5 National Park Trip Must Do Items.

1. Plan Your Trip Activities.

You can always add or adjust your itinerary, however a plan will ensure you visit the areas that most interest you and your travelling group.

2. Gain Animal Awareness.

Gain animal awareness for the park you are planning on visiting. Prior to your trip, review and/or research the "Do's and Don't's" related to interactions with wildlife.

3. Get An Annual Pass.

If you are able to plan to visit multiple parks on the same trip get an annual pass. The cost for the pass is $80 for one year, and the entry fees for individual parks are typically $20 to $30 each. Additionally, if you or someone in your travelling group is at least 62 years old, you can get the Senior Pass, which costs $10 and is good for lifetime. Either way, you should realize some cost savings on entry fees using this approach.

4. Bring a Hard Sided Cooler.

Regardless of which park we visit, we always have our own cooler in our vehicle. Even when we fly to a location, our approach has been to buy a cooler locally and use it for the time of our trip.

We typically bring our own lunches and beverages, each day we venture into the parks. This small amount of planning  can save you significant money, when compared to purchasing lunch or sandwiches at inside the park locations.

Most importantly, you can go about your adventures and when you want to eat or need to keep up your hydration, which is very important, you are prepared. The lost cost on the cooler is way less than one lunch inside a National Park.

5. Disconnect.

In most National Parks, you will not have cell phone or internet connectivity anyway. However, this is "THE TIME" to go off the grid and immerse yourself in nature's wonders. Take this time to "Live In The Moment".