The national parks are one of the United States’ greatest accomplishments, in my humble opinion. It’s probably the thing I’m most proud of about my country, being pioneers in setting aside and protecting public land simply because it has value in the way it exists. Every single national park is drastically different from another, but if you’re just starting to plan a trip to a national park, but aren’t sure which one yet, these are some tips that will help you out at any national park. Plus, near the end of this post, I’ve shared my individual posts on the things you should know before you visit a specific national park.
Take Ownership of Our Public Lands by Being a Good Steward
I think this should always be the first point to make when visiting a national park. These lands are protected for the public and all the future generations to come. Don’t litter, don’t deface, don’t feed wildlife. When visiting a national park, the mantra of leave it better than you found it is the mindset you should have while exploring these public lands – and any other land you’re on, really. See trash on the trail? Pick it up. See someone defacing the nature? Say something – educate them, don’t be a dick.
Under Our Current Administration, Understand That Your Experience Could Be Different
Because thousands of NPS employees have been fired and jobs are being cut in 2025 already, some of these parks have been greatly impacted. Hours are being limited within parks, and at visitors centers – so be sure to research that before your trip so you can have proper expectations and know best times to visit.
If You Frequent Multiple National Parks in a Year, Consider an Annual National Park Pass
We typically visit 4+ national parks or NPS-run destinations a year. Some years, even more! So a national park pass is always a given for us. At $80, you get an entire year of free entrance or discounted fees to 2,000+ sites. Some years, this saves us $100+, other years, we end up not going to as many parks as we thought we would and, worst case scenario, we make a small donation to our public lands. So, on the first trip to a national park after our pass has expired, we always get a new one! You can get them at most gates, but you can also get it in advance from USGC.
Remember That Some Parks Are Now Requiring Timed Entry or Other Reservations
As the number of visitors to the national parks increase, the National Park Service has done everything they can to make each to a park visit as pleasant and safe for visitors and for the parks themselves. Some of that is implementing permit systems that limit numbers of visitors to sites or on specific trails. This post has included all the national parks that are requiring timed entry and special reservations for specific sites or trails within the park in 2025. These can be purchased from Recreation.gov and that’s where you’ll find the most up-to-date info on requirements.
Try to Have a Rough Idea of What You’d Like to Do
I heard that if you go somewhere with no plan, you end up not doing all that much. Now, I’m not saying to plan out every minute of every day. That’s not a good idea either. But maybe make out a list of the trails that top your list or formations you want to visit and go from there. Always leave room in your itinerary for suggestions from other visitors or park rangers!
Stop in at the Visitor Center
I love going to the Visitor Center of each national park. They typically have a restroom you can use, you can top off water and ask a park ranger any questions that you might have. Plus, this is where you’re going to get the most up-to-date trail closures, weather conditions and any other important information you might need. Plus, many have really cool exhibits, museums, etc. I also am super guilty of spending way too much money at national park gift shops – I have more national parks than the average human, for sure.
For the Love of Wanderlust Tip – Are you an avid, experienced hiker? Then, ask a park ranger if there’s a trail that isn’t on the map that they would recommend. Tell them what you’re interested in, how many miles you’re thinking, etc. We have found some really unique trails because of this.
It’s Important to Practice Proper Trail Etiquette
No one wants to be an asshole on a trail. So, be sure to brush up on the things that you should and shouldn’t do while hiking so you aren’t inadvertently a trail asshole. Luckily, I wrote a whole post on this! It’s all very common sense stuff, but sometimes those things are the easiest to overlook.
Download Offline Maps
If you’re planning to do any extensive hiking or even going down AWD or 4WD roads, I cannot recommend downloading offline maps enough. Cell service can be very limited and while they aren’t always perfect when it comes to directions (we learned this on Shafer Trail in Canyonlands National Park), you can typically at least use it as a compass to get back to where you’re going. Helpful tip, if you’re going to be out of service range anyway, turn your phone on airplane mode to save your battery. Your maps will still work if they’re downloaded. For reference, the map app I use and have experience with is Google Maps.
Understand What Wildlife You Could Possibly Encounter
It is so important to know what you could encounter in national parks. This isn’t to scare you, but it’s important to know what safety measures you need to implement while in the parks. It’s important to know if I need to keep Charleigh and Liam close because mountain lions are prevalent. Do in need to watch out for specific snakes that are venomous? Are there bears in the area that I need bear spray for? Being prepared makes you a better, safer visitor to our national parks.
Some National Parks Require a Lot More Hiking to See the Beauty Than Others
There are some parks that you can get a good sense of the beauty from your car. While we’re a boots-on-the-ground kind of family, it’s also nice to be able to take a scenic drive you’re not interested in or able to hit the trails. Some parks are better-suited for this than others. I typically put in the individual “things to know” posts about each park whether or not this is the case (see those below). Because of this don’t expect that every drive through a park is going to be life-changing because some of the best views come at the end of hiking trails.
Want to Beat the Crowds?
The very best piece of advice I can give for beating the crowds in a national parks – even in peak season – is to get up super early and explore before or as the sun rises. Many people will sleep in or wait until after a “normal” breakfast time. But we’ve found ourselves to be some of the only people just before or just after sunrise to hit the hiking trails and it is delightful! Plus, as a bonus, in parks that get super hot it’s a great time of day to get started before the heat of the day. This can also be a time of day that wildlife is more active, so be mindful of your surroundings.
Our National Parks Also Protect Important Archaeological Sites
There are a lot of important Native American sites, petroglyphs, and even old sites from European settlers. It’s really interesting to see the way that humans have moved through and interacted with the land over the years. Always be respectful of these sites, never deface them, and leave the history in tact for others to see and learn from.
If You Have Kids, Take Part in the Junior Ranger Program
This is a free program that our national park service provides to help get our kiddos to dig deep and learn more about the specific park you’re in. (These are available at national monuments, riverways, etc. as well). After filling out the correct number of activities in their Junior Ranger book for their age group, you take it back to the visitor center and your kiddo can get sworn in as a Junior Park Ranger and they get a little ranger badge, which is so stinking cute. Plus, it’s a really fun collection to start for a traveling family. I’m trying to come up with a way to display them still.
To Get The Most of Your Experience in a Park, You Might Try to Stay in the Park
Most national parks have many different options for you to stay within them. From lodges to RV sites and yurts to tent camping pads, there are ways for everyone’s individual comfort-levels to stay. Staying in a park is often the best option because these are the spots that give you the most access to the park. It cuts down on drive time and allows you to walk out your door and right into an adventure.
That said, a lot of the lodges are more expensive than you would typically pay for the type of adventure you’re having. Also, sites are obviously limited and can fill up very quickly. Lastly, if you have a camper like we do, you may potentially be limited by the size of your camper. Our camper is too long for most national parks actual campgrounds, so we have to stay outside of the parks, but as close as possible.
If You Have a Pet, You Might Want to Consider Leaving Them at Home
Most of the US National Parks don’t allow pets on any of the trails within parks – even backcountry trails. There are some exceptions, but the majority of the parks don’t allow them. They also don’t allow pets to be locked in vehicles or tied up at trailheads. If you’re just looking to drive through the park, obviously, they’re okay to be with you and you can let them out near visitor centers, but they’re not the best national park companions for hikers.
Things You Need to Know from Specific National Parks
I have a whole series of things you need to know before you visit specific national parks. It’s one of my favorite series to write because I love sharing about the US national parks and they’re part of what I am most proud of as a country. I wanted to add a list of the parks that I have those in one place, and this seems like the perfect place! I have several more of these coming and always will be adding to this as we visit more and more national parks!
Things to Know Before Visiting Arches National Park in Utah. Arches, red rocks, and other-worldly formations are the highlights of this park.
Things to Know Before Visiting Big Bend National Park in Texas. Desert and mountains collide to create this stunning landscape that sits along the border with Mexico.
Things to Know Before Visiting Canyonlands National Park in Utah. Layers and layers of canyons create a maze of desert-playground to explore.
Things to Know Before Visiting Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. One of the seven natural wonders of the world; indeed a grand canyon.
Things to Know Before Visiting Mammoth Cave National Park in Kentucky. The worlds longest cave system!
Things to Know Before Visiting Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona. The largest concentration of petrified wood along with beautiful mesas and desert badlands!
Things to Know Before Visiting Sequoia National Park in California. Giant forests that protect some of the world’s largest trees with some massive peaks of the Sierra Nevadas too!
Things to Know Before Visiting Yosemite National Park in California. A stunning glacier-carved valley with stunning mountains and waterfalls.
Things to Know Before Visiting Zion National Park in Utah. Angels Landing and other awe-inspiring hikes will blow your mind in this beautiful red-rock canyon.
Basic Gear I Would Recommend for Any Trip to a National Park
Things We Use for Safety – I have a Garmin InReach Mini 2 that helps me feel so safe and secure in the wilderness. I don’t take it on every adventure, but if I’m going somewhere truly remote or somewhere new to me, I definitely have it with me. Also, I think it’s important for any solo adventures. Just note, you do have to pay for a subscription for this. We do it monthly so that it is less expensive. A first aid kit is especially important for tackling remote, backcountry hiking. I always like to have a basic first aid kit with me. Even if I’m taking on something small, though, I like to bring basics like bandaids – I think these cloth ones stay on the best, Neosporin, and alcohol wipes. I also like to keep some moleskin in my pack in case I get a blister.
Footwear – Matt and I both love our Merrell hiking boots. Regardless of which brand works best or fits your foot, we both recommend a boot with ankle support. I know that you can do most hikes with trail runners, but for me, I just am so obsessed with that ankle support and the fit of these boots. These Merrell socks are perfect for my hiking adventures. I love that they’re cushioned slightly and are the perfect height for ankle boots. If I don’t wear boots and am just doing a shorter hike, just a stroll around the paved areas of a park, or a water activity, I’d wear my Teva sandals. They also make great campsite shoes but still have a lot of support for hiking and other activities
Daypack – If I’m doing a quick day hike of 10 miles or less, I’m obsessed with my Osprey Daylite. It’s the perfect size to cram water and snacks for the hike. Plus, if I have a light layer, it fits in the pack as well. If I’m doing a more intense or 10+ mile hike I’m obsessed with my Deuter 28L pack that holds a little more without being monstrous, but will hold more water, more layers and more snacks.
What’s in My Pack? – Water is always the very first thing that goes into my daypack and I love using these Nalgene water bottles because the wide mouth on the bottle makes it really easy to clean. Some snacks that you can almost always find in my backpack are beef jerky tender bites, peanut butter & honey crackers, peanut m&ms, trail mix and dehydrated fruit strips. If I’m going to have a long hiking day, or I’m hiking somewhere that I know I’m going to sit and hang out for a while, I am obsessed with my little mini camp chair – it only fits in my Deuter pack, though, not the Osprey.
Stargazing? Here’s What You Need – A red light flashlight or headlamp. This is super important if you’re going to stargaze because it allows your eyes to stay adjusted to the dark. I’d also recommend a camp chair. Want to get super fancy about it? I have this rocking camp chair that I’m absolutely obsessed with – and my kids love it too because they both love being rocked.
Do You Want to Track Your National Park Adventures? – I actually authored this National Park Journal and I’m really proud of it! This is the perfect guided journal with fun facts and simple tips to help you make the most of your trip and, most importantly, curate your memories in each park! I’d be honored to be part of your national park adventures in this way! More on that in the next section…
Do You Like to Document Your National Park Adventures?
In 2024, I published this hardcover national park journal: Journey to the 63 U.S. National Park. This journal has fun facts, a tip for the most scenic spot for a photo, places to write about your time, and adventures in the national parks. There’s a spot to draw, sketch, put stickers or stamp. Amazon has my book for 30% off the cover price pretty regularly if you need a place to store those memories. I know that my family has a lot of fun filling this out to be like a little scrapbook and I can’t wait to continue to do so. I would be absolutely honored to be a part of you and/or your family’s memory-keeping.
I hope this post has helped you feel more confident about taking on a trip to one of the beautiful US National Parks. I have found so much wonder and beauty in our national parks. I fall deeper in love with the planet each time I step into one of these parks and a deeper connection to the great beyond. I hope that you’re able to foster a love for the earth around us through your own visits to the U.S. National Parks!
Did You Enjoy This Post? PIN IT So Others Can Too!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a reservation with Booking.com, a travel insurance policy with World Nomads or a purchase with Amazon through For the Love of Wanderlust, you will help me stay on the road + keep my site running at no additional cost for you.
Be sure to read the terms + conditions of these sites when booking or purchasing!
No Comments