The Ultimate Guide to Planning an Epic National Parks Road Trip
When you plan a trip to a new place, what’s the first thing you look at–the hotels, the food, the activities? That’s second for us.
We look at the best way to get around. When we’re planning a big national parks trip, that’s our focus.
Choosing the best travel way with many national parks is easy. You have several vehicle choices and habits to see the gardens without walking.
Please keep reading for our guide on how to turn your national parks trip into an epic public park adventure.
A Guide to Planning an Epic National Park Road Trip
Do you love the outdoors? Are you staying put for the lockdown but still craving the open road?
You might be planning on visiting national parks after the lockdowns. There are many reasons you should schedule an epic national park road trip.
The most important reason is to enjoy and explore the best of the United States in a way only a road trip can. The best way to experience the national parks is by planning an itinerary for your road trip.
It used to be easy to arrange a road trip through a national park, but now you have to worry about permits and reservations, crowds, and a lack of rental cars. However, this need not be the case.
Read the guide below on how to plan an epic national park road trip:
Do Your Homework on the National Park of Your Choice
There are 63 national parks in the United States, and each has something unique to offer. These are the most important considerations to ask yourself while deciding which national park(s) to visit:
- Are you interested in driving from home or flying and renting a car locally? Some national parks are accessible via public transportation, but this is not the case for all.
- Do you wish to avoid dense crowds? Do you want to go van camping?
- Which is more important to you: the scenery, the wildlife, the trekking, or the history?
- Are you a frugal traveler, or are you willing to splurge?
- What season/weather conditions are you anticipating?
Having these questions answered, you’ll have the information you need to decide if you should start planning several months in advance or whether you can wait until the very last minute.
Planning Your Trip
To have the most enjoyable experience on your road trip through the national parks, you should start arranging as far in advance as possible.
Plan Early
When booking opens for popular campgrounds, reservations are gone in a flash. Recently, the most popular parks started requiring timed admission reservations and day walk permits. This shows how important it is to plan.
If you want to go to a certain national park on your next road trip, you should start planning as soon as possible,e, so you don’t miss the chance to make reservations and get the necessary permits.
Planning a trip at the last minute?
It is still feasible to plan spontaneous national park strips. Consider the following while planning a vacation within the next three months:
Consider a trip to one of the numerous national parks with fewer visitors; visit during the week or off-season, and investigate hikes that do not require special permits.
If you wish to get a reservation for housing within the park, call their reservation number daily and inquire about cancellations for your desired dates.
Setting up camp? Select parks with first-come, first-served campsites and plan to arrive early.
Choose a Pleasant Day
National Parks are a great place to go for a road trip. But it is important to plan for the best weather before you take off on your adventure.
The best month for national park road trips is typically September. You can expect mild temperatures, low humidity, and clear skies. January and February are popular months if you want to go during the winter.
National parks have various climates ranging from arid deserts to temperate rainforests, so there is something for everyone in about any month of the year!
Examine Your Financial Situation
After deciding when and where to go, calculate how much money you’ll need. Do you have two weeks of vacation? How much will your trip’s hotel stay cost? How much should you save each month for this vacation?
Some costs to consider:
Costs of camping, car rentals, and cabins. Gas, national park fees, meals, souvenirs, and paid attractions are not included.
Hiking trails, beach days, sightseeing on vistas and pullouts, ranger talks, visitor center documentaries, museums, and much more are free to park visitors.
Make Sleep Schedules
Most travelers will make a hotel or campground reservation and build their itinerary around it.
You can maximize your vacation by choosing a hotel or campsite based on the activities you plan to do. National park trips should involve more time outdoors and less time in hotels. Choosing the best-located hotel or campground reduces driving time.
A trip itinerary helps you choose the best campsite. This only works if you book campsites in popular parks in advance.
Figuring Out Your Route
Planning your route when visiting national parks is one of the most important parts of a road trip. It would be best if you decided what you want to see and what you want to do on your journey. You can use a route planning app or software if you don’t know where to start.
Planning your route is a complicated process that often leads to frustration. It’s better to have someone else help you with this task than to do it yourself. There are many apps out there that will help you plan your route and make the process less stressful for everyone involved.
Route planning apps are good for people who don’t like planning their routes or want an easy way out of it together.
Bring a paper map of your route. When your cell connection is spotty, you’ll be happy for a backup when your map app fails to load.
What to Pack?
When visiting a national park, it is usually advisable to have clothing and toiletries suitable for all types of weather. Even in the heat, bring along lightweight fleece jackets. Even normally warm regions can see significant nighttime cooling in the summer.
Don’t forget to bring your hiking gear if you intend to go on a hike. Camping and hiking equipment, including hydration packs, a power bank for cell phone charging, a camera, and bear spray.
Any enjoyable road trip includes your favorite munchies. Keep a snack basket next to you on the road for convenient access. Do you plan to grill on your camping trip? S’mores? MREs? Beers? Most national parks provide few meal alternatives, so plan accordingly.
As previously stated, good cell signals and data are difficult to locate within national parks. You can pack cards and board games to keep yourselves entertained at night.
Additionally, you can download films and bring a few books to read. You may also download podcasts in advance for long drives.
Prepare Your Vehicle
You must confirm that your chariot is in good working order before you go on your American road trip. Schedule an appointment for your car to be serviced so the mechanic can check the oil, fluids, tires, and air filters.
In addition, you need to ensure that all the lights and blinkers are operating as they should and that your spare tire and jack are in good shape. Make sure you have copies of your insurance cards and registration paperwork that have been updated recently.
A safety kit is also essential, and it should contain items such as jumper cables, a flashlight, reflective triangles, and water,r at the very least. Keep your membership information and crucial phone numbers in a place where they are easy to access if you are a member of a roadside assistance service such as AAA.
Get ready for the adventure with the help of this van conversion company.
Complete Your Itinerary Plan
A trip plan includes:
- The place you want to go.
- The activities you want to do there.
- The people who will go with you.
If something goes wrong or you don’t get back from your vacation when you should, the authorities that deal with search and rescue will be able to respond more effectively thanks to the information you’ve provided. It would help if you gave the plan to your emergency contact, who should be someone you can count on but who will not be going on the trip.
Find Out Who Is in Charge
Determine who is in charge in specific circumstances, so you know who to contact in the event of an emergency:
The Tour Guide
If you are going on a trip with a group, choose a trip leader. For bigger groups, you might want to choose an Assistant Group Leader. Make sure the trip leader has the skills and knowledge to lead the group.
The Leader for Safety
A safety leader is someone or more than one person in your group who is in charge of safety. If you are traveling alone, you are the safety leader! You are responsible for:
- Checking all equipment before and during the trip
- Keeping an eye on your own and other group members’ health and energy levels;
- Being aware of changes in the environment (like weather and physical conditions) and telling the Trip Leader about them;
- and keeping an eye out for possible dangers during the activity.
You or your group should always know how to perform CPR and give first aid.
Be In Good Health
Make sure that your health is in good shape and that you are not suffering from any issues such as exhaustion, dehydration, heat disease, or other similar conditions. In addition, be cautious of the dangers posed by the environment, such as the varying weather and fauna.
Consider if you should go on, stop, or turn around and return the way you came. When traveling in a group, the individual designated as the Safety Leader is responsible for keeping an eye out for any changes in group members’ health and potential environmental hazards.
Have Fun and Clean Up
Our culture and the network of national parks that we have preserved are both remarkable legacies. People who were forward-thinking decades ago fought to protect examples of nature, which is good for our generation.
They need to be protected for the sake of future generations. Let us make it a goal not to leave anything behind.
Travel Recommendations
You are setting out on your journey with members of your family, a group of friends, or other companions. When visiting a national park, it is important to be aware of how to avoid making some of the most common mistakes that could put you in danger.
The Logbooks Must Be Respected
At certain trailheads, users can sign their names into logbooks. If the book is still available, sign it and note when you return.
Follow the Schedule
Maintain the schedule you were given for your activity unless you encounter something threatening your safety. Your emergency contact won’t know that you changed your route, making it harder for rescuers to find you.
It is possible that it would be smarter to turn around than to take an alternative path if something were to disrupt your efforts.
Stick to the Route and Group
Keeping to the designated path and avoiding any opportunities to cut corners may help you prevent the possibility of suffering a serious accident.
When traveling in a group, it is important to stay united. If one becomes separated from the main group, members of the group also risk becoming lost or injured.
Enjoy Your National Parks Trip
After reading this guide, you should be armed with all of the knowledge necessary to organize your very own incredible national parks trip. To get the most out of your time and resources, you should get a map and be strategic about which parks you visit.
Most importantly, enjoy your journey!
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