Megan here. Confession: if you give me a board game with beautiful art and outdoorsy vibes, I’m instantly interested. Add national parks (aka my favorite part of America and roughly 70% of my personality) and I’m pretty much emotionally invested. 😂
I of course have David to thank (blame) for most of this. He takes my interest in National Parks board games even further. He’ll watch the Youtube video overviews, pick out the best ones for us to play (and give them to me for my birthdays). He reads the board game rulebooks like they’re a sacred text so he’s ‘prepped’ to teach. And then he’ll politely destroy me with “one little game play strategy” he “accidentally” noticed.
Either way, national parks board games are a sweet spot in our little corner of the world because they pair perfectly with a slow morning coffee or that weird liminal time between dinner and “Should we start a show?” (This was more true in our pre-toddler parenting era, but even Bennett is starting to take to board games like First Orchard and Sandcastles of Burgundy).
So if you’re looking for board games like PARKS, or you want the best national parks board game for your table (date night, family night, travel, camping), here’s your shortlist.
Update:
There is a new National Parks Europe game available as of this spring. Let us know if you snag a copy!
Quick overview: Great national parks board games
| Game | Best for | Buy |
|---|---|---|
| PARKS | Strategy + gorgeous table presence | Amazon |
| TRAILS | Faster setup + lighter gameplay | Ebay (Deluxe Resources on Amazon) |
| Trekking the National Parks | Family night + bigger groups | Amazon |
| Parks: Roll & Hike | Travel/camping + quick turns | Amazon |
Our favorite national parks games
1) PARKS (The iconic one)
If you’ve ever walked into a game store and thought, “Why is everyone holding a box that looks like it belongs in a museum gift shop?” — it’s probably PARKS.
In PARKS, you’re hiking across trails through the seasons, collecting resources (memories!) and using them to visit parks for points. The big win here is that it’s strategic without being mean. And the art is absurdly pretty for even the casual national park nerd.
It’s competitive, but it doesn’t “feel like a knife fight in REI” — it scratches the strategy itch without becoming a 2-hour brain burn. And the major upside is that its great for 2 players, but still works for game nights up to 5. PARKS gets a ton of love for being relaxed, immersive, and ridiculously beautiful, but a few players find the gameplay “too chill” (read: boring) if they’re looking for more tension.
Get PARKS if…
- You want the “main character” to be the national parks
- You like games with resource management + satisfying decisions
- You want something you’ll keep forever, not play twice and forget
Note: There’s a second edition out now. Players who’ve tried both often say the newer version feels smoother and incorporates some concepts that used to live in expansions.
2) TRAILS (The quicker, lighter sibling)
TRAILS is like PARKS’ chill little cousin who shows up with snacks, doesn’t overcomplicate things, and still looks cute doing it.
You hike back and forth along a trail, picking up resources, taking photos, and grabbing cards that help you score. It feels like a lighter, speedier nature engine-builder that’s easy to teach and easy to replay.
This game is a bit harder to get your hands on (start your search on Ebay), but you’ll be rewarded for the effort. Compared to the former, it has shorter playtime and is very portable. THere’s less rules overhead. It has more of a “let’s just start” energy, but it still has that outdoorsy satisfaction without the full PARKS production.
Get TRAILS if…
- You want something more casual (or you’re gifting to non-nerds)
- You like the theme but don’t want the “big box commitment” (or price tag)
3) Trekking the National Parks (Best for families + groups)
This one is a cross-country race. Up to six players are visiting parks, collecting sets, and trying to score more points than everyone else, which means it’s naturally louder and more chaotic (in a good way).
Trekking works well with bigger groups (it goes up to 6 players). It’s a Great gateway game for families and mixed-skill groups, and it feels like a wholesome “trip across the U.S.” board game night. Reminiscent of my favorite book, Travels with Charley in Search of America.
The most common comparison I see (and I agree with) is: it’s kind of Ticket to Ride weight. It has approachable rules, friendly flow, and it’s an easy sell to people who don’t consider themselves “board game people.”
Get Trekking if…
- You routinely have 4-6 players and need something theme-forward
- You want a game that’s approachable for kids/parents/friends
- You want “national parks” to be the star, not heavy strategy
4) Parks: Roll & Hike (Portable + quick)
Parks: Roll & Hike is the “throw it in your bag” version of national parks board games (that is still easy to buy).
You’re drafting dice and recording your choices in a journal-style format — mountains, forests, wildlife, hydration… honestly it’s annoyingly on-brand in the best way.
We love it for its fast set up and quick turns. It doesn’t demand a full table production, and you can even play it solo (or up to 4 players). This flexibility is rare and lovely (we love the Coffee Roaster board game for this reason too).
We find this game is ideal for travel, camping, cabins, breweries, Airbnbs… you get it.
Get Roll & Hike if…
- You want a parks-themed game for trips
- You love dice board games and/or roll-and-writes (or you want one that isn’t math-painful)
- You want something you can play in 30-ish minutes without a rules seminar
Other awesome nature board games
Not technically national parks games, but absolutely the same vibe: cozy nature theme, pretty table presence, and a wander into the wonderful natural world. These all hit the table a lot at our house — usually with a V60 going (and a cat trying to sit on the board).
Cascadia
If you like the peaceful-but-strategic feeling of PARKS, Cascadia is an easy next stop.
You’re building a Pacific Northwest ecosystem by drafting hex habitat tiles and matching wildlife tokens, trying to create the most harmonious landscape while meeting different scoring goals for bears, foxes, hawks, salmon, and elk. It plays 1-4 people in about 30-45 minutes and has become a modern classic for a reason.
It offers simple rules and tons of replayability. It works great at 2, and is dangerously giftable — even my dad got the hang of it.
It is one of those rare games that’s both deeply relaxing and low-key brilliant.
Aspens
We backed Aspens on Kickstarter and have 0 disappointment. It’s a lovely little 2-player strategy game where you’re growing a forest by balancing sunlight, wind, and resources to spread your trees in the smartest way. It’s quick to set up (20-45 minutes), easy to learn, and tactical once you start competing for space.
We also fell in love and got engaged under aspens, so the theme has a very special place in our heart.
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is a nature-themed board game you buy because it’s gorgeous… and then you realize it’s secretly kind of ruthless. You’re growing trees in a shared forest, collecting light as the sun rotates around the board, and timing when to plant, grow, and harvest for points. The catch (and the drama): trees cast real shadows, and if your opponent is taller than you in the wrong spot, congratulations — your adorable little saplings are now living in darkness. 🌲😈
Competitive, clever… and a little mean… 😅 for such a beautiful game (this isn’t David’s vibe, but I don’t mind being a petty forest deity from time to time at the board game table).
» Learn more: The best worker placement games we’ve found
Lotus
Lotus is lightweight, quick, and floral — more “pretty tactical card play” than deep strategy.
You’re building flowers and placing guardians, and it’s approachable enough for casual game nights while still giving you that “I definitely outplayed you” feeling when you snag the card someone wanted. We love this pick for Valentine’s Day board games for couples.
Morels
A fantastic 2-player mushroom-foraging card game; the Morels board game is very well illustrated and produced, which adds to the overall experience. Collect mushrooms, cook them in a skillet, sell them for points. Consider the Foray expansion for even more gameplay. Beware of poisonous mushrooms that restrict your progress!
That said, the game can feel a bit monotonous after a few plays. We generally prefer Jaipur as a 2p, set-collection game.
The Fox in the Forest
If you like Morels but want something tighter and more tactical, The Fox in the Forest is a fantastic 2-player trick-taking game with woodland fairy-tale vibes.
You’re playing cards to win tricks, but special abilities twist the rules (sometimes you don’t want to win too many tricks). It’s quick, clever, and one of the best board games for couples because it plays in 20 minutes and still feels satisfying.
Hive
Hive looks simple — just chunky bug tiles on the table — but it’s basically portable chess with insects. You’re trying to surround your opponent’s queen bee while using ants, spiders, beetles, and grasshoppers with different movement rules.
No board, tiny footprint, and very strategic once you learn the patterns. Perfect for an afternoon coffee date! (I love the ladybugs).
Wingspan
Given its huge popularity, Wingspan is an obvious pick — but it earns it.
You’re building a wildlife preserve by playing birds into habitats, chaining abilities, and slowly building a little engine that spits out eggs, food, and points. It looks peaceful (and it is), but there’s real strategy in timing your plays and optimizing your bird combos.
It’s not technically a national parks game, but the art, theme, and table presence of this wildlife board game are pure nature-core. And because there are so many bird cards in Wingspan, the game stays fresh for a long time.
Tip: We like to play this on the iPad when we don’t have the energy to set up the whole game board.
Arboretum
Don’t let the beautiful watercolor trees fool you. This game is deceptive (and hard to win—at least for me, it seems). 🤪
Players plant elegant tree-lined paths (I’m partial to the blue spruce and jacarandas) while carefully managing the cards left in your hand. The cards remaining in your hand determine whether you can score which trees in your arboretums at the end of the game.
Like Fox in the Forest, this game is clutch for its portability, and is a nice option for two players who enjoy a little friendly sabotage every now and then.
FAQs
Is Parks board game out of print?
Parks section edition is still in print and ready for purchase. It’ll run you $60 on Amazon.
What type of board game is Parks?
PARKS is a light-to-medium strategy Euro-style board game, which means it is centered on efficient planning and resource management, rather than luck or direct conflict.
Players move hikers along a trail, collecting resources like water, mountains, and forests to visit U.S. national parks for points. Mechanically, it combines track movement, action selection, and set collection across four seasonal rounds.
Can Parks be played solo?
Yes. PARKS includes an official solo mode where you compete against an automated “ranger” opponent that blocks trail spaces and scores points.
What national parks board games did we miss?
We’re always down to “research” (read: justify buying more games). If you’ve got another outdoorsy/national-parks-themed favorite, tell me what you love about it — and whether it works well at 2 players over coffee. ☕️🏞️
- PARKS
- TRAILS
- Trekking the National Parks
- Parks: Roll & Hike
- Cascadia
- Aspens
- Photosynthesis
- Lotus
- Morels
- The Fox in the Forest
- Wingspan
Other nature board games we want to check out include:
