A national park is meant to be an oasis — a reprieve from the traffic and crowds of urban life. Unfortunately, though, many people seek this same reprieve, meaning some national parks have become extremely crowded during peak seasons.
In fact, according to a report published by the US Department of the Interior in December 2022, half of all national park visits take place in the 25 most-visited parks.
Although many parks have implemented timed-entry systems to combat overcrowding, this solution isn't foolproof. For example, when I was leaving Arches National Park last summer around noon, the line to get in was over two hours long — and these people all had reservations.
To avoid this issue altogether, I like to visit parks with lower attendance rates. The good news is many of these lesser-known national parks are just as spectacular as the big names.
Of the 25 US national parks I've visited, these were some of my favorite less-popular spots.