All across America, people are flocking to the spectacular national parks, eager to see something they’ve likely never seen before — and may never see again. You might only get one shot at experiencing the grandeur of Yosemite Valley, the immensity of the Grand Canyon, or the the power of Old Faithful. With that in mind, learning how to make the most of your trip should definitely be at the top of your to-do list!
As a park ranger in Grand Teton National Park, I was often asked by visitors “so, what is there to do here?”. Now, on the way to my own adventures, I still see people standing around wondering why everybody else is parking and getting out of their cars. This makes me sad! A national park vacation is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and many hopeful visitors unknowingly spoil their opportunity to have a magical and unforgettable adventure.
My advice for those who want to see more, do more, and experience more on their next trip is contained in this list. Some of these may sound like common sense (or might not even sound like mistakes at all), but you might be surprised at how easy it is to forget the basic tips that will make your trip the best it can be. I want your national park trip to be amazing! You know, the trip that you can’t stop talking about for years to come.
Psssstttt……I’ve got a little secret for you. Be sure to check out my National Park Itineraries if you want to have the most EPIC vacation ever!! I’ll make sure your trip doesn’t include any of these mistakes :)
Mistake #1 – Sleeping In
The Solution — Be in the park by 7:30 a.m. and hit the most popular spots first!
You should be sleeping in while you’re on vacation right?! I’m usually supportive of getting some extra zzz’s, but I promise that it’s not a good idea when visiting a national park. Why? Because the early morning hours provide the best opportunities to see wildlife, get from Point A to Point B more quickly, and enjoy the most popular areas in the park without the overwhelming crowds.
On a recent trip to Yellowstone we saw Old Faithful erupt with just a handful of other people. Old Faithful without crowds is almost unheard of…but it is possible. Our experience was absolutely magical! The air was eerily quiet except for the hiss of the geysers and I got some amazing pictures without having to fight for a good view.
On that same trip, we watched a mama grizzly and her cub forage for food without anyone else around. We just sat in our car silently as we witnessed a truly amazing and humbling sight without chaos or distraction. An hour later, we passed by traffic that backed up for miles and miles and miles because people were stopping their cars in the middle of the road to get a picture of a buffalo.
Millions of people visit the national parks each year, and most of those trips happen during the summer months. This makes the parks incredibly crowded sometimes, but peace, solitude, and some awesome experiences await you if you are willing to start your day early.
Mistake #2 – Never Turning off Technology
The Solution – Take a few technology-free minutes for yourself whenever you are experiencing something new. Turn off your phone or camera and just allow yourself to be in the moment!
We all love our phones and cameras, but a trip to a national park is not your ordinary trip. Experiencing a national park from behind a tiny screen is limiting your ability to truly connect to a life-changing place.
Think about it. Everybody needs a little less stress, worry, and hustle in their lives. When is the last time that you actually had the chance to listen intently to the song of a bird, examine the veins of a leaf, or soak up the mist from a gushing waterfall? This is your chance to slow down and enjoy the moment. Your Facebook friends don’t need to know where you are and what you are doing. It’s okay…give yourself permission to turn off the distractions for a little while. You’ll be glad you did!
Mistake #3 – Showing Up Without a Plan
The Solution – Do some research and make a list of things that you absolutely don’t want to miss while you are there!
Generally, most parks start taking reservations for camping, lodging, dining, backcountry permits, and activities about 6 months before the summer season begins and they sure fill up quick! If there is anything that you absolutely have your heart set on, be sure to do your research well in advance so that you don’t miss out.
You don’t have to plan out every second of every day (in fact, I wouldn’t recommend that either) but it is a good idea to have some type of itinerary or plan for your national park vacation. Park rangers are more than happy to answer your questions, but they often have a long line of people who need assistance as well. Be courteous and don’t completely leave your trip planning up to the ranger…have an idea beforehand of what you would like to do and then ask for any additional advice to supplement the information you have already gathered.
Hello from Indiana, you are very kind in giving these tips, we appreciate all of them!
Happy to help!
Hi Ash! Wow, your website is exactly what I have been looking for! I have visited many National Parks in my life, ever since I can remember. My family was fortunate enough to be able to essentially roam around the nation for a month each summer back in the 1960’s in a StarCraft Tent Trailer and station wagon. A much slower time indeed! We never had to make reservations for campsites or anything like that. There was only one time we were ever rejected and we were able to stay in an overflow area – an open field!! Bear warnings were along the lines of “Yep, there’s been a bear up in that campground lately, so pay attention, be careful, don’t feed them, and you should be ok!” I am sure I’m in the minority, but it was better that way, I mean there were good bears too – Yogi and Smokey come to mind! I was the baby of the family so I was always the bear bait! It’d be fun to take some of the old 8mm home movies and compare the sites to current times – some we will never see again such as bears being fed right out of the old station wagon window – I guess that was the ransom fee to drive through the park! Anyhow, I don’t have “proof” of which parks I have been to. I have a unique opportunity right now in my life, so I am about to begin a goal of mine to visit/revisit each National Park in the lower 48 and make sure I get my National Park Passport Stamp at each one!! Your type of information is exactly what I have been searching for. I don’t think I will be able to do all of them at one time, so I am trying to regionalize and take into consideration weather at the same time as I begin to do my planning. I am kind of thinking about trying to get them done in roughly 2 years. What an amazing thing our National Parks are! Even with so many visitors each year, it is still a pretty small percentage of our population that ever goes to our National Parks – unbelievable to me! Imagine what it’d be like if a larger percentage actually went to our National Parks! Everyone, stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey!
Thanks so much Tim! Happy hiking!
Great article. I can speak from experience that getting out and about early is key in having a great trip. We visited Acadia NP the week after Labor Day last year (thinking it would be the off season). Nope, tons of folks in the park. We remedied this situation by being in the park just before sunrise. We would hike until noon or so, then head into one of the quaint little towns for a late lunch and then head back out in the mid afternoon when most folks were ending their day and having dinner. Also, being flexible is very important. One of our days the weather didn’t cooperate. It was some of the worst rain the park rangers told us they had experienced in some time. We put on rain coats and were able to view some spectacular waterfalls (from a safe distance). The main thing is take your time, slow down and enjoy your trip!
That’s an amazing schedule!! And you’re awesome for being so flexible with your plans. It sounds like the perfect Acadia experience!!
Great advice. We are from the uk and don’t have the type of parks you have there in the USA.
We travel To the USA twice a year, visiting as many national parks as we can.
Our favourites are Yellowstone, the grand tetons, Yosemite, and Zion, although we have not been to a “bad” park, everyone of them is special and spectacular.
We appreciate the advice from those that know the parks, the dangers and the highlights. So a big thank you.
Of course! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment :)
Hi Ash, My husband and I are traveling to Las Vegas for a corporate convention this September. I’m researching to add a few days so we can go through Lone Line, Bishop and into Yosemite by Tioga Pass. We’d have roughly 3 additional nights, Thursday -Sunday. We’d leave Las Vegas Thursday am and fly home Sunday evening. Would your itinerary material suffice to guide us through Yosemite back down to Fresno? And if so, which itinerary should I purchase?
Thank you! ? SherriJo
Hey there SherriJo,
The itineraries I have will only be useful for the time your are in Yosemite, not the destinations along the way to the park. But you could definitely use any of them to help you see Yosemite and then head back into Fresno. I’m also happy to answer any questions you have regarding your specific travel plans and what is written in the itinerary…no problem at all.
Stay in touch,
Ash
Sherrijo, a trip up the 395 to Tioga pass is amazing! Lone Pine has a great cowboy movie museum, Bishop has loads of wonderful little shops and restaurants, of course there’s Mammoth, be aware that Tioga pass is a rather scary road, lots of rock fall and no guard rails. But beautiful!
Thanks for all the great tips! About to plan a trip to Yosemite in September. We’ll be renting a motor home and hope to stay in the park. Any recommendations as to which site to stay at? Or are we lucky to even get a spot anywhere? Thanks in advance. I really appreciate your effort.
Depends on how big your motorhome is, but spots for trailers and RVs are very limited in the park. If you find a spot that’s available that can fit your motorhome, snatch it up!!
Planning a trip to Grand Canyon mid-March. Any advice or warnings or thoughts about the weather? We are travelling in a conversion van with our dog.
It can be unpredictable. I’d plan for colder temps and rain/possibly snow. I’m in Arizona right now and the Grand Canyon is getting snow as we speak :)
My girlfriend and I are camping Yosemite 2nd week of spring. We did Bryce Canyon the same time last year and it was 30s-40s overnight, a bit cold for the gear we had but tolerable. Could Yosemite get much colder than that overnight? Likely staying in the Wawona site.
It can! Average lows for that time of year can drop down into the 20’s. Sounds like a big adventure though!
Hello. I read somewhere that the waterfalls in Yosemite can dry up at the end of summer. Is that true? I’m planning a visit there this summer with three kids 12,10 & 8, not sure I’m up for camping in bear country, what is your advise for lodging?
When do you think is the best time to go?
Thanks!
Yes the waterfalls do dry up as the summer goes on! It really depends on the year as to when is a good time to go…..this year there was so much snow that it took longer for several roads to open up. If it has to be a summer visit, I’d probably aim for late June-early July. You can find my lodging recommendations as well as a full itinerary for your trip here: https://dirtinmyshoes.lpages.co/yosemite-itinerary/
Is yosemite worth the trip during our spring break or will it be too cold and too much closed. We have 4 children 14. 12. 10, 8 and wont be doing a ton of hiking.
Thank you for any suggestions
As you can imagine, there are pros and cons to going during the spring. There won’t be many crowds and the waterfalls should be raging! You’ll definitely have colder weather and it could even snow :) The Tioga Road and the Glacier Point Road won’t be open, so you’ll be limited to Yosemite Valley and the Wawona area mostly. I never say no to visiting a national park so I think it could be a really fun adventure!
Thanks for the great tips on what not to do and what to! I do agree that taking a few technology-free minutes would help make the experience better. I’ll do my best to plan out a perfect national park vacation for my family to enjoy.
Have fun! Let me know if I can help with your trip planning!
Great tips, and ones to live by!
Going to Grand Canyon. Didn’t specify in last note
Yeah should be if you are going to the Grand Canyon South Rim! The North Rim will be completely closed down by then, but the South Rim is great for year-round travel. Have fun!
Will everything be open in November? We are going the 5th
What is the best time of year to visit Yellowstone? I’m thinking of renting a KOA cabin for 30 days in Jacksonhole( great rates!). That will give me plenty of time and avoid crowds like on weekends.
Thanks
Teri
Hey Teri, it kind of depends on what’s important to you on your trip. Spring in Yellowstone is nice, but roads/lodges/campgrounds often don’t open til mid-May so I probably wouldn’t go before then. Spring in Grand Teton isn’t the best time to go if you like to hike….most of the trails are still completely snowed in. Summer in both parks is definitely busy, but if that’s the only time you can go then I definitely still suggest going. You’ll just want to make sure you plan out your time well so that you can still find some solitude :) I have itineraries on the site for both Yellowstone and Grand Teton that have a lot of tips for avoiding the crowds in those parks, so that’s a good place to start. Autumn is probably my top suggestion {specifically September} if you can swing it. The lodges/roads usually don’t close til the end of the month so you still have access to almost everything. The trails aren’t snowed in yet, although that time of year does see rain and snow occasionally. The crowds are minimal which is great if you really value solitude. Hope that helps!! Ash