Four Ways to Plan for Your 2016 National Park Trip

This year marks the centennial of the National Park Service and parks all over the U.S. will be offering opportunities for visitors to learn more and be inspired by "America's Best Idea." Most likely many of us teardroppers will be visiting at least one National Park this year and here are five ways you can plan for your upcoming trip.

WATCH: "Rock the Park"

Rock the Park is a TV series (currently showing on Netflix and Hulu) featuring two enthusiastic young men tackling the backcountry of our nation's National Parks. They do everything from whitewater rafting and rock climbing to learning about how Yellowstone National Park recycles waste. While you might not want to go everywhere they do, their energy and the scenery is infectious.

LISTEN: NPR Road Trips: National Park Adventures: Stories That Take You Away 

NPR's Road Trips Series takes the excellent reporting of NPR into story formats that cover any type of road trip you can imagine. The National Park Adventures CD tells the stories you don't normally read about in guidebooks. The CD also cover lesser known parks.

ORGANIZE: Build Your Trip with Recreation.gov

Recreation.gov has a Beta version of their Build a Trip planner where you can discover and reserve camping, lodging, permits and tours at the National Parks, National Forests, monuments and public lands. You can add each location to your trip planner. You will need a Recreation.gov login and password.

FOCUS: National Geographic Illustrated Trail Maps

Nothing gives you a better view of a National Park than its hiking and walking trails. Be prepared for these trails with a waterproof National Geographic trail map. You can choose from illustrated maps that show trails, roads and landmarks or topographic maps for more experienced hikers. All proceeds from the sale of these maps are donated to the National Geographic Society.