When you think of national parks in the United States, images of Yellowstone’s geysers or Yosemite’s towering cliffs might spring to mind. But beyond these iconic landscapes lies a treasure trove of lesser-known parks—natural jewels hidden in plain sight.
Let’s start a journey to discover 25 of America’s best-kept secrets in the National Park System.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
Imagine a wilderness area six times the size of Yellowstone—that’s Wrangell-St. Elias for you. This Alaskan behemoth is a land of superlatives: it’s the largest national park in the U.S. and home to 9 of the 16 highest peaks in North America.
Yet it receives a fraction of the visitors of its more famous counterparts. Here, you can witness massive glaciers calving into the sea or explore abandoned copper mining towns.
Congaree National Park, South Carolina
Forget the Everglades—Congaree is the hidden gem of floodplain forests. This park protects North America’s largest intact old-growth bottomland hardwood forest.
Paddling through its blackwater swamp feels like journeying through prehistoric times. The towering loblolly pines and ancient cypress trees draped in Spanish moss create an otherworldly atmosphere that’s hard to find elsewhere.
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Great Basin National Park, Nevada
While Vegas lights blind most visitors to Nevada, the Great Basin quietly offers some of the darkest night skies in the Lower 48. By day, you can explore limestone caves or hike to bristlecone pines—some of the oldest living organisms on Earth.
By night, the Milky stretches across the sky in a display that’ll make you forget those neon signs altogether.
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
Seventy miles west of Key West lies a cluster of seven small islands that comprise Dry
Tortugas. Home to Fort Jefferson, a massive 19th-century fortress, this park offers a unique blend of history and nature.
Snorkel in crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life, or bird-watch as frigate birds soar overhead.
North Cascades National Park, Washington
Often overshadowed by the Olympics and Mount Rainier, the North Cascades are the Alps of America. With over 300 glaciers, it’s one of the snowiest places in the world. Jagged peaks reflect in turquoise lakes, creating postcard-perfect vistas at every turn.
It’s a playground for mountaineers and backpackers, but even casual visitors can soak in the alpine beauty from scenic drives.
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Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Everything’s bigger in Texas, including the surprises. The Guadalupe Mountains rise from the Chihuahuan Desert like a mirage, offering a cool respite in this arid land.
Home to the four highest peaks in Texas, it’s a haven for hikers and geology buffs. The park’s ancient fossil reef is a testament to the time when this area was a vast inland sea.
It’s like walking through Earth’s history book.
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
Accessible only by boat or seaplane, Isle Royale is an isolated wilderness in Lake Superior. This rugged, forested island is a paradise for backpackers and a living laboratory for ecologists studying wolf and moose populations.
The solitude here is profound—you’re more likely to encounter a loon’s call than another human voice.
Pinnacles National Park, California
California’s newest national park is a testament to the power of volcanism and plate tectonics. Formed by an ancient volcano that has been split and moved 150 miles by the San Andreas Fault, Pinnacles offers otherworldly rock formations, talus caves, and a critical habitat for the endangered California condor.
Rock climbers, take note: this is your under-the-radar paradise.
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Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
A maze of interconnected waterways, Voyageurs is a paddler’s dream. This park pays homage to the French-Canadian fur traders who once plied these waters.
Today, you can retrace their routes by canoe or houseboat, fishing for walleye, or listening to the eerie calls of loons. In winter, the frozen lakes become highways for snowmobiles and cross-country skiers.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
This vertiginous chasm is deeper than it is wide, leaving you in awe. The Black Canyon’s sheer walls plunge over 2,700 feet to the Gunnison River below.
It’s a rock climber’s challenge and a stargazer’s delight—the park’s designation as an International Dark Sky Park ensures spectacular nighttime views.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
The badlands of North Dakota shaped President Theodore Roosevelt’s conservation ethic, and this park is a fitting tribute. Here, bison roam free among colorful buttes and hoodoos.
The Little Missouri River winds through the landscape, carving new features yearly. It’s a glimpse into the American West that Roosevelt knew and loved.
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Channel Islands National Park, California
Just off the coast of bustling Southern California lies a chain of five islands that seem frozen in time. Often called the ‘Galapagos of North America,’ these islands are home to plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth.
Kayak through sea caves, hike windswept trails, or simply watch the endemic island fox in its natural habitat.
Katmai National Park, Alaska
Famous among wildlife photographers but lesser-known to the general public, Katmai is the place to see brown bears in action. During the salmon run, dozens of bears congregate at Brooks Falls, fishing for their next meal.
It’s nature’s version of a bustling marketplace, with bears instead of shoppers and salmon instead of wares.
Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Often overshadowed by its neighbor, Arches, Canyonlands is a vast wilderness of canyons, mesas, and buttes carved by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The park is divided into four districts, each offering a unique perspective on this rugged landscape.
From the dizzying overlooks of Island in the Sky to the remote backcountry
of the Maze, Canyonlands is a playground for adventurers.
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Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota
Beneath the rolling prairie of South Dakota lies one of the world’s longest and most complex cave systems. Wind Cave is known for its rare boxwork formations—delicate, honeycomb-like structures that seem to defy gravity.
Above ground, bison and prairie dogs roam the grasslands, creating a unique juxtaposition of underground and surface ecosystems.
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Lassen is a geological wonderland, showcasing all four types of volcanoes in the world. From the steaming fumaroles and boiling mud pots to the crystal-clear mountain lakes, this park is a testament to the earth’s fiery power and serene beauty.
It’s like Yellowstone without the crowds.
Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado
Picture the Sahara Desert transplanted to the base of snow-capped mountains—that’s Great Sand Dunes for you. Home to the tallest dunes in North America, this park offers a unique opportunity to sandboard or sled down mountains of sand.
The contrast between the dunes and the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains is simply stunning.
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Big Bend National Park, Texas
Where else can you float down a river through canyons by day and stargaze in some of the darkest skies in the country by night? Big Bend is a land of contrasts, where the Chihuahuan Desert meets the Chisos Mountains.
It’s also one of the least-visited national parks in the lower 48, ensuring a sense of solitude that’s hard to find elsewhere.
Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
Glaciers meet the sea in this dynamic Alaskan landscape. Kenai Fjords showcases the raw power of glaciation, with massive ice fields slowly carving their way to the Pacific.
Wildlife abounds here—watch for whales, sea otters, and puffins along the coast, or spot mountain goats clinging to cliffs.
Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky
Beneath the rolling hills of Kentucky lies the world’s longest-known cave system. With over 400 miles of explored passageways and discoveries still being made, Mammoth Cave is a subsurface marvel.
From vast chambers to tight crawlways, it’s an underground wonderland that would make any spelunker’s heart race.
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Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona
Step back in time 225 million years at Petrified Forest. This otherworldly landscape is strewn with fossilized logs, the remnants of an ancient forest turned to stone.
The park also encompasses a portion of the Painted Desert, where bands of colorful rock create a natural canvas that shifts with the changing light.
Biscayne National Park, Florida
Just a stone’s throw from Miami lies an underwater wonderland. Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs.
Snorkel or dive to explore this vibrant marine ecosystem, or kayak through mangrove-fringed shorelines. It’s the Caribbean with a uniquely Floridian twist.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Often bypassed in favor of Utah’s other national parks, Capitol Reef is a hidden gem of colorful cliffs, massive domes, and twisting canyons. The park’s centerpiece is the Waterpocket Fold, a 100-mile-long wrinkle in the Earth’s crust.
Don’t miss the chance to pick fruit from the park’s historic orchards—a sweet treat in the middle of the desert.
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Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico
Descend into an underground wonderland at Carlsbad Caverns. This network of over 100 caves was formed when sulfuric acid dissolved the surrounding limestone, creating massive chambers adorned with delicate formations.
The sight of thousands of bats emerging from the cave at dusk is a spectacle not to be missed.
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, Alaska
We end where we began, in the vast wilderness of Alaska. Wrangell-St. Elias is so immense and diverse that it deserves a second mention.
From the Kennecott Mines National Historic Landmark, a relic of the copper mining era, to the opportunity to fly over massive glaciers, this park offers experiences larger than life.
Charting Your Course to America’s Hidden Wonders
These underrated national parks offer a glimpse into the incredible diversity of America’s landscapes. While the likes of Yellowstone and Yosemite will always have their allure, there’s something special about discovering these lesser-known gems.
So, the next time you plan a trip to explore America’s natural wonders, why not venture off the beaten path? These ‘secret’ national parks await discovery, each offering unforgettable experiences.
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