3 Tips to Avoid Crowds at National Parks and Save Time

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Maybe it was my fault, but visiting Yellowstone in summer is not something I would ever do again. I knew Yellowstone was popular, one of the most popular National Parks in fact, but I didn’t know it would be THAT PACKED. And I sure as heck didn’t know anything about how to avoid crowds at National Parks.

That certainly would’ve given me a better experience.

But I digress. National Parks are popular for a reason, they’re beautiful, but if you’re not prepared for the masses, it can really leave you frazzled, especially in parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion, and the Grand Canyon.

If you can avoid crowds at National Parks, it’ll immediately make your trip a thousand times better. This post will be short, sweet, and most importantly help you avoid crowds at National Parks!

Shoulder Seasons

Across the boards, National Parks are busiest during the summer months, between June and August. This is partially because of school breaks and partially because the weather is usually the most comfortable.

Yanno, aside from Death Valley and maybe the Everglades.

But visiting during the summer is not only the most expensive, but it is also the busiest. You’ll spend valuable sightseeing time waiting in traffic and looking for parking spots. If you have any flexibility, my biggest tip to avoid crowds at National Parks is to visiting during literally any other time of the year.

Though, winter weather can make the temperatures less enjoyable to hike in, and for many parks certain roads and attractions may be closed for ice/snow. However, shoulder seasons (May and late September/October) are excellent times to visit!

There are usually significantly less visitors and you’ll still find most of the park routes, visitor centers, and restaurants open. There may even be park tours and events still happening during those months.

Spring brings gorgeous wildflowers and some cute baby animals, while autumn colors the parks in stunning fall foliage. Some animals like bison and pronghorn migrate south during the fall, and then make their return in the spring, so you may get some unique wildlife sightings as well.

Arrive Early and Stay Late

As with most national parks, heck most attractions in GENERAL, the earlier you get in, the smaller the crowd will be. Point blank simple.

The large majority of National Parks are open 24 hours a day, which is convenient for not locking in a bunch of campers and also convenient as a tip to avoid crowds at National Parks. Get in as early as possible (for you) and you’ll get hours to yourself before the crowds start to trickle in around 9am-10am. Wildlife is also most active at sunrise!

The only exception might be spots that are famous for photographers, like Mormon Row in Grand Tetons, where the ENTIRE site will be filled with dedicated with folks who have trekked over before sunrise with all of their gear to capture one moment in time.

And then after that moment, they’ll leave haha.

So to avoid crowds at National Parks with specific photographer-focused spot, you can just avoid that area until later in the day when the telescope lenses are gone.

Another tip to avoid crowds at National Parks is to stay in the park late. Most travelers leave the park around dinnertime and/or sunset. If you love to stargaze, there’s no better place than a National Park. There are also some parks, like Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park, that offer unique sights that you can only see once the sun goes down.

Get Off the Main Path

Every park has it’s “must-see” sights, and that’s not a bad thing. They are what made them a National Park after all, and I definitely recommend seeing them at least once! However, if you’ve already been to that park, or don’t care much about what you see, then you should check out some of the lesser-known areas of the park.

These spots give fewer visitors, but still offer a great experience with a LOT more breathing room. If you enjoy hiking, opt for a few of the longer trails and you’ll definitely get out of the fray and see a unique vantage point that the shorter trails can’t offer.

If you’re unsure what these lesser-visited spots are, feel free to ask any of the rangers. They’d be more than happy to point some out for you and your group. However, because these are less busy than other areas of the park, the parking spaces might be limited. You should combine this with the other tips to avoid crowds at National Parks and arrive as early as possible because smaller parking lots usually get full by 9am, and because these may involve longer hikes the parking spots might not open up again until around 4pm.

Conclusion

Anddd there ya have it! My biggest tips to avoid crowds at National Parks! I told ya it would be short and sweet (for once haha). If you have any other tips that have worked for you, let me know in the comments below! What has been the busiest National Park you’ve ever visited?

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