Underrated National Parks
Here are some underrated national parks with more than 400 locations falling under the domain of the National Park Service—including 58 national parks— there are some places that simply don’t get the love that they deserve,For some reason, these parks simply don’t see high levels of visitors, despite the fact that they are truly impressive.
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
This island offers excellent hiking, kayaking, and camping in a remote setting that is simply a joy to explore. Access is granted via daily ferries, which is why larger parks like Yosemite and Yellowstone see more visitors in a day than Isle Royale sees in a year. Wildlife on the island include moose and wolves, which are frequently spotted by hikers along the park’s scenic trails.
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
Another island park, the Dry Tortuga can be found 68 miles to the southwest of the Florida Keys. At the center of the park is Fort Jefferson, the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. The massive fort sits on an isolated island and features an impressive looking moat that defended the structure.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Covering more than 13.2 million acres, Alaska’s Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the largest in the entire U.S. system. Despite its size, the park sees only about 75,000 visitors on an annual basis—a far cry from the 10 million that visit the Great Smoky Mountains each year.
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Travelers looking for a truly wild experience along one of the most famous rivers in all of North America should have Big Bend National Park in Texas on their bucket lists. The park sits along the border of the U.S. and Mexico, with the meandering Rio Grande marking its southernmost edge. Over the millennia, that river has carved massive canyons through the remote landscapes that make up the park, creating an almost otherworldly place.
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Hidden away in east-central Nevada, far from the state’s stark deserts, is a national park lets you climb a 13,000-foot mountain, traverse a 5,000-year-old pine forest, and explore the depths of the Earth in a vast cave system. Situated within the “great basin” that formed between the Sierra Mountains and Wasatch Range, the park offers visitors unique experiences both above and below the ground.
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