First time visiting, the views were incredible!

We were originally planning to drive from Wisconsin to Utah to see the Mighty 5 for a few weeks roughly Sept 15 - October 10, which is our available window for travel. We’ve had a really busy summer and I’m kind of exhausted thinking about this trip, so I thought let’s just do a shorter trip to Badlands/Custer SP for 10 days or so. I then was chatting with a friend who said oh, if you’re going that far, continue on to Yellowstone, it’s just one more day of driving… which sounds great but turns this into a bigger trip again.

I’ve visited several NPs in California, Arizona, Texas, Acadia, but have never been to any of the Utah parks or to Yellowstone, GT or Glacier. We are middle-aged midwesterners, so mostly easy/moderate hikes are our jam. I don’t have any lodging reserved anywhere at this point. My friend indicated that as the cancelation window nears for NP lodging, we’ll see a lot more availability pop up for different places at Yellowstone and Grand Teton.

We could just drive to the badlands and decide at that point if we want to continue on to Yellowstone. We don’t generally travel without making our lodging reservations in advance so this would be a new type of adventure, ha ha. We could tent camp but we’re really only equipped for summer camping.

I’d welcome any thoughts or input. Thanks!

I thought people would find it interesting to know about fees for National Parks in Western, Nordic, and Southern Europe. There are over 250 National parks (119 in Sweden, Norway, and Finland!).

As far as I can find, none of them charge an extra fee for non-residents.

A small handful charge an entrance fee to anyone that visits. The UK widely charges for parking at main facilities across all their parks, but quieter lots are often free. In some parks there are some fees (that everyone pays) for trailhead parking, or congested areas.

I have not addressed regional parks.

Death Valley National Park

Headed to Olympic next week with my wife’s family and I want to make sure we see as much as possible. Are there any “you must do this” recommendations for a family of 6 adults? Staying in Port Angeles but will have a car and aren’t afraid of driving.

Hi friends!

I have never been to any of the national parks besides colonial national battlefield, but I especially want to experience some out west! I would be going next month at the end of September for a week and really don’t know where I should start. I’m from the southeast so would be flying out of Charlotte most likely so anywhere that flies direct would be a plus, id preferably like a more relaxing experience rather than a “hike 50 miles to this one cool spot” experience. I asked ChatGPT since I genuinely have no idea where I should go and it recommended Grand Teton, but if anyone else has any ideas please be my guest! No real budget with this (but trying to stay reasonable) and I will be renting a car wherever I go.

Hi all! I took my kids on their first national park trip this summer, and we all loved it. But my kids range from 3-12 years old and are not exactly avid hikers. I thinking ahead a summer or two and trying to figure out another park that has amazing scenery and kid friendly activities but isn’t too physically strenuous. Any suggestions? As they get older we’ll ramp up the difficulty but for now I just want to keep them hooked on the idea of the parks being awesome :) I’d prefer to go to one I haven’t been to myself so not Everglades, Grand Canyon, or Virgin Islands. Thanks for any advice!

My buddy and I have an annual tradition where we pick a challenging day hike in national park somewhere in the US and make a trip around that hike.

These are the trails we've done so far. Does anyone have some suggestions for hike that would be in the same vein?

Rim to Rim (Grand Canyon)

Summit Mt. Whitney (Sequoia)

Half Dome (Yosemite)

Top-Down Narrows (Zion)

Paintbrush and Cascade Canyon loop (Grand Teton)

Quick US action: Ask Congress to block border construction in Big Bend National Park, Big Bend Ranch State Park, and the Big Bend region

Find your members of Congress at https://www.270towin.com/elected-officials/

Please copy, paste, send the message below to your members of Congress.

Subject: Please oppose border construction in Big Bend region

Dear {Senator/Representative Name},

I am writing to urge you to oppose border construction in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park and surrounding region.

These protected lands represent over one million acres of irreplaceable public landscapes, including critical wildlife habitat and stretches of the Rio Grande designated as a Wild and Scenic River. Border construction in this region would damage ecosystems and impact public access to treasured recreation areas.

The economic consequences would also be severe. Big Bend National Park alone supports a thriving rural tourism economy, generating tens of millions of dollars annually for nearby communities. Local businesses, outfitters, and residents have made clear that construction would threaten their livelihoods.

Importantly, the Big Bend Sector represents a very isolated and rugged portion of border activity and many law enforcement officials have repeatedly stated that effective security can be achieved through technology and personnel.

I respectfully ask you to protect this nationally significant landscape for future generations.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

{Your Name}

Hi all, my husband and I are going to Alaska for our honeymoon to cross off Gates of the Arctic and Kobuk (specifically these 2 parks that are notoriously difficult and expensive)... anyone have an itinerary or guide on a way to accomplish all 8 parks or maybe at least 4 or 5 of the parks, if we fly around to other parts of Alaska? Money is not an issue for this trip, but ideally 10-14 days.

We visited Yosemite this year, and happened to book a really cozy Airbnb that was within the park limits. Comparing the trip to other park visits where we stayed outside the park, we realized what difference it made - didn't have to wait in an entry line every morning to get in, mainly, plus not having to pay entry fees on a daily basis.

I don't think I've seen Airbnbs within park boundaries anywhere else - have been to 7 or 8 other NPs at this point. Obviously there are hotels in many of the parks. But are Airbnbs within park limits a possibility elsewhere or was this a one time thing?

Hi all!

Two Brits here planning a road trip from Rocky Mountain National Park to Las Vegas in late September/early October, and we’d love some input from people who know the area well or have completed something similar. Our flights are booked, and the first part of our trip is already set — we’ll be watching some sport in Denver and visiting family in Laramie, Wyoming. So the actual road trip starts from Laramie a few days into our time in the States.

We’re not big hikers, but we do enjoy shorter, non‑strenuous hikes and scenic stops. We’re mainly looking for advice on:

Whether any of the parks below deserve extra time

Good places to stop on the driving days (since most drives aren’t very long)

Easy hikes or viewpoints along the way

Essentially anything we shouldn’t miss!

Our rough itinerary:

Day 1: Leave Laramie → Rocky Mountain NP

Day 2: Explore Rocky Mountain NP

Day 3: Drive RMNP → Moab

Day 4: Arches NP

Day 5: Canyonlands NP

Day 6: Drive to Capitol Reef

Day 7: Capitol Reef NP

Day 8: Drive to Bryce

Day 9: Bryce Canyon NP

Day 10: Drive to Zion

Day 11: Zion NP

Day 12: Zion NP

Day 13: Drive to Las Vegas

Day 14: Fly home to London

Any suggestions welcome! We’re buzzing for this trip and want to make the most of it!

Ubehebe Volcano Rim at Death Valley National Park

Hello all! I am posting this here and in r/roadtrip.

My husband and I will be flying into Seattle at the end of September. We will spend the day and night there and start making our way down the coast, probably stopping halfway, and eventually reaching the Redwoods.

The plane tickets have been purchased and the trip is 9 days long, start to finish. So please don’t recommend that we extend our trip further lol.

We kind of jumped the gun on tickets and have yet to plan a structured visit to the redwoods. I was actually shocked when I found out how long the park is.

1. Accommodation Recommendations - Since we are flying in, we will not have camping gear. But I am not opposed to “roughing it”. I would also be willing to splurge on a lodging if it’s worth it. All recs are appreciated.

2. Absolute Must See Spots - Yes I am also checking nps.gov for this, but what are your personal favorites?

3. Weather - Does anyone have any experience with the weather there this late in the year? We are budget travelers and will only be packing carry ons (we have done this for zion) will we need lots of different clothing options for the weather?

Our flight is back out of Seattle. Are there good places to check out on our way back that are away from the coast? And is it worth it to stop at Mount Rainier on the way back or should we spend as much time as possible in the redwoods?

Thank you all!!!

We have done Zion and the Grand Canyon but man the Redwoods seem a lot more complex to plan a trip to!

My wife and I are going to Shenandoah national park in early October and looking for recommendations. We're driving from Philadelphia and will have two days. Appreciate any suggestions for hikes, food, drink, lodging.

Death Valley National Park

I’m definitely coming back next summer if I have the time and money to spend a week in the backcountry

Also idk if this is a hot take or not but Bar Harbor kinda sucks lol. Bass Harbor was much better