Are you planning a National Park vacation this year? National parks hold some of the most amazing adventures a family can go on. These national treasures are:
- affordable - entrance fees are much lower than most summer entertainment. You can also get a season pass to save even more.
- rich with natural things to discover - from glaciers and caves to hot springs and volcanoes, the national parks have natural wonders you can’t find anywhere else.
- a great way to learn about a variety of ecosystems - each national park is likely to have a variety of ecosystems to explore. If you travel to more than one national park you’ll see even more variety!
- full of adventure for hikers, backpackers, campers, kayakers, and other outdoor enthusiasts looking to get away from the city and relax.
National parks have something for everyone, making them ideal vacation destinations!
But many families struggle with planning a national park vacation. One way to make sure the family enjoys your trip to the local national park (or your road trip visiting more than one) is to make a bucket list!
National Park Bucket List Ideas
Bucket lists are great ways to maximize the time you have on your trip. Here are some of the best national parks to put on your bucket list:
- Acadia National Park (Northeast)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Southeast)
- Yosemite National Park (Pacific)
- Rocky Mountain National Park (Rocky Mountain)
- Grand Canyon National Park (Southwest)
- Voyageurs National Park (Midwest)
- Yellowstone National Park (Rocky Mountain)
- Everglades National Park (Southeast)
- Petrified Forest National Park (Southwest)
- Glacier Bay National Park (Pacific)
- Zion National Park (Rocky Mountain)
- Grand Teton National Park (Rocky Mountain)
- Hawaii Volcanoes National Park (Pacific)
If you aren’t planning a cross country trip, you can stick with the national parks in your region. Our National Park Bucket Journal organizes the parks by region, so you can easily plan your trip (and record your memories!).
Planning Your National Park Trip
Planning is important too. Planning makes it easier to do the activities you find most appealing instead of going on default. Depending on which national parks you plan to visit you’ll want to consider:
- What accommodations the park has available inside and nearby
- Which sites inside the parks you want to visit
- How you will get to those sites (are they at the end of a long hike?)
- What other activities you’d like to do in the area (boating, fishing, etc)
Our national park bucket journal leaves space for recording these things too!
National Parks Memory Ideas
Planning a national parks vacation can be a daunting task. And many families also find it difficult to record those memories in a meaningful way. That’s where the National Park Bucket Journal comes in!
This bucket journal will help you plan your trip as well as record your memories. The bucket journal includes one page for planning (park hours, address, how long it will take to get there, attractions you want to see, etc) and one page for recording memories (space for images, journal prompts, etc). Here’s what one customer had to say:
“I wish I had this a long time ago. I’ve been to 27 national parks and I’ve lost all my photos and memory cards and cameras. It would be really nice to have all of it recorded with my comments written in.”
Are you in? Get your copy of the National Park Bucket Journal here:
How do you preserve your national park memories in a journal?
