National Park Lodging on Points
Editorial Disclosure – Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post..
Getting outside and enjoying America’s National Parks is one of the best ways to explore nature and connect with your family. In order to use points and miles, flexibility and variety are key when booking accommodations. Check out a few of my favorite options below. As well as a way to save on National Park admission.
Award Availability
At times, National Parks can be in smaller markets, meaning hotel chains may not be as readily available. I like to use search tools like MaxMyPoint can help locate properties available to book with points.
Earning Points to Redeem with Hotel Brands
Earning flexible points to send to a hotel transfer partner like Chase Ultimate Rewards to Hyatt or earning hotel points through cobranded cards is a great option to get the best bang for your points. I like to first look at Hyatt to see if a location is near the park we want to visit. Then if not, I resort to my personal backup brand, Hilton. Check out details about IHG, Hilton, Hyatt, and Marriott here.
Vacasa Rentals near National Parks
Vacasa rentals can be booked for 15K Wyndham points per bedroom per night. This can be an excellent value for families since hallway bunks and loft rooms don’t count as additional bedrooms. Also, when you book Vacasa with Wyndham, you do not pay any taxes or cleaning fees. Find all the details on Book a Vacasa Vacation Rental on Points here.
Booking Inside the Chase Travel Portal
Booking inside the portal is not the best way to get the most bang for your points. HOWEVER, using your points in a way that serves you is the best way to use your points! Booking inside the portal also offers creative ways to utilize points that aren’t available any other way.
So many accommodation options inside the Chase Travel Portal are unavailable to book with points through transfer partners.
During a trip to Mount Rainier National Park, I booked a cabin at Paradise Villiage with Chase Ultimate Rewards inside the portal. It was adorable and just what I was looking for on a hiking adventure.
When booking in the Chase Travel Portal, you will redeem your points at two different rates, depending on which Chase card you hold. The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Ink Business Preferred offer a 1.25 redemption rate. This means that 1 point is worth 1.25 cents. So, 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards are worth $1,250 inside the portal. The Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a 1.5 redemption rate. This means that 1 point is worth 1.5 cents, and in turn, 100,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards are worth $1,500 in travel.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred and Chase Business Ink Preferred have a $95 annual fee. The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee. At times if you know you will be cashing in a large number of points in the Chase Portal, it may be worth upgrading to the Reserve. Even though it has a steeper annual fee, the benefits of the Reserve and the return rate you receive with the Reserve may outweigh the annual fee.
Capital One Travel Purchase Eraser
Staying inside the park can be a fantastic and expensive experience. The Capital One Travel Purchase Eraser gives you the ability to use points to essentially receive a “refund” for purchases that code as travel. The Capital One Travel Purchase Eraser only allows you to redeem your points for the cash value of your points, this is not the most lucrative redemption, but it does allow you flexibility.
Use a Bank Bonus
When I cannot use points to pay for a National Park stay and will be paying cash, I first consider if I am meeting a minimum spend. If I am not, I check www.doctorofcredit.com to see if there is a bank bonus that fits into my time frame and budget needs. I used this strategy in the summer of 2022 to stay at Kalaloch Lodge in Olympic National Park.
Bonus Money-Saving Tip!
National Park Admission Fees
On average, National Park admission is $30 per vehicle. If you plan to visit multiple parks in a year, it is worth it to do the math on whether you should pay park by park or purchase an America the Beautiful pass, which is $80. Check out how much vehicle entrance fees are here to help you decide.
If you have a fourth-grade student (free admission for their family), are a senior citizen, are in the military, or are disabled, check out America the Beautiful Pass pricing here.
If you do not have a 4th grader, consider buying your pass through LL Bean and using a cashback shopping portal like Rakuten to earn cash or Amex Membership Rewards for your purchase.
Cards to consider-
Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
I found out about points and miles accidentally.
I was researching index funds and happened upon the points and miles community through creators who also post about budgets, financial independence, and investing.
Points and miles allowed those people to travel and work toward financial independence simultaneously.
Thank goodness I got started when I did. The past almost two years of travel have been something we will never forget.
Earning points and miles through credit cards is only a good choice if you have the financial discipline to use them, like cash/debit cards.
Since we started traveling with points and miles, we have had more money going into our investment and savings accounts than ever.
Now I'm excited to teach you!
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