National Parks - 5 Ways to Get More Enjoyment Out of Your Next Trip By J Green At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

Going to this nation's wonderful national parks can be a lot of fun. However, a lot of planning can be required even for short trips.

In this article you'll get 5 tips on how to have a smooth trip the next time you go to a national park.

1. Plan adequately - Trying to just toss some equipment in your backpack or car and go at the last minute is a recipe for a trip that has to be cut short. Even when going on a two day trip, it helps to plan out all of your gear an menus. You should also look to find what permits, if any you will need. Fortunately, this can be accomplished in a few hours by using the internet and contacting the national park service ranger station at the park you intend to go to.

2. Consider other forms of transportation - If trying to get to a distant park, you might find good local buses or even trains. Two examples are in Central California, there is a public bus that goes down the coast and can take you to several great parks. There is also Amtrak, which can be a lot of fun to travel on with a backpack. It is very comfortable and goes near many great outdoor destinations.

3. Keep track of all contact information for the people who are going - It is frustrating when you have planned an outdoor adventure, but due to poor logistics, you are being stalled at some boondocks gas station, because of miscommunications with other people in the group who are arriving by different means. By thoroughly planning out details and being able to contact people as you go, you should avoid these problems.

4. Don't overpack - The boy scout motto is 'be prepared'. This is good advice for most things, except it is possible to be over-prepared, especially when you have to carry those preparations in a backpack! If you have 3 pairs of pants for every contingency, a dutch oven to 'prepare' lasagna, and other such frivolous items, the quality of your outdoors adventure will drastically decrease. Instead, I suggest bringing only the bare essentials (enough to make absolutely sure you can survive), but not much more...then buy what you need as you go.

5. Research different areas to find the trip which is best for you. You don't have to choose the first trip that is suggested. There are literally hundreds of national parks to choose from such as Yellowstone national park, Glacier national park, Yosemite national park, Zion national park, Rocky Mountain national park, Arches national park, Sequoia national park, Grand Canyon national park and Denali national park. You might find it fun to experiment with something new. You can visit http://www.nationalparkfun.com to find a list of national parks in your area.

So follow these tips and you'll definitely avoid some of the mistakes I've made when backpacking, such as bringing way, way, way too much stuff. The less things you bring, the better (as long as you don't put yourself in danger). If you find you need extra provisions along the way, you can always buy them at a mini-mart or supermarket near the park.

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