1 OF 7Book Campsites and Backcountry Permits EarlyWant to go camping in the glacially-carved granite of Yosemite Valley or motor your vehicle around the rust-tinted stone bridges at Arches? Start planning your national park vacation roughly five to six months in advance. Be sure to start researching the specifics of your planned summer park hopping at least 6 months in advance so that you can save big on subsidized in-park campgrounds, instead of much pricier private options in neighboring towns. Miss your chosen national park’s campsite window? Smart campers can often score affordable (and secluded) options on HipCamp, which is lauded as the Airbnb of camping.