The Best Guide for Planning a National Park Visit
Are you planning a national park visit this year? America’s national parks, monuments, and recreation areas are very popular places to visit anytime. You can explore seashores, drive a scenic parkway, visit a historic battlefield, or hike the famous Appalachian Trail. With over 420 different places to explore you should definitely have a plan before you go! Here’s the best guide for planning your national park visit!
We have been to over 40 of these amazing sites and hope to provide you with some inspiration to go check them out! Whether you are a history buff, an avid hiker, love the smell of the ocean, or just want to take a scenic drive, there’s a reason for everyone to visit national parks. Read on for information about when to go, where to stay, how much it costs, and tips for what to bring with you.
Map of all National Parks & Monuments
Best Time to Visit National Parks
Some of the bigger national parks and monuments can be especially busy during the on-season (typically March-October). And some parks are too hot in the summer or inaccessible in the spring and winter due to snow. The time of year you should go truly depends on what you want to do in the park. Here are the best national parks to visit by season. These are just suggestions because you can absolutely go to many parks at any time of year.
Note: These are our national park choices as we’ve found that many of the monuments and recreation areas were not as busy. Make sure you do your research before you go to ensure the best experience.
Spring Parks
Springtime is beautiful in most places because of the colorful flowers, freshly sprouting tree leaves, baby animals, and powerful waterfalls. Spring also has cooler temperatures and maybe fewer crowds! Here are the best national parks to visit in the spring:
Summer Parks
Despite the crowds, there are definitely some parks that you should visit in the summer. The activities available, warmer temperatures, and snow finally melting make these the best national parks to visit in summer.
Fall Parks
In the fall months, many children have gone back to school so you may find fewer crowds during the week. Cooler temperatures provide optimum hiking opportunities and beautiful foliage. Check out our best national parks to visit in the fall!
Winter Parks
There are many national parks to visit in winter. Mostly it would be the more southern parks due to cooler temperatures. There are also some that are just amazing to see covered in snow! The red rocks in Utah…check it out!
How Much Does It Cost?
National parks and monuments have a fee to get in and typically, it can range from $20-40 for a 7-day visit. That’s unlimited access to the park for a week. If you plan to visit more than a couple in a year, you need to check out the National Park Pass! It will save you money!
How to Get Your National Park Pass
America the Beautiful Pass is available to everyone! This pass is great. It gives you access to over 2,000 national parks and recreation areas…for one price! The pass has an annual fee of $80 or less depending on your situation. They offer military, disabled, 4th-grade students, volunteer, and senior passes, in addition to the regular pass. If you plan to see more than two national parks or recreation areas in a year then you need this pass! You will save money! So how do you get one?
Many of the parks and recreation areas have them at the entrance gates or visitor centers. Check HERE to see which parks have this option.
You can also purchase the pass online at the USGS Store. Be aware that you need to do this early because your pass is mailed to you. You don’t receive an image or number to use in the meantime, you have to wait for it to come in the mail.
Call 888-ASK-USGS, extension 2 to purchase by phone. This pass also comes in the mail, so you will have to wait for it.
Places to Eat
Need a place to eat? Check out the park website to find restaurants, snack bars, or park stores for all your food needs. The smaller parks may not have any food options so be prepared with some snacks and drinks. Many of the towns near the parks and monuments have small grocery stores so you can stock up. Also, reusable water containers are good to bring as there are water fill stations in many areas of the parks or monuments.
Another option is to bring food with you. These can be quick and easy snacks, or full meals. There are so many awesome places to have a picnic with a view!!
Note: Some parks and nearby towns may have restaurants and stores that are only open during their on-season. Check the NPS website for the most up-to-date information for your destination!
Where should you stay?
If you visit a national park or monument that’s not quite within driving distance to your home, you may want to find a place to stay. Many of the bigger national parks, such as Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, or Yosemite, have really nice hotels, RV parks, camping, and other places to stay in the park. Check out the NPS app, nps.gov, or recreation.gov to find accommodations in the parks. The towns in the surrounding areas of the parks have hotels, motels, resorts, or campgrounds as well. You can also check out Airbnb for great stay options.
How Long to Stay?
So how long should to plan to visit a national park or monument? It all depends on what you plan to do. My minimum is 2-3 days for most parks, but there are some you can see in a day and others that could take a week or more.
The key is planning. Make sure you research ahead of time so you know how much time you need to do everything you want. Would you like to do all the hikes? Are you planning to attend a ranger program? Are you booking a rafting trip? These are all things to think about when planning to visit national parks because they are all different.
What is there to do?
Each park or monument will have its top, well-known sights. Old Faithful at Yellowstone, El Capitan at Yosemite, Delicate Arch at Arches, or the Presidents at Mount Rushmore, to name a few. Check out the NPS app or nps.gov to find out what those sights are and how to see them.
Some places require reservations to see certain sights, so make sure you do your research. If you are going to visit during the “on-season”, you may also need reservations to get into the park. Many parks also have shuttles and some require reservations to ride. You can make reservations for shuttles and more on recreation.gov.
If you plan to do any backcountry hiking, you usually need to apply for a permit so verify before you go as some permits are limited. You can also go to the visitor centers to find out more information on hiking and the permits required. The rangers can tell you about any programs they offer, such as stargazing, ranger-led tours, or Junior Ranger Programs.
Check Out Local Tour Companies
There are many companies that provide tours of national parks and monuments. We’ve seen jeep tours, helicopter tours, guided hiking tours, horseback riding tours, rafting tours, etc. Our favorites have been the Pink Jeep Tours at the Grand Canyon, Yellow Bus Tours at Yellowstone, and the boat tours at Glacier. Check out the national park website for more information on available tours of the park or monument you are going to.
Best Apps for Planning a National Park Visit!
The apps below are really useful when planning a national park visit to see all they have to offer. We use one or a combination of all the apps depending on where we are going. Some of the bigger parks have so many sightseeing and hiking opportunities that using multiple apps gives us the information we need for exploring efficiently. The National Park Service App is by far the one we use the most and is all-inclusive.
National Park Service App
This is the official NPS app and IT’S FREE! You can select by state and it will list everything in the area…national parks, national monuments, historic trails, etc. There are more than 400 loaded on here! Pretty cool. Alerts are posted, as well as park entrance fees. It also has hiking/sightseeing suggestions for different times of the day, what to do, where to stay self-guided tours, and more. The park calendar of events and park news is available, and for those with national park passports, it lists the stamp locations! There is parking and visitor center information and how to visit with pets. You can even download the park information to use offline. This is essentially the park website on the app!
Gypsy Guide
If you are looking for a tour guide then this is the app to get. Gypsy Guide gives you detailed information and history through a driving tour with audio narration and is a good way to entertain your children! This app is great because it works off of GPS and not WIFI. Most national parks have little to no internet so this is an easy way to explore. It tells you where to go, what to see, and how to see it! This is not free, but well worth the purchase as you learn a lot! You download the app and then purchase each park or bundle of parks you wish to visit. Prices start at $4.99.
National Park Trail Guide
Another awesome FREE app is the National Park Trail Guide. It’s great because you can select which national park you are visiting or click on what’s nearby. The app gives you an overview of the park, “gems” (most popular sights/trails), best hikes, photos, and family-friendly ideas. You can click on the trail map and zoom in to see trails, gems, and other points of interest. There is also a section at the bottom with local information such as food, camping, shuttles, and other useful tidbits.
Note: Not all the national parks are on this app but they are working on it. Available for iOS and Android.
All Trails
All Trails is all about trails. Whether you want to hike, bike, or just explore, you can find what you need on this app. You can browse by what activity you plan to do or search what’s nearby. The app tells you what the trails are rated; easy, moderate, or hard. It gives you the length, approximate time to complete, whether it’s dog-friendly, the elevation gain, and so much more. There are hiker reviews and the weather forecast. I like this app because the reviews for the trails are usually recent so you can find out tips about the trail before you go.
Tips for Planning a Great National Park Visit!
1. Get there EARLY! Many parks recommend arriving before 8 am or late in the afternoon, depending on what your plans are for the day. You can avoid traffic, beat the crowds, it’s cooler, you’ll see more wildlife, and it’s the best time for photography!!
2. If you plan to do multiple hikes or sights, start at the end of the park and work your way back. Research ahead of time which trails/sights you want to see using one of the apps listed above.
3. Bring refillable water containers. Many parks have water refill stations and recommend using them.
4. Wear layers and appropriate shoes. Higher elevations can be cooler so be prepared.
5. Pack a picnic to enjoy nature and avoid the crowds at lunchtime! At the very least, pack snacks!
6. Sunscreen/sunglasses/hats are important, especially in the higher elevations.
7. Bear Spray: Check each national park’s website because this may be highly suggested depending on where you are going.
8. Don’t forget your camera!! How can you prove to your friends you saw a bear if you don’t have a picture?
Bonus Tip! A fun way to keep track of the national parks and monuments you’ve been to is to get the National Park Passport. You can purchase one at most visitor centers or online. There are places in the visitor centers or ranger stations to get them stamped. We have so many stamps we had to get additional pages!!
Plan a National Park Visit Today!!
Now you have all the tools you need for planning a national park visit! Make the best of your time. Go see the one that’s been on your bucket list or visit them all! No excuses, just do it!!
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