Little-Known National Parks That Are Perfect For Family Vacations, According To Visitors

Residents of the United States and visitors to these fine shores are blessed to have the National Park Service (NPS). A body that is part of the Department of the Interior, it oversees vast expanses of land and sea across the U.S. and its territories. Set up in 1916, NPS administers more than 429 specific units encompassing more than 85 million acres of space. These include battlefields, memorials, and scenic trails. It also consists of the shining jewels of the system, the 63 national parks.

These wilderness areas received over 92 million visitors in 2023 – a clear indicator of their popularity. Places like Yosemite, Arches, Death Valley, and Yellowstone National Parks are household names. As icons of American nature, they receive millions of visitors each year, but the same isn't true for all national parks. Using NPS data, we've identified national parks that get fewer crowds or might not be so familiar to most travelers. Further, we've consulted family travel blogs like Milana's Travels to ensure we've made good picks for adults with kids in tow.

Expect encounters with marine wildlife while visiting this park off the coast of California. Such experiences could occur on the boat ride to the islands, as documented on the family travel-oriented blog Milana's Travels. The author noted seeing many dolphins and seals in the ocean and an endemic fox on land. Five separate islands make up Channel Islands National Park, and their separation from the mainland has allowed them to maintain their ecosystems and allow remarkable flora and fauna to grow. There are no food facilities nor any stores of any kind on the islands, so visitors need to be fully self-sufficient once in the park. 

The park offers campsites but no other lodging options, so many travelers visit it as a day trip. Santa Rosa Island promises options perfect for your first solo hike, walks that take in old ranches, bluffs by the sea, and a white-sand beach. Meanwhile, hikes on Santa Barbara Island survey coastal cliffs, but they tend to be challenging. Other outdoor options include kayaking adventures through Channel Islands Adventure Company and snorkeling around sea caves and kelp forests.

Located 70 miles west of Key West, Dry Tortugas National Park is one of the most stunning snorkeling destinations in the U.S. Yet, in 2023, it had less than 85,000 visitors. Part of that could stem from difficult access since getting there requires taking a boat or arriving by seaplane. As Emily, the writer of the blog A Mom Explores, opined, visiting this national park "was honestly the experience of a lifetime. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone with babies, toddler, and young children," as long as they arrive prepared. The park comprises seven islands, all small in size and spanning 100 square miles total. Of that space, land accounts for less than 1%; the rest consists of the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Travelers will find the visitors' center and Fort Jefferson, which takes up a large portion of the space, on the island of Garden Key. A solid structure planned as a way to safeguard the busy shipping waters, construction began on Fort Jefferson during the 19th century but never finished. By the fort's moat wall, swimmers might see reef squid and nurse sharks while tarpon and groupers swim in numbers by the pier pilings. Though the activity serves as a massive draw for the national park, thanks to the clear waters and abundant sea life, visitors should be careful not to touch anything while snorkeling.

Travelers will find Guadalupe Mountains National Park in the western portion of Texas, near the border of New Mexico and a couple of hours' drive from El Paso. The appearance of inland dunes framed by mountains and the flora and fauna makes it a unique place to explore. The blog Gagnons Gone, in a post about a trip to the park with kids, declared, "Visitors will enjoy spotting jackrabbits, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, fox, deer, and elk, as well as many species of reptile." Travelers will inevitably seek out the Salt Basin, where the wind moves sand from a dry lake bed and forms the dunes.

Patches of scrubby greenery populate some low dunes, while others rise as high as 60 feet. You'll also encounter dunes composed of fine grains of red quartz. While the areas of the low desert may seem like fine places for inner reflection and tranquility, visitors should remain alert, as poisonous snakes sometimes appear in the sand. A hiker's paradise, Guadalupe Mountains National Park features more than 80 miles of trails and the four highest peaks in the state. Visitors can experience a variety of landscapes, including narrow slot canyons along the Devil's Hall trail.

In 2023, 16,728 visitors made their way to this park close to Anchorage. While this might seem like a disproportionately low number given the park's proximity to Alaska's biggest city, consider this — access requires a boat or plane. Lake Clark National Park & Preserve has distinguished itself as a prized spot for seeing bears. While it is a destination for people who want to stay overnight at campsites and lodges, it also can easily be visited as a day trip. A contributor on Tripadvisor called it "A great off the beaten path national park. Peaceful and serene. No huge crowds, plenty of scenery and wildlife."

Lake Clark is a realm of bears, rugged mountains, still turquoise lakes, and untouched wilderness with no roads in the park. Crescent Lake is the number-one destination, with visitors landing on the water by seaplane. Once there, travelers fish — salmon and trout are among the prize catches — or come to watch brown bears that roam the shore when salmon populate the lake. The approach to the lake on a plane takes in its waters and the jagged ridges of the Chigmit Mountains and Redoubt Volcano.

Glaciers and alpine lakes with cool blue water draw visitors to this park, three hours from Seattle. North Cascades National Park offers grand scenery, with craggy peaks rising high into the sky and hundreds of glaciers dotted around the terrain. Travelers can also encounter deep valleys and roaring waterfalls. Hikers will find many options to keep them entertained and out and about. There are routes all over the mountains, ranging from easy, quick treks that take in the fine alpine surroundings to more exacting stretches better suited to experienced hikers. 

The driest conditions prevail from June through September, the height of summer, though some trails will have snow on them even during that window. Select hikes take less than an hour, like winding through the forest on a boardwalk. Slightly longer trips, including one that crosses over a dam, are also available. The writer of Daly Family Travels explained, "I was really impressed with how family friendly this whole National Park was," with praise for the Junior Ranger program.

A varied landscape among the lakes of Minnesota makes Voyageurs National Park an ever-changing destination. The park boasts lakes and green islands across about 220,000 acres by the Canadian border. Around it, visitors can see wetlands, forests, tall cliffs, and ridges of ancient rock. You'll even encounter a botanical garden at Rainy Lake with raspberries and milkweed, and you will learn how plants played a crucial role for the Ojibwe people who once lived in the area. Voyageurs has hiking trails — a staple across many national parks — that meander through the old forests into wetlands and have expansive views over lakes. Winter visitors can also take advantage of cross-country skiing trails.

Among the more unusual amenities are star-gazing get-togethers during a dedicated week and the chance to rent a houseboat to explore the park. Given the wealth of waterways, a houseboat is a sensible choice for getting around and lodging since many parts of the park are inaccessible by car. The family travel blog Adventuring Beyond said, "Our summer trip to Voyageurs National Park was perfect—it included beautiful sunsets, stunning lakes, great hikes, and some fun history."

We can thank the over 20,000 employees of the NPS and, of course, Mother Nature for America's gorgeous national parks. But at some national parks, especially during the warmer months, travelers will find themselves battling the crowds. That's no fun, especially if you have a family in tow. So, we analyzed National Park Service statistics data and found parks where you're far less likely to run into swarms of sightseers.

We refined our list by excluding those parks that get few numbers — which might be little-known — but aren't really suitable for a family visit. That's why parks like Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, which received 11,045 visitors in 2023, are not included. Yes, it's a pristine expanse of nature, but it has no roads or trails.

Further, we consulted family travel blogs like Local Passport Family and Let's Jet, Kids! to get a more well-rounded picture of whether our choices actually worked for children. We also referred to the review site Tripadvisor for highly rated parks and Reddit for independent feedback on the chosen destinations. Finally, whenever possible, we highlighted places found across the country, an important factor in narrowing down our selections.