1. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming
Instead, Visit: Grand Teton National Park
Yellowstone’s geysers and wildlife are impressive, but navigating around traffic jams and crowds can be frustrating. Skip north and go to Grand Teton for jaw-dropping peaks, crystal-clear lakes, and far fewer people. Plus, the Teton Range is just spectacular — think Yellowstone views with a lot more peace and quiet.
2. Glacier National Park, Montana
Instead, Visit: North Cascades National Park
Glacier’s famed Going-to-the-Sun Road attracts thousands of tourists daily in the summer. Skip the stress by heading to North Cascades, where you’ll find strikingly similar landscapes with jagged peaks, crystal lakes, and, you guessed it, fewer people. It’s a hidden gem for those who crave quiet wilderness.
3. Yosemite National Park, California
Instead, Visit: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Yosemite is jaw-dropping but packed. Every summer, expect lines, busy roads, and full campsites. Just three hours away, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks offer dramatic cliffs, lush forests, and those famous giant trees without the intense crowds. You’ll get that Sierra Nevada vibe, plus bragging rights for visiting the largest trees on earth.
4. Zion National Park, Utah
Instead, Visit: Capitol Reef National Park
Zion’s sheer cliffs and narrow trails are beautiful, but it can feel like an amusement park during peak season. Capitol Reef, on the other hand, offers vibrant red rock landscapes, stunning views, and fascinating petroglyphs — with barely a fraction of the visitors. You can even explore some slots and canyons without the crowds.
5. Acadia National Park, Maine
Instead, Visit: Baxter State Park
Acadia’s coastal charm is lovely, but parking lots fill up by sunrise in the summer. Baxter State Park, further inland, offers Maine’s wilderness with dramatic peaks, pristine lakes, and an abundance of wildlife. You might even spot a moose, and you won’t be battling lines to do it!
6. Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Instead, Visit: Great Sand Dunes National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is beloved for its alpine trails, but the packed parking lots and shuttle lines aren’t so serene. Great Sand Dunes provides a wildly unique landscape with towering dunes backed by snow-capped peaks. You can even try sandboarding or take a quiet, starlit walk on the dunes.
7. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee/North Carolina
Instead, Visit: Roan Mountain
The Smokies are famous for their scenic drives and misty mountains, but they’re America’s most-visited park, and it shows. Roan Mountain offers similar beauty with rolling highland meadows and lush forests, minus the traffic jams. In June, it boasts rhododendron blooms that carpet the mountains in vibrant pinks and purples.
8. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona
Instead, Visit: Canyon de Chelly National Monument
Sure, the Grand Canyon is iconic, but the viewing areas can feel like a busy airport terminal. Try Canyon de Chelly instead for equally stunning red-rock canyons with cultural depth. Here, you’ll find Navajo-guided tours to ancient cliff dwellings, making the experience both scenic and meaningful.
9. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Instead, Visit: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
Joshua Tree’s unique desert-scapes are mesmerizing, but popularity has surged, bringing plenty of crowds. Anza-Borrego, just a couple of hours south, offers similar landscapes with intriguing rock formations, wildflower blooms in spring, and more solitude. Plus, it’s a dark sky park, perfect for stargazing!
10. Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Instead, Visit: Cedar Breaks National Monument
Bryce Canyon’s amphitheater of hoodoos is beautiful, but visitors often flock here for those sunrise and sunset views, making it a bit of a scene. Cedar Breaks, just an hour away, offers equally stunning hoodoos and colorful cliffs with far fewer tourists. You’ll get that dramatic southwestern landscape without the crowds.
11. Everglades National Park, Florida
Instead, Visit: Big Cypress National Preserve
The Everglades are beautiful but often feel overcrowded, especially near tourist-heavy areas. Big Cypress, right next door, offers swamps, wildlife, and even some alligators — minus the busloads of people. The boardwalks and trails here offer a more laid-back way to explore Florida’s unique ecosystem.
12. Arches National Park, Utah
Instead, Visit: Dead Horse Point State Park
Arches’ delicate stone arches are iconic but popular. Dead Horse Point, nearby, gives you those same dramatic red rock landscapes and expansive canyon views without the crowded trails. You can even look out over the Colorado River from a high point, making it a great spot to see that classic Utah terrain in peace.
