Travel
4 Reasons to Camp in National Parks During Winter

Do you enjoy camping in national parks? Maybe you’ve already been to Yellowstone, Yosemite, Denali, Grand Teton, Zion, or the Grand Canyon and can’t wait to go back. However, when winter hits, you might think it’s time to pause your travels. After all, camping in the cold isn’t as comfortable as camping in the summer.
If you’re worried about being cold, just camp in an RV – if you don’t own one, you can rent one and get all the RV accessories you need online. An RV will make your entire camping trip easier and warmer.
It’s understandable if you haven’t thought about visiting national parks in the winter, but it’s actually a great time to camp, and here’s why.
1. Snow makes the world quiet
Most people enjoy the quiet nature of camping far away from the city, but when it snows, that silence is far greater. Not only is it naturally quieter in a national park, but snow has a way of silencing the world by absorbing sound. Snow is extremely porous, so it absorbs sound just like professional studio sound-absorbing equipment.
If you’re going to camp in a national park during winter, you might want to wait for the perfect time to go when it’s snowing. Yosemite is particularly beautiful during the winter when there’s some snowfall on the ground.
2. Winter camping is encouraged
You might be surprised to learn that where camping is allowed in national parks, it’s allowed in every season, including winter. Barring the actual closure of a park, you can camp year-round.
Just remember that the weather will be colder at higher elevations during months that wouldn’t bring rain or snow to the lower elevations. For instance, in many areas, it snows in the mountains in August.
Another point to note is which facilities will be open during your winter camping trip. Many parks close some or all of their facilities, so you’ll want to prepare accordingly. You might want to find out which facilities will be open and plan to camp as close to those facilities as possible. Even if the facilities are scheduled to be open, always have a plan for washing, bathing, and using nature as your restroom.
3. There are fewer campers during the winter
An excellent reason to visit popular national parks in the winter is to avoid crowds. Most people, especially families, aren’t going to camp in the winter because it’s too inconvenient. Most people want to experience the warmth of the sun and clear blue skies. For the average family, rain and snow would be a detriment to their trip.
If you camp in winter, you’ll have an excellent chance of getting your ideal campground location, and you won’t have to compete with other people for the restroom or any of the park’s natural attractions.
If you’re into photography, this means you won’t have to wait much, if at all, for people to get out of your shot. Chances are, in the winter, people won’t be lingering in open spaces for very long.
If you want to avoid the crowds and don’t mind a little bit of chilly weather, try camping in a national park over the winter. It will be a fun, refreshing experience for you and your crew.
4. You’ll see different scenery
How many times have you seen your favorite national park in the summertime? If you’ve been a few times, you know exactly what it looks like, and it’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Have you ever seen the views in winter? It’s going to be a different view and you might like the interesting change of scenery. Mountains and rock formations always look amazing covered in snow, and you can’t beat the view.
Everything in the winter takes on a different quality when the weather starts to get chilly. There’s moisture in the air when it rains, and when it snows, it gets really dry. This changes the landscape in both look and feel. If you’re all about having new and different experiences, you have to try camping in a national park during winter at least once.
Have at least one winter camping adventure
If you’ve never been a winter camper, consider taking at least one trip to your favorite national park this winter. It will be colder than usual, but the experience will be breathtaking.

Obviously, breakups can be devastating. And when you’re that low, it’s hard to imagine even leaving the house, let alone going on vacation! But there are actually a lot of great benefits of going on a solo vacation after a breakup. Obviously, there are a few downsides as well. But for the most part, taking that time for yourself to explore and reflect can be just what the doctor ordered when you find yourself depressed and lonely.
Here are all the things you’ll learn when you travel after a breakup.
YOU’LL LEARN TO LOVE YOUR OWN COMPANY
One of the hardest parts about being recently single is the sudden and dramatic increase of time spent by yourself. When you were in a relationship, it seemed like your entire life revolved around time with your partner. So the transition can be tough and being alone can drive you crazy at times. But forcing yourself to travel in those moments helps you make the transition into being comfortable alone much faster. Because you have no choice! You don’t even have friends around to keep you company.
You’ll be eating alone, sleeping alone, and doing every other activity in-between alone. It’s a trial by fire, but when you make it through you’ll be more confident and comfortable with yourself than you’ve been in a while.
YOU’LL MAKE FRIENDS YOU NEVER WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE
Sure, going on vacation with a partner can be wonderful. But you’re unlikely to connect with any strangers or make any new friends on a couples vacation. Which is fine, of course. But making new friends and interacting with locals can be a very enjoyable and fulfilling part of a good vacation. And when you’re vacationing alone, you almost need to make new friends and make a few connections to make sure you don’t go crazy!
Plus, meeting new people, especially while in a different country, can really open your mind to new experiences and perspectives. And sometimes that’s what a great vacation is all about.
YOU GET TO BE SELFISH
When you’re in a relationship (at least a healthy one), there’s going to be a lot of compromising. You’ll have to go to all kinds of events and watch all kinds of TV or movies that you would never waste your time with but you do anyway because your partner really wants to. But after a breakup, that all goes out the window! And you get to be as selfish as you want and only do the things you want to do. It’s the best part about a breakup.
Now just consider how great that kind of selfishness is on a vacation! Most vacations are chock-full of activities every day. And now you don’t have to cater to anyone else’s needs and wants! It’s all about you, baby. So do exactly what you want to do. Even if it’s nothing at all.
YOU’LL GET YOUR GROOVE BACK
As we alluded to at the beginning of this article, a breakup can cause some serious depression, loneliness, and maybe more importantly, some serious self-doubt. Much of those post-breakup days are spent wondering what you did wrong and if anyone will ever love you again. It’s a terrible place to be and it can be very difficult to break out of.
But going on a solo vacay can help you regain your confidence and relearn how to trust your gut as fast as possible. You’ll be the only one making any decisions, and even if you make a few wrong ones, no one has to know but you. And, for the most part, that’s the best way to regain confidence in yourself: decision making. Trust me, after relying on only yourself for a week or two, you’ll return home more confident than you’ve ever been.
IT’S EXPENSIVE AS HELL
And now it’s time for the negatives of traveling alone after a breakup. I’m sorry! I promise I’m not trying to bring you down, there are just a few important negatives that are worth mentioning. Like that fact that traveling alone is a lot more expensive than traveling with a partner. All of a sudden you’ve gotta pay for 100% of everything? What the heck is that?!
But this isn’t that hard to avoid. Just be smart about your choices. Find some cheap airfare and lodging. And look into visiting places in their off-season so the prices won’t be too jacked up. You can still make it happen, I promise!
A LOT OF THE FUN OF STAYING IN A FANCY HOTEL DISAPPEARS
One of the best parts of traveling with a partner is getting to enjoy all the extravagant luxuries of a fancy hotel together. Wearing the robes, ordering the room service, taking advantage of the free couples massage. Getting to laugh and make jokes to each other while you enjoy the amenities make it all the more fun.
But, unfortunately, it’s just not as fun when you’re by yourself. Frankly, it’s a little depressing. It’s almost like, “What’s the point?” Ya know? But here’s the twist… you ‘ll save a lot of money by not bothering with the fancy hotels! See, I twisted it! It’s actually a positive!

Paris is known as the most romantic city in the world. But Paris is also a very large city, so if you bought the plane tickets then you may still be wondering where you should stay. The Eiffel Tower is not a hotel, so you probably need to do some more research to learn where you should stay in this beautiful city.
We talked to our colleagues and, of course, if you’re a traveler like we are then you should know this beautiful city. This is one city that is quickly crossed off any European traveler’s list. We have visited Paris countless times and so we know the best neighborhoods for you to stay in to make the most of your amazing Paris vacation.
MONTMARTRE
Montmartre is one of the most special neighborhoods Paris has to offer. Tons of tourists flock here daily, but thankfully they have had no effect on the wonderful charm this neighborhood has to offer. Montmartre is hilly and the locals love this place of residence.
You will be charmed by the beautiful streets, shops, and restaurants around here and you can learn about the amazing history Montmartre has in the art world. Staying in Montmartre is a great way to fall in love with beautiful Paris.
SOUTH PIGALLE
Paris has a wild nightlife and South Pigalle is a neighborhood that proves it. You will find tons of trendy bars and it seems like new ones are added each and every day. But there aren’t just bars here, there are also plenty of wonderful restaurants too.
French food is some of the best food on the planet and you can happily pig out at the many delectable dining options that South Pigalle has to offer. If you are tired of eating heavy foods and need something fresh to clean your system then head to the organic market that takes place every Friday at Place Anvers.
BELLEVILLE-MENILMONTANT
Belleville-Menilmontant is home to a bunch of hip new art galleries. Check this place out if you want to see the emerging art scene that Paris has to offer. There are a lot of bars too because artists love to drink, so don’t worry, you can still get a taste of Paris’s thriving nightlife as well.
This is a great neighborhood if you want to experience just how multicultural Paris really is. You can find Brazilian food, Sicilian food, and even Rwandan food in this wonderful neighborhood.
OBERKAMPF
Oberkampf is right next to Menilmontant and is where West-African food reigns supreme. Once you’re done eating some tasty treats, then you can go check out some live music at the many live music venues around here. Then hop into a cocktail bar and drink some delicious cocktails and then get some more late night eats.
This is one more neighborhood in Paris that has tons of bars and clubs, they seem to flood every neighborhood all over Paris, which is a good thing. But partying shouldn’t be your top priority in Paris, eating should.

Some of the most amazing and breathtaking vacation destinations out there are at very high altitudes. That’s why they’re such great vacation spots! Amazing views of nature! Whether the nature is covered in snow or various greenery, the sights and sounds of high-altitude towns and cities are always worth it.
But that high altitude can really cause problems for you if you’re not careful. So you definitely want to be properly prepared so your vacation isn’t ruined just because you’ve never been that high above sea level before. Luckily for you, I’m about to go through everything you need to know to make sure your high-altitude vacation goes off without a hitch.
DO YOUR RESEARCH
Seems easy enough, right? You should do this before every vacation. But specifically, when it comes to high-altitude destinations, you’ll definitely want to look into what other people have experienced while being in that city, enjoying its various sights and hikes, or even just flying into the airport. Let other people’s experience be your guide!
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR BEFORE YOUR TRIP
There are a lot of medications out there that treat altitude sickness, but many of them require a prescription. So be sure to sneak in a quick visit to your doctor before you go. If medication isn’t your thing (and we wouldn’t blame you), there are also plenty of natural remedies that can help. Specifically, things like ginger tea and lavender oil can be very helpful.
DON’T PUSH IT
If you’re anything like me, you always try to make the most of your vacation and end up completely exhausted by the end of it because it was just non-stop activities. But you have to be careful and take it easy when in high altitudes. Especially in the first few days as your body acclimates to the change. So if you’ve got plans of taking a big hike, save it for the backend of your trip.
MAKE SURE YOU’RE IN SHAPE
Well… at least as in shape as you can comfortably get. Don’t get me wrong, even the fittest person in the world can still come down with a bout of altitude sickness. But it also should be easy to believe that the better shape your body is in, the better chance it has to stay healthy during an aggressive altitude change. Not to mention, if you’re taking a vacation in a high-altitude spot, you’re probably about to do a lot of hiking!
STAY HYDRATED
Duh. You should always stay hydrated. Your body constantly needs water, dummy! But high altitudes can definitely lead to dehydration. And, in case you didn’t know, dehydration is bad for your body! And this doesn’t just apply to the days you’re actually on your trip. You should do a little prep work and try and drink more water than usual in the weeks leading up to your vacation as well.
TAKE IT EASY ON THE ALCOHOL
This is a tough one, I know. What’s a great vacation without some alcohol?! But, you have to be really careful with your alcohol intake while in a high-altitude location. Alcohol can contribute to dehydration no matter what altitude you’re in. So it’s probably a good idea to not double down on your chances of getting dehydrated. A few drinks are fine but don’t overdo it.
EAT!
Our bodies tend to burn more calories when in high altitudes. And this can obviously be dangerous as you’ll need that extra energy to continue to enjoy your vacation. So go crazy! Eat more than usual and just load up to make sure you have the proper energy levels. You’re welcome!
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