If you plan on visiting at least 2 national parks in the next year, consider getting the annual pass ( America the Beautiful Pass) for just $80. Getting back to our campsite at the end of the day meant driving at least 2.5 hours. Even though we’ve already visited the Geyser Basin from the day before, we had to drive the whole 1.5-hour-length again to get to the northern portion of the park. As an example, our campsite in Yellowstone was in the southern part of the park which is about 1.5 hours from the geyser basin. Most national parks cover thousands of acres and a well-planned itinerary helps you save time by lessening unnecessary back and forth driving. There are many lesser-known attractions that you may have missed your research that is well worth the detour. This is not to say not to be spontaneous at all. You can effectively group stops that are close to each other minimizing the driving time. While spontaneity can be fun, planning your visit helps maximize your national park experiences. The other cheaper alternative is by getting a tent campsite preferably inside the park costing $25/night on average. Hotel costs make a huge dent on your budget and in many cases in national parks, they are located outside the park which means longer drive time. There are plenty of RV and campervan companies to rent from which if shared with other people, might still be cheaper than hotels. We believe it is the best way to enjoy the national parks not just for convenience (hauling everything you own in the van) but also for being cost-effective. I will detail how we plan our national park road trips effectively in this article.Īs vanlifers, driving our self-converted campervan is our preferred method in traveling to US national parks. This guide will include US-specific national park tips, however, it generally applies to most destinations in the world. Since then, we have taken multiple road trips to many national parks in the country. My husband and I moved into our 60 sq.ft.

Camping road trip planner