5 Lesser-Known National Parks Worth The Trek

Millions flock to the national parks every year to witness spectacular fall color light up the Great Smoky Mountains or to see the otherworldly geothermal pools in Yellowstone. Last year, in particular, was a banner year for national park visitation, according to newly released figures from the park service : The parks welcomed 325.5 million visitors to the more than 400 national park sites. The visitation numbers are up 4% from 2022, though not a full rebound from the years leading up to the pandemic when the parks saw nearly 330 million visitors.

While parks like Smoky Mountains, Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain continue to be the most popular parks in terms of the number of visitors they attract, park rangers say they’re noticing that more people are coming during shoulder season and some lesser-known parks broke visitation records last year.

“From Kaloko Honokōhau National Historical Park in Hawai'i to Congaree National Park in South Carolina, parks are attracting more visitors each year to learn about our shared history,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a press statement. “Our national parks tell our shared American story. I'm glad visitors are finding hidden gems, exploring in the off-season and finding new ways to have a great time in our national parks.”

Still, there’s some parks, many in Alaska, that are mostly undiscovered and receive less than 1% of the parks visitors every year — and it’s not because these places aren’t just as beautiful as the most popular ones, but rather because they’re far more difficult to reach (and some even require backcountry survival skills as a prerequisite for visiting).

Ahead, see the most popular national parks, then get an intro to some of the lesser-known parks that are most certainly worth the trek.

What are The Most Popular National Parks?

America’s most popular national parks each draw millions of visitors each year. The Smokies top the list with more than 13 million visitors. The park straddles the Tennessee and North Carolina border and is a known destination for leaf peepers who come to see sugar maples, sweetgum, and hickories change colors. It’s also a popular place in late-April to June when visitors take a shot with the lottery system to get in and see the synchronous fireflies.

Here’s a list of the most popular national parks in the U.S.

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13.29 million)
2. Grand Canyon National Park (4.73 million)
3. Zion National Park (4.62 million)
4. Yellowstone National Park (4.50 million)
5. Rocky Mountain National Park (4.11 million)
6. Yosemite National Park (3.89 million)
7. Acadia National Park (3.87 million)
8. Grand Teton National Park (3.41 million)
9. Joshua Tree National Park (3.27 million)
10. Olympic National Park (2.94 million)

Top 5 Least-Visited National Parks

Some of the country’s least visited national parks are only accessible by seaplanes or ferries, so their remote locations are likely what’s keeping their visitation numbers low. But these lesser-known parks are most certainly worth the trek, and adventurous visitors who make it to these more far-flung spots might see caribou in Gates of the Arctic or see the Northern Lights in the night sky over Michigan.

Here’s five of the least visited national parks, and what to see while there.

1. Gates of the Arctic in Alaska

Annual Visitors: 11,045

With no trails (unless you count those made by the Western Arctic caribou herd), roads or pre-established campsites, this 8.4-million acre swath of untouched wilderness is north of the Arctic Circle in the Brooks Range, which is the northernmost mountain range in Alaska.

Visitors to this remote park need to have solid outdoor survival skills if they’re visiting the park on their own, though outfitters and guide services also guide rafting, canoeing, backpacking, or packrafting trips in Gates of the Arctic. The most common way to get into this wildland is to fly in with an air taxi, starting in Fairbanks with several small airlines that provide flights into communities close to the park, including Bettles, Anaktuvuk Pass, and Coldfoot.

With glacial valleys and rugged mountains, visitors come to fish for Arctic char and trout as well as float and raft the rivers and hike the Arctic valleys.

2. National Park of America Samoa

Annual Visitors: 12,135

This is the only national park that’s located south of the equator. The remote park about 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii, and located in the south Pacific Ocean, is spread out over three tropical islands (Tutuila, Ta’ū, and Ofu) in the Territory of American Samoa.

Visitors come here to birdwatch, see fruit bats with three-foot wingspans, and snorkel coral reefs. The park is made up of tropical rainforests, volcanic mountain slopes, and the surrounding water is teeming with reefs that are home to 950 fish varieties as well as endangered sea turtles.

The park is also dedicated to protecting Samoan the customs, beliefs and traditions of the 3,000-year-old Samoan culture.

Hawaiian Airlines has limited flights from Honolulu to Pago Pago, the capital of American Samoa.

3. Lake Clark National Park

Annual Visitors: 16,728

Most visitors arrive at Lake Clark National Park via small planes, as the park, which is 120 air miles southwest of Anchorage, doesn’t have any developed roads. Visitors come from far and wide to see the brown bears, who feast on salmon and hang out in spots like Chinitna Bay, Crescent Lake in the Chigmit Mountains, and Silver Salmon Creek.

The park also has some great half-and full-day hikes, including the Tanalian Falls trek, which is 4 miles round-trip where you’ll witness a waterfall over a 30-foot cliff that’s made of ancient lava.

4. Kobuk Valley National Park

Annual Visitors: 17,616

Nation park rangers caution that Kobuk Valley isn’t for the average tourist, as the Alaskan park is best suited for experienced backcountry explorers. Getting here is a challenge, too, with most visitors arriving via an air taxi from Kotzebue or Bettles.

The must-see here are the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes, which are more reminiscent of the Sahara Desert than a national park that’s 35 miles north of the Arctic Circle. During the summer months, park-goers also boat, float, fish and photograph the landscape. Winter is a tougher visit, but for those well versed in Arctic winter survival skills may come to ski.

5. Isle Royale National Park in Keweenaw County, Michigan

Annual Visitors: 28,965

Isle Royale is located in the middle of Lake Superior, and those interested in seeing this remote island wilderness can arrive by ferry, seaplane or a private watercraft. The park is open April 16 to Oct. 31, and shuts down in the colder months because of extreme weather conditions.

Isle Royale is a destination for scuba divers because of the well-preserved shipwrecks. Hiking, paddling, bikepacking, and camping are other popular activities in the park, though you can also stay in cabins or lodge rooms at Rock Harbor Lodge.

South of the Canadian border in the northwoods, visitors to Isle Royale have a shot at seeing Northern lights paint the sky during the shoulder season months.

By Brittany Anas, Contributor