• Log in
    ExpertsEat & DrinkTravelogueExclusivesTravel TipsPrint IssueVideoNews
    ADVOCATEOUTPridePLUSADVOCATE CHANNEL
    SubscribeSubscriber ServicesEmail Newsletter Signup
    CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
    © 2023 Pride Publishing Inc.
    All Rights reserved
    OutTravelerOutTraveler
    Scroll To Top

    By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Private Policy and Terms of Use.

    Accept

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Marnie Hunter, Cnn

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    You’ll find plenty of solitude and natural grandeur in these hidden gems.

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    (CNN) -- There are more than 420 sites in the U.S. National Park System, but only 63 carry the headliner -- capital N, capital P – “National Park” title.

    The most visited of those, Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee, welcomed a record-setting 14.2 million recreation visits in 2021. Zion, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon are other top visitor draws.

    But what about the least-visited headliners? Parks that might be especially wild or hard to reach but also uncrowded and largely undiscovered. Let’s take a peek at those.

    Seven out of the 15 least-visited national parks in 2021 are in Alaska.

    It’s no big surprise that a good chunk of the least-visited national parks are in the 49th state. Covering close to 665,000 square miles – much of it wild and often frozen – getting around the state can be challenging and there’s a lot of wilderness to see.

    The least visited of the 63 national parks, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, contains no roads or trails, and visitors must fly or hike into the park, according to the National Park Service.

    It’s safe to say the people who accounted for its 7,362 recreation visits in 2021 were very committed to a wilderness experience. Denali National Park in Alaska, No. 13 among the least-visited parks, saw a whopping 229,521 visits by comparison.

    15. Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas - 243,291 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Guadalupe Mountains National Park boasts the four highest peaks in Texas and the world’s most extensive Permian fossil reef. Guadalupe Mountains Wilderness has more than 80 miles of trail including a hike in the Salt Basin Dunes that rise 100 feet from the desert floor.

    14. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota - 243,042 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Billed as a park of “water, islands, and horizons,” Voyageurs covers 218,055 acres – 84,000 of which is water. There are more than 500 islands and four large lakes, plus more than two dozen smaller lakes in the park, which are best experienced by boat. Voyageurs shares its northern boundary with Canada, and lucky visitors may even see the northern lights.

    13. Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 229,521 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Covering six million acres, this wild Denali National Park & Preserve is home to North America's tallest park -- 20,310-foot Denali. Off-trail hiking is the norm, and vehicle access to its sole road is largely limited to buses. Grizzly and black bears, wolves, caribou, moose, and Dall’s sheep all live here.

    12. Congaree National Park, South Carolina - 215,181 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Congaree National Park’s landscape is “defined by the presence of both flood and flame,” the Park Service says. Flood waters from the Congaree and Wateree rivers regularly cover the park’s old-growth bottomland hardwood forest, and the upland pine forest depends on wildfires to clear out competing vegetation. Canoeing and kayaking are popular ways to explore the park. There’s a 15-mile marked canoe trail.

    11. Great Basin National Park, Nevada - 144,875 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Mountain peaks meet hot desert valleys here. Great Basin National Park is home to 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, ancient bristlecone pines, about 40 caves, and a wide array of plants and animals. The elevation ranges from 5,000 to 13,000 feet with hiking trails for all levels.

    10. Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 89,768 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Another Alaska wilderness park, Glacier Bay covers 3.3 million acres. Late May through early September marks the main visitor season. Visitors arrive by ferry or boat, and sea kayaking is a popular way to see the park's spectacular tidewater glaciers. Black and brown bears live here, and the park recently temporarily closed one area to foot traffic after a bear got food from campers.

    9. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida - 83,817 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    About 70 miles (113 km) west of Key West, Dry Tortugas is mostly open water with seven small islands. Garden Key is home to one of the nation’s largest 19th-century forts, Fort Jefferson. The park is accessible by boat or plane and is host to nearly 300 species of birds. Bush Key closes every year from February to September so that sooty terns and brown noddies can breed there undisturbed.

    8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 50,189 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    America's largest national park, Wrangell-St. Elias encompasses 13.2 million acres -- or about the size of Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park, and Switzerland combined, the Park Service says. Most of the park is backcountry, and visitor services are limited. There are some maintained trails in the front country Nabesna and McCarthy areas.

    7. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan - 25,844 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    An isolated archipelago in Lake Superior, Isle Royale boasts 165 miles of trails and more than 30 campgrounds. It’s open from mid-April through the end of October. Ferry and seaplane service typically runs from mid-May through the end of September, according to NPS. There are fewer mammal species here – only 19 – than on the mainland because animals must cross at least 14 miles of Lake Superior. Wolves and moose are among the notable animal residents.

    6. Katmai National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 24,764 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Katmai is an important habitat for thousands of brown bears. One of the world's premier bear-viewing spots, according to the Park Service, Katmai is home to an estimated 2,200 brown bears. Brooks Camp along the Brooks River is one of the most popular viewing spots to observe bears feasting on salmon.

    5. Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 18,278 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Stretching across more than 4 million acres, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve is home to three designated Wild Rivers and two National Natural Landmark volcanoes. The land holds 10,000 years of human history and preserves the ancestral homelands of the Dena'ina people.

    4. North Cascades National Park, Washington - 17,855 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Peaks crowned by more than 300 glaciers tower over the alpine landscape of North Cascades National Park. More than 1,600 species of plants have been identified on this land that spans temperate rainforest to a dry ponderosa pine ecosystem. There are more than 400 miles of trails.

    3. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska - 11,540 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    There are no roads, campgrounds, or entrance gates for this 1.8 million-acre Kobuk Valley National Park’s human visitors. Half a million caribou migrate through this park, crossing the Kobuk River and Onion Portage, according to the National Park Service. An 8,000-year tradition of hunting caribou here continues today.

    2. National Park of American Samoa - 8,495 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    Most parkgoers will need a passport to visit this spot in a remote part of the South Pacific. Hawaiian Airlines offers direct flights from Honolulu. The only National Park Service site south of the equator, the National Park of American Samoa has units on three different islands in the territory of American Samoa. The park stretches across 13,500 acres, some 4,000 of which are marine acres that are mostly coral reefs.

    1. Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, Alaska - 7,362 recreation visits

    These are the 15 Least Visited National Parks

    With no roads, no trails, no cell service, and no established campsites, this massive expanse is a true wilderness experience. Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve has six designated Wild Rivers. “Visitors may wander at will across 8.4 million acres of superlative natural beauty,” the park’s website says. Visitors must be self-sufficient, flexible, and “able to execute self-extraction and communication, should an emergency situation arise.” Arrive prepared.

    The-CNN-Wire
    ™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

    Latest Stories

    4 Dead, Several Injured After Helicopters Collide on Australian Beach
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    4 Dead, Several Injured After Helicopters Collide on Australian Beach

    January 02 2023 11:14 AM
    These 8 Destinations Will Have You Dreaming of a Warm Christmas
    Destinations
    Badge
    gallery

    These 8 Destinations Will Have You Dreaming of a Warm Christmas

    December 24 2022 11:12 AM
    Times Square in New York City at night
    Best of Travel
    Badge
    gallery

    Sniffies Reveals Horniest Cities

    December 22 2022 4:15 PM
    Our Journey to Kirkpinar: 20 Years Later
    Travelogue
    Badge
    gallery

    Turkish Oil Wrestling: Male Bonding at the Kirkpinar Festival 

    December 20 2022 2:20 PM
    Sniffies investigates the queerness and homoeroticism inherent in frat culture \u2013 and here are the mouthwatering pics to prove it.
    Events
    Badge
    gallery

    20 Thirsty Pics of #SniffiesRush Campaign Celebrating Frat Life

    December 16 2022 3:19 PM
    Reno Gold and his doctor boyfriend Austin in their new travel show “Boyfriends Big World”
    Exclusives
    Badge
    gallery

    OnlyFans Star Reno Gold on His New Boyfriend and Travel Show

    December 16 2022 3:10 PM
    Intro to Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend January 13-16
    Events
    Badge
    gallery

    Intro to Mid-Atlantic Leather Weekend January 13-16

    December 13 2022 3:00 PM
    Making a Case for a Much-Hated Ingredient
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Making a Case for a Much-Hated Ingredient

    December 13 2022 4:00 AM
    Spend the Holidays in West Hollywood
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Spend the Holidays in West Hollywood

    December 11 2022 4:30 PM
    50+ Sexy Photos from Provincetown’s 25th-Annual Holly Folly
    Virtual Travel
    Badge
    gallery

    50+ Sexy Photos from Provincetown’s 25th-Annual Holly Folly

    December 11 2022 12:31 PM
    The 7 Most Cringeworthy Moments in ‘The White Lotus’
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    The 7 Most Cringeworthy Moments in The White Lotus

    December 10 2022 1:50 PM
    Gay Couple Finds True Love While Waiting at Airport
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Gay Couple Finds True Love While Waiting at Airport

    December 06 2022 10:30 AM
    Make the Most of Napa’s ‘Cabernet Season’
    Eat & Drink
    Badge
    gallery

    Make the Most of Napa’s ‘Cabernet Season’

    December 05 2022 4:00 AM
    14 Hotels That Go All Out for Christmas
    Resorts
    Badge
    gallery

    14 Hotels That Go All Out for Christmas

    December 04 2022 4:00 AM
    Pics Show Dueling Eruptions, Lava Flows Threaten Key Hawaiian Highway
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Pics Show Dueling Eruptions, Lava Flows Threaten Key Hawaiian Highway

    November 30 2022 4:30 PM
    Two New Lava Flows Cascade Down Mauna Loa
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Two New Lava Flows Cascade Down Mauna Loa

    November 30 2022 7:00 AM
    Plane Crash Survivors Suspended in Power Lines for Over Seven Hours
    News
    Badge
    gallery

    Plane Crash Survivors Suspended in Power Lines for Over Seven Hours

    November 28 2022 4:15 PM
    Jinkx & DeLaCreme Holiday Show Best Yet
    Drag
    Badge
    gallery

    The Queens of Christmas Will Leave You Laughing

    November 26 2022 5:49 PM
    El Coyol is an exclusive, LGBTQ+ welcoming private island on Lake Nicaragua
    Destinations
    Badge
    gallery

    Escape Winter on This Stunning Private Island

    November 25 2022 12:00 PM
    More Black Friday & Cyber Monday Resort Sales
    Resorts
    Badge
    gallery

    More Black Friday  & Cyber Monday Resort Sales 

    November 25 2022 11:24 AM