National parks are always on everyone’s to-do list. According to the National Park System there are a total of 417 spread throughout the country. But of those, 61 are what we would picture as national parks – pristine land void of human development. Two of them are located outside the 50 continental states. Because of their popularity, national parks can get crowded. Yosemite National Park in California can have one to two hour delays due to traffic congestion. So if crowds annoy you, luckily there are lesser-known national parks to visit. Hint: visit Alaska!
Kobuk Valley – Alaska
The Kobuk Valley has long been a hunting ground for caribou especially at the Onion Portage, where the Kobuk River bends to form a peninsula, named due to the wild onions that grow there. Even to this day, caribou make there way to the river as part of their biannual migrations. The peninsula has been a popular campsite for 8,000 years based on the excavations made in the 1960s. In addition, Kobuk contains 16,000 acres of sand dunes – the largest and most active in the Arctic. This was the result of retreating glaciers, which have grounded the rocks underneath. Now the surrounding forests are slowly encroaching on the dunes.
National Park of American Samoa
The National Park is actually distributed among three locations – Ta’u, Ofu, and Tutuila – that are found on three separate islands. Tutuila, the largest island, has volcanic ridges that overlook Pago Pago Harbor. On the easternmost island of Ta’u, allows access to American Samoa’s highest peak – Lata Mountain. You can snorkel above 350 acres of coral reefs in Ofu. The fauna of the park include the endangered fruit bat, the kingfisher and the brown booby.
Lake Clark – Alaska
Lake Clark National Park has an abundance of recreational activities including bear and bird watching and kayaking. Most famous is the Richard Proenneke Cabin. Proenneke was a wilderness enthusiast who built his own cabin by hand. The cabin is a marvelous showcase of wilderness craftsmanship. But if you happen to be in the site between May 21 and June 10 of this year, you can always reserve a day for nearby Teetering Rock.
Katmai – Alaska
Located in an active volcanic landscape, Katmai is home to about 2,200 brown bears making it a premier destination for bear watching. Brooks Camp is the most accessible site as bears can be seen plucking salmon from the Brooks River. In addition to hiking, camping, and boating, flight-seeing is arguably the best way to see the park. From the window of a small plane, you get an aerial view of lowland tundra, freshwater lakes, and the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. Among the many sites of the valley is the Mount Katmai Caldera, a crater lake created in the aftermath of the 1912 eruption, the largest of the 20th century.
Gates of the Arctic – Alaska
The name was penned by wilderness advocate Robert Marshall when describing the Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain as the gates from the Brooks Range to the Arctic. Six rivers cross the park that is home to a plethora of terrestrial animals like the Dall’s sheep and the muskox as well as resident and migratory bird species. Forests of taiga dot, a black spruce, are abundant on northern slopes, while boreal forests occupy southern slopes. The only habitation in the park are alpine tundra communities that inhabit mountainous areas and along dried ridges. And one last note, there are no roads and trails.
Isle Royale – Michigan
This remote archipelago lays in the northwestern corner of Lake Superior. 19 mammal species occupy the 451-forested islands, including wolves. Due to the rough nature of the Great Lakes, there are a variety of shipwrecks to explore around the island, which can be accessed by the most experienced of scuba divers. Park amenities are offered at Rock Harbor and Windigo, which include backcountry permits and kayak rentals.
North Cascades – Washington
The glaciers and lakes and ponds of the North Cascades provide watershed for the thousands of rivers and streams that flow into the Puget Sound. The diversity of plants and animals is attributed to the Cascade Crest, which spans from temperate rainforest to dry ponderosa pine. You can also visit the 75-member community of Stehekin (“the way through”), which is only accessible by boat or plane. Not to mention, this park is less than two hours away from Seattle.
Wrangell-St. Elias – Alaska
Known as America’s largest national park at 13.2 million acres. The park’s namesake comes from its rugged mountain ranges. Wrangell comes from Baron von Wrangel, a Russian naval officer, explorer and government administrator who played a prominent role “Seward’s Folly.” St. Elias originated when Vitus Bering, the namesake of the strait separating Siberia from Alaska, set eyes on the summit on the saint’s feast day. The mountain is the park’s highest point at 18,008 ft. Wrangell Mountain is the only active volcano in the park. Another rare feature are mud volcanoes.
Great Basin – Nevada
The subterranean ecosystem and unique rock formations of the Lehman Caves are open public access with tours costing up to $10 for adults. The 40 or so caves have been blocked access due to preservation of their ecosystems. And don’t leave before dark because the night sky at Great Basin will showcase the stars, galaxies, planets, meteors and the Milky Way. In addition there are trails to explore that vary in duration – half-day, one day, and two or more days – such as the Mountain View Nature Trail and the Baker/Johnson Lake Loop Trail.
Congaree – South Carolina
What makes Congaree unique is that it is the largest old growth bottomland hardwood forest community in the American Southeast. Waters from adjacent rivers contribute to the Congaree floodplain, which hosts a diverse aquatic ecosystem. The preservation of the old growth is due to the aggressive campaigning in the 1960s to stave off timber harvesting. A popular thing to do is to paddle on the 15-mile long Cedar Creek Canoe Trail, though kayaks and canoes are not provided at the park.
Guadalupe Mountains – Texas
Guadalupe Mountains National Park is a prime example of Permian fossil reef thanks to millions of years of marine life development and geological transformation. Today, it is home to over 1000 plant species, 60 mammalian species, 289 species of bird and 55 species of reptiles. Places to visit include the limestone McKittrick Canyon and the Salt basin Dunes.
Dry Tortugas – Florida
Fort Jefferson lies 70 miles west of Key West. The fort is located on Garden Key, an area great for swimming and snorkeling. If shipwrecks are of interest, then Loggerhead Key is worth a visit. The largest island is also home to a lighthouse installation and being the former site of the Carnegie Laboratory for Marine Ecology. Getting away from human contact will lead to Bush Key – a small subtropical island home to unique bird species.
photo credit: Unhindered by Talent Road to special places via photopin (license)
[accordion_tab title=”Collegiate Correspondent: Gabriel Pacana” default]
[/accordion_tab]
