Orebro2016

Everyone keep telling us to avoid visiting the national parks in July and August. We assume this is partly because schools are out then. We will be visiting from Sweden and here kids go back around 15th August. When do kids go back in the US? And does the start of term affect visitor numbers or is all of August as busy. The parks that are part of our roadtrip plan are, Yellowstone, Arches, Bryce, GC and Zion

DebitNM

There is no standard start date; it varies from city to city across the country. From mid Auguat till the first or second week of September. Mid to late September will have less families with kids, but that is also a very popular time for people without kids.

Clousie

Schools start anywhere from mid-August through the Wednesday after Labor Day (September 5 this year) across the country. If you must come in July or August, I think that late August would be the best time.

I've also heard from people at the National Parks that September is almost, or as busy, as summer. The weather is cooler in many parks and retirees choose this time to travel because kids in general or grandkids are back in school.

Having said this, I'd still pick September over July or August. I'll take adults over kids any day, especially if it's cooler.

janisj

>>From mid August till the first or second week of September.> it varies from city to city across the country.

DebitNM

NYC schools used to start the first full week after Labor Day ( could still be the case as I am long gone from the area) so as you can see, there's no one date

Christina

I think the reason is mostly because of families being there, but some of it could be the heat, of course, depending on the park. Wouldn't want to do Grand Canyon in AUgust.

Where I live, public schools don't start until the last week in August, which is 8/29 this year. Where my nieces live in Ohio, they start the Wednesday of the week before (8/24). Where I lived in high school, it always used to be right after Labor Day, but now is 8/17!! ugh, glad we didn't have that

It seems to me more start near the end of the month than in the middle, but in any case, I think you would be safer by assuming that most will have started by 8/29, of course that's almost September.

gail

Schools in much of the northeast US start around Labor Day or shortly after (the first Monday in Sept). The last weeks of August are big vacation travel weeks for these families, as most camps and childcare arrangements end mid-August (when college students staffing these programs go back to school) - so parents often take these weeks off and families travel.

janisj

>>Schools in much of the northeast US start around Labor Day or shortly after

nytraveler

As mentioned it varies - since here schools are all run by local governing boards, although most in each state are similar. Some kids may go back as early as Aug 20 or so but in many places they don't go back until after the Labor Day holiday - so this year Sept 7 or 8.

To avoid families on vacation go after Sept 7.

janisj

>>although most in each state are similar.

Gretchen

Unless you can go outside of the 3 summer months then I think you'll have to deal with crowds. Parks are large--it isn't crowded everywhere inside a park necessarily. What are your choices to do for a trip if there is so much worry about crowds.

sallytakemyhand

And don't forget year-round school schedules. If you start July 5 (or first day available after 7/4 holiday) then you get a 3-week break in September.

Not as many school districts use year-round schedule so it shouldn't affect your decision. I'd pick mid to late September for better weather.