Vacant National Parks to Explore (and the Reasons You Should!)
Planning a peaceful getaway in the great outdoors? Here are the least-visited national parks in the country that offer the tranquility and untouched beauty you crave:
The Most Uncrowded National Parks in America
Gates of the Arctic National Park, Alaska
Approximately 11,045 visitors per yearThe northernmost national park in the U.S., located entirely above the Arctic Circle, features an untouched wilderness with no roads or trails. Soak up the pristine Arctic landscape of tundra, rugged mountains, and have ample opportunity for wildlife observation.
Most Iconic Hike or View
The Brooks Range is wild and stunning, but the real magic hits when your bush plane touches down. That moment - surrounded by silence, mountains, and nothing man-made - feels like stepping back in time.
Interesting Fact
Gates of the Arctic is the northernmost national park - a place of true wilderness. It's so remote and unvisited that more people summit Mount Everest every year.
Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska
Approximately 17,616 visitors per year
Situated in northwestern Alaska, just above the Arctic Circle, Kobuk Valley covers 1.75 million acres of untouched wilderness. That's bigger than the entire state of Delaware.
You get there by bush plane, and when you land, it's just you, silence, and...sand dunes??Yeah...Sand dunes. It's raw, remote, and unlike anywhere else in the U.S.
Most Iconic Hike or View
The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes stretch for 25 square miles, rising up to 100 feet high - a golden desert surrounded by Arctic wilderness.
Interesting Fact
Kobuk Valley holds ancient secrets-More specifically, 10,000 years of human history have been found buried in the sand dunes.
Lake Clark National Park, Alaska
Approximately 18,187 visitors per year
Deep in real, wild Alaska, Lake Clark is remote, untouched, and full of everything you picture when you think "Alaska." Towering mountains, active volcanoes, turquoise lakes, and some of the best grizzly bear viewing in the world - all in one park.
It's located on the Alaska Peninsula, about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, and covers over 4 million acres.
There are no roads into the park, so just getting here requires a floatplane or small bush plane. This is real, wild Alaska - no crowds, no noise. Just nature at its most raw.
Most Iconic Hike or View
The heart of the park is Lake Clark itself, a 42-mile-long glacial lake surrounded by sharp peaks and wide-open sky. People come here to fish, paddle, hike, and watch bears hunt salmon in the streams - all with almost no one else around.
Interesting Fact
Lake Clark is one of the only national parks where you can see active volcanoes, wild salmon runs, and grizzly bears all in one day. It also protects part of the Bristol Bay watershed, home to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world.
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Approximately 28,965 visitors per year
Ok, now we're down in the Lower 48. While you'll still need a ferry or sea plane to reach it, it's way more accessible than the remote parks in Alaska.
So why visit? Because this island in Lake Superior is the definition of unplugged. There are no roads. Just deep forest, rocky shorelines, quiet trails, and cold, clear water.
Most visitors come to hike, paddle, or backpack the island's rugged backcountry. And the best part? You'll probably have the trail to yourself. Even in peak season, it's one of the least visited parks in the country.
This is the kind of place you go to slow down, breathe deep, and let the outside world fade away.
Most Iconic Hike or View
The most iconic hike on Isle Royale is the Greenstone Ridge Trail - a 40-mile route that runs the length of the island, following its rocky spine.
It has unreal views of Lake Superior, dense forests, and the kind of silence you can feel.
Interesting Fact
Isle Royale is the only national park that completely closes in winter (from November to mid-April) due to harsh weather and isolation. It's also home to a long-running study of wolves and moose, one of the oldest predator-prey research projects in the world.
These five national parks provide the solitude and natural beauty you seek, far from the hustle and bustle of the popular tourist destinations. Embrace the wilderness, disconnect from the outside world, and enjoy these hidden gems within America's vast national park system.
- For a tranquil escape into the great outdoors, consider visiting Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska, where only about 11,045 visitors per year bask in the untouched Arctic landscape and wildlife viewing opportunities.
- Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska, with only 17,616 visitors annually, offers an unparalleled wilderness experience with towering sand dunes, archaeological sites, and sprawling wilderness reminiscent of Delaware's entire area.
- Lake Clark National Park in Alaska, with approximately 18,187 visitors yearly, boasts towering mountains, active volcanoes, turquoise lakes, and an abundance of grizzly bear sightings in a remote and pristine setting.
- Isle Royale National Park in Michigan, with around 28,965 visitors per year, offers the perfect unplugged adventure with no roads, rugged terrain, and the chance to hike, paddle, or backpack the island's backcountry in seclusion.
- By embracing these lesser-known national parks like Gates of the Arctic, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, and Isle Royale, you can immerse yourself in the wilderness, disconnect from the world outside, and enjoy unparalleled natural beauty in serenity.
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