National Parks Less Traveled
So many parks, so little time. We’ve picked the best of the best in ten must-see categories By Laura Daily
AMERICA HAS 58
national parks, and
yes, you’re familiar with
such well-known sites as
Yellowstone and Yosemite.
So we’ve dug deeper than
the Grand Canyon to find
top parks that excel in one
surprising, spectacular
category, from starry skies
to soggy ferns, from deep
water to daunting dunes.
Ready for a road trip?
Check out these unique all-American destinations.
Smallest
Hot Springs,
Arkansas (501-624-3383;
nps.gov/hosp). At a mere
5,549 acres, Hot Springs
could fit into the largest
national park, 8. 3 million–
acre Wrangell–St. Elias in
Alaska, 1,500 times. This
little slice of Arkansas pro-
tects 47 thermal springs
(so hot—143ºF—the water
doesn’t have to be treated
for drinking). Bathhouse
Row visitors can still
indulge in a traditional tub,
steam, or sitz bath, and the
restored Fordyce Bath-
house provides a taste of
the grand experience that
1920s travelers would have
enjoyed in the glory days of
American destination spas.
Most Bears
Great Smoky
Mountains, Tennessee
(865-436-1200; nps.gov/
grsm). Yogi Bear may rule
in Jellystone Park, but
he’d have real competition
in Great Smoky: the park
boasts an average of two
black bears per square mile
(that’s a lot). In the fall, so
many bears frequent Cades
Cove—an open valley over-
flowing with grapevines,
blackberries, and acorns—
that cars of gawking tour-
ists along its 11-mile loop
road cause “bear jams.” To
avoid some of the conges-
tion, try to visit during a
weekday morning.
Wettest: Olympic
Deepest:
Crater Lake
Tallest:
Redwood
Most Isolated: Isle Royale
Newest: Great
Sand Dunes
Smallest:
Hot Springs
Most Prehistoric:
Petrified Forest
Most Bears: Great
Smoky Mountains
Darkest: Big Bend
ILLUSTRATIONS B Y
BRYAN CHRISTIE DESIGN
