Hiking US National Parks: Information and Best National Parks to Visit
US National Parks: what to know before visiting
National Parks are federally protected areas designated to preserve nature and scenery. There are 62 national parks across the United States, and over 84 million people visited the parks in 2017. Here is a map of national parks, where bubble size represents attendance. Before even planning a trip to the National Parks, see my article on meta-planning a hiking trip.
Lodging in National Parks
make plans for where you will stay before the trip. Almost every national park has designated campsites, which can reach capacity. Make sure to reserve a campsite. Overnight backcountry permits are usually gotten when you arrive at the park and not typically reserved in advance. National parks have limited indoor lodging options. It’s unlikely you’ll stay at a park lodge as they fill up quickly during high season and can be quite expensive. A better idea is to find lodging, like a hotel, at the nearby town of the national park. There are typically several hotels within a short drive of the park entrance. If you stay outside the park, the commute will be longer and lodging will cost less. Generally, there are more amenities and value by staying outside national park.
National Park Entrance Passes and Fees
make sure to buy an annual pass to the parks if you’re doing any multi-day trip. Most of the major national parks have an entrance fee. The fee is charged either by person (if entering on foot) or by vehicle. The fees generally range from $20 to $30 per vehicle and $10 to $15 per person (if on foot). The fees can add up if you’re spending more than a few days at a park. If you plan to spend three days at Yosemite, you’ll pay $35/day or $105 total just to get through the front gate!
The America the Beautiful pass grants unlimited entry for a year to any national park. The park pass is a standard wallet-sized card, like my old card here, and costs $80. You can buy the pass online or at the entrance of most national parks. The pass is free for military and 4th graders. For seniors over the age of 62, the national park pass doesn’t expire.
Links on National Park passes: Entrance fees by National Park Information on the annual pass
National Park Rangers
Stop at the visitor center and see the rangers before hiking a national park. The visitor center will have a free park map and newspaper. Talk with the park rangers before beginning your hike. National park rangers are trained professionals tasked with preserving the national parks. It takes three to five years of training to become a park ranger, so they know the national parks extensively! It’s well worth your time to spend 5-10 minutes reviewing your hiking plan with a ranger at the start of the day. The rangers can give good feedback on trail difficulty, weather, and views each trail will have. There were times when I told the ranger “here is what I’d like to do in terms of difficulty and length today”, and they would give me a perfect plan for the day! Rangers hike the parks all day, so use their input.
National Park visitor centers are easy to spot and typically just beyond the main entrance for a national park. Visitor centers have water, restrooms, and souvenirs (including some awesome official park gear), although there is rarely food for sale (especially prepared food), so make sure you stock up for the day before the visitor center.
Hiking Etiquette
there are a couple basic principles to consider when hiking national park trails.
- Leave No Trace principles: the saying is “leave nothing but footprints and take nothing photographs.” Don’t leave waste of any kind on the trail and don’t affect the wildlife.
- Stay on the trail: Don’t leave the trail unless absolutely necessary to pass someone. Otherwise, you can damage wildlife, and risk your safety by getting lost. There is also a safety hazard by leaving the trail. It’s really hard to get lost if you stay on the trail, but odds of getting lost increase dramatically once wandering off the trail.
- Right of way: hikers going uphill have the right of way. Bikers should yield to hikers and pack animals. Allow faster hikers to pass. In general, you want to give space to hikers who have more difficult trail and faster speed.
- Interacting with other hikers: smile and say hello when passing other hikers on the trail. This creates a good atmosphere for everyone. You should feel free to make noise to make your presence known and noise wards off large animals, including bears. However, making very loud noise (like playing music from a speaker) drowns out nature and serenity of hiking.
Best National Parks for hiking trips
Looking for the best places to visit to have a long hiking trip? These are the five best parks with amazing views, and diverse terrain.
Zion
Several of the greatest day hikes across the entire National Park system are in Zion. Angel’s Landing has a harrowing final climb that you’ll never forget. Get your feet wet in a slot canyon on The Narrows hike. The best view is done with a more traditional hike to Observation Point. Zion is a smaller park and gets very crowded. The nearby town of Springdale is a great place to stay with good lodging, restaurants, and spectacular views of The Watchman at the edge of the park.
Yosemite
Yosemite Valley is one of the most well-known views in the National Parks with plenty of wildlife and hikes. Hike to the top of the granite peaks and make sure to apply for a permit to hike Half Dome. Yosemite has epic waterfalls in the Spring, great options for camping or backcountry hiking. Yosemite marks the start of the famous John Muir trail.
Glacier
Glacier is one of the ultimate hiking destinations with over 700 miles of hiking trails in the park. Known for the mountain peaks and crystal-clear lakes, Glacier national park has namesake glaciers which hikers can walk across as part of the adventure. Glacier has a short peak season as snow can last through June most years.
Canyondlands
Canyonlands is less discovered and off the beaten path for hiking national parks, where you can hike for days and see few other people. The park has a totally unique geology of canyons carved through the sandstone by the Colorado and Green river. Most trails start on top of a plateau with a view of jagged canyons below, a view unlike anywhere else. There are several sections to the park and long hiking trails, providing plenty of adventure. The nearby town of Moab is a cross between hippie, adventurers, and off-roaders, making it an interesting place to stay with plenty of lodging.
Grand Canyon
With some of the most astounding views in the world, Grand Canyon hikes are stunning. There aren’t many hiking trails in the park, and it’s mostly look outs from the rim. Hence, this national park barely made the list. However, the two main trails – Bright Angel and South Kaibab – are incredibly challenging and rewarding, descending more than 4,000 feet from rim to river floor. It’s well worth completing the challenging trail as you’ll get some amazing views you can’t see from the rim and few tourists go more than halfway on the trails.
Resources: recommended guide for hiking National Parks
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Want more info on hiking the national parks? I highly recommend the guide written by Michael Oswald and Stone Road Press. Each national park has an individual section with a quality color map, notable hiking trails, lodging information, and history. The guide also includes a general section on hiking the national parks and even several suggested trips which were really helpful in planning prior trips.