- US national parks like Yosemite and the Grand Canyon attract millions of visitors annually.
- New study has analyzed reviews of US national parks with fewer than 1 million visitors a year to reveal the most underrated ones.
- The study also looked into the most overrated national parks in the United States of America.
Popular national parks such as Yosemite and the Grand Canyon attract millions of visitors every year, which can make it hard for visitors to become at one with nature when trails are crowded and there are queues for views.
So if you want to escape the crowds and experience one of the country’s best-hidden gems, which national parks should you head to?
New study has analyzed reviews of U.S. national parks with fewer than 1 million visitors a year to reveal the most underrated national parks in the country. The study also looked into the most overrated parks in America, with visitor numbers over 1 million yet poor reviews.
Top 10 underrated national parks in the USA
Rank | National park | Total visitors (2020) | % of “excellent” reviews |
1 | Glacier Bay, Alaska | 5,748 | 92.9% |
2 | Kenai Fjords, Alaska | 115,882 | 89.9% |
3 | Glacier, Montana | 5,748 | 88.8% |
4 | Crater Lake, Oregon | 670,500 | 87.1% |
5 | Redwood, California | 265,177 | 86.2% |
6 | Badlands, South Dakota | 916,932 | 86.1% |
7 | Sequoia, California | 796,086 | 83.6% |
8 | Dry Tortugas, Florida | 48,543 | 82.9% |
8 | Haleakalā, Hawaii | 319,147 | 82.9% |
10 | White Sands, New Mexico | 415,383 | 82.3% |
Given that it’s located way up in Alaska, it might not be surprising to see that Glacier Bay received just 5,748 visitors in 2020. However, those who have visited this spectacular park are clearly in love with its majestic fjords and glaciers and snow-capped mountains, with 92.9% of the park’s reviews on Tripadvisor describing it as excellent!
Another Alaskan park takes second place, with Kenai Fjords receiving an average of 89.9% “excellent” reviews but just over 100,000 visitors a year. Kenai Fjords is home to the Harding Icefield, one of the largest ice fields in the country, which is the source of at least 38 glaciers as well as multiple fjords.