Summer in national parks can mean jammed campsites, packed parking lots, and views obscured by the crowds. However, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the beauty and quiet of the great outdoors.
- Get up early: In the hours around dawn, you'll find solitude, fresh air, and the chance to see wildlife at its most active. At most parks, early risers have the run of the place, so it's an ideal time to visit sights that tend to get crowded during the day.
- This means getting through the entrance gate before 10am. Then after 3pm it is ok to go in as a lot of folks are leaving.
- Stay late. The park get much less crowded after 5 pm
- Time your visit well: Visit midweek and you may be able to avoid the weekend crowds and the worst bumper-to-bumper traffic. Summer is peak season for national parks, and July and August are especially busy, so consider timing your trip for June or early September.
- Get off the beaten path: Many national parks are huge, but visitors tend to concentrate within a few square miles. Get away from the most popular spots, and you'll find nature and wildlife without the lines. In Yosemite, trade the gridlock of the Yosemite Valley for the peaceful Hetch Hetchy Valley. .
