How to plan a national park trip
A national park trip is won or lost four months before you leave. The lodges and campsites inside the parks open that far ahead and sell out, and more parks every year want a timed-entry permit. Everything after that is boots, layers and an early start.
The countdown
120 days before
- Book lodges or campsites (they open months ahead)
60 days before
- Check timed-entry permits or safari bookings
8 weeks before
- Book the rental car or minivan
6 weeks before
- Confirm who's coming and agree the budget
- Book the travel there and back
5 weeks before
- Book where you're staying
4 weeks before
- Collect deposits or agree who pays for what
3 weeks before
- Check everyone's ID and documents
2 weeks before
- Plan the days and share the itinerary
- Buy the park pass
7 days before
- Share the packing list and who brings what
3 days before
- Reconfirm travel and stay bookings
1 day before
- Send the meeting point, time and emergency contact
- Pack, charge phones and download offline maps
2 days after
- Settle up who owes what
3 days after
- Share the photos
Add your dates, destination and who's coming and get this checklist with real due dates, a day-by-day itinerary and a link everyone replies on.
Plan mine freeHow the budget splits
Shown for 5 people over 5 nights on $4,200. The percentages hold at any size.
| Category | Share | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stay | 35% | $1,470 |
| Fuel & rental car | 30% | $1,260 |
| Food | 20% | $840 |
| Park passes & activities | 10% | $420 |
| Buffer | 5% | $210 |
A sample itinerary
The first 3 days of a 5-night trip to Yellowstone National Park. Every time is a starting point.
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Each person packs
- Hiking boots
- Layers and a rain shell
- Refillable water bottle
- Sunscreen and a hat
- Daypack
- ID
- Phone charger
One of you brings
- First-aid kit and everyone's medicines
- Cooler and snacks
- Paper map
- Bear spray where needed
- Headlamps
- Car chargers
Tips from the plan
- Book lodging four months ahead
- In-park lodges and campsites open months out and go quickly. Book the stay first and fit the rest of the trip around the nights you get.
- Check for timed-entry permits
- Two months out, look up whether the park needs a reservation to enter or a booking for a safari or a popular trail. Arriving without one can mean not getting in.
- Start early every day
- Seven in the morning beats the crowds and the heat, and it's when the animals are out. Plan the hike for the morning and the scenic drive for the afternoon.
Questions
How far in advance should I plan a national park trip?
Four months. Book lodges or campsites then, check entry permits at two months, book the rental car at eight weeks, confirm who is coming at six weeks and buy the park pass two weeks before.
What should I pack for a national park trip?
Hiking boots, layers and a rain shell, a refillable water bottle, sunscreen and a hat, a daypack, ID and a charger. For the group: a first-aid kit, a cooler and snacks, a paper map, headlamps, car chargers, and bear spray where the park calls for it.
How should we budget a national park trip?
Stay is about 35% and fuel and the rental car 30%. Food is around 20%, park passes and activities 10%, and the rest is a buffer.