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Note: Due to reductions in funding and personnel, our national parks are experiencing challenges. Visitors may encounter reduced hours at visitor centers, longer lines, and limited access to campsites, bathrooms, and popular attractions. Trail and backcountry safety may also be affected. Supporting our parks helps ensure they remain accessible for future generations. If you plan to support by visiting, remember to check the status of the park using online resources, pack your patience, respect trail rules and closures, and always leave no trace.
Gatorade-colored lakes, Seussian trees, rocky isles, and snow-capped peaks: National parks are home to some of the most awe-inspiring natural wonders and cultural history that the US has to offer. Making the decision to see the parks doesn’t take much convincing, but working out the logistics is what can take your trip from zero to officially-out-of-the-group-chat.
Sure, road-tripping the country to hit all 63 parks sounds like a vibe, but unless you have a few weeks (or months) on your hands and a bunch of money burning a hole in your pocket, chances are you’re hopping on a plane to get close to your chosen national park, then renting a car to get you the rest of the way there. That’s why we’ve rounded up the 10 cheapest national parks that you can fly to right now, based on the average cost of deals that we’ve sent to our members in the past year. Buckle up and read on.
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Methodology
Due to their remote nature, it’s pretty uncommon to find an airport located right next to a national park. So to create our list, we’ve begun by looking at airports within about 300 miles (about a four-hour drive) of each national park, though the shorter the distance the better. Major airports (e.g., ORD, MSP, DEN) were used when possible, as they tend to have more and cheaper deals.
We took several criteria into account when ranking the parks. In addition to the average cost of deals, we also looked at the number of deals that we sent and access to alternate airports. For example, if a national park had the cheapest average flight cost but we sent few deals overall and it was super far from the nearest airport, then it got bumped from the list.
In other words, don’t take this list as gospel, but rather which national parks you might consider visiting if you’re looking to spend less money to get there.
And if you're anticipating spotty service in the park or aren't sure which trail you'll want to hike ahead of time, AllTrails' Offline Parks allows you to download the entire national park before you go. This AllTrails+ feature includes the full park map, offline trail pages for any of the top trails in the park, and key information such as needed permits, fees, accessibility details, and park alerts.
Without further ado, these are the cheapest national parks to fly to in the US.
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10. Grand Canyon National Park
Compared to the other parks on this list, Grand Canyon National Park was without a doubt the most-visited for 2024—and for good reason. It has all the activities that you’d expect—hiking, biking, and pull-off opportunities if you’re sightseeing by car. For the truly intrepid, you could hike along the less-traveled North Rim on the Transept Trail, raft along the Colorado River, or ride on the Grand Canyon Railway to see things from a different perspective.
The Flagstaff airport (FLG) is closest to the park (South Rim entrance), but you’ll likely have an easier time finding a deal into Phoenix (PHX), located about 230 miles from the South Rim. Las Vegas (LAS) is another option if you’re looking for cheap deals, though the drive to the park will be a bit longer. In the past year, we’ve sent 70 deals to PHX, with an average deal cost of $170 roundtrip. The best deal was $78 roundtrip.
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9. Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park wasn’t too far behind the Grand Canyon in terms of visitor numbers for 2024. It’s a true year-round spot, whether you want to snowshoe or cross-country ski in the winter, view wildlife in wildflower-filled meadows in the spring, clip in and go rock-climbing in the summer, or hit the trails for some leaf-peeping when the aspen groves are at their goldest in the fall.
Trail Ridge Road (US Hwy 34) is closed to vehicles for through travel typically from October to May. If you plan to visit between May 23 and October 19, timed entry passes are required.
Located about 80 miles from the nearest major airport—Denver (DEN)—it’s pretty darn accessible. In the past year, we’ve sent 92 deals to DEN, with an average deal cost of $164 roundtrip. The best deal was $53 roundtrip.
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8. Lassen Volcanic National Park
In 2024, California ran the show, with 6 out of 9 of its national parks topping our list of cheapest national parks to fly to. This year, Lassen Volcanic is the lone California park to make the cut. Located in north-central California, it comprises numerous volcanoes, steaming fumaroles, wildflower-filled meadows, and Gatorade-colored lakes. Mount Harkness Loop showcases all the highlights in one trail.
While the Redding airport (RDD) is closest to the park, you may have an easier time finding a deal into Sacramento (SMF), located 180 miles south. In the past year, we’ve sent 20 deals to SMF, with an average deal cost of $161 roundtrip. The best deal was $79 roundtrip.
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7. Congaree National Park
Considering it’s one of the smallest national parks in the US by area, Congaree packs in a lot of superlatives. It’s South Carolina’s only national park, the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the US, and has the highest concentration of champion trees (the largest of their species) of anywhere in North America.
During a two-week window between mid-May and mid-June, lucky lottery winners can watch fireflies light up in perfect synchrony. AllTrails included the Firefly Trail on its 25 Trails to Explore in 2025 list that launched earlier this year.
Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE) is just outside Congaree’s front door, though you’re far likelier to find a good deal into Charleston (CHS), located less than 100 miles southeast of the park. In the past year, we’ve sent 53 deals to CHS, with an average deal cost of $159 roundtrip. The best deal was $49 roundtrip.
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6. Voyageurs National Park
Right up there with Big Bend (spoiler: it’s also on this list), Voyageurs National Park is particularly suited for night-sky enthusiasts, as it’s a certified Dark Sky Park. Beyond the usual meteor showers and standard stargazing opportunities, the northerly location of this Minnesota park earns it an extra point among chasers of the aurora borealis. Here, life revolves around the water, whether you charter a boat to zip around on it, rent a houseboat to sleep on it, or download a trail to walk the coast of it.
The closest airport to Voyageurs is Falls International Airport (INL), but Minneapolis (MSP), about 280 miles south, will be your best bet for deals. In the past year, we’ve sent 40 deals to MSP, with an average deal cost of $147 roundtrip. The best deal was $58 roundtrip.
Want to know the top 5 cheapest national parks to fly to? Read our full guide for more. And if your favorite national park didn’t crack the list, scroll to the bottom of the guide, where we include airport and flight information for every US national park.
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