For decades, America’s most famous national parks—Yellowstone, Yosemite, the Grand Canyon—have drawn millions, their staggering beauty immortalized in photographs, postcards, and the memories of travelers. There are 63 official national parks in the United States, but there are 423 national park sites in total. These include national seashores, national monuments, national battlefields, etc., and many of those are equally spectacular and much less crowded.

Outside of these marquee names, a constellation of lesser-known parks has landscapes just as breathtaking, wildlife just as diverse, and solitude increasingly rare in the country’s most celebrated natural wonders.

For 2025, and with visitation numbers swelling at the big-name parks (Yosemite saw nearly 3.9 million visitors in 2023 alone), these overlooked gems deserve a closer look.

Hot Tip: Invest in an annual national parks pass—at $80, it pays for itself in just about three visits. Plus, if you're 62 or older, a veteran, an active-duty military member, or have a permanent disability, you may qualify for a lifetime pass.

North Cascades National Park, Washington

A stone’s throw from Seattle, yet astonishingly overlooked, North Cascades National Park remains one of the least visited national parks in the United States. Fewer than 40,000 visitors make their way here annually, a fraction compared to the crowds at Glacier or Rocky Mountain. This is staggering when considering that North Cascades holds more than 300 glaciers—more than any other park outside Alaska. Rugged, alpine wilderness defines the terrain, punctuated by electric-blue glacial lakes and jagged peaks that seem stolen from a Tolkien landscape.

Hikers can traverse trails like the Cascade Pass Trail, a moderate 7.4-mile trek offering sweeping views of Sahale Arm, or take the Ross Lake boat tour to experience the park’s waterscapes up close. Wildlife thrives here: grizzly bears, gray wolves, and elusive wolverines still roam, making this one of the wildest corners of the lower 48. For those seeking an authentic, untamed experience, North Cascades delivers.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Mention Nevada’s national parks, and most people’s minds go blank. Yet, hidden in the shadow of the state’s desert reputation is Great Basin National Park, a starkly beautiful expanse of ancient bristlecone pines, limestone caves, and the 13,065-foot summit of Wheeler Peak. The park remains a haven for stargazers – Its remote location gives it some of the darkest skies in the continental U.S., so much so that NASA has used it to simulate Mars-like conditions.

Beyond the celestial marvels, Great Basin shelters Lehman Caves, a labyrinth of marbleized limestone featuring formations so intricate and delicate they resemble nature’s lacework. And for those who scoff at the idea of Nevada as anything but arid, the alpine lakes and wildflower-strewn meadows at higher elevations serve as an unexpected counterpoint. It’s a place of extremes—bone-dry desert giving way to snow-capped peaks, isolation juxtaposed with a thriving ecosystem of marmots, mountain lions, and golden eagles.

Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

An island adrift in the vastness of Lake Superior, Isle Royale defies easy access. With no roads, no cars, and a limited ferry schedule, only about 25,000 visitors make the journey each year. Yet, those who do are rewarded with some of the most pristine wilderness in America. The park is a study in isolation—moose and wolves, locked in a predator-prey relationship, have been studied here for over six decades in one of the longest-running wildlife research projects in the world.

Canoeing, kayaking, and backpacking are the primary ways to navigate the island’s rugged terrain, and adventurers willing to embrace the solitude can traverse the Greenstone Ridge Trail, a 40-mile trek offering panoramic views of Lake Superior’s endless expanse. For those who crave adventure without the crowds, Isle Royale remains one of the most evocative destinations in the National Park System.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

When people think of South Carolina, they think of Charleston’s historic charm or Myrtle Beach’s bustling shores. Rarely do they think of Congaree, home to the largest intact expanse of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the Southeast. The park is a cathedral of trees, where some of the tallest specimens in North America rise above a labyrinth of waterways and floodplains.

Kayaking through Cedar Creek reveals a prehistoric world where bald cypress and water tupelo trees stand sentinel, their roots rising like gnarled knuckles from the blackwater. The ecosystem here is dynamic—fireflies perform synchronized flashes in early summer, otters glide through the swamp, and barred owls lend their haunting calls to the thick, humid air. Though only a short drive from Columbia, Congaree remains a park that many overlook, their loss entirely.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas

In a state known for Big Bend, Guadalupe Mountains National Park often fades into the background, yet it holds the highest peak in Texas—Guadalupe Peak at 8,751 feet—and some of the most dramatic desert mountain landscapes in the Southwest. The park harbors the fossilized remains of a Permian-era reef, a geological relic from 260 million years ago when an ancient sea covered the region.

The rugged terrain invites serious hikers, particularly those willing to tackle the Guadalupe Peak Trail, a grueling but rewarding 8.4-mile round-trip climb that grants sweeping views of the Chihuahuan Desert. Meanwhile, McKittrick Canyon transforms into a riot of color each fall, as bigtooth maples explode into fiery reds and golds—an unexpected autumn spectacle in the heart of Texas. For those who think they know the Lone Star State’s landscapes, Guadalupe Mountains prove them wrong.

As climate change accelerates and human impact intensifies, these overlooked parks present a rare opportunity: to experience nature unspoiled, to stand in landscapes that remain largely untouched by mass tourism. When national parks like Zion and Great Smoky Mountains log upwards of five million visitors annually, the solitude offered by places like North Cascades or Isle Royale feels like an increasingly precious commodity.

When you decide to visit these underappreciated gems, make sure you have the right bag, like the ones at Rare Klub—be it our duffel, cabin luggage, minimalist backpack, or a classy tote. Our bags are more than just what they carry. They hold possibilities. Find yours at rareklub.com.

Travel isn’t just about adventure—it’s about seeking spaces where nature still reigns, where silence still exists, where the grandeur of the American wilderness can be absorbed without distraction.