Planning to hit a national park this fall? Great idea! And while some of the most popular parks have name recognition, they can have overflow attendance, limiting your enjoyment of a quiet, natural space. Tour company Audley Travel has compiled a list of lesser-known national parks that go under the radar but still offer life-changing vistas to commune with nature. This betters your chance of seeing spectacular scenery without other visitors blocking the view!
1. Saguaro National Park | Pima County, Arizona
Those huge cacti you see in movies with a tall central pillar and then arms reaching off the top? They’re called saguaro, and you can find them in profusion at this national park set in the Sonora Desert. The Rincon Mountains provide a panoramic backdrop, and the city of Tucson is nearby with its Native American history, culture and turn-of-the-century architecture. Bonus: Short hikes (you’ll need to bring water whatever your hike length!) and scenic drives if you prefer to stay air-conditioned.
2. Great Sand Dunes National Park | Southern Colorado
See the tallest dunes in North America, along with grasslands, wetlands, forests and alpine lakes at this geographically diverse national park. You can sandboard or sand-sled down the dunes and stargaze at night: in 2019, the park was certified as an International Dark Sky Park. You can get great views of the Milky Way on a moonless summer or fall night.
3. Arches National Park | Southeast Utah
Many will say Arches isn’t “lesser-known,” but it definitely gets less visitorship than the more famous Zion National Park, three hours away. Natural sandstone arches—2,000 of them—form around red-earth canyons. Some of the formations are wild, like the 46-foot high Delicate Arch, the largest free-standing arch in the park—try to hike to it by sunset!
4. Dry Tortugas National Park | an hour from Key West, Florida
This 100-square-mile park mostly consists of open water, with seven small islands. Get your boat or seaplane ready! Or just swim. The National Park Service says, “With less than 1% of Dry Tortugas National Park being dry ground, the best way to see this is by swimming.” Fort Jefferson dates to the 19th century and is the largest brick masonry structure in the Americas, a 16-acre structure constructed over more than 16 million bricks.