Whether or not your ultimate trip entails climbing mountains, snorkeling reefs, exploring caves or mountaineering by historical forests, you are able to do it in a nationwide park.
With the current weakening of the U.S. greenback, home journey is changing into a extra reasonably priced different to exploring overseas. The U.S. has no scarcity of beautiful sights, together with 400-plus nationwide parks, preserves, monuments and extra. Nevertheless, with parks feeling the consequences of ever-increasing customer numbers and the Trump administration’s current price range cuts, they could possibly be much more crowded and short-staffed this summer season. It is extra vital than ever to plan forward and test for facility and path closures.
Listed below are our prime ideas for saving cash (and dodging the crowds) in your nationwide park journey this yr, from cashing in your factors and miles to reducing prices on park entry charges.
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Journey throughout shoulder season
A straightforward means to save cash is to plan your journey outdoors peak journey durations. 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, comparable to snow on the Grand Canyon.
Seats.aero is a helpful instrument to seek for airline award availability to numerous airports close to parks from your own 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 gives nonstop flights from varied Los Angeles airports to SEA beginning at 6,500 Alaska Airways Mileage Plan miles and $6 every means on weekdays all through August, September and October.
When you’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 means in economic system in September.
Bilt Rewards is Alaska’s solely present switch associate. Nevertheless, till June 30, you’ll be able to nonetheless switch miles from Hawaiian Airways (an American Categorical Membership Rewards switch associate) 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 superb place to beat the warmth.
This fall, Southwest Airways constantly gives nonstop flights from Chicago’s Halfway Worldwide Airport (MDW) to Louisville Muhammad Ali Worldwide Airport (SDF) for 8,500 Southwest Speedy Rewards factors and $5.60 one-way. Or, you’ll be able to e book a connecting flight for under 2,500 factors every means. 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 may 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 usually 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 in the course of 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’ll be able to 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
When you’ve got tough-to-earn American Airways AAdvantage miles, you’ll be able to 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 as well discover direct flights from Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) to Glacier Park Worldwide Airport (FCA) in Montana for a similar value. Take into account that snow-induced highway closures in Glacier usually begin in mid- to late October; test the web site earlier than you go to see which roads are open.
American now not companions with any bank card currencies, however there are many different methods to earn AAdvantage miles.
See Yellowstone’s geysers with Delta Air Traces miles
Though not direct, Delta Air Traces gives 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 when you maintain the fitting Delta bank card.
Delta will even 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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Ebook 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 e book your nationwide park stick with lodge rewards and bank card factors.
Go glamping on factors
Glamping and cabin stays could be 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 lodge.
A number of main lodge chains have hopped on the outside pattern lately. For instance, you’ll be able to e book AutoCamp and Beneath Canvas glamping properties with Hilton Honors factors and World of Hyatt factors, respectively. Quickly, you may additionally have the ability to redeem Marriott Bonvoy factors at Postcard Cabins and Trailborn nature lodges.
We appeared up costs for Beneath 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. When you e book with money utilizing a Hyatt bank card, you’ll be able to earn bonus factors in any respect 13 Beneath 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 possibly can e book this distinctive stick with solely 37,500 Amex factors.
Keep in mind that simply since you can e book a lodge with factors does not imply 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 illustration, 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 suggest paying with money.
Ebook different factors inns close to nationwide parks
When you want a conventional lodge, there are many factors properties close to nationwide parks. Rooms.aero (the sister web site of Seats.aero) can present you what is obtainable 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 Selection 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 Selection factors per evening
Once more, we suggest calculating the worth you may get per level at your required property and evaluating it to TPG’s valuations earlier than you determine whether or not to e book with factors or money.
When you go the factors route, remember that some lodge chains cost resort or amenity charges on award bookings, and a few provide your fourth or fifth evening free.
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Ebook by bank card journey portals
A few of the extra distant nationwide parks could depart you with few to no factors lodge choices. That is the place bank card portals can turn out to be useful.
When you’ve got entry to a portal comparable to Amex Journey, Capital One Journey, Chase Journey℠ or Citi Journey, search the realm round your vacation spot. Chances are you’ll discover some nice choices to e book with bank card factors or earn further factors on money bookings.
As an illustration, the closest factors lodge to Denali Nationwide Park is in Fairbanks, Alaska, over a two-hour drive away. Nevertheless, the Chase Journey portal lists a number of nonpoints inns 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 inns at a charge of 1 to 1.5 cents apiece with Chase’s new Factors Increase, relying on the precise redemption (see your rewards program settlement for full particulars). Or, I pays the money charge with my card and earn 5 factors per greenback reserving by Chase Journey.
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Ebook your rental automotive with factors
Because of the remoted nature of most nationwide parks, you may seemingly want a car throughout your journey.
Bank card journey portals provide a solution to e book rental automobiles with factors at a flat charge, identical to with inns. You may additionally have the ability to use sure playing cards’ journey credit towards rental automotive bookings. As an illustration, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see charges and costs) gives as much as $300 in credit towards journey purchases annually, and the Capital One Enterprise X Rewards Credit score Card gives an identical credit score for purchases by Capital One Journey.
When you pay with money, take a look at our information to saving cash on rental automobiles. And remember, you’ll be able to usually save on insurance coverage through the use of a card that gives rental automotive protection.
Save on park entry charges
Nationwide park entry charges could also be a comparatively small chunk of your journey price range in comparison with airfare and lodging, however they’ll add up rapidly when you go to a number of parks. Listed below are some methods to avoid wasting.
Get into nationwide parks free of charge
The Nationwide Park Service gives a number of fee-free days annually when you will get into any park free of charge. In 2025, the remaining dates embody Aug. 4 (Nice American Outdoor 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 seek out parking, and contemplate visiting much less well-liked and extra distant parks on lately.
However when you do not need to plan your trip round fee-free days, you continue to have extra choices than you’d assume — 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 may need to pay $5 to park).
Lastly, some guests are eligible free of charge park entry. These embody present army, veterans and Gold Star households. Fourth graders may also register for an “Each Child Outdoor” go, giving them and their households free entry to lots of of parks, lands, and waters for a complete yr.
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Save on an annual go
One other straightforward solution to save on nationwide park visits is by buying an annual go. The America the Lovely Cross prices simply $80 and offers you entry to all federal leisure websites (together with nationwide parks) for a yr. With some parks — comparable to Yosemite and Yellowstone — charging as much as $35 per go to, you may greater than break even when you plan to go to a couple of websites in a yr.
When you 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 automotive with the passholder.
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Backside line
Nationwide parks provide an enormous number of landscapes and actions so to plan your excellent journey — whether or not that is a quiet solo retreat, a bunch journey with pals or something in between.
For extra reasonably priced 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.
