Last Updated: 22nd Dec 2025 | Page Last Edited 22nd Dec 2025
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✈️ National Parks Visual Fidelity Guide (Click to expand)
✈️ National Parks Visual Fidelity Guide (Click to expand)
Not all National Parks are created equal... at least, not in MSFS.
While every park on this list is a real-world treasure, the flight simulation experience depends entirely on the quality of the scenery data (TIN), elevation mesh, and photogrammetry. A park like the Grand Canyon might look photo-real all the way down to the riverbed, while a vast desert like Joshua Tree might look flat and blurry if you fly too low.
To help you plan your flight plan, I have rated these parks based on Visual Fidelity rather than hiking trails. This rating tells you the Minimum Altitude you should maintain for the best view.
🛩️ The Rating Key: How Low Can You Go?
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Helicopter Ready (0 ft)
The Experience: Complete 3D immersion.
What to expect: High-quality photogrammetry or custom 3D models. You can fly low-and-slow, weave through canyons, or land your helicopter on a rock ledge. The scenery holds up even when you are on the ground.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bush Plane (500 ft)
The Experience: Stunning, but keep the engine running.
What to expect: Excellent elevation data (mountains look sharp), but small ground details like individual rocks or specific trees might look flat or "melted" if you land. Perfect for a Super Cub or a Cessna 172.
⭐⭐⭐ General Aviation (1,500 ft+)
The Experience: Beautiful from the air.
What to expect: These parks rely on satellite imagery. They look incredible from the window of a touring aircraft, but if you get too close, the illusion breaks (e.g., generic trees or blurry ground textures).
⭐⭐ High Altitude (5,000 ft+)
The Experience: Best viewed from the flight levels.
What to expect: These parks cover vast areas that are often rendered with flat satellite photos draped over hills. Iconic features like rock arches or caves may appear solid/flat. Enjoy the grand scale from an airliner or a high-flying jet.
National and Tribal Parks: U.S.A 🇺🇸
National and Tribal Parks: U.S.A 🇺🇸
National Park - Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
National Park - Badlands National Park, SD, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Rapid City Regional Airport (KRAP)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: The "eroded buttes" usually rely on satellite imagery. From 1,000ft they look incredible, but if you fly too low, the sharp ridges look "melted" or soft.
Description: The park covers 242,756 acres and includes dramatic rock formations, eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires - it has the largest undisturbed mixed-grass prairies in the country.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Canyonlands National Park, UT, U.S.A
National Park - Canyonlands National Park, UT, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Canyonlands Field (KCNY)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The massive mesas hold their shape well in sims, but the intricate "Needles" area can look flat without custom 3D scenery add-ons.
Description: The park covers 337,598 acres and is divided into four distinct districts: Island in the Sky, The Needles, The Maze, and the rivers themselves - Includes a massive mesa & colourful rock spires.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Crater Lake National Park, OR, U.S.A
National Park - Crater Lake National Park, OR, U.S.A
Size: L
🚁Closest Airport: Prospect State (64S)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The rim and the water mask are usually very sharp, but Wizard Island can sometimes look a bit generic close up.
Description: The park covers 183,224 acres and includes stunning landscapes, including volcanic formations, forests - Crater Lake is deepest lake in the United States.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Death Valley National Park, CA, U.S.A
National Park - Death Valley National Park, CA, U.S.A
Size: XXL
🚁Closest Airport: Stove Pipe Wells (L09)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: Because it is so vast and flat, the textures can get blurry low down. The salt flats look great from high up, but lack texture on the ground.
Description: The park covers 3.4 million acres and includes stunning landscapes, including salt flats, sand dunes, badlands, valleys, canyons, and towering mountains - Badwater Basin sits at 282 feet (86 meters) below sea level.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Glacier National Park, MT, U.S.A
National Park - Glacier National Park, MT, U.S.A
Size: XXL
🚁Closest Airport: Glacier Park International Airport (KGPI)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The elevation mesh (shape of mountains) here is usually top-tier, making for epic valley flying.
Description: The park covers over one million acres - Stunning Glacier carved Mountains & gorgeous Alpine scenery.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, U.S.A
National Park - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ, U.S.A
Size: XXL
🚁Closest Airport: Grand Canyon National Park Airport (KGCN)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helicopter Ready)
Verdict: The gold standard of flight sim scenery. High-resolution data usually allows you to fly inside the canyon below the rim with high fidelity.
Description: Covers 1,218,375 acres in exceptional detail - Lots of POI's.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Grand Teton National Park, WY, U.S.A
National Park - Grand Teton National Park, WY, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Jackson Hole Airport (KJAC)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The mountains look photo-real from the cockpit, though the lakes sometimes have shoreline issues.
Description: The Park covers 310,000 acres and includes beautiful Mountains, stunning lakes - home of the Teton Range, including Grand Teton, it's tallest peak.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, U.S.A
National Park - Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN, U.S.A
Size: L
🚁Closest Airport: Montvale Airpark (TN87)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: This is a "tree heavy" park. Unless you have seasonal mods, it can look like an endless carpet of generic green trees.
Description: Part of the Appalachian Mountains known for their smoke like fog - Covers 187,000 acres of Forest - Kuwohi is its highest peak.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Joshua Tree National Park, CA, U.S.A
National Park - Joshua Tree National Park, CA, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Palm Springs International Airport (KPSP)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐ (High Altitude)
Verdict: Very difficult for sims to render. The iconic Joshua Trees are often missing (replaced by generic bushes) or appear as 2D flat images.
Description: The park covers an area of 795,156 acres and includes unique rock formations, vast wilderness, and iconic Joshua trees - A stunning desert landscape.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Kings Canyon National Park, CA, U.S.A
National Park - Kings Canyon National Park, CA, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Fresno Yosemite International Airport (KFAT)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: Deep canyons look great, but the Sequoia trees are often not rendered at their true massive size in default sims.
Description: The park covers an massive 461,901 acres and includes deep canyons, huge sequoia trees and the General Grant Tree.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, U.S.A
National Park - Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, U.S.A
Size: L
🚁Closest Airport: Redding Municipal Airport (KRDD)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: Volcanic landscapes usually have distinct colors that satellite imagery picks up well.
Description: The park covers 106,452 acres and includes Lassen Peak, Hydrothermal Features, Painted Dunes & four types of volcanoes.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Marble Canyon, AZ, U.S.A
National Park - Marble Canyon, AZ, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Marble Canyon (L41) - Highly recommended: 🛩️ Vincent Bazillio's Freeware version 🛩️
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: Similar to the Grand Canyon but often slightly lower resolution on the cliff faces.
Description: Marks the beginning of the Grand Canyon - Includes Navajo Bridge & Vermilion Cliffs stunning red rock formations.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Mesa Verde National Park, CO, U.S.A
National Park - Mesa Verde National Park, CO, U.S.A
Size: M
🚁Closest Airport: Cortez Municipal Airport (KCEZ)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐ (High Altitude)
Verdict: The famous "Cliff Dwellings" are almost always flat textures on the wall. You cannot fly into the caves; they look painted on.
Description: The Park covers over 52,000 acres - With its well preserved Ancestral Puebloan cliff dwellings & includes Cliff Palace as a POI.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Mount Rainier National Park, WA, U.S.A
National Park - Mount Rainier National Park, WA, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Packwood Airport (55S)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helicopter Ready)
Verdict: Usually a "star" of the simulator. The massive standalone mountain has incredible custom mesh and texture details.
Description: The park covers 236,381 acres and includes Mt Rainier a stratovolcano that is 14,410 feet tall - Huge glacial system with stunning scenery.
🌍View on Map🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
Tribal Park - Monument Valley, AZ, U.S.A
Tribal Park - Monument Valley, AZ, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Monument Valley Airport (UT25) - Highly recommended: 🛩️ Vincent Bazillio's Freeware version 🛩️
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helicopter Ready)
Verdict: Iconic. Most modern sims give this "hero" treatment with custom 3D models for the Mittens that you can fly around.
Description: Part of the Navajo Nation it's a tribal park - Includes the Mittens & Merrick Butte, John Ford’s Point, Totem Pole & Yei Bi Chei.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - North Cascades National Park, WA, U.S.A
National Park - North Cascades National Park, WA, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Regional: Bellingham International Airport (KBLI)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The "American Alps" are jagged and dramatic, looking fantastic from the cockpit of a cub, even if snow textures can sometimes look repetitive.
Description: The park covers over 500,000 acres and includes over 300 glaciers, deep valleys and jagged peaks - also know as the American Alps.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Olympic National Park, WA, U.S.A
National Park - Olympic National Park, WA, U.S.A
Size: XXL
🚁Closest Regional: William R. Fairchild International Airport (KCLM)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: A mix of everything. The mountains are great, but the rainforests are often just dense generic trees.
Description: The park covers nearly 1 million acres and includes glacier-capped mountains, temperate rainforests with stunning views all around.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Rocky Mountains National Park, CO, U.S.A
National Park - Rocky Mountains National Park, CO, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Boulder Muni (KBDU)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: High elevation flying at its best. Trail Ridge Road is a great visual guide to follow from the air.
Description: Includes Bear Lake, Longs Peak & Trail Ridge Road and covers 415 square miles of breath taking scenery - Close to Denver, Colorado.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Sequoia National Park, CA, U.S.A
National Park - Sequoia National Park, CA, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Lone Pine (O26)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: Similar to Kings Canyon—great terrain shape, but the specific "Giant" trees are rarely modeled individually, making it look like a standard forest.
Description: This Park covers over 400,000 acres and is home to the giant Sequoia trees inc. the General Sherman Tree - Mount Whitney is it's highest peak.
🌍View on Map🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND, U.S.A
National Park - Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND, U.S.A
Size: M
🚁Closest Airport: Dickinson Theodore Roosevelt Regional Airport (KDIK)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (General Aviation)
Verdict: Beautiful rolling prairies, but lacks the dramatic verticality that makes for "wow" moments in a flight sim.
Description: The park covers 70,446 acres and includes rugged Badlands & rolling prairies - The Little Missouri River winds through the park offering stunning views.
🌍View on Map🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Yellowstone National Park, WY, U.S.A
National Park - Yellowstone National Park, WY, U.S.A
Size: XXL
🚁Closest Airport: West Yellowstone Airport (KWYS)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The Grand Prismatic Spring looks incredible from the air (great colors), but Old Faithful is usually just a flat patch of ground unless you have visual effects mods.
Description: At 2.2 million acres across Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho it includes the Old Faithful geyser & Grand Prismatic Spring.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Yosemite National Park, CA, U.S.A
National Park - Yosemite National Park, CA, U.S.A
Size: XL
🚁Closest Airport: Mariposa (KMPI) - Highly recommended: 🛩️ Vincent Bazillio's Freeware version 🛩️
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helicopter Ready)
Verdict: A masterpiece of verticality. El Capitan and Half Dome are usually custom modeled, allowing for thrilling proximity flying.
Description: The park covers 759,620 acres and includes Glacier Point, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Tioga Pass & High Sierra.
🌍View on Map🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
Credit to @SlabsFly for the brilliant idea to rate this list!
National and Regional Parks: Europe & International 🇳🇿 🇮🇹 🇯🇵 🇫🇷 🇸🇮 🇨🇭 🇦🇹
National and Regional Parks: Europe & International 🇳🇿 🇮🇹 🇯🇵 🇫🇷 🇸🇮 🇨🇭 🇦🇹
National Park - Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
National Park - Aoraki / Mount Cook National Park, New Zealand
Size: L (High-altitude Southern Alps)
🚁Closest Airport: Mount Cook (NZMC) or Glentanner (NZGT)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (World Update XII: Oceania)
Verdict: The "Himalayas of the South." Home to the tallest peak in Australasia.
Description: A masterpiece of glacial carving. The Tasman Glacier and the turquoise waters of Lake Pukaki provide a stunning approach. The sim captures the sharp, literal "razor-edge" ridges of Aoraki perfectly, especially during the golden hour when the peaks glow orange.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
The Dolomites: UNESCO World Heritage & Nature Parks
The Dolomites: UNESCO World Heritage & Nature Parks
🚁Closest Airport: Belluno (LIDB)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helicopter Ready)
Verdict: The Dolomites are arguably the most beautiful mountains in the sim. The vertical rock faces (like Tre Cime di Lavaredo) have high-fidelity mesh that holds up even when you're flying 50ft away.
Description: Stunning limestone peaks and deep green valleys. A "must-fly" for anyone who loves the Alps.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan
National Park - Chubu-Sangaku National Park, Japan
Size: L (The "Northern Alps" of Japan)
🚁Closest Airport: Matsumoto (RJAF) or Toyama (RJNT)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (World Update VII: Japan)
Verdict: The "Yosemite of Japan." Rugged granite peaks meet lush river valleys.
Description: This park features the famous Hida Mountains. Thanks to Japan’s photogrammetry updates, Kamikochi Valley and the "Snow Wall" of Murodo look spectacular. The jagged peaks of Mount Hotaka offer some of the most dramatic vertical relief in Asia.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
Regional Park - Verdon Gorges Regional Park, France
Regional Park - Verdon Gorges Regional Park, France
Size: L (The canyon itself is about 25km long)
🚁Closest Airport: Puimoisson (LFTP) – This is a legendary glider and bush-trip airfield.
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Helicopter & Glider Ready)
Verdict: The "Grand Canyon of Europe." The turquoise water of the Verdon River and the sheer 700m limestone cliffs are a masterpiece in the sim. It is a world-famous spot for gliding due to the incredible ridge lift.
Description: Located in southeastern France, the park features the deepest canyon in Europe. From the turquoise waters of Lac de Sainte-Croix to the dizzying heights of the "Sublime Point," it offers some of the most dramatic low-level flying in the world.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
National Park - Triglavski National Park, Slovenia
National Park - Triglavski National Park, Slovenia
🚁Closest Airport: Bovec (LJBO)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Bush Plane)
Verdict: The Julian Alps are incredibly jagged. Bovec airport sits right in a deep valley, making for a challenging and scenic takeoff.
Description: Features Mount Triglav and the emerald-green Soča River. It’s a bush-flyer’s paradise with plenty of narrow valleys to navigate.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc & The Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve
Chamonix-Mont-Blanc & The Aiguilles Rouges Nature Reserve
Size: L (Massive glaciers and peaks)
🚁Closest Airport: Annecy (LFLP) or Sallanches (LFHZ)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (TIN Detailed)
Verdict: The highest peak in Europe. It’s the "Mount Rainier" of France.
Description: This is part of the "French Alps" TIN update. The town of Chamonix and the massive glaciers flowing off Mont Blanc have incredible 3D detail.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
Scenic Lake Regions - Lucerne & Lake Constance, Switzerland/Austria
Scenic Lake Regions - Lucerne & Lake Constance, Switzerland/Austria
Size: L (Expansive lake and alpine region)
🚁Closest Airport: Buochs (LSZC)
Sim Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Upgraded TIN)
Verdict: The mix of 3D alpine towns and the sheer rock faces reflecting in the water is unbeatable.
Description: New data in MSFS 2024 has significantly upgraded the TIN coverage around the Swiss and Austrian lakes, providing unbeatable reflection and rock face detail.
🌍View on Map 🛩️Flight Experience page & VFR Flight plan ideas
Please note: VFR Flight plans for this list will be added at a later date.
Credit to @MeusMagister for the idea to add this International National/Regional list!
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