National Park crowds don’t need to scare you away.

Many of us are dealing with a pent-up desire to hit the road, and our national parks are seeing record-breaking numbers of visitors. Arches National Park has been forced to close its gate by 9 am most mornings because there are simply no more spots for vehicles. Yosemite, Glacier, and several others have gone to a reservation or timed-entry system. Travelers are finding it difficult to reserve rental cars, find campsites, or even get a meal. Can you still find relaxing solitude in our parks? Yes, but it’s going to take some planning and flexibility. Here are some tips to get you around the worst of it.

• Discover some secret gems. This might be a good year to skip the most popular parks. You may have dreamed of visiting Zion, Yosemite, Yellowstone, or the Grand Canyon, but will you enjoy it with millions of your closest friends? Why not take a chance on North Cascades, Congaree, Pinnacle, Isle Royale, or Dry Tortugas?
• Pack your patience and be flexible. This is an overused phrase, but so important. You’re on vacation, there’s no need to hit every point on your itinerary or schedule every stop. You may find a lot of unexpected waits this year–at entrance gates, snack bars, wildlife traffic jams–so just take a deep breath and enjoy who you’re with instead of getting bent out of shape. Learn to laugh again. And don’t forget, this time last year we were all stuck at home.
• Pack your food. For some people, the best part of travel is eating out. But in both national parks and the gateway communities, restaurants are shockingly understaffed this year. The concessions companies who run the park hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops typically employ thousands of foreign students. Because most of these students still unable to enter the US, there are staffing shortages throughout the service industry. Instead of waiting for meals at park restaurants, pack a cooler with sandwich fixings and fresh fruit. (Never feed wildlife). Park stores may be closed, so be sure to pack plenty of snacks and drinks. (Honestly, I might even pack toilet paper this year in case restrooms are understaffed and subsequently unstocked.)
• Pack out your garbage. Trust me, a ranger will thank you. The NPS is currently understaffed and underfunded, and simple actions like this can be a huge help.
• Keep gear out of sight. Unfortunately, more people equals more crime. Having your camera gear or laptop stolen from your car would ruin a vacation pretty quickly, especially if thieves smash a window to get to it.
• Don’t become a statistic. If you’re planning to hike, carry the ten essentials. Don’t choose a trail that is beyond your ability, and check current trail conditions at the visitor center before you head out. Parks are seeing record temperatures this month–and record numbers of deaths. Carry twice as much water as you think you need.
• Have a Plan B. And C. Check ahead of time to see if your park has instituted a reservation system–and then check again before you arrive. The situation is very fluid right now, and administrators are scrambling to address the crowding problems. You can help by planning ahead and by giving yourself some alternate ideas as well. If the park is full, is there another place nearby that might make for a fun visit? Normally I advise visitors to “just get to the gate early,” but in reality, that’s what everyone else is already doing. So maybe this year…get there later? You might be able to enjoy the late afternoon and evening hours as all the tourists are heading back out. (Just don’t get caught out after dark unprepared.)
• Hit the trail. Even if the parking lots and the viewpoints are crowded, remember that most national park visitors stay within a half-mile of their car. If you want to escape the throngs of people, walk down the trail a ways. You probably don’t even have to do a full hike. You might find a nice river or lake where you can spend the afternoon in semi-solitude. Check out my article on overlooked family-friendly trails for some ideas.
• Try a tour. For the ultimate sit-back-and-enjoy park trip, schedule a guided tour. As an author researching the parks, I love to do this because you often get insider information you might not learn otherwise. If you do an internet search for “guided tour” + whichever national park you’re hoping to visit, you’ll find a wide variety of companies offering trips. This can be simple bus tours with expert narration, wild adventure trips, or ones that focus on skills like photography or watercolors. The best part? Tour operators often take care of arranging the transportation and food, so you can just sit back and enjoy! (Obviously, I can’t vouch for the quality of all of these tours. You’ll have to do your research.)

So, where are you heading this summer? What are your best travel tips?