Every time I tell someone that I used to work in America’s national parks, their eyes light up. Often they recount an experience they had at a national park: a family holiday they’ll never forget or a road trip with friends that changed their life. Sometimes they speak of all the national parks they wish they could visit, the ones they dream of seeing one day.
US national parks are prime destinations for travelers from all over the world, and, as I have been told many times, the experience of visiting a national park is one that stays with people and can bring a smile to their faces even years later.
But it’s not just visiting America’s national parks that sparks lifelong joy; travel, novel experiences, and nature have all been shown by science to have a beneficial impact on our mental health.
For example, in 2014 a decades-long study by Thomas Gilovich at Cornell University found that travel brings us more happiness than material purchases. Research has shown that even the anticipation of traveling (like dreaming of that national park you’ll visit some day) yields more happiness than the anticipation of buying things and that the memories of traveling still inspire joy long after the thrill of a purchase has faded.
And when you visit a nature park you’re not only getting the joys of travel–you’re also accruing the copious mental health benefits of nature. There is mounting evidence from dozens of studies demonstrating that time in nature boosts our moods and has lasting mental health benefits, like reducing stress and increasing our attention span.
Being in nature makes us happier, healthier (both physically and mentally), and even friendlier.
When you combine the mental health and happiness benefits of both travel and nature, is it any wonder that so many people make pilgrimages to US national parks? Or that the memories of those trips are still bringing them joy even years after?
But the science also reveals something surprising: while big experiences like a national park road trip can bring a lifetime’s worth of joyful memories, it also doesn’t take an extended or expensive trip to experience many of these same benefits.
A 2020 study out of NYU found that new and diverse experiences increase happiness, and that’s just one study of many showing that novel experiences, even small ones, can improve mood and mental health.
By all means plan the big trip and get all that anticipatory dopamine, but in the meantime (or until you can afford the big trip), you can still get some of these same cognitive and mental health benefits by seeking out small new experiences.
Go to a museum or historical site in your own community that you’ve never been to. Take a local walking tour, visit a new food truck, or attend a pottery class. Try new things and support local businesses and non-profits. New experiences will stimulate happiness in your life.
And for the extra dopamine hit, seek out the nature near you. Hike a new trail, bike a tree-lined path, or be near a body of water. There are ways to find nature near you no matter where you live.
And remember that for large and famous national parks visitors come from all over the world, but for your local parks, you are the target demographic. Studies show that in the US most visitors to smaller non-national parks are locals, meaning that not only will you benefit from visiting them, but they need your support.
So next time you dream of that distant national park you’ve visited or want to visit, remember that there are plenty of ways to foster a similar joy in your everyday life. Of course visit the big bucket list parks, but don’t forget to seek out the novel and the nature in your own backyard.