Navigating National Parks
A city lover’s guide to getting outside
by Kiera Dunlevy
As much as I love Boston’s brownstone-lined streets and the bustling sidewalks of Commonwealth Avenue, getting off campus and into the outdoors offers the perfect escape from city life. While cities like ours can make for memorable trips, over 325 million people visited U.S. National Parks last year. I’m no outdoors expert, but since visiting parks like Yosemite, Olympia, and Acadia, I’ve had the opportunity to build up a beginner’s guide to navigating national parks so everyone can take advantage of these special spaces.
If there’s one thing you take away from this article, it should be to do research—and lots of it.
While some parks can easily fit into a jam-packed day trip, others require more planning. For example, last year, while staying in San Diego, my family and I decided one morning to drive our rental car into the desert to explore the rocky trails of Joshua Tree National Park before heading to Palm Springs for dinner. Joshua Tree’s proximity to other major attractions made it easy to quickly scribble into our itinerary.
Visiting larger parks like Glacier or Yellowstone may require a bit more devotion to your guidebooks. Many National Parks are relatively isolated—especially if you’re used to being able to walk anywhere from the grocery store to the movie theater.
On my family’s multi-day trips to national parks, we needed to find accommodations well in advance, especially during peak tourist season. While these logistics may change if you opt to camp, it’s still important to familiarize yourself with the park’s surrounding area before departing. How long does it take to get from your accommodation to the park? How late does the town stay open? Where’s the nearest grocery store?
As you prepare, consider refreshing your map-reading skills. While there are typically plenty of visitor centers sprinkled throughout the parks, many trails lack reliable cell service. Keep this in mind while researching trails. You don’t want to find yourself lost on a hike that ends up being much longer or more strenuous than anticipated.
While determining the difficulty level you can handle in outdoor activities, consider what gear you may need to make your park experience as enjoyable as possible. Take it from me—getting passed by a 5-year-old in hiking boots can be a bit humbling as you shuffle down a mountain in old running sneakers.
Finally, as you book your outdoor adventure, keep in mind that the weather may not play out in your favor. After striking luck last summer with a week-long window of beautiful weather in Acadia, my family experienced the opposite this August as we explored Olympia. Although it can be frustrating to have highly-anticipated views interrupted by clouds, don’t let it ruin your trip! Take advantage of the unexpected beauty a rainy day in a National Park can offer.
So, why should you trade a relaxing beach vacation or an exciting city escape to walk through dirt and trees? That’s exactly how I felt when I was 13 and my family added Yosemite to our California road trip itinerary. However, the few days I spent in Yosemite opened my eyes to the vast possibilities of travel and the satisfying serotonin that the breathtaking views at the end of a tough hike can bring.
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