Independent · Firsthand · Updated daily
Camp smarter in America’s national parks.
Campground verdicts, hike permits, RV and trailer limits, and the 2026 rule changes, from a couple who have hiked all 63 original parks. The 64th is next.
Browse park guidesIs my park open?
The first guides
Six parks, done properly
Every guide follows the same plan: when to go, every campground with our “We Camped Here” verdict, hike permits, rig fit, the gateway towns, and our hot tips. Every rule carries a “last verified” date and a source.
Yellowstone
ID, MT, WY
Open, 2 closures inside the parkGuide in progress
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. Frank
New for 2026
Chiricahua: America’s 64th national park
Chiricahua in southeastern Arizona became America’s newest national park in 2026. We’re heading there next, and our full Bonita Canyon campground verdict and trail notes go up right after the trip.
Read the Chiricahua guide
We Camped Here
Real verdicts on the campgrounds we stayed in: the best loops, what rig really fits, two scores out of 10, and who should skip it.
Is it open right now?
We read every park’s official alerts each morning. 38 parks have at least one closure inside the park today (as of Oct 29, 2026).
Rules change. We log it.
Yosemite and Glacier dropped vehicle reservations for 2026, and Zion changed its tunnel rules. Each guide shows what changed and when we checked.
The National Park News, weekly
Closures, permit windows opening soon, and one real trip tip from us. Free, one email a week.
Signups open with issue #1: Chiricahua, America’s 64th national park.