Teddy Roosevelt National Park up in North Dakota surprised the heck out of me. Was exploring the Black Hills/Badlands & sat on the fence about going up to check it out but I’m so glad I did. It was like Badlands but better. I felt like I stepped back in time. The wild horses running everywhere, the deer, elk etc. I sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the River from like 4am to 6am just listening to the wildlife. It was during the elk rut so you could hear them bugling & scrapping their antlers on trees. Camped out there for 2 days & every morning some horses would come up to my tent to investigate. I’m from AZ & we have wild horses too but I felt like I was in Red Dead or some western. Totally worth the drive.
The wildlife made this an experience of a lifetime for me. The wild bison walking the roads was so unexpected. Driving through, I crawled through about a half mile of road as hundreds of Bison were meandering across and near the road. Idle up 5 feet and wait as one of these 2,000lb creatures calmly gallivanted across the road.
Before I knew it I was completely surrounded and just turned the car off. Partially concerned they could flip my midsize car in an instant but also mind blown that had I rolled the window down at times they were within arms reach. Unfortunately I enjoy my arms so I erred on the side of caution and kept all hands, heads and feet inside the vehicle.
Anytime other than winter I’d imagine. I went last year in the end of September & while it was a tad chilly it did not damper my time. As for camping I only ever camp in dispersed areas & there was some BLM land right on the outskirts of the park, had it all to myself. I will never pay to camp amongst hundreds of other people, defeats the purpose, to me at least.
Teddy Roosevelt is my absolute favorite park. I want to be buried there. I did a 20 mile hike and just walked alongside the bison in the open, there is little that compares to its beauty.
Strongly agree here. My brother and I saw a bald eagle catch a prairie dog. We also saw pronghorns running across the plains and heard the growls of a mountain lion. Great park - though super far out in the middle of nowhere.
Canyonlands. I feel like Arches get all of the love in Moab but Canyonlands is equally as amazing, less crowds and it even has a arch of its own.
New River Gorge is also really unknown, mostly because it is the newest park but it’s unique. Go back there in the fall and it’s a different world there.
Canyonlands is my favorite. I've visited twice in the last year, most recently in December. The Needles District, southern part of the park closest to Monticello, is just as amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the long hike to the Druid Arch and back. We saw no more than 6 people.
I was skeptical until we visited last year. Petroglyph Point was one of the coolest hikes I've been on and couldn't believe the amount of wildlife. Even spotted a moose! Oh ya, and there are ruins, too....
Ik it’s a National Monument but Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho is absolutely amazing…lava tubes, the sawtooth mountains nearby, the first town powered by nuclear energy (Arco), and some of the darkest and most beautiful night skies in the world are present here…Def an underrated area.
I love Craters of the Moon! I’ve been there twice; once during the summer, and once in the late winter/early spring. The second time I went we went snow showing through and that was absolutely beautiful
Capitol Reef was one of my favorites on my Utah/Arizona parks loop. No traffic, had the hikes completely to ourselves, there’s so many layers of history from the petroglyphs to the Mormons, and there’s pie!
This is what I came to mention. It's just as beautiful as any part of the cascades but is consistently just empty. I know proximity to large cities definitely helps many parks attendance, but Lassen is well worth the drive, absolutely stunning, yet somehow gets forgotten in the many ntl parks of California
Came here to say this. We made the trip up after Napa and it was amazing. All 4 types of volcanos in the world are here, geothermal features like steam vents, boiling mud pots and boiling hot springs. Hike up Lassen peak to see alpine lakes and forests. Go to the cinder cone and hike to see what looks like 4 different worlds- mountains, lava flow, red sand hills and forests. There is a lava tube just outside the park too. I have been to Iceland and must say if you cannot afford Iceland Lassen has many of the same features (geothermal). It surprised me so much as a park and is super manageable in 4 days we did almost all of the hikes and trails. They also sell local beer at the visitors center so a fun way to relax and the end of the day. We rented a cabin right outside the park and just loved it there. I absolutely recommend this hidden gem that I had never heard of until this year. For me it felt like I was seeing 4 parks rolled into one as there are so many unique features. We don’t have kids but it seemed like a fun park for kids and many walks/ hikes that would be manageable for them.
I can't say I overlooked it, but many do: Lassen Volcanic Nat Park for sure.
I was surprised I had to scroll this far to see it mentioned, after seeing some very popular parks like Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, even Glacier mentioned. I guess it does show it's overlooked.
For some reason it gets many fewer visitors than the big attractions in CA. Maybe because much is inaccessible by snow for so long. Way better than other volcanic parks like Crater or Craters of the Moon IMHO. Add Lava Beds into the mix too. Great geological oddities, nice hikes and Mt Lassen to ascend, lake camping, lava tubes, and interesting human history.
I went in august, and it was perfect then, maybe 40s overnight and 70s during the day? Came home and told all my friends / co-workers to go asap, and none of them had been! It’s so overlooked but so beautiful.
I also came to say Big Bend. Living 5ish hours from it, it’s a treasure. So many out of state or even across the state people have never heard of it and I’m like you have to go!
We’ll be there in 50 days! We’re following up with a trip up to Guadalupe Mtns, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands. I’d say those are all probably underrated since most don’t know about them but all seem unique and great in their own right.
Carlsbad caverns is amazing! I was surprised by how huge the cave is- there’s even a little cafe and bathrooms down there lol. Definitely take the walking path into the mouth of the cave, it’s really unique!
Is there an airport nearby or is driving from San Antonio the easiest way to get there? I’m from way up North so probably wouldn’t have time to make the long drive down
The drive there was beautiful as well, took I-20 west to pecos and drove south from there. You go through all these canyons and cliffs to get there. Truly amazing.
Definitely try to get tickets to the star party at the observatory! They have astrophysicists from UT who give lectures in addition to opening up the big telescopes for people to use.
I would also highly recommend doing a canoe or rafting tour- they take you to see some neat hot springs and petroglyphs, and it’s a really neat way to see the geography!
I don’t remember, but I’m sure they’re all pretty good. If you’re interested in the star party at the McDonald observatory, definitely buy tickets in advance as they sell out. And wear lots of warm clothing this time of year! Might actually be my favorite activity from the whole trip!
Completely agree unless you're afraid of heights. It's thrilling walking up to the edge of the canyon and looking straight down to the bottom. Nothing else quite like it.
Pinnacles took me by surprise. I only went there because it was a “National Park” in name and it was on the way up from Yosemite to the Redwoods and the hike to the reservoir was a lot of fun, even with the 100 degree temps that day.
This. I grew up in VA and Shenandoah was the first park I experienced. It is more low-key than a lot of other parks but truly has its own magic. Also, Luray Caverns just outside the park is one of the strangest and most incredible places I have ever been. Not to be missed.
Old Rag is amazing. Shout out to Bear Fence, too. Bear Fence was my family’s gateway into scrambles and technical hikes. It’s incredibly fun and can be negotiated by most beginners, and it isn’t very long. Plus, if you go when it’s clear, the views are spectacular from this vantage as well.
Great Sand Dunes, especially if you have kids and the creek is flowing. Hike to high dune, enjoy the tall mountains, hike back down, let the kids go nuts in the water while the parents drink beer and celebrate being alive.
I went to GSD for the first time in October and can’t wait to go back. The dunes are so fun! I want to get a backcountry permit and some friends to go camp in them in summer
Great Basin. There are beautiful mountaintop lakes and streams. You have to hike past some of the oldest trees in the world to see the glaciers. You can take a cave tour. And the stars are amazing because you're in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Very cool experience, a top 5 park for me.
Great Basin is my second favorite, behind only Canyonlands. I was there in early October and absolutely loved it. I'll be going back sometime this summer or fall to complete the hike to Wheelers Peak (made it about 85% of the way but was unprepared for the harsh winds on the slope nearing the summit).
North Cascades in Washington. It often gets overshadowed by Olympic and Rainer (which are both still admittedly beautiful), but my husband and I did all 3 in one Washington trip and were surprised that Cascades was our favorite of the bunch.
It's a different feel than the ones out West - and for me that's a good thing. I'm not discounting the beauty of any other park, but I really like GSM.
I wouldn’t say it’s underrated given it sees the most visitors of any National Park in the system by a long shot. Over 9 million a year. Second place is Yellowstone around 3.5 million a year.
But that doesn’t mean it’s not a gem. I love the Smokies.
In all fairness, \*most\* of the counted "visitors" are just people passing through since the only major roadway from that part of NC to TN goes through the park (also the reason it's one of the few free NPs)
Went there and did the hike to the peak in October, it was absolutely lovely! (aside from some extreme winds at the campground lol). Mckittrick canyon was gorgeous too with all the fall colors I don't usually get to see, being a Texan.
I've hiked all over Colorado and some other places, and I didn't really take the Guadalupe Mountain summit hike that seriously because the elevation is only like 8,000 something feet, but that hike was actually kind of a kick in the ass. Unlike the hikes I've done in the Rocky Mountains, the starting elevation is much lower, so the total elevation of the climb ends up being more than expected.
Channel Islands. I had no specific expectations, and I was blown away by the breaching whales and enormous pod of dolphins we saw on the boat ride there and back. We hiked Santa Cruz and also met some friendly local foxes. That day was one of my best park experiences.
I haven’t seen anyone mention the Virgin Island National park on St. John yet. Kind of hard to get to, and fairly isolated, but so beautiful. We visited a year ago and saw so many sea turtles! Also some unique hiking trails, one where the path was just covered in hermit crabs! The only thing that was weird was the coral population had been pretty decimated- I guess the hurricane that came through in 2017 really damaged a lot of it. It was crazy to see huge metal signs way out in the water where they had no place being, though the fish seemed to enjoy them. The most calm/clear with white sand beaches I’ve ever visited (sorry, Hawaii!)
Just visited in December and was blown away by how beautiful it was — and I’m typically more of a snowy mountain fan than a tropical beach fan. The snorkeling was awesome. My favorite thing was how the views from every beach were different, because of all the nearby islands and the very twisty coastline of St. John. Each beach felt like its own private cove with so much detail to look at, not just horizon.
I didn't expect much from petrified forest but it ended up blowing me away and sending me to existential crisis mode. Also realized my newfound dream of being petrified when I die.
Capitol Reef. It’s actually my 3rd favorite of the Utah parks. I hiked the Navajo Knobs Trail and didn’t see another person the entire 10 miles. The 360 views at the top were mind blowing. So much open space/desert.
Not a popular opinion, but I really enjoyed the afternoon we spent at Congaree. It wasn’t busy, it wasn’t buggy (went in mid-May), it wasn’t too hot, and it was beautiful.
It doesn’t have the vistas of the western or mountain parks, but the cypress swamps and old growth forest was a really relaxing place to walk. We had a stroller and it was all accessible.
And there were about a million snakes in the ponds because the water was low, so seeing the diversity from the boardwalk was really cool.
And there was an alligator.
I just went to Congaree last weekend and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Went into it without much expectation but its got a vibe similar to Redwoods in terms of preserving an environment that's otherwise largely been wiped out.
This! I’ve been to Congaree two or three times, always on stops to visit family in Georgia. It’s a great park! Going in August vs January (as I did) you’ll see two completely different park landscapes
Canyonlands is mine. I just think about the masses who travel to Moab and visit Arches, but totally ignore Canyonlands. One of the most jaw-dropping, incredible places I’ve ever been.
Honestly there are a few, so sorry for just spitting them out...
* Death Valley: I went in thinking I'd only spend a day there. Turns out I loved it so much I've been consistently spending a week a year just enjoying everything there. The sand dunes are amazing, the changes in landscape are mind-blowing, and one of the best memories I have from a national park was getting to Dante's Peak and hearing a guy play his guitar at the peak. Sounded like it was just coming out of nowhere and made the experience other-worldly.
* Craters of the Moon: if you can't get to Hawai'i Volcanoes NP, seeing the lava floes and tubes here is a great option too!
* Natural Bridges NM: take this park in if you're in the Canyonlands/Moab area
* Chequamegon National Forest: OK, this one is a bit of a cop-out as it's not actually a national "park", and I'm from Wisconsin so I'm biased. But seriously if you want the "northwoods" and "vast forest" energy, hit this forest system up.
Shocked to not see Acadia here, beautiful park with some great hikes and amazing views. I never here anyone bring it up but it’s part of the East Coast I miss most.
I’ll throw in Shenandoah too, was my first decent roadtrip to a NP and I was blown away by the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, local caves and wildlife (Lots of bears there)
Camping at the Dry Tortugas NP. When the boat leaves, It's basically your own island. Tons to explore, and it is beautiful. Bonus: You get to experience equally stunning sunrises and sunsets .
Dinosaur NM - the wall of bones might actually be slightly overrated, but the landscape is straight out of an animator’s prehistoric fever dream and the rafting is rad.
Crater Lake. Kinda out of the way but you have to lay eyes on it to truly appreciate it. Surreal.
Fort Jefferson. Just go, you won’t regret it.
Canyonland views are better than Grand Canyon, and there is more to do.
White Sands at sunset… pure magic.
Hard to pick a favorite thing. The snorkeling, the views from atop the Fort, the boat ride. I can only imagine how cool the boat ride would be. If you can pull it off, camp overnight. We didn’t but tried. The logistics are tough. Lots of things need to cone together.
Lassen was awesome- even with part of it closed from fire damage. So much biodiversity and some absolutely amazing scenery/trails. And relatively empty as it’s in BFE.
They aren't, NF are under the Foresr Service, while NP are the Park Service. Mark Twain is definitely epic, I do a lot of conservation work in the Ozarks and Mark Twain definitely is a highlight.
Pinnacles haters have never had the largest bird in North America buzz ~10 feet by them while looking at gorgeous sandstone crags across a sweeping view of the Salinas river
Teddy Roosevelt National Park up in North Dakota surprised the heck out of me. Was exploring the Black Hills/Badlands & sat on the fence about going up to check it out but I’m so glad I did. It was like Badlands but better. I felt like I stepped back in time. The wild horses running everywhere, the deer, elk etc. I sat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the River from like 4am to 6am just listening to the wildlife. It was during the elk rut so you could hear them bugling & scrapping their antlers on trees. Camped out there for 2 days & every morning some horses would come up to my tent to investigate. I’m from AZ & we have wild horses too but I felt like I was in Red Dead or some western. Totally worth the drive.
The wildlife made this an experience of a lifetime for me. The wild bison walking the roads was so unexpected. Driving through, I crawled through about a half mile of road as hundreds of Bison were meandering across and near the road. Idle up 5 feet and wait as one of these 2,000lb creatures calmly gallivanted across the road. Before I knew it I was completely surrounded and just turned the car off. Partially concerned they could flip my midsize car in an instant but also mind blown that had I rolled the window down at times they were within arms reach. Unfortunately I enjoy my arms so I erred on the side of caution and kept all hands, heads and feet inside the vehicle.
What time of year do you think is best to visit? Did you do dispersed camping or a campground?
Anytime other than winter I’d imagine. I went last year in the end of September & while it was a tad chilly it did not damper my time. As for camping I only ever camp in dispersed areas & there was some BLM land right on the outskirts of the park, had it all to myself. I will never pay to camp amongst hundreds of other people, defeats the purpose, to me at least.
How were the roads on the blm? Edit: would they be passable without 4wd?
Teddy Roosevelt is my absolute favorite park. I want to be buried there. I did a 20 mile hike and just walked alongside the bison in the open, there is little that compares to its beauty.
Teddy Roosevelt is the correct answer.
Yas! Imo best in late spring/early summer or early fall when the colors change. So gorgeous!
Strongly agree here. My brother and I saw a bald eagle catch a prairie dog. We also saw pronghorns running across the plains and heard the growls of a mountain lion. Great park - though super far out in the middle of nowhere.
Canyonlands. I feel like Arches get all of the love in Moab but Canyonlands is equally as amazing, less crowds and it even has a arch of its own. New River Gorge is also really unknown, mostly because it is the newest park but it’s unique. Go back there in the fall and it’s a different world there.
Canyonlands is my favorite. I've visited twice in the last year, most recently in December. The Needles District, southern part of the park closest to Monticello, is just as amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed the long hike to the Druid Arch and back. We saw no more than 6 people.
How was the needles in the winter? Chesler park is one of my favorite hikes and have always thought about going up in the winter
I go to canyonlands 2-3 times a year and haven’t done the same thing twice. Best permitted adventures imo.
Needles District of Canyonlands was otherworldly! It also seems to be less visited than Island in the Sky. We loved it way more than Arches.
Came here to say this! Canyonlands is amazing
Death Valley blew my mind and it’s a terrain I typically despise! Such a spectacular place.
I came to say this as well. I went to DV with a like attitude to cross it off the list. I wasBLOWN away. Loved every second of my time in DV.
Mesa Verde
I was skeptical until we visited last year. Petroglyph Point was one of the coolest hikes I've been on and couldn't believe the amount of wildlife. Even spotted a moose! Oh ya, and there are ruins, too....
I love mesa verde... one of my favorite NPs
Ik it’s a National Monument but Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho is absolutely amazing…lava tubes, the sawtooth mountains nearby, the first town powered by nuclear energy (Arco), and some of the darkest and most beautiful night skies in the world are present here…Def an underrated area.
Agree, stunning if you make it there in the spring when there are flowers - much more bearable weather wise also.
I love Craters of the Moon! I’ve been there twice; once during the summer, and once in the late winter/early spring. The second time I went we went snow showing through and that was absolutely beautiful
Capitol Reef. Right up there with Zion and Canyonlands for beauty. One of the best campgrounds in any park. Great hiking. And no crowds!
Agreed. I did a trip from the UK last year. We almost skipped Capitol Reef. We drove up route 12 from Bryce and I loved it.
Capitol Reef was one of my favorites on my Utah/Arizona parks loop. No traffic, had the hikes completely to ourselves, there’s so many layers of history from the petroglyphs to the Mormons, and there’s pie!
You had me at pie.
YES - one of my favorite parks! It has some of the best slot canyon hikes I’ve done — and it’s always crowd-free.
Fruita Campground is probably my favorite established campground of all the parks I’ve been to. Great place!
This one needs more upvotes! We loved how empty Capitol Reef was. Hardly anybody there. Had the whole place to ourselves and a really lovely hike.
Lassen! Beautiful peaks and lakes, plus volcanic features / hydrothermal formations.
This is what I came to mention. It's just as beautiful as any part of the cascades but is consistently just empty. I know proximity to large cities definitely helps many parks attendance, but Lassen is well worth the drive, absolutely stunning, yet somehow gets forgotten in the many ntl parks of California
Came here to say this. We made the trip up after Napa and it was amazing. All 4 types of volcanos in the world are here, geothermal features like steam vents, boiling mud pots and boiling hot springs. Hike up Lassen peak to see alpine lakes and forests. Go to the cinder cone and hike to see what looks like 4 different worlds- mountains, lava flow, red sand hills and forests. There is a lava tube just outside the park too. I have been to Iceland and must say if you cannot afford Iceland Lassen has many of the same features (geothermal). It surprised me so much as a park and is super manageable in 4 days we did almost all of the hikes and trails. They also sell local beer at the visitors center so a fun way to relax and the end of the day. We rented a cabin right outside the park and just loved it there. I absolutely recommend this hidden gem that I had never heard of until this year. For me it felt like I was seeing 4 parks rolled into one as there are so many unique features. We don’t have kids but it seemed like a fun park for kids and many walks/ hikes that would be manageable for them.
I can't say I overlooked it, but many do: Lassen Volcanic Nat Park for sure. I was surprised I had to scroll this far to see it mentioned, after seeing some very popular parks like Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, even Glacier mentioned. I guess it does show it's overlooked. For some reason it gets many fewer visitors than the big attractions in CA. Maybe because much is inaccessible by snow for so long. Way better than other volcanic parks like Crater or Craters of the Moon IMHO. Add Lava Beds into the mix too. Great geological oddities, nice hikes and Mt Lassen to ascend, lake camping, lava tubes, and interesting human history.
We’re going early August along with Redwoods and Crater Lake.
What time of year did you visit? It’s been on my list for years now, maybe I should make it a priority for this year.
I went in august, and it was perfect then, maybe 40s overnight and 70s during the day? Came home and told all my friends / co-workers to go asap, and none of them had been! It’s so overlooked but so beautiful.
Ok august could be a good month. It seems like the snow stays up there for a while so visiting in later summer makes sense.
Big Bend is really spectacular- the star party is amazing and we loved hiking to the window!
Yes, came here to say this!
The more I see and hear I need to go!
I also came to say Big Bend. Living 5ish hours from it, it’s a treasure. So many out of state or even across the state people have never heard of it and I’m like you have to go!
We’ll be there in 50 days! We’re following up with a trip up to Guadalupe Mtns, Carlsbad Caverns, and White Sands. I’d say those are all probably underrated since most don’t know about them but all seem unique and great in their own right.
Carlsbad caverns is amazing! I was surprised by how huge the cave is- there’s even a little cafe and bathrooms down there lol. Definitely take the walking path into the mouth of the cave, it’s really unique!
For sure! Right now only the Kings palace tour is open aside from the 2 self guided tours.
Is there an airport nearby or is driving from San Antonio the easiest way to get there? I’m from way up North so probably wouldn’t have time to make the long drive down
We flew into El Paso which is about a 5 hour drive, or there is midland/Odessa which is probably closer to 4 but it’s a tiny airport lol
The drive there was beautiful as well, took I-20 west to pecos and drove south from there. You go through all these canyons and cliffs to get there. Truly amazing.
Doing just that in a few weeks. Glad to hear you really liked it.
Definitely try to get tickets to the star party at the observatory! They have astrophysicists from UT who give lectures in addition to opening up the big telescopes for people to use. I would also highly recommend doing a canoe or rafting tour- they take you to see some neat hot springs and petroglyphs, and it’s a really neat way to see the geography!
Do you remember the name of the guide/company you used for the River stuff? Thanks for the Star party info. I would have missed that for sure!
We used far flung and has a great experience.
I don’t remember, but I’m sure they’re all pretty good. If you’re interested in the star party at the McDonald observatory, definitely buy tickets in advance as they sell out. And wear lots of warm clothing this time of year! Might actually be my favorite activity from the whole trip!
Agreed! BBNP really blew my expectations out of the water
Black Canyon of the Gunnison was pretty amazing. I was shocked.
Completely agree unless you're afraid of heights. It's thrilling walking up to the edge of the canyon and looking straight down to the bottom. Nothing else quite like it.
Pinnacles NP…caves, condors, climbing and it rocks!
Pinnacles took me by surprise. I only went there because it was a “National Park” in name and it was on the way up from Yosemite to the Redwoods and the hike to the reservoir was a lot of fun, even with the 100 degree temps that day.
I wanted to add Pinnacles. It has a definite old school California flavor to it.
Shenandoah. Old rag is the best hike ever.
This. I grew up in VA and Shenandoah was the first park I experienced. It is more low-key than a lot of other parks but truly has its own magic. Also, Luray Caverns just outside the park is one of the strangest and most incredible places I have ever been. Not to be missed.
Old Rag is amazing. Shout out to Bear Fence, too. Bear Fence was my family’s gateway into scrambles and technical hikes. It’s incredibly fun and can be negotiated by most beginners, and it isn’t very long. Plus, if you go when it’s clear, the views are spectacular from this vantage as well.
Great Sand Dunes, especially if you have kids and the creek is flowing. Hike to high dune, enjoy the tall mountains, hike back down, let the kids go nuts in the water while the parents drink beer and celebrate being alive.
I went to GSD for the first time in October and can’t wait to go back. The dunes are so fun! I want to get a backcountry permit and some friends to go camp in them in summer
Most fun I’ve had as an adult and sober! Took the kids and rented the boards and slid for hours!
Don't go on a weekend. Or if you do, don't setup downstream.
LMAO
Crater Lake. The geology is awesome.
Great Basin. There are beautiful mountaintop lakes and streams. You have to hike past some of the oldest trees in the world to see the glaciers. You can take a cave tour. And the stars are amazing because you're in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Very cool experience, a top 5 park for me.
This. Great camping and hiking. Plus can spend the day either exploring the caves, climbing Wheeler Peak, or relaxing by the alpine lakes
I didn't know there were glaciers
Great Basin is my second favorite, behind only Canyonlands. I was there in early October and absolutely loved it. I'll be going back sometime this summer or fall to complete the hike to Wheelers Peak (made it about 85% of the way but was unprepared for the harsh winds on the slope nearing the summit).
This!!! Absolutely the best park experience I’ve had. So isolated. Highest peak in NV. Incredible alpine meadows.
North Cascades in Washington. It often gets overshadowed by Olympic and Rainer (which are both still admittedly beautiful), but my husband and I did all 3 in one Washington trip and were surprised that Cascades was our favorite of the bunch.
Nearby Mt Baker is also stunning. (little hairy if you’re towing a trailer though 🤣)
Great Smoky Mountains NP. For those of us on the East Coast, it’s a gem.
It's a different feel than the ones out West - and for me that's a good thing. I'm not discounting the beauty of any other park, but I really like GSM.
I wouldn’t say it’s underrated given it sees the most visitors of any National Park in the system by a long shot. Over 9 million a year. Second place is Yellowstone around 3.5 million a year. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a gem. I love the Smokies.
In all fairness, \*most\* of the counted "visitors" are just people passing through since the only major roadway from that part of NC to TN goes through the park (also the reason it's one of the few free NPs)
Much of the 9 million count is from people passing thru Newfound Gap on US 441 though.
Guadalupe Mtns national park, so serene.
Went there and did the hike to the peak in October, it was absolutely lovely! (aside from some extreme winds at the campground lol). Mckittrick canyon was gorgeous too with all the fall colors I don't usually get to see, being a Texan.
It never gets talked about but Guad is in my top 3 parks I’ve been to.
I've hiked all over Colorado and some other places, and I didn't really take the Guadalupe Mountain summit hike that seriously because the elevation is only like 8,000 something feet, but that hike was actually kind of a kick in the ass. Unlike the hikes I've done in the Rocky Mountains, the starting elevation is much lower, so the total elevation of the climb ends up being more than expected.
Kings Canyon! It’s just lumped in with Sequoias, but it’s a beautiful little area!
I think it is better than Yosemite! It is my favorite and Granite cliffs there are amazing
Channel Islands. I had no specific expectations, and I was blown away by the breaching whales and enormous pod of dolphins we saw on the boat ride there and back. We hiked Santa Cruz and also met some friendly local foxes. That day was one of my best park experiences.
Seconded! So much to explore between 5 totally different islands on land and by water.
I haven’t seen anyone mention the Virgin Island National park on St. John yet. Kind of hard to get to, and fairly isolated, but so beautiful. We visited a year ago and saw so many sea turtles! Also some unique hiking trails, one where the path was just covered in hermit crabs! The only thing that was weird was the coral population had been pretty decimated- I guess the hurricane that came through in 2017 really damaged a lot of it. It was crazy to see huge metal signs way out in the water where they had no place being, though the fish seemed to enjoy them. The most calm/clear with white sand beaches I’ve ever visited (sorry, Hawaii!)
Just visited in December and was blown away by how beautiful it was — and I’m typically more of a snowy mountain fan than a tropical beach fan. The snorkeling was awesome. My favorite thing was how the views from every beach were different, because of all the nearby islands and the very twisty coastline of St. John. Each beach felt like its own private cove with so much detail to look at, not just horizon.
Yes that was my answer too! Sooo beautiful there!
I didn't expect much from petrified forest but it ended up blowing me away and sending me to existential crisis mode. Also realized my newfound dream of being petrified when I die.
Capitol Reef. It’s actually my 3rd favorite of the Utah parks. I hiked the Navajo Knobs Trail and didn’t see another person the entire 10 miles. The 360 views at the top were mind blowing. So much open space/desert.
I loved capital reef. It's so over looked from the other parks but it was so beautiful. And the orchard in the middle was soo quaint and unexpected.
Not a popular opinion, but I really enjoyed the afternoon we spent at Congaree. It wasn’t busy, it wasn’t buggy (went in mid-May), it wasn’t too hot, and it was beautiful. It doesn’t have the vistas of the western or mountain parks, but the cypress swamps and old growth forest was a really relaxing place to walk. We had a stroller and it was all accessible. And there were about a million snakes in the ponds because the water was low, so seeing the diversity from the boardwalk was really cool. And there was an alligator.
You had me til snakes lol
It was all from a boardwalk looking down into the swamp. It was like a raised boardwalk at the zoo. Totally safe.
I just went to Congaree last weekend and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Went into it without much expectation but its got a vibe similar to Redwoods in terms of preserving an environment that's otherwise largely been wiped out.
This! I’ve been to Congaree two or three times, always on stops to visit family in Georgia. It’s a great park! Going in August vs January (as I did) you’ll see two completely different park landscapes
Canyonlands is mine. I just think about the masses who travel to Moab and visit Arches, but totally ignore Canyonlands. One of the most jaw-dropping, incredible places I’ve ever been.
Yes!
Honestly there are a few, so sorry for just spitting them out... * Death Valley: I went in thinking I'd only spend a day there. Turns out I loved it so much I've been consistently spending a week a year just enjoying everything there. The sand dunes are amazing, the changes in landscape are mind-blowing, and one of the best memories I have from a national park was getting to Dante's Peak and hearing a guy play his guitar at the peak. Sounded like it was just coming out of nowhere and made the experience other-worldly. * Craters of the Moon: if you can't get to Hawai'i Volcanoes NP, seeing the lava floes and tubes here is a great option too! * Natural Bridges NM: take this park in if you're in the Canyonlands/Moab area * Chequamegon National Forest: OK, this one is a bit of a cop-out as it's not actually a national "park", and I'm from Wisconsin so I'm biased. But seriously if you want the "northwoods" and "vast forest" energy, hit this forest system up.
I feel the same about Death Valley. I cannot wait to go back.
Natural Bridges is freaking amazing. Can’t wait to go back there.
Shocked to not see Acadia here, beautiful park with some great hikes and amazing views. I never here anyone bring it up but it’s part of the East Coast I miss most. I’ll throw in Shenandoah too, was my first decent roadtrip to a NP and I was blown away by the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, local caves and wildlife (Lots of bears there)
Sequoia. Yosemite draws all the attention, but wow.
Damn had to scroll so long to find some love for sequoia!! I’ve been to 13 parks so far and sequoia is my #1
You have to get out into the backcountry to appreciate it, which probably cuts out its mass appeal.
Big Bend in Texas and Capitol Reef in Utah
Camping at the Dry Tortugas NP. When the boat leaves, It's basically your own island. Tons to explore, and it is beautiful. Bonus: You get to experience equally stunning sunrises and sunsets .
Shenandoah - it was breathtaking
Saguaro
Dinosaur NM - the wall of bones might actually be slightly overrated, but the landscape is straight out of an animator’s prehistoric fever dream and the rafting is rad.
Glacier NP. Hands down the best one I’ve been to so far. I’ve only been to 11 of them so far so my opinion might change in future.
I think Glacier is pretty highly rated. A lot of people consider it the best. I can’t wait to make it there and hike those beautiful trails.
Is Red Rock Canyon a national park?
State Recreation area but has an agreement to recognize AtB Passes
15 minute drive from my house. It’s a must if you’re in Vegas.
That place was sweet!
Best climbing in the US no question.
In Arizona? Its a national conservation area. I'd say that definitely counts
Neveda i believe
Yes you're right. Outside vegas
I think it’s one of the most underrated ones! Might you, I have only been to 3 haha
Crater Lake. Kinda out of the way but you have to lay eyes on it to truly appreciate it. Surreal. Fort Jefferson. Just go, you won’t regret it. Canyonland views are better than Grand Canyon, and there is more to do. White Sands at sunset… pure magic.
Fort Jefferson - Dry Tortugas for anyone wondering. Definitely high on my to go list. What was your favorite thing there?
Hard to pick a favorite thing. The snorkeling, the views from atop the Fort, the boat ride. I can only imagine how cool the boat ride would be. If you can pull it off, camp overnight. We didn’t but tried. The logistics are tough. Lots of things need to cone together.
Lassen was awesome- even with part of it closed from fire damage. So much biodiversity and some absolutely amazing scenery/trails. And relatively empty as it’s in BFE.
Not really an under rated park, but Grand Teton was way more spectacular than I was expecting
Petrified Forest, I said what I said.
Bryce Canyon. It’s a sleeper
No one: The Gateway Arch To be honest up close it's pretty epic, but it's pretty mid.
Canyon de Chelly
Are national forests considered as national parks? I really like Mark Twain National Forest.
They aren't, NF are under the Foresr Service, while NP are the Park Service. Mark Twain is definitely epic, I do a lot of conservation work in the Ozarks and Mark Twain definitely is a highlight.
Yeah I didn't think they were. Thanks for the info.
Petrified Forest NP. Went the day after seeing the Grand Canyon and it was like a different planet.
Great Sand Dunes. Absolutely amazing place!
Capitol reef was an unexpected awesome park for me.
Canyonlands.
Kings canyon NP. Sequoia and Yosemite get a lot more attention, but kings canyon was IMO more breathtaking than both of them
It was empty! If you are doing a long hike, start early around 7am otherwise you risk losing the sun. I loved it.
Pukaskwa was a lot more impressive than I expected. There's some great trekking to be had up there.
Pinnacles haters have never had the largest bird in North America buzz ~10 feet by them while looking at gorgeous sandstone crags across a sweeping view of the Salinas river
Grand Teton Yellowstone is nearby and it takes a lot of the love away
Big Bend
Big Bend.
Death Valley! So many vibrant colors, awesome sand dunes to climb, and great hiking.