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Ticket to Ride vs Trekking the National Parks (2026): both are family route games played on a map of the United States, both use colored cards to travel, and both take about an hour. They feel different at the table, though. Ticket to Ride is about claiming train routes before anyone else does. Trekking the National Parks is about racing to parks, picking up stones and collecting park cards. Here is how they compare and which one suits your family.
Our pick for national park lovers: Trekking the National Parks
The current edition plays two to five, adds a solo mode and pairs every park card with a real photo. Families who travel or love the outdoors tend to connect with it right away.
Price band: $30+ (about $40) · Check today’s price on Amazon
Ticket to Ride vs Trekking at a glance
Two US map games with different goals.
- Best for park fans: Trekking the National Parks — race to parks and stones, 1–5 (about $40)
- Best classic route game: Ticket to Ride — claim train routes across the US, 2–5 (about $40)
Ticket to Ride and Trekking the National Parks side by side
| Ticket to Ride | Trekking the National Parks | |
|---|---|---|
| Players | 2–5 | 2–5 plus solo |
| Play time | 30–60 minutes | About 60 minutes |
| Goal | Claim routes, finish destination tickets | Explore parks, camp at major parks, collect stones |
| Cards used for | Matching train colors | Movement numbers or park icons |
| Player interaction | Blocking routes | Bumping trekkers back to start, racing for stones |
| Price | about $40 | about $40 |
How a Ticket to Ride turn works
On your turn you do one thing: draw train cards, claim a route by playing a set of matching cards, or draw new destination tickets. Long routes score more, and destination tickets reward connecting two named cities by the end. Unfinished tickets count against you. The tension comes from watching a rival grab the one route you needed. It is the gentlest introduction to modern board games, and the rules fit on a single page.
How Trekking the National Parks plays
Each turn you take two actions, chosen from drawing a trek card, moving, exploring a park or camping at a major park. Trek cards do double duty: the number moves you along trails, and the icon pays for parks. A card can be used for its number or its icon, never both, so every hand is a small puzzle. Ending a move on a park with a stone lets you pick it up, and landing on another player bumps them back to the start. Three major parks also give each player who camps there a special ability.
Where each game shines
- Ticket to Ride is easier to teach. One action per turn and one scoring idea make it perfect for grandparents and younger kids.
- Trekking has more variety per turn. Two actions, two uses for every card and three major park powers give older kids more to think about.
- Ticket to Ride has more direct blocking. Losing a route can sting. Trekking’s bumping is lighter and quickly forgotten.
- Trekking has a stronger theme for travelers. Real photos and park facts turn each game into a conversation about trips you have taken or want to take.
Age, length and replay value
Ticket to Ride is rated for ages 8 and up, and a confident seven-year-old can usually play with a little help. Trekking the National Parks is aimed a bit older, around 10 and up, because of the two uses for every card. Both games last about an hour with a full table, and both get faster once everyone knows the rules.
For replay value, Ticket to Ride has a huge family of maps and expansions if you get hooked. Trekking changes from game to game through the random stones on the map, the three major parks chosen each time and the order the park cards come out, so no two races feel the same.
Which should you buy?
Choose Ticket to Ride if you want the most proven family game around and plan to play with a mix of ages and experience. Choose Trekking the National Parks if your family loves road trips, hiking or collecting park stamps, or if you want a solo mode for quiet evenings. Many families end up owning both, because they scratch different itches. For more family-friendly options, browse our best family board games list.
Ticket to Ride or Trekking: common questions
Is Trekking the National Parks harder than Ticket to Ride?
Slightly. Two actions per turn and two uses for each card add a little more planning, but most kids aged ten and up pick it up in one game.
Is Ticket to Ride or Trekking better with two players?
Both work at two. Trekking skips the second-place stone bonus at two players, which keeps the race simple.
Do you need to know the national parks to play?
Not at all. The parks are printed on the map and the cards, and learning about them is part of the fun.
