The eight least-visited US national parks

by Kamala Puligandla

posted on March 23, 2022

Wide-open spaces

Spring has sprung, and with an extra hour of daylight on your side, the time is ripe for making a road trip out into the wild! The 63 designated US national parks contain some of the most unique and awe-inspiring natural sights in the country, and it’s hardly a mystery why, in 2021 or Pandemic Year Two, people flocked to the National Parks in record numbers. What might be surprising, however, is that just 25 national parks received half of the 297 million recreation visits last year. 

So to help you get ahead of the game and into a wilderness less overrun with human nature, we’ve compiled a list of the eight least-visited national parks. These are gorgeous landscapes that you can roadtrip to (meaning we did not include some fabulous parks that are located on islands), and where you might even get a campsite without a stand-off at dawn — though, of course, we do suggest planning ahead, these are still national parks.

1) Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, Alaska

Alaska is home to seven of the least visited national parks, many of which aim to preserve the ecosystems and cultural traditions of local indigenous people, in addition to offering prime opportunities to explore remote areas of untouched wilderness. 

Gates of the Arctic and nearby Kobuk Valley, the least-visited of all parks, offer no campsites, no maintained trails, and no roads, but tons of wildlife and adventure — true gems for experienced backpackers and those with well-honed survival skills. For everyone else, an air taxi and local guides can provide a more structured or shorter visit, perhaps as part of a trip through some of the other less-traveled parks in Alaska, including Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Katmai National Park & Preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve as well as the better-known destinations, Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve and Denali National Park & Preserve.

2) North Cascades National Park, Washington

This highly road-trippable park is just a few hours north of Seattle, and has it all: mountain views, boating and fishing, peregrine falcon nesting, and a range of campsites, from comfortably developed to super remote. Take the North Cascades Highway, State Route 20, from the visitor’s center out 30 miles to the glassy edge of Ross Lake to catch the highlights of the park.

3) Great Basin National Park, Nevada 

At the eastern edge of Nevada, about four hours from both Las Vegas, NV and Salt Lake City, UT, Great Basin has some special draws. Among the best are the opulent rooms of the limestone Lehman Caves, which require tour reservations, the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive on Nevada Highway 488, which rises 4,000 ft in elevation, and the ancient Bristlecone Pines, aka our planet’s oldest non-clonal species.

4) Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Situated on the Congaree River floodplain, a two-hour drive south from Charlotte, this park is home to some of the oldest, tallest trees in the Eastern US. The best way to explore it is from the water, along the Cedar Creek Canoe Trail, with opportunities to glimpse river otters, owls, and cypress trees dripping in moss. You’ll need a car that can carry in your canoe or kayak, and maybe an extra ride to leave at the end of your boat journey.

5) Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Voyageurs, named after the boatmen for Canadian fur traders, is more of a car-to-boat kind of road trip, but worth the beautiful drive up to the very tip of northern Minnesota to enter a little world of islands and waterways explorable by boat and on foot — even in winter! All of the campsites are boat-in and there are unique opportunities to stay on houseboats for those inclined toward amenities.

6) Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas 

Straddling the New Mexico and Texas border, the Guadalupe Mountains are an ancient fossil reef, rich with natural and cultural history, that jut into the desert sky and make for excellent hiking, especially for fall colors. Check out the Frijole Ranch Museum that displays the 10,000 year history of people on this land, and make the drive up Highway 54 from Van Horn for the most spectacular entrance or on East Williams Road toward the Salt Basin Dunes for views of El Capitan.

7) Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

The drama of this outrageously steep, narrow canyon carved from black volcanic rock, is accurately reflected in the park’s name. Expert adventurers can head to the Inner Canyon for challenging backpacking, climbing, and kayaking or rafting routes, while the rest of us can take in the impressive canyon views from drives along the North or South Rims — be forewarned, each route dead ends in the park.

8) Pinnacles National Park, California

The beauty of Pinnacles lies in its origins as a volcanic field that was exposed to the elements, leaving behind gorgeous, colorful rock spires and impressive talus caves (narrow passages beneath fallen boulders) to hike up up and through — there’s even a reservoir to capture the rock reflections! Just two hours south of San Francisco off of Highway 101, it’s a short road trip to a place pristine enough for the endangered California Condor.

Kamala Puligandla

Kamala Puligandla is a writer, editor, and bon vivant in LA. She is the author of two books, Zigzags and You Can Vibe Me On My Femmephone, and is always on the look-out for strange stories, excellent eats, and relaxing locales.

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