Top 10 National Parks – Budget Travel in Top 10 National Parks

Top Values for Vacationers

Just more than nine million visitors come here each year, making this America's most popular national park. It's not very often you find the descriptions "most popular" and "free admission" used in the same sentence, but that's exactly what you'll find here. Of course, there are plenty of places to spend your money in nearby Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, but you have the option of enjoying beautiful scenery and outstanding hiking at no charge. Check out a back door to the park that is short on traffic but long on scenic beauty.

Summers can be quite crowded, but if you've never experienced the Grand Canyon, it is a trip you should strongly consider at some point in the year. There is nothing quite like seeing this natural wonder, especially at sunrise or sunset. Unfortunately, getting to the rim locations is not exactly convenient, and like all tourist destinations, there are plenty of places to drop large amounts of money. Check out some money saving ideas for your journey to Arizona's greatest treasure.

Zion might not be quite as familiar as many others, but this spectacular park in southwestern Utah draws more than 2.6 million annual visitors. For the sake of economy, many visitors combine a visit here with a stop at the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas. But you might come away from Zion National Park surprised that it often surpasses its better-known neighbors for travel enjoyment on a budget.

Want to be among the first in America to greet the new day? Ascend Cadillac Mountain in gorgeous Acadia National Park and you will see the dawn before anyone else in the U.S. Acadia offers its 2.1 million annual visitors pristine forests and rugged, rocky coastline. At one location called Thunder Hole, you can feel the power of the pounding tides. The nearby town of Bar Harbor can be expensive for overnight stays, but explore day trips from nearby Bangor or perhaps making camp in Acadia National Park.

In its heyday, people came here for mineral bathing. The water was thought to cure a variety of ailments. At the very least, the soothing water made suffering people feel a little better for a while. Today, it's possible for the park's 1.2 million annual visitors to see preserved bathing facilities from a bygone era. This is the nation's only city within a national park boundary, and admission is free. Beyond the bath houses, excellent outdoor recreational opportunities abound. It's little wonder the area around Hot Springs National Park has become a popular retirement community.

You'll pay a modest $15 for your vehicle to enter Shenandoah National Park, a place visited by just more than a million people each year. This was one of the first places where roads were built strictly with sightseeing in mind. Today, these first scenic pull offs remain and reveal splendid Shenandoah forests and mountains along the famed Skyline Drive.

According to Forbes Magazine, Miami gets nearly 16 million annual visitors, and nearby Ft. Lauderdale about 12 million. Only 822 thousand make it to Everglades National Park. That's a shame, because this special place is well worth at least a day in your south Florida travel itinerary.

This beautiful desert area is situated in northeastern Arizona, to the south of I-40. The location is fairly remote, without formal camping or lodging on site. But if you're on the way to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon, or tracing historic Route 66, this is an easy and logical stop. Sadly, only about half-a-million visitors avail themselves of this experience each year. Find out more about how the Petrified Forest is an inexpensive but memorable travel experience.

It's unfortunate most Americans never get to the U.S. Virgin Islands. An entire pristine island here, St. John, is set aside as a national park. The annual visitor total is less than half a million. Most of the St. Thomas crowds never make it here, but there are some wonderful experiences to be enjoyed for budget travelers who have done their homework. You can visit this gem in the Eastern Caribbean without spending a fortune.

Located in southeastern New Mexico near the Texas border, this marvelous series of caves is not on the itineraries of most travelers. With only about 400,000 annual visitors, it ranks near the bottom of the national park popularity list. While it's a shame this uncommon place doesn't get more attention, the low visitor totals can be good news at the time of your visit. Find out how inexpensive it is to see Carlsbad Caverns, and learn about a fascinating treat at sunset that's absolutely free!