America’s national parks have long been proclaimed a national treasure, from the stunning rock formations of California’s Yosemite to the tranquil waters of Maine’s Acadia. But they’re not exactly a hidden treasure, as anyone who’s visited during summer or on a holiday weekend knows all too well. In short: They can get crowded.
According to the National Park Service, the most popular of the 63 national parks, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee, saw more than 13 million recreational visitors last year.
The NPS maintains statistics on how many visitors travel to each of the national parks every year. And this could be one of those rare times when “unpopular” is a positive term.
If you’re looking to commune with nature and avoid rubbing elbows with hundreds of neighbors, you might be interested in the least popular national parks of 2023 – half of which are in remote Alaska. Let’s take a look.
10. Great Basin National Park
Where this park is located: Nevada
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 143,265
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.16%
Head to east-central Nevada, near the Utah border, and you’ll find Great Basin National Park, an incredibly diverse location that offers everything from caving to mountain hikes. Rangers give guided tours of Lehman Caves, the longest cave system in the state. You can choose from a variety of cave tours lasting up to 90 minutes.
Other activities include fishing, hiking, camping and horseback riding. Visitors can also gather pinyon pine nuts, a delicious and unusual snack.
9. Dry Tortugas National Park
Where this park is located: Florida
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 84,285
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.09%
The coral-reef islands known as the Dry Tortugas were first named Las Tortugas, for the abundant sea turtles who called this area home. But when explorers learned the islands lacked fresh drinking water, they tweaked the name to “Dry Tortugas.”
The park is 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico, and it consists of mostly open water and seven small islands, accessible only by boat or seaplane. Swimming and boating are popular, and, yes, five different types of sea turtles are still found in the park.
8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Where this park is located: Alaska
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 78,305
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.08%
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park and Preserve is America’s largest national park, sprawling across 13.2 million acres in south-central Alaska. The NPS notes that the park is “the same size as Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined!”
And don’t expect an urban, bustling experience: This is a rugged, backcountry park, mostly without roads and trails. But if getting away from it all is your idea of a dream vacation, backpacking, rafting and mountaineering are all popular here.
7. North Cascades National Park
Where this park is located: Washington
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 40,351
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.04%
Breathtaking North Cascades National Park is less than three hours from bustling Seattle, but it might as well be a world away. Rugged mountain peaks, glacial waters and sprawling forests abound.
You say your legs aren’t what they used to be? You can drive 30 miles through the park on the North Cascades Highway and see old-growth forests, waterfalls and lovely mountain scenery, all from the comfort of your own car. For a more active park experience, camping, hiking and biking are popular.
6. Katmai National Park
Where this park is located: Alaska
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 33,763
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.04%
Katmai National Park sits in southwest Alaska, and is named for Mount Katmai, a still-active volcano. The romantically named Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes took its name from a 1912 eruption, and visitors can explore the lava flows and warm springs that resulted.
Fish and boat on tranquil Naknek Lake, the largest lake wholly contained within any American national park, and explore the Savonoski Loop, an 80-mile canoe and kayak route that includes two lakes and a glacially fed river.
5. Isle Royale National Park
Where this park is located: Michigan
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 28,965
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.03%
Isle Royale National Park is really a collection of more than 400 islands, and to reach it, you must cross Lake Superior via boat or seaplane. Isle Royale itself, the largest island in the lake, is popular with backpackers, boaters and campers.
Scuba divers who are willing to safely brave Superior’s chilly waters can explore Isle Royale National Park’s 10 major shipwrecks.
4. Kobuk Valley National Park
Where this park is located: Alaska
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 17,616
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.02%
Kobuk Valley National Park is located in northwestern Alaska, 25 miles north of the Arctic Circle. You may not associate the Arctic with sand dunes, but this park is home to the 100-foot-high Great Kobuk Sand Dunes. They cover 25 square miles, and NASA has even studied them as a way to learn about the surface of Mars.
The park also offers fishing, camping, hiking, boating and dog sledding. Get your cameras ready – 250,000 caribou migrate yearly across the dunes.
3. Lake Clark National Park
Where this park is located: Alaska
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 16,728
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.02%
Another of Alaska’s many uncrowded state parks, Lake Clark National Park is located in the southwest part of the state, about 120 miles southwest of Anchorage. You can’t get here via road, and will need either a plane or a boat.
Once you’re there, make your way to Crescent Lake, in the heart of the Chigmit Mountains, to fish at the headwaters of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. You’re likely to see brown and black bears, seeking their own salmon meals.
2. National Park of American Samoa
Where this park is located: American Samoa
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 12,135
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.01%
You won’t be driving to get here, that’s for sure. American Samoa is an unincorporated U.S. territory in the South Pacific, southeast of the island country of Samoa.
The National Park of American Samoa spreads across three tropical islands, and it celebrates and protects the culture of the Samoan people, from ancient archaeological sites to World War II-era relics. Travelers can snorkel among coral reefs, discover tropical plants and wildlife and photograph the stunning island and sea views.
1. Gates of the Arctic National Park
Where this park is located: Alaska
Recreational visits to this park in 2023: 11,045
Recreational visits as a share of all national park visits in 2023: 0.01%
The least-visited national park in the entire NPS system, Gates of the Arctic National Park is located almost entirely north of the Arctic Circle, and was created to preserve Alaska’s central Brooks Range, a sprawling and practically untouched mountain range.
Be warned: This is no Disneyland. There are no roads, no trails and no established campsites; the terrain is challenging; and the NPS warns that visitors should be proficient in outdoor survival skills before attempting a trip. Those less skilled might consider a day trip, overnight camp-out or flight-seeing trip, directed by one of the local air taxis.
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