OutsideMay 15, 2026
Go Here, Not There: 5 Less-Crowded Alternatives to the Most Popular National Parks
Looking to avoid the crowds at Zion or the Smokies? Our national parks columnist shares the intel on overlooked parks that rival the most popular spots.
22 things in this story
- Capitol Reef National ParkSightDesert landscape with rock towers, slot canyons, cliffs, arches
- Grand Wash TrailTrailWanders through a canyon with 200-foot-tall walls
- Elsewhere
- Great Smoky Mountains National ParkPlaceGatlinburg, United StatesMost visited park, most biodiverse in America
- Appalachian TrailTrailGatlinburg, United StatesCruises through high-elevation spruce-fir forest
- Rocky Mountain National ParkSightEstes Park, United StatesProtects high-elevation peaks, glaciers, and backcountry lakes
- Congaree National ParkSightHopkins, United StatesHome to oldest and tallest tree canopies east of Mississippi
- Fork Swamp TrailTrailHopkins, United StatesHike follows oxbow lake formed by hurricane
- Cedar Creek Canoe TrailTrailHopkins, United StatesPaddle between stands of 500-year-old bald cypress trees
- Congaree RiverSightHopkins, United StatesForms the border of the park
- Palmetto OutdoorPlaceHopkins, United StatesOffers guided day trips
- Bluff CampgroundHotelHopkins, United StatesRequires mile-long hike, sits above floodplain
- North CascadesSightSedro-Woolley, United StatesSteep and rugged Cascade Range with many glaciers
- Mount BakerSightSedro-Woolley, United StatesHighest peak in the park
- Lake DiabloSightSedro-Woolley, United StatesMassive lake with glaciated peaks on the horizon
- Thunder Knob TrailTrailSedro-Woolley, United StatesTraces edge of Thunder Arm of Lake Diablo
- Colonial Creek CampgroundHotelSedro-Woolley, United StatesMultiple day hikes begin from campground
- Sourdough MountainSightSedro-Woolley, United StatesRocky peak with a historic lookout cabin
- Diablo LakeSightSedro-Woolley, United StatesLarge lake flanked by Pyramid and Colonial peaks
- Colonial Creek North CampgroundHotelSedro-Woolley, United States38 sites tucked into a pine forest
- Temple of the SunSightCapitol Reef National Park, United States
- Temple of the MoonSightCapitol Reef National Park, United States
- Cathedral ValleySightCapitol Reef National Park, United States
