By Julia Olivas.
Visiting US state parks is a great way to enjoy fresh air and sightseeing without going too far away from home. But, of course, you can always plan a vacation to travel and see all the US state parks. Sightseeing national parks as well is an affordable vacation that the entire family can enjoy.
State parks are huge and have tons of space for you and your family, but you’ll need to plan ahead to ensure your trip is fun instead of stressful. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy US state parks.
1. Plan Lodging
When visiting state parks, you might plan a weekend trip or an entire vacation instead of a single day, considering where you and your family will sleep. There are a few options for where to stay when visiting national parks, including”
- National park lodges: You can lodge and camp within national parks. Unfortunately, park lodges fill up quickly, so you’ll need to book your stay well in advance to see all the great attractions a park offers.
- RV camping: If you don’t want to stay in a hotel, you can rent your own RV and park it on campgrounds. Many campgrounds in national parks don’t take reservations, so you’ll have to get there early in the morning to ensure a good spot. When using an RV, check your campground’s guidelines for size limitations to ensure your RV is allowed.
- Camping: Of course, you can also choose to go old school and camp in a tent. If you choose this method, ensure you can get a spot that’s close enough to any outhouses. Some national parks have running water, so you may be able to bathe while you’re there.
2. Visit Off Season
If you want to avoid crowds, consider visiting state parks in the off-season. Summer is the busiest season because kids are out of school, and families typically spend more time together. However, you can visit a state park during the spring and fall; just be careful if you plan camping there; it can get cold, depending on your state.
When visiting a park off-season, you can expect some activities to be unavailable, so it’s important to plan accordingly. You can visit the park’s website if you’re unsure what activities will be available during the spring or fall.
3. Avoid Weekends and Holidays
As you can expect, weekends and holidays are the busiest times for national parks because people are off work and children are out of school. National parks often have free attractions that allow guests to visit the park at no cost, so you’ll want to avoid those times as much as possible if you want to get some private time at a national park.
However, if you’re okay being shoulder-to-shoulder with other people, you can and should take advantage of the fee-free days as they allow you to explore a park at no cost to you. If you are going to spend time at a national park on a weekend or holiday, get there as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
4. Go Hiking
If you don’t mind the extra exercise, consider hiking and camping away from big crowds. Hiking further into the park and staying there will distance yourself and your family from the thousands of other people who might be enjoying the park on any given day. Most national parks allow you to camp wherever you want as long as you have a permit. You can reserve your permit and pick it up ahead of time to save time getting to your camping spot the morning of your trip.
5. Plan Ahead
Plan your national park trip months in advance to ensure your family can make it to the park as early as possible for the best spot. Even if you’re not planning activities that require a permit, you can still expect to have to deal with many people, so it’s best to get there early and allow yourself to avoid the crowds. Planning ahead can also help you determine which park you want to visit and when.
Additionally, many campgrounds get booked up well in advance, so you should always try to get a reservation if you can. In some cases, reservations can only be made two weeks in advance, while other parks allow you to book as far in advance as you like. Planning ahead can help you figure out the booking rules and set a reminder to tell you when to book your space.
6. Bring Bug Spray
No matter which national park you visit, you can expect bugs. If you don’t like bugs, including mosquitoes, it’s best to bring bug spray or pest control to ensure they won’t come near you. Since you’ll be out in the open, especially if you’re camping, it’s always a good idea to have bug spray with you wherever you go to prevent itchy lumps from ruining your vacation.
7. Dress Appropriately
While you may want to look your best in public, state parks are no time for nice clothing or uncomfortable footwear. Instead, dress comfortably and for the weather. Since you’re most likely visiting a park in the summer, wear clothes that can keep you cool if you plan to spend your time in the sun. Additionally, always wear comfortable and supportive hiking shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of walking.
You should also bring extra clothing for layers since the weather can change quickly, especially after the sun goes down. So keep an extra jacket or sweatshirt in your backpack just in case you need it.
Final Thoughts
Planning your state park visits is important because it allows you to be able to enjoy yourself rather than worry about making reservations on time or waiting in a long line. Have a plan ready after you book your trip to ensure everyone you bring has their essential items, including water bottles, comfortable clothing, and sunscreen.
Julia Olivas
Julia Olivas graduated from San Francisco State University with her B.A. in Communication Studies. She specializes in content writing and marketing and loves working with teams to produce quality content for their blog.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her pup Ruby, gardening, camping, and cooking.
I have heard that state parks can be quite crowded. It is definitely a good idea to plan strategically.
Very interesting post. I’ve never been to America. I would really like to visit her. I especially love it when someone writes an interesting post about places I haven’t visited yet.
Bringing bug spray is so important! I wasn’t camping, but I just came back from a cottage on the lake and I had about 7 bug bites!
This I say dream! I want to get a Winnebago and travel to all of the national parks. I would honestly love to take a year and travel the continental US and via all 49 states and check out their various locations and blog it!
I love camping and we do plan months a head. Most of the parks here you have to reserve a spot and can’t just show up.
Thanks for these park tips… Common unknown tips!
The older I get the more I love state parks. I need to visit some in the fall.
Bug spray is a must! And going during the week is so smart to avoid all of the crowds. I’ve been to a few parks this year!
No point in getting stressed if you can prevent it by planning ahead
great tips! each is very helpful. and yes off season is so much better and helps you see so much new!
That’s awesome, it will help others people to enjoy the parks. Thank you for sharing!
Oh yes, my little nephews have always told me about the bugs there in the parks. I will surely carry that with me.
Love your tips about enjoying the US state parks! Yes, since they are located all over USA, it is best to pick a nearby one to enjoy some quick outing and fresh air. Like most tourist places, off-season or shoulder season should be the best time to visit. I would love to camp during the beginning of Winter with lesser bugs and enjoy the experience. đŸ™‚
These are some great tips! We usually plan our trips during off-season to get better of everything out there. I simply love the idea of visiting state parks when they are less crowded.
When we went on a school camping trip back in the day, some students (including myself) brought shorts and skirts to the trip. it was a disater.
I’m lucky to have a few state parks near where I live that I can visit during the week. Definitely there’s no crowds or sometimes I didn’t even get to see other visitors. It’s very important to plan ahead about your lodging and activities to do while visiting the park. Hiking is one of the best things to do. Not just for exercises, but also it’s the way to enjoy the park.
Good tips! But if it’s off-season, would it be very empty? I’d be a bit scared to go camping when there’s nobody around :/
Yes, avoiding holidays and weekends is a good tip! I can’t wait when my sons will be older and we can do hiking regularly without a stroller. Plus enough water and not messy snacks are very important!
These are all great pieces of advice. It’s so important to sort out the accommodation first. There is nothing worse than planning a trip and then realise that all the accommodation is fully booked. Good idea not travelling in high season or during a holiday. I don’t like crowds so I always avoid peak times.
We have visited quite a few national parks in US but mostly stayed in lodges that were reasonably good. But we never got a chance to go camping in a tent or RV, we would love to try it once. We went hiking in lake Tahoe and that was a good experience. Dressing appropriately is absolutely essential also we should be well equipped for camping like carrying bug repellants or sprays. Very useful tips indeed.
This is such an awesome post! The province I live in actually offers free access to parks with a library card for the summer, so I’m going to take advantage of this!
No.2 is really a great idea but is hard to schedule because usually, its off season for a reason. A hectic time for the working group or other things.. But will always choose that when possible!
Last time I went camping there were no outhouses, so smart tip to include that point. Bug spray was essential, and we also had sun lotion that had bud repellant mixed into it because at night they would eat you alive. A good pair of walking shoes will be your best friend in state parks, and I always like to go in the spring when it’s cooler.
When I was a kid we visited some of the US National Parks, and stayed in the in-park lodge cabins, which offered the opportunity to be right in the heart of these beautiful environments. Back then, I was a kid travelling with my parents, so we had to go during school holidays which were really busy but I would like to go back now, and visit in non-peak times to enjoy a more peaceful experience!
These are really useful tips for visiting these US state national parks. The spray protection is specially useful as I only bring it with me when I visit tropical countries. I had never thought before this was necessary in the U.S. parks. Camping seems the most interesting thing to do from my point of view.
Visiting US state parks does take more planning to avoid the crush and crowds and I do visit during the week days to avoid any crowding which really makes the areas visited more real and special without excess visitors on the weekends. Great tips and planning ideas that you offered on visiting these state parks.
I would personally prefer renting or owning an RV rather than a hotel. You would not worry about hotel and transportation. Two birds by one stone. I find the tips pretty helpful. You can add some thought regarding food and eating. It might be something to enjoy.