National Parks are nationally known treasures, but some are more visited than others because of various factors such as distance, and climate. With 424 National Parks around America, some don’t get the attention they deserve.

The National Parks Service (NPS) keeps track of the total number of visits in each park, and then compares them to see which park is most, or least visited. Though the least visited parks take planning and preparation to see, they hold great reward with beautiful views, and memorable experiences. 

In 2022, the least visited National Park was the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska. According to “Travel + Leisure”, Park Representatives say the area is “one of the last truly wild places on Earth”. This shows how it may be difficult to access with just 7,362 visitors last year. Though it is the least visited as it’s very remote and difficult to access, it has unreal views especially at night with aurora skies. 

The second park visited the least, is the National Park of American Samoa. Because it is located about 2,600 miles off the coast of Hawaii, only 8,495 visitors made the trek last year. For the people that had the ability to visit, this park holds almost 1,000 species of fish and has crystal clear waters. On land, gorgeous hiking trails and samoan culture are present. 

The third park least visited was North Cascades National Park in Washington. With just 17,855 visits last year, this park is a longer trip, but is worth it. With some of the most gorgeous glaciers in the country, this park also stores fun activities like river-rafting, hiking, climbing, and horse riding. North Cascades National Park also has beginner and advanced hiking trails for hikers with differing experience.  

Each of these gorgeous locations may be visited the least, but they hold the hidden beauty of nature in the U.S. By having less visitors, the individual experiences can be unique and private without crowding.