ended up driving through Smoky Mountains NP (had planned to drive Gatlinburg, TN to Young Harris, GA and didn't realize it cut through the park) and it was a spectacular drive. Lots of spots to turn out with scenic overlooks, etc. I can't wait to go back when we have more time to explore and hike, but my 65 year old mother was delighted with what we saw from the car.

Great_I_Am said:

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We're going to Glacier National Park in July, you can drive the "Going to the Sun" road and see a lot of the park.

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This is really the best answer. You need to go to parks with scenic byways/roads. Lots of great drivable parks...Yellowstone, Tetons, Rocky Mountain, Glacier. If I could also recommend the Black Hills and Badlands area of South Dakota have incredible drives.

Some parks have established boardwalks and concrete walkways, if you can arrange for a wheelchair that will greatly increase what you can see.