Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of budget travel: your actual budget. Because it’s all fun and games until you get home from your magical time spent frolicking and forest bathing and soaking up that Vitamin D…aaaaaand then you look at your bank account.

Did you know that visiting a U.S. national park can range from very cheap to mind blowingly expensive? I tend to get kinda preachy about how affordable I find national parks, but unfortunately that’s not always the case. There are some parks that are just going to steal your wallet, no matter how you dice it. Curious about which parks are secretly pricey and which ones aren’t? I got you!

You don’t have to have all the things, or “look” like a hiker in order to hit the trail. The national parks are waiting for you as you are.