I've been to all 63 US National Parks. Here are 6 you may not have heard of but should experience at least once.
Emily Pennington
- I've visited every national park in the US and a few have stood out to me as underrated favorites.
- Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park has some of the most beautiful views.
- Kings Canyon is incredible but sometimes overshadowed by other national parks in California.
The 63 Congress-designated national parks have been touted as "America's best idea" — and with their mile-deep canyons, 3,000-year-old trees, and stunning mountain ranges, it's easy to see why.
However, with great beauty often comes great crowds. Many top-rated national parks routinely make headlines for their confusing timed-entry reservation systems, long lines of cars, and overrun trails.
I've experienced it firsthand, as I've been to every national park in the United States and authored a book about them. I'm here to tell you that Yosemite is beautiful, but a visit is usually not worth the summertime traffic.
This year, I suggest you skip the more famous national parks in favor of these six underrated gems.
Emily Pennington
I think Capitol Reef is the most underrated national park.
Set in central Utah, away from more popular tourist hubs like Zion and Moab, this park is a haven for camping amid crumbling rust-red cliffs, exploring secluded slot canyons, and hiking to enormous sandstone arches.
Book a site at the Fruita Campground or nab a cabin at nearby Capitol Reef Resort for the best red-rock views in town.
Be sure to spend a day ambling around the park's stunning trail system, checking out the easy trek through Grand Wash and the thigh-burning hike up to Cassidy Arch along the way.
Emily Pennington
Gates of the Arctic is one of the least-visited national parks, perhaps because it takes a flight to Fairbanks, a transfer to tiny Bettles or Coldfoot, and a bumpy ride in a bush plane to get to it.
However, once you lay eyes on the magnificent Brooks Range and its miles of unspoiled tundra, you'll see the journey is worth it.
Rather than a pricey, half-day flightseeing tour, which won't actually get you hiking inside the park, splurge on a river-rafting journey with a guiding service like Alaska Alpine Adventures.
Or, if you're feeling fit, embark on a backpacking trip to the toothy Arrigetch Peaks, which absolutely blew my mind in person.
Emily Pennington
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is one of the best places in the country to view incredible wildlife from the comfort of your vehicle.
On my three-day visit to the park, I witnessed a rattlesnake slither across the trail, spent hours photographing playful prairie dogs, watched coyotes take in the sunrise near a herd of wild horses, and got caught up in a bison traffic jam.
Be sure to get out and stretch your legs on the park's hundreds of miles of trails, too. The Painted Canyon Nature Trail overlooks striking coral- and rust-hued badlands, and the hike to Sperati Point offers a sweeping view of the Little Missouri River and the Little Missouri National Grassland.
Mark Stevens / 500px/Getty Images
If you're the kind of outdoor enthusiast who's a jack of all trades, master of none, New River Gorge might be your new favorite park.
There's something for everyone at America's newest national park, which only just got its designation in 2020. It has world-class rafting and excellent rock climbing, plus forest trails along the ravine that parallels the New River.
Set up base camp in a homey cabin at Adventures on the Gorge. If you're feeling brave, book a death-defying Bridge Walk, which allows visitors to explore the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
Emily Pennington
After growing up in flat, humid East Texas, I was shocked to learn that there's a whole wonderland of high peaks and rocky, view-filled trails in the state's far western corner.
A haven for float trips down the mighty Rio Grande, steamy hot springs, and epic camping inside the Chihuahuan Desert, Big Bend is a nature-filled oasis, situated just south of the artsy towns of Marfa and Terlingua.
Intrepid travelers will want to make a beeline for Santa Elena Canyon, the park's most famous ravine, and either hike its short, riverfront trail or book an all-day rafting trip to marvel at its honey-tinted limestone walls.
For an up-close look at Big Bend's rocky summits, spend a few hours traipsing around the Window Trail. After a day of big adventures, rest in a chic, modern casita at Willow House or a funky camper at El Cosmico.
Emily Pennington
Set in the High Sierra, between the more famous Sequoia and Yosemite national parks, Kings Canyon is an underrated (and often less-crowded) gem for serious hikers and backpackers.
Although I'd visited the park many times, I first fell head-over-heels in love with it while trekking across its entirety on the John Muir Trail.
Want a shaded day hike with views of a roaring waterfall? Check out the 8-mile round-trip loop out to Mist Falls — and be sure to pack a picnic lunch.
If you prefer an overnight backpacking excursion, hike in from the South Fork of Bishop Creek and wander around the alpine lakes of Dusy Basin.
Either way, pass through the tiny town of Big Pine and head to Copper Top BBQ for the best pulled-pork sandwich in the state.
