Tips for Road Travels
Planning Your National Park Road Trip? Here’s What You’ll Want to Know First
Before you rev up the engine and head into the wild, there are a few key things to think about:
When should we go? How long can we be gone? What do we need to pack (or leave behind)?
Let’s start with timing. National Parks are busiest when kids are out of school, and summer weather can be brutal in some places; think triple-digit temps and crowded trails. Our sweet spot? Late summer into fall. We traveled through August, September, and October and found it peaceful, beautiful, and way less packed. Spring’s great too; waterfalls are roaring, flowers are blooming, animals are having babies. Just remember: mountain parks may still have snow closures early or late in the season, so check conditions in advance.
No matter when you go or how many parks you're hitting, do yourself a favor and grab an America the Beautiful Pass. The lifetime version is just $80 (free if you're military or disabled) and covers entry for a full vehicle — which can run up to $35 per park. Trust us: it pays for itself fast. You can get it online or at any park. Also: get a Park Passport to stamp at every Visitor Center. It’s our favorite kind of treasure hunt.
Traveling With a Pup?
Then prep like a pro. Bring paper copies of their vax records, meds, and check with your vet about region-specific risks like ticks or snakes. A GPS collar or microchip is also a great idea if your pup’s a runner. There are tons of apps to help find dog-friendly stops, restaurants, and trails, (bringfido.com).
Our favorite app overall? GuideAlong (guidealong.com) — it’s like having a personal tour guide riding shotgun. The app uses satellite to follow your route and gives real-time tips about where to stop, what to see, hikes worth doing, and cool facts about the park’s geology and history. No cell service needed.
Speaking of that - bring paper maps. Connectivity is super spotty in the mountains and backcountry, though you’ll usually find WiFi at Visitor Centers, lodges, or hotels. Use those stops to regroup, upload pics, update your plans, or just check in with your people.
Be Ready for Wild Weather Swings
We’ve had mornings that started at 60°F and ended in a sweltering 103°F (looking at you, Badlands). Mountain weather shifts fast too. Check your tire pressure often, changes in altitude and temp can lead to blowouts. We kept a tire gauge that plugged into the dash, but eventually got used to reading the van’s sensors. Keep essentials handy near your seat makes it easier; hoodie, sunglasses, hat, water, snacks … so you’re not digging through cabinets while flying down the highway.
Pro Tips for Road Stops
If you’re in a van or RV (especially with a pup), Loves Truck Stops are game-changers. Download their app and plan fuel stops about every half tank. They’ve got long-handle windshield squeegees (great for bug splats), enclosed dog parks, overnight parking at some locations, and they carry DEF for diesel rigs. The app even gets you fuel discounts. It became our go-to for bathroom breaks, refilling the cooler, draining the ice water, and making quick, no-fuss sandwiches. And yes — our pup started associating these stops with cheese sandwiches and got very excited.
We ordered a cooler that fits perfectly between the captain’s chairs, and that became our pup’s favorite perch. When the ride got bumpy, she’d retreat to the back seat and nap under the pillows. Half a Dramamine helped with motion sickness (check with your vet!).
Do a Test Trip First
Seriously, do a practice run close to home before launching into a full adventure. That’s how we figured out what worked, what didn’t, and where we needed to improve. Case in point: on our trial run, I forgot to lock the cooler’s nozzle and left a half-full Brita jug upright in the fridge. Yep… both leaked everywhere. Live and learn.
We divided up the workload: the driver focuses only on the road (semis, alerts, road changes, GPS dropouts), and I handled the rest; nav, tunes, snacks, reservations, dog care. At stops, he’d head inside while I used the van bathroom and restocked food or walked the dog. At camp: I took dinner duty, he helped set up/break down the bed, and we both packed light to avoid late-night messes.
Staying Organized = Staying Sane
This might sound extra, but it helped:
We had a captain’s chair organizer with tissues, wipes, maps, glasses, dog gear, snacks, and a water bottle. Top drawer had daily-use kitchen stuff, middle drawer had a broom and mini vac, and the bottom drawer held cooking gear (which we barely used because paper plates are clutch). We kept cameras and phones up front to grab quick shots and stamped our maps and journals each day to track where we’d been — otherwise, the days blur together fast.
I kept a travel journal, but honestly, I may switch to an AI transcription recorder next time. Writing on bumpy roads = chicken scratch. But that journal helped later when we were sorting through photos and piecing together what happened where.
Also: we took a photo at nearly every Park entrance sign — it’s a fun way to catalog your trip. And we highlighted our planned route vs. actual route on a paper map — helpful, especially when plans change (which they will).
Road tripping sounds easy—until it’s not. Turns out, mapping your route is more of an art than a science. Google Maps will mislead you and some “can’t-miss” attractions? They’re hours out of the way. You’ll hit stretches of absolute nothingness, cross into time zones that mess with your ETA, and get thrown off course by road closures, surprise storms, or an urgent hunt for a bathroom. Trust me: paper maps still have a place in the glovebox. When you’re deep in the mountains, the internet ghosts you—and so does your GPS. Plan accordingly.
Talk Budget Early
Every mile, every bite, every bonus stop costs money. We planned for 9,000 miles over 60 days, but ended up driving closer to 12,000. Discuss what kind of bonus stops matter most to each person; cities? restaurants? hikes? waterfalls? music? breweries? That’ll help keep expectations aligned.
Lodging is usually the biggest expense. We aimed to camp more but ended up at highway hotels about 1/3 of the time … usually because we rolled in after dark or needed a reset. They’re clean, around $100 a night, offer laundry, breakfast, and safe parking. In hindsight, we wish we had jotted down a few backup lodging options near each park in case plans shifted last-minute. You don’t want to be scrambling for a bed at 70 mph without cell service (been there, done that).