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How to play Trekking the National Parks (2026): Trekking the National Parks is a family board game for two to five players about racing across a map of the United States to visit national parks. You move with numbered Trek cards, collect colored stones at the parks you land on, explore parks for points and camp at three Major Parks for special abilities. A game takes about an hour. This guide follows the official Third Edition rules from Underdog Games.
The game you need: Trekking the National Parks (Third Edition)
The box includes the map board, 45 stones, 96 Trek cards, 39 Park cards, six Major Park tiles, five trekkers with tents and a separate solo mode.
Price band: $30+ (about $40) · Check today’s price on Amazon
What you are trying to do in Trekking the National Parks
The player with the most victory points at the end wins. Points come from four places: Park cards you explore, Major Parks you camp at, every stone you collect (1 point each) and bonus points for having the most or second-most stones of a color.
Setting up Trekking the National Parks
- Put the map board in the middle of the table.
- Mix all 45 stones in the bag and draw one at random onto every park location on the map. Leave START empty.
- Shuffle the Trek cards and turn five face up in a row beside the deck.
- Shuffle the Park cards and turn three face up.
- Shuffle the six Major Park tiles, choose three at random and place them face up. The other three are not used this game.
- Give each player a trekker on START, three tents in their color, two Trek cards and a reference card.
- The player who most recently visited a national park takes the bear token and goes first.
Trek cards: number or icon, never both
Every Trek card shows a number from 1 to 4 and one park icon. You can use a card for its number to move, or for its icon to explore a park or camp at a Major Park. You cannot use the same card for both. A card showing a 4 and a tree icon is worth one tree icon, not four, which trips up many first-time players.
The four actions: take two per turn
On your turn you take exactly two actions. They can be two different actions in any order, or the same action twice.
Draw a Trek card
Take one of the five face-up Trek cards and replace it from the deck, or take the top card of the deck. Your hand limit is 12 at the end of your turn. If four of the face-up cards ever show the same icon, discard all five and deal five new ones.
Move
Name a destination and play Trek cards whose numbers add up to exactly the number of trails between you and it. You may combine several cards in one move action, but you cannot spend more than the distance, reuse a trail in the same move or pass through a location where another trekker stands. START is the exception and can hold any number of trekkers.
If you end your move on a location with a stone, take the stone. Stones on spaces you pass through stay where they are. If you end on a space where another player stands, you bump them back to START.
Explore a Park
If your trekker stands on a park whose card is face up, reveal Trek cards from your hand that match the icons on that card, discard them and take the Park card. Turn up a new Park card to replace it.
Camp at a Major Park
Stand on one of the three Major Parks in play, discard Trek cards matching its icons and place one of your tents on its tile. Camping scores 5 points and gives you that park’s ability. Several players can camp at the same Major Park, but each player can camp at each one only once.
Major Park abilities
| Major Park | Ability |
|---|---|
| Acadia | Any two Trek cards can count as one wild icon |
| Denali | Draw two Trek cards right away |
| Everglades | Swap one of your stones with another player’s stone, once |
| Grand Canyon | Add 1 to the total of any move |
| Hawai’i Volcanoes | After exploring a park, move one trail for free |
| Yellowstone | Draw a Trek card each time you explore a park |
How the game ends and final scoring
The end is triggered when every stone has been collected or when a player takes their fifth Park card. Finish the round so everyone has had the same number of turns, then score. Add Park card points, 5 points per tent on a Major Park, 1 point per stone and the stone bonuses. The player with the most stones of a color takes that color’s top bonus, and second place takes the smaller bonus. With two players, the second-place bonus is skipped.
Ties for most stones of a color give every tied player the top bonus, and nobody takes second place. If the final score is tied, the player with more points from Park cards and Major Parks wins.
Tips for your first trek
- Camp early at Yellowstone or Grand Canyon. Ongoing abilities pay off over many turns.
- Count stones by color. A late Everglades swap can steal a majority bonus.
- Use bumping wisely. Sending a rival back to START costs them a whole turn.
- Plan with the face-up Park cards. Head toward parks you can afford to explore.
Trekking the National Parks is also one of the easiest gifts for a family that loves road trips. For more games the whole family can learn in one evening, browse our best family board games list.
Trekking the National Parks rules questions
Can you use one Trek card for movement and its icon?
No. Each card is used either for its number or its icon.
Can you end your move on another trekker?
Yes. You bump that trekker back to START. You just cannot pass through an occupied park.
How many Major Parks are used?
Three of the six, chosen at random during setup.
Is there a solo mode?
Yes. The Third Edition includes a separate set of solo cards and a solo rulebook.
