Do you want to make the most of your visit to the national parks this year?
Are national parks on your to-do list when it comes to American vacations this year? Then you definitely need to be prepared ahead of time! And by this, we don’t mean just making sure you have all the amenities you may need if you want to camp or that you have your RV ready or booked for the time you need. We mean that you need to be prepared by having a battle plan when it comes to how you are going to visit these parks and where you may be spending your nights.
And while you can plan everything from home, sometimes the unpredictable happens: you have no service for internet connection, yet you need to check the map and you cannot! That’s where some of these apps can jump to your aid! Not only are they extremely useful when it comes to planning your trip, but they can also help you when it comes to maps, finding a last-minute campsite, or even giving you the latest news around!
Read along and discover the most useful apps to have on your phone for your next national park vacation! Even just having them on your phone can be a lifesaver in certain situations!
When was the last time you went to visit a national park?
#1 Know everything there is to know about national parks: National Park Service
If there is only one app you are going to download from our recommendation list, then we suggest you choose this one. The National Park Service app is the go-to one when it comes to anything related to national park sites across the whole country—this includes the parks themselves, but also historical sites and monuments! However, this is not the only reason why it is such a useful app.
It is easy to use and free, so you do not have to worry about any hidden fees. And once you have it on your phone, you can know every little thing there is to know about the park you are looking for. It has interactive maps for all the parks, shows you where and when you can join guided tours held by rangers, any current events or news about the location of interest, and all the amenities you are going to find on the premises, be it restrooms or places to eat.
And what really elevates this app is the fact that you will be able to stay up to date with all the recent news about your location. They will update the conditions constantly, so if there are weather warnings, road closures, if you need to make a reservation for a location, or if there are long waiting times for entries in the park or certain parts, you will be able to find those there. Believe us, it can be a lifesaver to choose to do something else rather than drive all the way to a spot just to find out it is blocked a few miles ahead of your destination!
#2 Explore with comfort: Just Ahead
Are you one of the people who loves to go on guided tours? Is the idea of getting to know the park better, including its history and any interesting facts, appealing to you? Then just going ahead may be the best option for you.
This app makes use of the location option on your phone (basically accessing your GPS, even if you do not have access to the internet) in order to narrate everything you need to know about that specific marker. And it doesn’t stop at that: it also tells you facts about geology, important historical moments, and even scenic views that you will definitely want to stop by and see for yourself!
The information you will get is not one to discredit, however! All the information you are going to hear will be narrated by the authors who wrote it, who are journalists or writers for Outside Magazine and National Geographic. And the best part yet? You can get all this information from the comfort of your car if the weather is not really on your side that day!
The one limitation it has is the fact that it only includes the most popular national parks in the US (like Joshua Tree, the Rocky Mountains, and Yellowstone) and that you will have to pay for each guide. Yet, for all that information and convenience, you will only have to pay around $15, so we say it is definitely worth it!
#3 Federal sleeping grounds: Recreation.gov
If you want to make sure that you do not end up on any private properties or in any shady campsites that people may have set up around national parks, you can always count on Recreation.gov to be your guide! This app is only going to show you the camping options that are categorized as federal, and you will be able to stay in the specific park or forest that you are currently visiting instead of having to look around for sleeping options.
It is a great app to check even before you end up going on your national park trip, especially since it would be a great help when it comes to planning said trip. You can easily see each campsite that is available near your chosen location on the app, along with their specific rules, availability, and amenities. Some of them may be tent-only, and some may also accommodate RVs and the like, so it’s better to know beforehand.
Another perk of Recreation.gov is the fact that you can conveniently book a place in your chosen location through the app. This is in addition to learning everything you need to know about park permits, as well as applying for them and paying any entry fees that may apply!
#4 Free campsites: The Dyrt
If you do not want to spend a lot when it comes to campsites, then The Dyrt is the app for you! Not only will this one help you find the best option in parks when it comes to discounted and even free campsites, but it also has a pretty big variety from which you can choose. The app has information on over 500,000 campsites all over the United States that you will be able to access, both in public and private spaces!
Not only that, but the app also takes the time to list all the amenities and rules of each campsite, so you will know beforehand if that certain campsite is a good fit for you or not before you end up at the site. It helps to rule out the moments when you end up at a campsite and realize that it doesn’t have the amenities for your RV or rules that you cannot follow.
Another perk that the app has is that instead of letting you book from it, it will instead redirect you to the official website of the campground, which will eliminate any potential mishaps or problems if the app version is not updated.
You can also see the reviews other people have left on the app, along with photos, which will come in handy when you have to make a decision on whether or not the campsite is good for you.
The app is free, but if you want to be able to download maps or search through their database without any internet connection, you will have to sign up for the Dyrt Pro, which will cost you about $36 a year. There’s always a free seven-day trial if you do not want to commit to it or if your national park adventure is short, so there’s always a way around it.
And if you want to know more about the most useful apps you could have for traveling make sure to check them out here!
