Whether or not your perfect trip includes climbing mountains, snorkeling reefs, exploring caves or mountaineering via historical forests, you are able to do it in a nationwide park.
With the current weakening of the U.S. greenback, home journey is turning into a extra inexpensive different to exploring overseas. The U.S. has no scarcity of gorgeous sights, together with 400-plus nationwide parks, preserves, monuments and extra. Nevertheless, with parks feeling the results of ever-increasing customer numbers and the Trump administration’s current funds cuts, they could possibly be much more crowded and short-staffed this summer season. It is extra essential than ever to plan forward and examine for facility and path closures.
Listed below are our high ideas for saving cash (and dodging the crowds) in your nationwide park journey this 12 months, from cashing in your factors and miles to reducing prices on park entry charges.
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Journey throughout shoulder season
A simple approach to save cash is to plan your journey exterior peak journey intervals. Spring and fall are thought of shoulder seasons for many nationwide parks, providing cheaper airfares and, in lots of circumstances, thinner crowds and milder temperatures. You may even contemplate visiting nationwide parks in winter, whenever you’ll see surroundings and wildlife most guests do not expertise, reminiscent of snow on the Grand Canyon.
Seats.aero is a useful device to seek for airline award availability to varied airports close to parks from your private home base. You possibly can filter by factors value, and nonstop flights will seem in inexperienced. Listed below are some offers we discovered this fall:
See Olympic and Haleakala nationwide parks with Alaska Airways miles
If you would like to discover the various ecosystems of Washington’s Olympic Nationwide Park, it is roughly a two-hour drive from Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA). Alaska Airways presents nonstop flights from varied Los Angeles airports to SEA beginning at 6,500 Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles and $6 every approach on weekdays all through August, September and October.
For those who’re dreaming of visiting the volcanic slopes of Haleakala on Maui, we discovered nonstop Hawaiian Airways flights from San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO) to Kahului Airport (OGG) for as little as 10,000 miles and $6 every approach in economic system in September.
Bilt Rewards is Alaska’s solely present switch companion. Nevertheless, till June 30, you may nonetheless switch miles from Hawaiian Airways (an American Categorical Membership Rewards switch companion) to Alaska Airways Mileage Plan.
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Discover Mammoth Cave Nationwide Park with Southwest Airways factors
In addition to showcasing the world’s longest identified cave system, Mammoth Cave Nationwide Park in Kentucky is a good place to beat the warmth.
This fall, Southwest Airways persistently presents nonstop flights from Chicago’s Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW) to Louisville Muhammad Ali Worldwide Airport (SDF) for 8,500 Southwest Fast Rewards factors and $5.60 one-way. Or, you may guide a connecting flight for under 2,500 factors every approach. The nationwide park is simply over an hour’s drive south of SDF.
You possibly can switch Bilt Rewards Factors and Chase Final Rewards factors to Southwest at a 1:1 ratio.
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Hike Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park with United Airways miles
Since Denver Worldwide Airport (DEN) is a United Airways hub, you will discover loads of United MileagePlus award flights to the Mile Excessive Metropolis, solely an hour and a half away from Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park. Fall is a spectacular time to go to the Rockies, with the aspens sometimes turning crimson and gold between mid-September and early October. Plus, you is perhaps fortunate sufficient to listen to the male elk’s mating bugle throughout the elk rut.
Nonstop flights from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Worldwide Airport (ATL) to DEN in September begin at 8,700 United MileagePlus miles and $5.60 one-way, whereas Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR) to DEN begins at 13,300 miles.
If you do not have sufficient United miles, you may switch them at a 1:1 ratio from Bilt Rewards and Chase Final Rewards.
Go to Grand Canyon and Glacier nationwide parks with American Airways miles
If in case you have tough-to-earn American Airways AAdvantage miles, you may fly direct from Charlotte Douglas Worldwide Airport (CLT) to Phoenix Sky Harbor Worldwide Airport (PHX) close to the Grand Canyon for under 5,000 AAdvantage miles and $5.60 one-way this September.
You may also discover direct flights from Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) to Glacier Park Worldwide Airport (FCA) in Montana for a similar value. Remember the fact that snow-induced highway closures in Glacier sometimes begin in mid- to late October; examine the web site earlier than you go to see which roads are open.
American not companions with any bank card currencies, however there are many different methods to earn AAdvantage miles.
See Yellowstone’s geysers with Delta Air Strains miles
Though not direct, Delta Air Strains presents common flights to Bozeman Yellowstone Worldwide Airport (BZN) from hubs like ORD, Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) and New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) this fall for 9,100 SkyMiles — or 7,700 miles for those who maintain the precise Delta bank card.
Delta may also launch direct winter service to BZN from New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) on Saturdays beginning this December, if you wish to see the park’s wildlife and geysers within the snow.
There are a number of methods to earn extra Delta SkyMiles, together with transferring Amex factors.
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Guide lodging with factors
After airfare, lodging tends to be the following costliest a part of a nationwide park journey — and one other alternative to avoid wasting with factors. Listed below are some concepts to guide your nationwide park stick with resort rewards and bank card factors.
Go glamping on factors
Glamping and cabin stays generally is a welcome addition to a nationwide park journey, as they allow you to expertise the enjoyment of the outside with the creature comforts of a resort.
A number of main resort chains have hopped on the outside development lately. For instance, you may guide AutoCamp and Underneath Canvas glamping properties with Hilton Honors factors and World of Hyatt factors, respectively. Quickly, you will additionally be capable to redeem Marriott Bonvoy factors at Postcard Cabins and Trailborn nature lodges.
We appeared up costs for Underneath Canvas Moab, close to Arches and Canyonlands nationwide parks, for a weekend in September. A fundamental safari tent will set you again 24,250 World of Hyatt factors or $329 per evening earlier than taxes. For those who guide with money utilizing a Hyatt bank card, you may earn bonus factors in any respect 13 Underneath Canvas areas between June 1 and Sept. 7.
For a similar September weekend, a fundamental Airstream Suite at AutoCamp Zion begins at $380 or 75,000 Hilton Honors factors per evening. Since Amex factors switch to Hilton at a 1:2 ratio, you can guide this distinctive stick with solely 37,500 Amex factors.
Keep in mind that simply since you can guide a resort with factors doesn’t suggest it is best to. When money charges are low and award costs are excessive, reserving with money and incomes factors towards a future keep could make extra sense.
As an example, at Trailborn Grand Canyon, charges begin round $188 (refundable) or 55,000 Marriott Bonvoy factors per evening on weekends in September. That involves solely 0.34 cents per level, lower than half of TPG’s June 2025 valuation for Marriott factors, so we advocate paying with money.
Guide different factors lodges close to nationwide parks
For those who choose a conventional resort, there are many factors properties close to nationwide parks. Rooms.aero (the sister web site of Seats.aero) can present you what is accessible in your vacation spot.
Listed below are some choices I discovered, and their charges for a weekend in mid-September:
- Hampton Inn Oakhurst-Yosemite: $267 or 60,000 Hilton factors per evening
- Vacation Inn Resort the Squire at Grand Canyon: $309 or 47,000 IHG One Rewards factors per evening
- Ridgeline Lodge at Yellowstone: $343 or 20,000 Alternative Privileges factors per evening
- Acadia Park Inn: $335 or 56,000 Finest Western Rewards factors per evening
- Vacation Inn Estes Park, close to Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park: $323 or 55,500 IHG factors per evening
- Fairfield Inn & Suites Strasburg Shenandoah: $210 or 21,750 Marriott factors per evening
- Hyatt Place Moab: $434 or 23,000 Hyatt factors per evening
- Econo Lodge Inn & Suites Kalispell — Glacier Nationwide Park Gateway: $117 or 12,000 Alternative factors per evening
Once more, we advocate calculating the worth you will get per level at your required property and evaluating it to TPG’s valuations earlier than you determine whether or not to guide with factors or money.
For those who go the factors route, do not forget that some resort chains cost resort or amenity charges on award bookings, and a few supply your fourth or fifth evening free.
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Guide via bank card journey portals
A number of the extra distant nationwide parks might depart you with few to no factors resort choices. That is the place bank card portals can turn out to be useful.
If in case you have entry to a portal reminiscent of Amex Journey, Capital One Journey, Chase Journey℠ or Citi Journey, search the world round your vacation spot. It’s possible you’ll discover some nice choices to guide with bank card factors or earn further factors on money bookings.
As an example, the closest factors resort to Denali Nationwide Park is in Fairbanks, Alaska, over a two-hour drive away. Nevertheless, the Chase Journey portal lists a number of nonpoints lodges a lot nearer.
Since I maintain the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked® Card (see charges and costs), I can redeem my Chase Final Rewards factors for these lodges at a charge of 1 to 1.5 cents apiece with Chase’s new Factors Increase, relying on the particular redemption (see your rewards program settlement for full particulars). Or, I will pay the money charge with my card and earn 5 factors per greenback reserving via Chase Journey.
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Guide your rental automobile with factors
Because of the remoted nature of most nationwide parks, you will doubtless want a automobile throughout your journey.
Bank card journey portals supply a option to guide rental automobiles with factors at a flat charge, identical to with lodges. You might also be capable to use sure playing cards’ journey credit towards rental automobile bookings. As an example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) offers as much as $300 in credit towards journey purchases annually, and the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card presents an identical credit score for purchases via Capital One Journey.
For those who pay with money, take a look at our information to saving cash on rental automobiles. And do not forget, you may typically save on insurance coverage through the use of a card that gives rental automobile protection.
Save on park entry charges
Nationwide park entry charges could also be a comparatively small chunk of your journey funds in comparison with airfare and lodging, however they will add up shortly for those who go to a number of parks. Listed below are some methods to avoid wasting.
Get into nationwide parks at no cost
The Nationwide Park Service presents a number of fee-free days annually when you may get into any park at no cost. In 2025, the remaining dates embrace Aug. 4 (Nice American Outside Day), Sept. 27 (Nationwide Public Lands Day) and Nov. 11 (Veterans Day).
The draw back to fee-free days is that they are among the many most crowded instances to go to nationwide parks. Arrive early to search out parking, and contemplate visiting much less well-liked and extra distant parks on as of late.
However for those who do not wish to plan your trip round fee-free days, you continue to have extra choices than you’d suppose — most websites managed by the Nationwide Park Service and associated businesses do not cost a dime. For instance, the nation’s most visited nationwide park, Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park, is free to enter (however you will should pay $5 to park).
Lastly, some guests are eligible at no cost park entry. These embrace present army, veterans and Gold Star households. Fourth graders may also register for an “Each Child Outside” go, giving them and their households free entry to a whole lot of parks, lands, and waters for a whole 12 months.
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Save on an annual go
One other straightforward option to save on nationwide park visits is by buying an annual go. The America the Stunning Move prices simply $80 and offers you entry to all federal leisure websites (together with nationwide parks) for a 12 months. With some parks — reminiscent of Yosemite and Yellowstone — charging as much as $35 per go to, you will greater than break even for those who plan to go to just a few websites in a 12 months.
For those who trip with grandma and grandpa, it can save you much more with a senior go for vacationers aged 62-plus. A one-year senior go prices $20, whereas a lifetime senior go prices solely $80, and each present park entry to anybody within the automobile with the passholder.
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Backside line
Nationwide parks supply an enormous number of landscapes and actions with the intention to plan your good journey — whether or not that is a quiet solo retreat, a bunch journey with associates or something in between.
For extra inexpensive vacation spot concepts, take a look at our roundups of the most affordable home flights by month and international locations the place your {dollars} will go additional.
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