<p class="ingestion featured-caption">Over the past 10 years, I've traveled to all 63 US national parks.Emily Hart</p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Over the past 10 years, I've <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/best-solo-travel-experiences-to-do-2023-9">traveled alone</a> to all 63 major US national parks.</li><li>First-time travelers often don't realize they sometimes have to secure reservations ahead of time. </li></ul><p>Nearly a decade ago, I woke up in the middle of the night with the idea to travel solo to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-the-grand-canyon-2019-2">the Grand Canyon</a> — the first national park on what would later become a yearslong personal quest to see every one.</p><p>As I got in the car and headed southwest, I, admittedly, didn't know much. I brought my <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-pack-for-solo-travel-tips-frequent-traveler">backpack and a water bottle</a> 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 on this trip.</p><p>Now that <a target="_blank" class href="https://www.businessinsider.com/national-parks-to-visit-places-to-skip-from-frequent-traveler">I've been to all 63 major national parks</a>, I've seen plenty of other new travelers in my shoes. Here are the eight most common mistakes I see first-time travelers make when visiting the national parks.</p>