The 7 Least Visited National Parks in the U.S.

National parks are a vital part of American tourism, attracting millions of visitors—both domestic and international—each year. Visitation has steadily increased in recent years, with a notable surge in 2020 as people turned to the outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, not all parks share the same level of fame or foot traffic. Some, like Zion, attract millions of visitors annually thanks to their stunning scenery, dramatic geography, online popularity, or easy access, supported by strong infrastructure.

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The most visited national park in the U.S. is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which attracts over 12 million visitors annually. Nestled in the Appalachian Mountains between North Carolina and Tennessee, it owes its popularity not only to natural beauty but also to a huge nearby population, free entry, and a major highway that cuts directly through the park.

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At the same time, many parks just as breathtaking and equally deserving of attention remain largely under-visited. Often, due to limited infrastructure, remote locations, or a lack of recognition, these parks attract fewer annual visitors. Yet, they showcase some of the most spectacular geography in the country. Here are the seven least-visited national parks in the United States, with visitor data from Dirtinmyshoes.

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#7. Katmai National Park, Alaska (36,230)

Katmai National Park sits on the Alaskan Peninsula in southwestern Alaska, within the Aleutian Mountain Range. The landscape is defined by a jagged volcanic skyline juxtaposed against glacial valleys. Positioned along the Pacific Ring of Fire, Katmai contains 14 active volcanoes, most notably Mount Katmai and Novarupta. In 1912, Novarupta erupted in the largest volcanic event of the 20th century, causing widespread devastation in the region. The eruption began when magma drained from beneath Mount Katmai and traveled six miles through a sill before emerging at Novarupta. The massive loss of magma caused Katmai’s summit to collapse, forming a caldera and creating the landscape now known as the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes.

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Beyond its volcanic topography, Katmai is renowned for its thriving wildlife. The annual salmon runs draw both anglers and brown bears, making the park one of the best bear-viewing destinations in the world. With more than 2,200 brown bears within its boundaries, Katmai requires all visitors to complete a bear safety course before entry. Each year, Katmai holds a Fat Bear Week contest where online voters decide on the bear most prepared for hibernation. Otis, the bear, is a wonderfully successful hunter, earning the title of Fattest Bear four times.

Katmai also preserves a rich human history. The Brooks Camp Cultural Site features a reconstruction of a prehistoric dwelling that was uncovered during a 1960s archaeological dig. Excavations in the area have revealed over 330,000 artifacts, including harpoons, tools, lamps, and weapons, tracing human presence here back 9,000 to 11,000 years.

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Visiting Katmai requires careful planning. With no roads leading into the park, access is limited to flights from nearby towns, and these flights are often delayed or canceled due to weather conditions. Lodging near the park is limited and expensive, and travelers are required to complete a mandatory safety orientation. Those who make the effort, however, are rewarded with one of Alaska’s most raw and remarkable wilderness experiences.

#6. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan (28,806)

Isle Royale National Park is a remote island wilderness in the heart of Lake Superior, sitting about 15 miles from the Canadian and Minnesota shorelines. The park consists of one dominant island, 45 miles long and 9 miles wide, surrounded by more than 400 smaller islands. Visitors can explore its beauty by hiking along the 40-mile Greenstone Ridge Trail, kayaking along the rugged coastline, or spotting wildlife in their natural habitat.

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The island has two ecosystems, with boreal forests along the damp coastline and hardwood forests covering its interior. While around 40 mammal species inhabit the surrounding Lake Superior region, Isle Royale’s isolation has limited the archipelago to about 18 species. Land animals are unable to swim the 15 miles to migrate to the island, and hibernating animals never have access to the ice bridge that forms in the wintertime. The absence of large predators, such as bears, has created the ideal setting for the world’s longest continuous predator-prey study, which has been tracking the relationship between wolves and moose since 1958.

Getting to Isle Royale is no simple task. The park is only accessible by boat or seaplane, and it is only open to visitors from mid-April through October. Once inside, travel is strictly on foot or by water, as there are no roads and minimal infrastructure—preserving the extent of the island’s untouched wilderness.

#5. National Park of American Samoa, American Samoa (22,567)

The National Park of American Samoa is the only U.S. national park located south of the Equator. It is spread across three islands in the territory of American Samoa: the main island of Tutuila, and the smaller islands of Taʻū and Ofu. Tutuila, the largest of the three, is home to the park office and visitor center, as well as notable landmarks such as Pago Pago Harbor and the Blunts Point Battery.

Taʻū is a volcanic island dominated by Mount Lata, an active shield volcano that rises to 3,054 feet, making it the highest point in American Samoa. Offshore, vast coral colonies known as the “Valley of the Giants” thrive in surrounding waters. These corals have demonstrated remarkable resilience to the warming seas and coral bleaching events that are significantly impacting the majority of reefs worldwide. Scientists are studying these reefs to discover what allows them to persevere despite the climate challenges. Taʻū is also home to Saua, a sacred site considered the original settlement of the Samoan people and the birthplace of their culture.

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Ofu, the smallest of the three islands, rewards visitors with stunning volcanic landscapes, vibrant coral reefs, and a deeper immersion into traditional Polynesian life due to its limited amenities. Visitors are asked to respect the native people and their customs. This includes but is not limited to dressing modestly, refraining from public displays of affection, avoiding food or drink while walking through villages, keeping quiet during evening prayers, and being mindful not to disrupt daily life.

Although part of the United States, this park is culturally and geographically tied to Oceania, specifically Polynesia. Reaching the park typically requires flying into American Samoa via Hawaiʻi or neighboring Samoa. Travel between the islands is possible by ferry or small aircraft, though given the 70-mile distances, flights are the more common choice.

#4. Lake Clark National Park, Alaska (18,505)

Lake Clark National Park is located along the Cook Inlet, approximately 100 miles southwest of Anchorage. The park is centered in the Chigmit Mountains, a rocky range characterized by steep peaks and volcanic activity. Two active volcanoes, Mount Iliamna and the tallest mountain in the park, Mount Redoubt, dominate the skyline. Redoubt is a continuously active volcano, last erupting in 2009 and before that a six-month-long eruption in 1989-90 that proved very costly. Beyond its dramatic mountains and volcanoes, Lake Clark is defined by its turquoise, glacier-fed lakes, including Lake Clark itself, Twin Lakes, and Crescent Lake.

Summer visitors are often treated to the spectacle of salmon runs. Salmon and other fish migrate through Lake Clark into nearby Iliamna Lake, the largest sockeye spawning ground in North America. With salmon come bears, making the park one of the best places in Alaska for bear watching.

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Despite its beauty, Lake Clark is far from easy to reach. With no roads into or within the park, visitors must travel by small plane or boat taxi. Even the visitor center is inaccessible by car and can only be reached by watercraft. The park is also culturally significant as part of the traditional homeland of the Dena’ina people, many of whom still live here. These natives continue to live a subsistence lifestyle here, hunting, gathering, and fishing the land as their ancestors have for generations.

#3. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska (17,233)

Kobuk Valley National Park lies deep in the northern Alaskan wilderness, offering a truly unique landscape. Here, you’ll find the Kobuk Sand Dunes, the largest active dunes in the Arctic, which formed during the last Ice Age due to glacial activity. Beyond the dunes, boreal forests stretch across the park, creating a mesmerizing contrast of ecosystems. Visitors in spring or fall may also witness the largest animal migration in the Northern Hemisphere. Around 250,000 caribou travel nearly 600 miles between their winter and summer ranges, crossing Kobuk Valley National Park going both directions.

Kobuk Valley is part of a 17-million-acre contiguous wilderness preserve that spans the Arctic and subarctic regions of Alaska. To minimize its impact on the wilderness, the park has no infrastructure—no roads, visitor centers, developed trails, or facilities of any kind. Access is difficult; in summer, visitors arrive by plane, boat, or on foot from nearby towns. In winter, entry becomes even more challenging, limited to snow machines or dogsleds.

#2. North Cascade National Park, Washington (16,485)

North Cascade National Park is the least-visited national park in the lower 48, tucked within the North Cascade Range of northern Washington. Visitors are rewarded with immense beauty and a wide range of adventures here. One of the park’s most famous hikes, Trappers Peak, climbs steep forested slopes before requiring a scramble along a jagged ridgeline. The result is a sweeping 360° view of the rugged surrounding mountains, nearby towns, and gorgeous alpine lakes. For a different perspective, you can kayak across the turquoise waters of Diablo Lake, soaking in the serenity of the surrounding landscape.

Despite its stunning scenery, this remains the second least-visited national park in the U.S. With no roads leading into or crossing the park, and visitor centers located only outside its boundaries, access is intentionally limited. In fact, 93% of the park is designated wilderness—protected in hopes of preserving its raw, untouched beauty forever.

 #1. Gates of The Arctic National Park, Alaska (11,907)

Gates of the Arctic is aptly named, as it sits entirely north of the Arctic Circle at 67°N. This Alaskan park offers visitors a true immersion in an Arctic ecosystem, preserved as a completely protected wilderness. Within its boundaries, there are no roads, no visitor centers, no buildings, and not even designated hiking trails. For most visitors, the safest way to experience this park is through a guided tour with experienced professionals. For those who possess a wide range of advanced skills, such as off-trail navigation, bear-country safety, route finding, and even wilderness rescue, self-guided travel can be a one-of-a-kind adventure. The Gates of the Arctic show visitors a pristine landscape alive with wildlife, sprawling glaciers, and boreal forests.

National parks protect vast wilderness areas, allowing people to enjoy them while ensuring their preservation. Yet even between the parks, some are far more rugged and remote than others. The parks highlighted here are far less visited than their famous counterparts, and that scarcity of visitors is often by design or inevitability. Unlike developed parks with roads, lodges, and amenities, these are true wilderness parks: preserved landscapes meant to be observed rather than altered. Whether protecting ecosystems, sustaining wildlife, or honoring cultural heritage, these parks are not places to be built upon or heavily impacted by humans. They are places to be explored with humility and awareness that we are visitors in an ecosystem we do not dwell in.