5 Tips When Visiting National Parks

I LOVE vacationing to National Parks! Out of the 63 parks in the United States, I have marked 13 off my bucket list. While I am by no means a traveling expert, I have learned a lot through these trips…what to do and what not to do! If you want to avoid mistakes I have made or find new ways to make traveling to these incredible destinations easier, then I invite you to keep reading.

#1. PURCHASE AN AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL PASS

An America the Beautiful Annual Pass has numerous benefits.

• It grants you access to most of the National Parks (some do not require passes, but require items like a parking pass…for instance the Great Smoky Mountains National Park)
• It covers fees at over 2,000 recreational areas
• There are discounted passes for those who qualify, such as military and seniors
• One pass holder can potentially get your whole group into the area for free
• 100% of the proceeds go back to these land areas
• It lasts for one year from the date of purchase
• They can easily be bought online, at a National park, or at other retail stores such as REI

This is just some of the many highlights the America the Beautiful Pass provides. What I love most about these passes are the monetary value. Most National Parks have a $35 entrance fee. This pass cost $80. If you visit three parks in one year, your pass has more than paid for itself. Secondly, this pass can potentially cover everyone in your vehicle upon entering, saving family and friends money. You can buy your pass and find out more information here:

#2. VISIT AT THE OPTIMAL TIME

With every park, there are peak seasons and shoulder seasons, and some actually have portions shut down during certain times of the year. Depending on your agenda will depend on the best time to visit.

Peak season refers to the most popular time to visit. Weather conditions are usually ideal, wildlife is thriving, and most or all areas of the park are open. While this sounds ideal to you, it also sounds ideal to everyone else. That is one major negative of visiting National Parks during peak seasons…crowds.

Another important factor is some parks now require timed entry reservations, in addition to a pass for entrance during peak seasons. The biggest piece of advice I can give when deciding the best time to visit a particular park is to decide what you truly want to experience when you are there. If avoiding crowds is high on your list, then shoulder season may be best for you. If you are having to work around school schedules, want access to all parts of the park, and don’t mind crowds, then peak season may be ideal for you.

#3. PLAN YOUR HOME BASE

Planning your home base when visiting a National park usually requires more advance notice than going to the beach on a whim. Because of the serene and isolated locations of most National parks, there are few hotel accommodations, if any.

Camping within the park usually fills up fast, especially during peak seasons. Most parks start accepting reservations at least 6 months in advance. Something else to consider if you are going to go with the camping route is traveling with all your gear. If you are driving, this isn’t as big of problem compared to flying. If you are flying, certain items must be checked luggage. Trekking poles, tent stakes, and stoves must be checked, among other items. Some camping equipment isn’t even allowed on planes, whether checked or not, like gas canisters or bear spray. Camping within the park is a fantastic option if you are able to plan accordingly because it cuts down on your driving time and allows full time access to the park during your trip.

If you are staying in a VRBO or AirBNB close to the park, consider driving time. Some parks are huge or you may want to visit multiple parks on one vacation. When choosing a location, I recommend finding somewhere within a 45 minute drive to the park and where you plan to spend most of your time. On our first National park trip, we visited both the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. Because we were a large group (about 20 people), it was difficult finding a home that could house all of us. We also thought it would be best to find somewhere in between both Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. This was a huge mistake because we spent most of our trip driving back and forth (about 2 hours one way) in order for us to be in between these parks. Since that trip, we learned our lesson and book accommodations within a 45 minute drive and book multiple houses if necessary. For example, we traveled to California to visit Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Yosemite in one trip. For the first half of our trip, we stayed in one home close to Kings Canyon and Sequoia and then traveled to a second home that was closer to Yosemite to finish out the trip.

#4. RENT THE CORRECT VEHICLE

If you are having to rent a vehicle during your trip, most will consider things like gas mileage and comfortability, but another item to consider is the terrain you plan to encounter. Some areas of the parks may be more rugged than the popular areas. Four wheel drive may be essential to getting to some of the more secluded areas. You may also want to venture to other destinations outside the park that are in the backcountry. For instance, when we visited Zion, we also went to hike Buckskin Gulch (one of my favorites places from the trip). This was in the middle of nowhere down a dirt road, filled with pot holes, ruts, and gulleys. Because I knew this was one of the places I wanted to visit on our trip, we opted for a truck this trip compared to a small compact car.

Another thing to consider is vehicle limitations. For example, in Glacier National Park, the Going to the Sun Road has height and length restrictions on vehicles in some areas due to the landscape. This is something to consider, especially if you are driving a camper or other larger vehicle.

#5. RESEARCH OTHER ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

I briefly mentioned this above, but some parks require additional requirements to enter the park. For example, some require timed entry, meaning you are only allowed to enter the park during a certain time of day on a particular day. Some trails require permits and most backcountry sites require permits as well. Some parks also have lottery systems for specific areas, too. For example, when we visited Zion National Park, I had to enter the lottery system to hike Angels Landing. The lottery required an additional fee and I had to enter our names, what days we could hike this trail, and times as well. You are not guaranteed a ticket, so being flexible is a must in these situations. Thankfully, we received a permit for one of the days we selected, but did not get the preferred time slot. Not all parks are this complex, but researching additional requirements such as these, makes the trip a lot more enjoyable. Here is a great site to research additional requirements within the parks:

There you have it! These are 5 tips to make your National Park vacation planning a little easier. If you are looking for additional advice, help with planning your itinerary, or favorite places to visit, send us an email at brittanybeyondtheboundaries@gmail.com.