Whether its your first time at a National Park or your hundredth, making the best of your visit is top-tier important. There are some things that I do every time I visit a new park, so I’d like to share with you my tips for visiting National Parks to make the most of your trip!
Check Out the Visitor Center
The visitor center has a ton of really great information to provide insight into why each national park is unique and what we’re preserving. Stopping here first gives you a lens through which to view the park. It also ensures it will be open for you to grab some souvenirs, should you find yourself immersed in exploring the park past hours.
NPS videos are also severely underrated. If you have the time, I highly recommend checking it out if they have one at the park you’re visiting. Sometimes they feel a little dated, but I always learn something new!
Take a Drive
This is the first or second thing (based on when you check out the visitor center) I think everyone should do when they visit a National Park, especially for the first time. This really forces you to slow down and gauge how you’re feeling, which helps you decide what you want to explore in the moment. It’s easy to look online and find something that looks pretty, but you’ll only ever get a feel for all your options when you’re there in person. Take advantage! This is probably one of my favorite tips for visiting National Parks.
Take the Popular Hike
Doing the “popular thing” always gets a lot of flack. I’m here to tell you that when that “thing” is a National Park trail, it’s usually popular for a very good reason. With stunning views and well-maintained trails, if you find a popular hike you want to do, I recommend at least one!
Take a Less Popular Hike
And once you’re done with your popular hike, I also recommend you take a less popular one. They tend to be less crowded on the trails and let’s face it – you’re at a National Park and it’s going to be pretty, regardless. These hikes might surprise you and become your favorite, but you’ll never know if you don’t do the hike.
Have a Trail Snack
There’s something special about eating outside, so when you’re out in nature and enjoying our National Parks, I highly recommend having a little snack. It doesn’t have to be complicated – you can just eat the string cheese you packed while standing on the side of the trail. If you want to get fancy, however, you can pack a picnic and plan to set aside some extra time.
One of my favorite memories from my trip to Arches National Park was when my friend, Chelsea, and I found the perfect groove of rocks to sit and recline in. With our feet up, we enjoyed a sandwich, some chips, and string cheese while we watched the rock climbers climb the formations.
Take Pictures
Another one of my favorite tips for visiting National Parks is to take pictures! I love photographing all things big and small – people, animals, plants, the park, the sky…nothing is off limits. Not all people feel that way and that’s absolutely okay, but there are still three pictures I think everyone should take when they visit a National Park.
- Take a picture with the park sign
- Take at least one picture of the scenery
- Take a selfie with the park in the background
These pictures don’t even have to be good pictures. Just have fun and take them! That way, you’ll always have a memento to remember your trip by.
As a side note, I also recommend that if you’re driving or hiking or whatever the case may be, if you see something you want a picture of, just stop (safely, of course) and take it! The lighting doesn’t promise to be the exact same way at any other point during your trip, so if you feel inspired, take the picture! You might not be able to later!
Stop for Wildlife
National Parks are great for many things, and one of those things is having a place where it’s expected that if you see wildlife, you stop! If you see a car stopped on the road, are in a line of stopped cars, or see a group of people congregated, its usually because there is wildlife present and everyone wants to see. It can be irritating when you’re just trying to get somewhere, but slow down, take in the sites, and live in the moment.
Please also be cognizant and courteous to the wildlife. If they notice you, you’re too close! And never, ever try to pet the fluffy cows.
Get a Souvenir
I expect most people reading this have been to at least one National Park. For anyone who hasn’t, I recommend thinking about what National Park souvenir you want to collect before you start collecting parks. Even if you don’t think you’ll want to keep track of the parks you’ve visited, just pick the souvenir and buy it anyway. It’s addicting! Personally, I like to get a postcard, a sticker, a magnet, and a hiking stick medallion at every National Park site I go to. I think now I’m finally caught up, but it took awhile to back track and get the ones I missed from places I visited when I was young.
If souvenirs aren’t particularly your thing, and for some they aren’t, I recommend at least starting a Parks Passport. When I was younger, I didn’t really know what they were and I didn’t give it much thought. For anyone wondering – its literally a little book with all of the parks in it and you can stamp it each time you go to a National Park! Even though its never too late to start, once I decided having one would be cool, I lament at the thought of the missing stamps. Maybe one day I’ll get one, but for now, I always just get my stamp on a little piece of scrap paper and paste it into my junk journal. Along with pictures, that’s a great free souvenir.
Make sure you are respecting all collection laws/rules from National Parks. A “found” souvenir is a fun idea, but is often very illegal and can damage the ecosystem of the park.
Do you have any tips for visiting National Parks that you’d like to include? Let me know down below so we can all make sure we’re having the time of our life!
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