Avoiding Crowds: Insider Tips from College Sweethearts Who’ve Visited Every US National Park

Matt and Karen Smith are college sweethearts who embarked on a journey to visit every US national park in 2010. The couple loves hiking and wildlife but prefers to avoid crowds. They have shared their best tips for avoiding crowded national parks.

Last year, over 325 million people visited at least one of the national parks in the US. With such high numbers comes crowds, but according to Matt and Karen Smith, there are ways to avoid the throngs of tourists. The Smiths, both 63 years old, met at college in Kansas. After raising their three children and becoming empty-nesters in 2010, they decided to use their savings to visit all 63 national parks in the US. Their adventures took them to remote locations like American Samoa and north of the Arctic circle. They documented their experiences in emails to their friends, Bob and Sue, which eventually turned into their first book “Dear Bob and Sue.” Today, they share national parks content on Instagram and their podcast.

Summer is approaching, and for many Americans, that means it’s time to get out and explore a US national park. Matt and Karen Smith offer some tips on how to avoid crowds at national parks:

1. Visit during off-peak seasons: National park peak season usually lasts from May through September when weather is milder