Travel tips for visiting national parks

Great Smoky Mountains is America's most visited national park.

With the improvements and increased news coverage of national parks given its hundredth anniversary in 2016, visitation of these natural jewels has continued to rise.

If you should be among those traveling to one this year, remember that services and amenities at national parks can vary greatly depending on the number of visitors and the part of the park you’re in. For example, you almost always can expect to find a visitor center and campgrounds with bathrooms, but that doesn’t always mean there will be a restaurant or a vending machine with snacks and water, however.

If hoping to stay in a park lodge or at a campground, quickly make reservations; the same goes for hotels, motels and campgrounds near the park. A safe bet to ensure that a reservation can be made is make them at least six months ahead and even up to a year in advance at the most popular parks.

National parks are always open, but some times of the day are busier than others. Usually, park visitors make their way from the nearest hotels mid-morning to the front gates and then set off again before sunset to their lodging. In addition, visitor centers at some parks will close for holidays, usually Christmas.

Most parks have at least some trails available for those with disabilities to traverse. Be aware, however, that these trails may not head to a park’s top sights.

Learn more about national park day hiking trails in my Best Sights to See at America’s National Parks guidebook.