Find Paradise At The Parks
The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) cares for 63 national parks, preserving some of the most magnificent and meaningful places in the country. If you include historic sites, monuments, recreation areas, and seashores, too, that total jumps to more than 400. And the best part? There are plenty of Margaritaville Vacation Club and Club Wyndham resorts within driving distance to choose from.
The most popular national park is Great Smoky Mountains National Park for a reason. Fall in love with the historic cabin trails at Cades Cove or the peak views at Clingmans Dome. Read this full 3-day itinerary to a perfect weekend at the park, then book your stay at Margaritaville Island Hotel Pigeon Forge, just 30 minutes away from the park.
Island hop via ferry from Margaritaville Vacation Club - St. Thomas to St. John, then wander Virgin Islands National Park. Spend the day at Trunk Beach, hike the Reef Bay Trail, and then put on your snorkeling gear to swim the Underwater Trail. Learn more about how to get there and what to do in your St. John Island Hopping Guide.
One of the world’s most epic canyons awaits at Grand Canyon National Park. Walk around the edge on the Canyon Rim Trail, hike into the canyon itself, or raft down the Colorado River to experience the Grand Canyon in a whole new way. From Margaritaville Vacation Club - Desert Blue, it’s just over 2 hours to the West Entrance.
For the epitome of “sun-kissed,” drive 2 hours from Margaritaville Vacation Club - Desert Blue to reach Death Valley National Park. This below sea-level desert brings extreme heat and a different kind of sea salt. Visit the Badwater Basin salt flat and its unique salt polygons, then marvel at the Devils Golf Course and the view from Zabriskie Point.
When it comes to national parks, there are two very different definitions of “sun and sand” — the beach and island vibes you know and love, and majestic deserts straight out of storybooks. Try these beach and desert national parks near Club Wyndham resorts.
Hike through surreal desert landscapes in Joshua Tree National Park in California. Just 30 minutes from Club Wyndham Indio, the park has a fascinating variety of rare plants and animals, including its namesake Joshua Tree — a spikey, spindly oddity that looks to be straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. Try the 0.7-mile Discovery Trail, an easy looping hike designed by local students.
Club Wyndham Harbortown Point is right next to the marina where you can hop on a boat to the five islands of Channel Islands National Park. Each of these California islands offer unique experiences, and Santa Rosa Island has those secluded white-sand beaches you’ve been searching for. Plus, summer is the perfect time to spot humpback whales as they migrate north.
Witness cacti towering 40 feet in the air at Saguaro National Park, just 25 minutes from Starr Pass Golf Suites in Tucson, Arizona. Hike through forests of cacti, see all kinds of desert blooms, and make sure to stay for a magnificent desert sunset.
Biscayne National Park stretches over the northern Florida Keys, featuring coral reefs, cool dive sites, and mangrove forests. Most of this park is water, so this is the excuse you needed to hop on a boat (not that you needed one). Stay at Club Wyndham Palm-Aire or at one of the other three Pompano Beach resorts, just over an hour away.
Zion National Park is a surreal blend of winding canyons and sheer cliffs with colors that will leave you awestruck. Gorge walk through the Narrows, hike iconic Angels Landing, and horseback ride through the desert. See it all from WorldMark St. George or WorldMark Estancia, both one hour away, through your Wyndham Club Pass benefit.
Change Up Your Latitude
Go beyond the national parks — the NPS cares for everything from historic sites to recreation areas to some very special seashores. Try these two near your Margaritaville Vacation Club resorts.
Bay views dazzle from every angle at El Morro, as the locals call the six-level walled fortress that dates to 1539. On the giant grassy lawn, palms rustle in the wind while families picnic and fly kites. And San Juan National Historic Site is an hour from Margaritaville Vacation Club - Rio Mar.
A 30-minute drive from Margaritaville Vacation Club - Desert Blue, Lake Mead National Recreation Area features hiking, swimming, and fishing, plus the Hoover Dam in the distance. Boulder Beach is a popular spot for beach bums and boaters alike, with kayak and boat rentals nearby.
Experience a whole new kind of beach day at these three epic national seashores near Club Wyndham resorts.
Accessible on both ends from Club Wyndham La Belle Maison in New Orleans and Club Wyndham Emerald Grande at Destin, Gulf Islands National Seashore features white sands and emerald waters along the northern Gulf of Mexico.
Where else can you see sea turtles and a rocket launch? Just 45 minutes from Club Wyndham Ocean Walk in Daytona Beach, Canaveral National Seashore is home to Playalinda Beach, consistently ranked among the most beautiful in the country.
Drive or take the ferry from the sailor’s paradise of Newport, Rhode Island, to the scenic Cape Cod National Seashore. The beautiful area features lighthouses, wild cranberry bogs, and blissful beaches, a perfect day trip from Club Wyndham Long Wharf.
