How should travellers approach US national parks?
US national parks can be extraordinary, but they reward early planning and route discipline. Lodging, permits, timed entry, weather and crowds shape the experience as much as the scenery.
Answer
The mistake is imagining national parks as empty space you can simply drive into. The best-known parks are often small towns of logistics: scarce beds, booked campsites, trail permits, shuttle systems, full car parks, long entrance lines and weather that does not care about your itinerary. That does not make them less worth visiting. It means they should be treated as the backbone of the route, not an afterthought between cities. Sleep close where possible, check official park information before locking plans, and choose fewer parks than your enthusiasm wants. A well-paced two-park trip often beats a rushed list of five names.