National parks offer an affordable way to experience some otherworldly places without leaving the country and, with thousands of trails to hike, rivers to kayak and lakes to swim, they allow you to enjoy a socially distanced vacation experience that is all outdoors.
Since the start of COVID-19, I’ve pivoted my travel away from international flights and indoor museums to the deep waters of Biscayne in Southern Florida, the snowy peaks of the Tetons of Wyoming and the remote precipices of Acadia in Maine. In 2022, I added 14 more national parks to my list during a road trip out West — and all of them on a tight budget. Even as we return to normalcy, the parks offer an appealing, budget-friendly way of seeing the world.
To date, the National Park System maintains 63 official national parks, but the federal agency also oversees national battlefields, national monuments, national reserves and more. The NPS sites number 423.
One of the best parts of traveling to our national parks is how budget-friendly this kind of trip can be (your tax dollars at work, ladies and gentlemen). And in the era of COVID-19, a year of regularly canceled flights, and rising inflation, traveling on a shoestring budget to a national park might be one of the safest and most affordable ways for many of us to get out of their own homes.
Because there are so many National Park Service sites, you might be able to plan a trip without getting on a plane, a definite cost savings for a family and likely less stressful.
Just make sure you’ve signed up for a gas rewards program to save on fuel; gas prices are quickly becoming the most expensive part of a national park road trip.
Before booking, find out if a park has restrictions due to wildfires, flooding, late-season snow or other natural events. The National Park Service site is the best resource for monitoring alerts.
Here are our best tips for exploring the national parks on a budget for your next family road trip.
How to Visit for Free
What’s better than traveling for free? Here’s how to visit all the national parks with no entrance fee:
Visit on Free Days
Each year the NPS offers free entrance days, meaning you can visit any of the national parks without paying an entrance fee. For 2023, the dates include:
- Jan. 16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Day)
- Apr. 22 (first day of National Park Week)
- Aug. 4 (anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act)
- Sept. 23 (National Public Lands Day)
- November 11 (Veterans Day)
You can check all free days on the NPS site each year.
The parks will be crowded on free days, especially during the summer. If you’re going to a popular parks, expect a far less secluded experience at major hiking trails and park overlooks.
Find a Free Park
Many national parks don’t charge admission. Here is the list of free national parks:
- Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
- Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
- Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)
- Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Katmai National Park and Preserve (Alaska)
- Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- National Park of the American Samoa (American Samoa)
- North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Redwood National Park (California)
- Virgin Islands National Park (Virgin Islands)
- Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Wrangell-St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
For years, America’s most visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which is in both North Carolina and Tennessee, has been free to enjoy. However, in 2023, the park is raising camping fees and implementing a paid parking pass system. While you can still drive through the park for free, you’ll need a tag on your motor vehicle if you intend to park anywhere (for more than 15 minutes) and explore the outdoors. The system goes into effect on March 1, 2023, and costs:
- $5 for the day
- $15 for up to seven days
- $40 a year
Of the 10 most visited national parks (2021 is most recent data), however, eight charge entry fees:
- Zion National Park (Utah)
- Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana and Wyoming)
- Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Yosemite National Park (Washington)
- Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Glacier National Park (Montana)
Absent from 2021’s list are Olympic and Joshua Tree, both of which charge an entrance fee and both of which were among the top 10 most visited in previous years. As attendance patterns change, these western parks could mean more adventure with fewer crowds.
Note: Yellowstone closed in summer 2022 at the peak of tourist season due to historic flooding. Impending data in early 2023 analyzing 2022 visitation will likely reflect this unexpected closure.
Get a Free Military Pass
The National Park System awards a free annual Military Pass to all U.S military personnel and their dependents. That includes members of the military community from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard (now part of Homeland Security) and Space Force, plus members of the Reserve and National Guard.
The free Military Pass also applies to U.S. military veterans and Gold Star family members. The surviving immediate family members of service personnel who have been killed in conflict are awarded Gold Star status.
n December 2021, free lifetime access to National Park Service sites for military veterans was cemented into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act.
A free Military Pass to national parks can be obtained in person at any federal recreation site that sells passes or ordered online via the USGS Store. The USGS store also lists the sites where the Military Pass can be obtained. To get the pass, you will need to provide a Common Access Card (CAC) or Military ID or exchange your Gold Star Voucher.
Military Passes aren’t the only free annual passes offered by the NPS, but they are the most common. In the next section, we’ll discuss the benefits of purchasing an annual pass and how to get one for free.
Annual Passes
If you regularly visit amusement parks like Disney World or Cedar Point, it makes sense to buy a pass. National parks operate under the same guidelines. If you’re a regular visitor, you’ll save money by going the annual pass route.
Consider America the Beautiful Passes
An America the Beautiful annual pass gets you into more than 2,000 federal recreation sites, including the 63 national parks, for just $80 a year.
If you intend to visit a handful of parks that charge an entry fee in a given year (or if you plan to return to your favorite park multiple times, perhaps to see how it changes with the seasons), save money by purchasing one of these passes.
In 2022, my family saw 14 national parks plus various national recreation areas, all with a single $80 pass purchase.
Check for Discount Eligibility
The NPS offers several discounted passes:
- Current U.S. military members and their dependents qualify for a free annual pass (see Military Pass section).
- Fourth-graders qualify for an Every Kid Outdoors pass for free entry from September to August of the following year.
- Senior citizens can purchase discounted annual passes for $20 a year or spend $80 for a lifetime pass.
- People with permanent disabilities are eligible for a free Access pass that also includes discounts on some amenities, like 50% off lodging in the park.
Volunteer and Part-Time Work
If you aren’t eligible for one of the free or discounted passes mentioned above, you can roll up your sleeves and do some hard work to earn free entry — and make the world a better place along the way.
To get a one-year pass (valid from the date of issue), you’ll need to log 250 service hours with one or more federal agencies that participate in the Interagency Pass Program. Learn more by visiting the official government volunteer site.
If you’re looking for a part-time, seasonal side gig, the national parks offer positions in their retail shops, dining and accommodation facilities, maintenance services and recreational and educational programs. In your free time, you can explore whichever facility that you are assigned to — for no cost.
Often, employment includes accommodations. There are special considerations for students and people 55 and over. Here are more details about part-time work through the NPS.
Also, Cool Works: Jobs in Great Places lists part-time, seasonal gigs at the National Parks, among other jobs.
Tips for Finding Affordable Lodging
Other than transportation (your flight, rental and especially gas), lodging is likely to be your biggest expense for a national parks trip, since most of the recreation is free. Here are our best tips for lodging during a national parks road trip:
Stay Outside the Park
Whether you have an annual pass or a pass that affords you entry for a week, you can save money by finding lodging outside of the actual borders of the national parks. While the lodges available in some of the parks are breathtaking and waking up inside the park can save you valuable time (especially when wildlife run-ins can lead to serious traffic jams) in the mornings and evenings, they are way too expensive and can be challenging to book due to popularity.
On a long trip, treat yourself to one or two nights in a lodge, but otherwise, enjoy the basic amenities of a hotel or Airbnb outside of the park for serious savings.
On a long trip, treat yourself to one or two nights in a lodge, but otherwise, enjoy the basic amenities of a hotel or Airbnb outside of the park for serious savings.
Camp Inside the Park
There is an exception to every rule. If you are comfortable with public showers (or no showers!) and less-than-five-star sleeping arrangements, I highly recommend camping inside a national park.
Not only is camping significantly more affordable (in popular parks, you can camp for as little as $25 a night), but it’s also an incredible way to become one with the very park you are exploring. To experience the sounds and the stars of the park at night: It’s a truly magical experience for outdoor enthusiasts.
Check out The Penny Hoarder primer on camping on a budget.
Tips for Getting Around
Walking can save you money during your national parks trips — and in more ways than one.
Enter on Two Feet (or Wheels)
Many national parks charge an admission fee per vehicle when you enter on wheels (and this fee typically covers a week of reentry), but you may also have the option to pay a per-person cost when entering on foot. If you’re traveling solo or with a partner, the cost to enter on foot may be cheaper than by car.
All you have to do is park outside the park and walk through the gate. Most park systems have an extensive network of connected trails, meaning you can get to hiking as soon as you enter on foot.
Parks typically charge cheaper entry fees for motorcyclists as well. Bicyclists can expect to pay the same discounted rate as pedestrians.
Take a Hike
Speaking of hiking, this is the single greatest way to keep your budget low during your national parks road trips. Skip the tourist traps that are sometimes nearby national parks, and instead spend your days hiking the thousands of miles of trails that the U.S. has set aside for your enjoyment. You’ll get plenty of exercise, and Mother Nature won’t charge you a dime.
Other outdoor adventures include biking, kayaking and canoeing, but the cost of rentals inside the park can add up. If you own a kayak or bike and have an easy way of transporting it into the park, you will save significant money over paying to rent these vehicles at a marina, lodge or shop.
Utilize Free Shuttles
Some parks offer shuttle systems. While there’s less freedom in exploring by shuttle, you won’t have to worry about fighting for a parking spot, and designated drivers can take in the beauty along the way that they’d otherwise miss out on.
Zion National Park famously shuts down its Zion Canyon Scenic Drive for most of the year, meaning visitors have to use its shuttle system to get to the trailheads. Even better, the town outside Zion (Springdale) has a town shuttle that takes you right to the visitor center, where you can transfer to the park shuttle.
Planning Ahead
A little planning goes a long way when traveling. In addition to making reservations in advance for discounts and coordinating around free entry days, you should also consider these trip-planning tips:
Bundle Up the Parks
You could spend weeks at a single national park and still not see it all. However, if you’re flying, renting a car or driving your own vehicle, research what other national and state parks are nearby. For example, if you live in northern Ohio and are heading down to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, consider two more stops along the way at Cuyahoga Valley and Mammoth Cave (both free, though you’ll pay to tour the caves at the latter!) — and then you’ll knock out three parks in one trip.
Other common combos include Yellowstone and Grand Teton; the Olympics, North Cascades and Mount Rainier; Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands and Arches (called Utah’s Mighty Five); and Mesa Verde, Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon of the Gunnison and Rocky Mountain.
Consider National Monuments, State Parks and More
While national parks are the gold standard of American road tripping, the country has so much more to offer, from national lakeshores and historic sites to recreation areas and parkways. Many of these are free, and even those that carry a cost may be covered by your annual pass.
Rather than travel wide distances to see multiple national parks, consider focusing on one or two national parks and fitting in nearby seashores, memorials and other landmarks in between.
Pack Your Own Meals and Snacks
Dining out can eat into your budget — and your time — on any trip. While every vacation merits a little bit of treat-yourself dining at a fancy restaurant, national park trips lend themselves to fun picnics during longer hikes and cheap meals over a campfire.
Pack a large cooler, and your dining budget quickly drops from $150 for a single dinner for four at a lodge restaurant to $150 for ice, bread, lunchmeat, fruits and veggies, chips and water for a whole week.
And don’t forget to pack trash bags so you don’t leave waste behind.
Do Your Homework First
Increasingly, some parks are turning to timed entry reservations; no “walk-ins” allowed. Before flying out on your trip, make sure you’ll actually be able to enter the park at your destination. As of now, several parks are implementing this system during the busier summer months, including Arches and Rocky Mountain.
While not a timed entry, Zion is now implementing a lottery system for its most famous hike, Angels Landing. Cliff dwelling tours at Mesa Verde, sunrise access at Haleakalā National Park, and Cadillac Mountain access at Acadia also require advanced reservations.
Visit the individual park pages on nps.gov to see if your destination park is requiring a reservation; you will make reservations on recreation.gov. These reservations require (small) nonrefundable fees.
Timothy Moore covers banking and investing for The Penny Hoarder from his home base in Cincinnati. He has worked in editing and graphic design for a marketing agency, a global research firm and a major print publication. He covers a variety of other topics, including travel, insurance, taxes, retirement and budgeting and has worked in the field since 2012.
