Nearly a decade ago, I woke up in the middle of the night thinking that I should travel to the Grand Canyon solo — the first National Park on what would become a yearslong personal quest.
As I got in the car and headed southwest, I, admittedly, didn't know much — I just knew I needed to go.
I brought my first backpack and a water bottle on the road (but forgot to bring any food) and spent days exploring the park. Only later did I realize how woefully unprepared I was.
Since that trip, I've traveled to 59 of the 63 major National Parks, hundreds of National Parks Service sites, and all 50 US States completely solo.
To say I've learned a lot in that time would be a gross understatement. Travel is a teacher, and of course, female solo travel adds another layer of complexity that has kept me on my toes.
With my experience, I'm hyper-aware of what is needed to make a National Park trip successful. Here is my advice on how a first-time traveler can easily mitigate mistakes.