If anything the costs will rise as more parks have to implement timed tickets, etc.

Anonymous wrote:This makes me sad. Not even because I need to go see every national park, but just because it's such a bummer that something that would have been considered a relatively low cost, wholesome, less commercial vacation for a family when I was a kid, is not expensive and must be planned a year in advance. It just sucks for families how hard it is to do low key, less expensive vacations these days.

Also agree that seeing these places with the huge crowds sounds pretty unappealing.

Maybe the key is to focus on state parks and maybe shifting focus from the really Instagram-friendly places with iconic views to places that might not have such amazing vistas but will be more approachable and affordable.

Your privilege is showing.

I think a lot of people think of what national parks were like when they were teens. But there were at least 60 million fewer Americans back then. (And our current population figures probably don't include some of your coworkers and friends and neighbors, because of various difficulties inherent in tracking such numbers.)

In short, you're sharing the parks with A LOT more people than when you were a kid. They're never gonna feel as empty again as they did when you were younger.

Attendance will go down when the dollar is strong and airfare prices go up more. There are a ton of foreign vusitors at the popular park (and also at disney! I swear that off season half the guests at disney are from abroad).

I highly recommend also looking at state parks. For instance, in the SW instead of gojng to NP Carlsbad Caberns, go to Katcher Caverbs state park which is a better preserved cavern system.

Also.if you are in the DMV, think about late August when most kids in this country are back in school already and it’s too hot for the Europeans. We went to Yosemite one year and Yellowstone another and got in park reservations and it was not super crowded. The NP system always has cancelllatoons so it’s worth checking periodically — we scored rooms in El Tovar Su tie at the Grand Canyon three days before our trip. And got a room in old faithful inn through a cancellation a couple weeks before our trip.

Anonymous wrote:This is a consequence of the US getting so much richer than the rest of the world. The way to win is to earn in US$ and spend abroad. Once you have sucked up the air fare the rest is all gravy. Example: only a fool would now ski in the US.

Also a consequence of the rest of the world coming to see these well known national parks as well.

This is a consequence of the US getting so much richer than the rest of the world. The way to win is to earn in US$ and spend abroad. Once you have sucked up the air fare the rest is all gravy. Example: only a fool would now ski in the US.

Note to augment the above : imo Death Valley is much enhanced by staying at Furnace Creek

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So go to the less popular parks - they will be just as beautiful and far less crowded

yeah, have fun in Gates of the Arctic!

Gates of the Arctic is a tough destination, but it looks awesome.

Agreed - but so dang expensive to get to. It's still on my bucket list though. Maybe someday!

Staying in the hotel towns outside tha parks is fine. We had great trips. There are nice lodgings, restaurants. Driving to the park or the shuttle point is not a problem.
Get the $90 yearly park pass in advance you can get one online or at C&O Canal NHP, Great Falls, etc.

Grand Canyon: Tusayan Holiday Inn Express & Suites note: try to eat dinner in the park at least once after sunset we lucked out and got El Tovar twice. Ambiance!

Zion: Springdale Desert Pearl Inn simply wonderful
get river view room looking at the red rock

Bryce: Best Western Plus Bryce Canyon Grand Note: here, try to eat dinner in the park lodge at least once, we
did both nights

Glacier: Kalispell Hilton Garden Inn
look around there are several to choose from in each town

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So go to the less popular parks - they will be just as beautiful and far less crowded

yeah, have fun in Gates of the Arctic!

Gates of the Arctic is a tough destination, but it looks awesome.

Anonymous wrote:So go to the less popular parks - they will be just as beautiful and far less crowded

There's a reason why people go to the crowded parks -- because there's stuff to do, but okay, you go ahead and plan a week at Gateway Arch National Park or Indiana Sand Dunes. Oh, and camp while you're at it.

Anonymous wrote:So go to the less popular parks - they will be just as beautiful and far less crowded

yeah, have fun in Gates of the Arctic!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe identify some state and regional parks not yet discovered by the instagram folks.

I love how everyone blames "instagram" for this issue. I take it you've NEVER searched online for things to do / places to go? Because if you have -- if you've EVER found out about somewhere you'd like to go via the internet, youre just as 'bad' as these 'instagram' folks.

I'm old. I traveled around northern India for 2 months and used 3x24 shot camera films. That was before there was an internet. I guess I was part of the "library book" set.

Now I use the internet to find places to avoid.

Yet you are here on a travel forum. LOL.

That's because I haven't got any homework to do or APs I should be studying for.

So go to the less popular parks - they will be just as beautiful and far less crowded

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe identify some state and regional parks not yet discovered by the instagram folks.

I love how everyone blames "instagram" for this issue. I take it you've NEVER searched online for things to do / places to go? Because if you have -- if you've EVER found out about somewhere you'd like to go via the internet, youre just as 'bad' as these 'instagram' folks.

I'm old. I traveled around northern India for 2 months and used 3x24 shot camera films. That was before there was an internet. I guess I was part of the "library book" set.

Now I use the internet to find places to avoid.

Yet you are here on a travel forum. LOL.