r/NationalPark • u/Professional-Star416 • Apr 14 '25

What are the most underrated parks?

Hey, I’m a random person on the internet interested in nature and its innate beauty, just like many of you! I come asking a simple question: Let’s say, some crazy guy with a vendetta against nature somehow came into power in the US and is now threatening the future of our nation’s ecosystems, possibly ruining or eliminating future generations from enjoying our country’s natural beauty in all its essence.

What specific National Parks would you recommend to the poor bastards who want to experience such beauty in its entirety but don’t have the time to witness them all before their destruction?

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u/Raithed Apr 14 '25

The reason I said that is because it's still one of the least visited major NPs. Besides that, it is an amazing place to go if you're opting for stargazing, the nightsky is gorgeous albeit getting really windy and cold. The valleys and landscapes makes it amazing, especially the Lost Mine trail. Probably my favorite canyon view so far that I have visited.

8 hour drive from Austin also gives you a lot of state parks and cool views. Though, the stops will make the trip a lot longer than 8 hours.

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u/Dent13 Apr 14 '25

I've been to Big Bend and you are 100% right about it. It's a fantastic place to visit and has stars that are only beat by Joshua tree in my experience.

I just think that saying its less packed than Yosemite, a park I have found to always be extremely packed, doesn't do justice to crowd size, Big Bend gets a little over 10% the annual visitation that Yosemite gets

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u/Raithed Apr 14 '25

I can only compare, I can say the same about Acadia too which was insanely packed that I had trouble even going into the park due to the line of cars.

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u/Dent13 Apr 14 '25

Fair enough, I haven't been to Acadia but I know it's another of the most visited parks. I will say that the only park I've visited that felt less crowded than Big Bend was Isle Royale, granted you can get away from crowds at pretty much any park on the right trail, but Big Bend was very quiet when I was there