10 Cheapest National Parks To Fly To This Summer

Forbes

2 days ago

Grand Canyon National Park is one of the cheapest parks to fly to this summer.
Few vacations are more iconic—and more affordable—for American families than a trip to a National Park. But even these historically low-cost getaways are getting pricier.
According to Dollar Flight Club, the cost of accommodations near parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite has climbed by as much as 30%, and demand for rental cars can cause prices to skyrocket on peak weekends. Visiting the National Parks can get expensive faster than you might expect.
To help families stretch their travel budgets, researchers at Dollar Flight Club crunched the numbers on more than 300,000 airfare records from U.S. departure cities to airports within a reasonable drive of a National Park to see which routes have the most affordable flights this summer. The data was collected from a mix of airline partners, online travel agencies, and the brand's internal tools.
They found that overall, travelers can save more than $500 by flying into the most affordable gateway airports near National Parks. Choosing to visit one park over another could lead to even bigger savings, making it worth comparing flight prices before locking in your plans.
Here are the 10 cheapest National Parks to fly to this summer, according to Dollar Flight Club.
Low-cost flights to Las Vegas make it easier to see Zion National Park on a budget.
Two of the most popular National Parks—Zion and Grand Canyon—also happen to be the most affordable to fly to, according to the Dollar Flight Club report. Round-trip economy flights can range from $29 to $163 per person when you fly to Las Vegas, putting you just a few hours' drive away from either of these popular parks.
Want to visit the Grand Canyon? Try flying into Phoenix to get a deal on airfare.
You've got options if you're looking for a cheap trip to the Grand Canyon. If you can't score a deal on flights to Las Vegas, try using Phoenix as an alternative gateway to the park. Round-trip flights to Phoenix range from $32 to $177 this summer, based on the Dollar Flight Club analysis. When you land, you'll be just about 3.5 hours away from the Grand Canyon's South Rim and under two hours from Saguaro National Park.
Arches is one of the cheapest National Parks to visit this summer.
Arches and Canyonlands took third on the list of the cheapest National Parks to fly to in this ranking. Round-trip flights to Salt Lake City, roughly four hours away from these two magnificent parks, run between $84 and $250 on average this summer. Bonus: These parks are typically way less crowded than Zion.
Pinnacles National Park is just three hours south of San Francisco, where you can get a deal on airfare.
You've got your choice when it comes to National Parks you can visit on a reasonable drive from San Francisco. Head four hours east to hit Yosemite or drive three hours south to visit Pinnacles. With round-trip airfare averaging between $129 and $397 this summer, SFO is one of the most affordable places to jumpstart a National Park adventure.
You can see Rocky Mountain National Park on a budget thanks to relatively low-cost flights into Denver.
Round-trip economy airfare from major U.S. departure cities to Denver is clocking in at $132 to $299 this summer, making Rocky Mountain National Park the fifth cheapest park to visit. And you won't be in the car for hours on end after you land—the park is just 90 minutes away from Denver, so you can make the most of your limited time off.
Round-trip flights to Seattle are relatively affordable this summer, making it less expensive to visit Mount Rainier National Park.
Mount Rainier National Park dazzles travelers with wildflower meadows and glacier views in the summer. Those views don't have to come at the cost of your entire travel budget, though. Round-trip flights to the gateway city of Seattle (just a two-hour drive from the park) range from $137 to $400 this summer.
Yosemite National Park took both the 4th and 7th spots on the list of the cheapest National Parks to fly to this summer.
If you're dreaming of a trip to Yosemite—but dreading the drive from San Francisco—try flying into Fresno. It's just 90 minutes from the park and flights are only slightly more expensive, ranging from $177 to $393 round-trip this summer.
Skip the regional airports and fly into Spokane if you want to get cheap airfare for a trip to Glacier National Park this summer.
Flying into Spokane gives you affordable access to Glacier National Park's west entrance—without the premium price tag of closer regional airports. Round-trip fares this summer range from $188 to $399, according to Dollar Flight Club. From there, it's about a 4.5-hour drive to the park entrance.
Yellowstone's stunning waterfalls can be less expensive to reach by flying into Bozeman.
Want to see Yellowstone's geysers and wildlife on a budget? Try flying into Bozeman. It's about 90 minutes away from the park's north entrance and offers round-trip flights from $202 to $499 this summer—a steal compared to flying into Jackson Hole.
While Jackson Hole is one of the more expensive airports on this list, it's just 15 minutes away from Grand Teton National Park.
Round-trip flights to Jackson Hole range from $400 to $600 this summer—the highest airfare on this list, but still a solid value for a National Park getaway. That's because Jackson Hole puts you closer to incredible parks than most gateway airports: it's just 15 minutes from Grand Teton and about an hour from Yellowstone. So while airfare may cost a bit more, you could end up saving on rental car fees and gas thanks to the shorter drive.