How to Get to National Parks on Points and Miles

Part of what makes our national parks so special is the ability to get away from it all and explore the outdoors. But getting there can be half the battle: Getting away from it all often involves getting to some pretty remote locations. This also means the airports closest to many of our country’s national parks are pretty small and remote.  

When it comes to redeeming points and miles, flying in and out of smaller, regional airports may also cost you more miles. 

How to get to national parks on points and miles

Here at Going, we talk a lot about the Greek Islands Trick to find cheap flights. The idea is to focus on finding the lowest-cost flight option to cross the ocean. From there, you could drive, take a short regional flight, catch a train, or ride a horse and buggy to your final destination. 

The same principle can apply when finding flights to redeem with your points and miles. Focus on finding a direct flight for the longest leg of your journey in order to get a seat for fewer miles. 

When it comes to flying to national parks, you may not need to cross the ocean, but we can use the same idea to find flights across the US. 

Whether it’s the redwood forests, Gulf Stream waters, or somewhere in between, here are some ideas to get to national parks on point and miles.

Arches National Park

• Best airport to fly into: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC)
• Driving distance to park: 4 hours
• Airline program to consider: Delta SkyMiles
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 25K SkyMiles

Grand Canyon, Bryce, or Zion National Parks

• Best airport to fly into: Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport (LAS)
• Driving distance: 1.5 hours to Bryce, 3 hours to Zion, 4 hours to Grand Canyon North Rim
• Airline program to consider: United MileagePlus
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 36K United Mileage Plus miles

If you prefer to visit the Grand Canyon’s South Rim, it would be better to fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX), about a 3.5-hour drive. 

Acadia National Park

• Best airport to fly into: Portland International Jetport (PWM) or Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)
• Driving distance: 3 hours from Portland, Maine; 4 hours from Boston
• Airline program to consider: British Airways Avios (use to book an American Airlines flight)
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 40K Avios

If you’re flying into Portland, make sure it’s Maine (PWM) and not Portland, Oregon (PDX). Acadia National Park is also a great to drive to if you’re near the Northeastern US. 

Yosemite National Park

• Best airport to fly into: Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) or Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
• Driving distance: 2-3 hours from Fresno, California, 4 hours from Sacramento
• Airline program to consider: United Mileage Plus
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 37K United Mileage Plus miles

Everglades National Park

• Best airports to fly into: Miami International Aiport (MIA)
• Driving distance: 1 hour
• Airline program to consider: British Airways Avios
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 22K Avios

Glacier National Park

• Best airports to fly into: Kalispell Glacier Park International Airport (FCA)
• Driving distance: 45 minutes
• Airline program to consider: Delta Sky Miles
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 36K SkyMiles

Kalispell is the epitome of the small, regional airport nearby a National Park. It surprisingly has a decent amount of direct flights from the eastern US during peak season, but another option to consider would be Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN) in Bozeman, Montana.

Denali National Park

• Best airports to fly into: Anchorage International Airport (ANC) or Fairbanks International Airport (FAI)
• Distance from airport: 4 hours from Anchorage, 2 hours from Fairbanks
• Airline program to consider: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 40K from the eastern US; 20K from the western US

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park

• Best airport to fly into: Honolulu International Airport (HNL) to get to the Hawai’ian Islands
• Airline program to consider: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
• Miles for a cross-country, roundtrip economy ticket: 22.5K

Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park is located on the Island of Hawai’i, but if you’re visiting from the eastern part of the US, you’ll likely fly into Honolulu (located on the Island of Oahu). Once there, you can take a quick, interisland flight (lasting about 45 minutes) to Hilo International Airport (ITO) or Kona International Airport (KOA) on Hawai’i to get to the National Park. 

From the West Coast, you can easily find flights to Kona. 

For interisland travel, either Hawaiian Airlines or Southwest Airlines are both great options. But since the flight is so short, it may be better to save your points. Check out our guide for the cheapest national parks to fly to.

What cards can help you earn the points and miles to get to a national park?

A lot of travel credit cards can help you get closer to a national park. Here are some options to consider:

How cards can help with renting a car

No matter where you fly to, you’re likely going to need to drive a car to get to the national park you're visiting. This is another area where your travel credit cards can help. 

Paying for a rental car with credit cards

If you have a card that earns bonus points per dollar on travel expenses, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® card, which earns 2X points per dollar on travel, paying for the car rental on that travel card will help you earn more points for a future flight. 

If your card has a travel portal, you could also book your rental car through it. This may help you earn additional points per dollar, but before you book through this method, you’ll want to compare the rental price through the portal with the price if you booked directly with the car rental company. You don’t want to spend more through a travel portal just to earn more points. 

Also, if you have the Capital One Venture X card, which awards you a $300 annual credit for purchases through the Capital One Travel portal, you could put that to use on a car rental. 

If your card allows you to redeem your points for statement credit on travel purchases, you could pay with points. But this won’t be the most valuable option. 

Rental car elite status with credit cards

In addition, several cards give you elite status with rental car companies, which could mean you could get a lower rate or more spacious car for less. (Enrollment required.)

Rental car insurance with credit cards

Many of the cards above offer secondary insurance for rental cars, which means that if there was a claim, your card’s rental car insurance would only kick in after your personal auto insurance policy. But, if you pay for your rental car on one of the following credit cards, they provide primary coverage. 

Because these cards offer primary insurance on a rental car, that policy would apply first (as the name implies. This means that if you had an accident or issue with the rental car, you would not need to file a claim for your personal auto insurance policy. Learn more about our picks for the best credit cards to use when renting a car here.  

Can credit cards help with where to stay in national parks?

I’m told that you may need to book a year or more in advance for hotel reservations inside the national park. You might have better luck staying outside, but nearby the park. 

What cards should to use for each?

Staying at an Airbnb? 

Staying at a hotel chain?