Overly Ambitious National Park Road Trip Leaves Travelers Exhausted

Visiting three national parks in one long weekend proved to be too much, but the friends still bonded over the experience.

Published on Feb. 12, 2026

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To celebrate completing their master's degrees, two best friends decided to take a road trip from Reno, Nevada to Anaheim, California, with stops at three national parks along the way: Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia. While they were able to visit all three parks without any major disasters, the friends made several logistical mistakes and felt rushed throughout the trip, wishing they had planned for just one park instead of three. Despite the challenges, the friends remained patient with each other and found ways to enjoy the moment, bonding over the shared experience.

Why it matters

This story highlights the importance of properly planning and packing for a national park road trip, especially when trying to fit multiple destinations into a short timeframe. It also demonstrates how even with mistakes, a trip can still be a valuable bonding experience for close friends.

The details

The friends underestimated the driving and parking challenges at the national parks, with the author driving nearly 1,000 miles alone and struggling to find parking at Yosemite. They also forgot to pack items to help with motion sickness, which was exacerbated by the winding mountain roads. While they were able to see the key sights at each park, they felt rushed and wished they had more time to explore and relax.

  • The friends took their road trip over one long weekend.
  • They visited Yosemite, Kings Canyon, and Sequoia National Parks during their trip.

The players

Alexis Telyczka

The author of the article, who planned the national park road trip with her best friend.

Alexis Telyczka's best friend

Alexis' close friend since elementary school, who lives in Reno, Nevada and joined her on the road trip.

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What they’re saying

“Looking back, I planned this trip with a lot of optimism. My friend may have had a point when she hesitated before agreeing to three parks.”

— Alexis Telyczka (businessinsider.com)

“Even with a flawed itinerary, motion sickness, and a lot of stress, my best friend and I made an active choice to be patient with each other no matter what, which truly saved our trip.”

— Alexis Telyczka (businessinsider.com)

What’s next

The friends plan to take another brief road trip soon, but this time they will aim for just one national park destination instead of trying to fit in multiple parks.

The takeaway

This story serves as a cautionary tale for those planning ambitious national park road trips, highlighting the importance of realistic planning, packing the right supplies, and allowing enough time to fully experience each destination, even if it means limiting the number of parks visited.