List of the Ten Least Visited National Parks

List of the Ten Least Visited National Parks The United States is home to 58 different national parks and over 300 units or areas such as national monuments and national seashores that are protected by the National Park Service. The first national park to come into existence in the U.S. was Yellowstone (located in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming) on March 1, 1872. Today, it is one of the most visited parks in the country. Other popular parks in the U.S. include Yosemite in California, the Grand Canyon in Arizona and the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina.Each of these parks sees millions of visitors each year. There are many other national parks in the U.S. however that receive far fewer annual visitors. The following is a list of the ten least visited national parks through August 2009. The list is arranged by the number of visitors in that year and begins with the least visited park in the U.S. Information was obtained from the Los Angeles Times article, Americas Hidden Gems: The 20-Least Crowded National Parks in 2009.1) Kobuk Valley National ParkNumber of Visitors: 1,250Location: Alaska2) National Park of American SamoaNumber of Visitors: 2,412Location: American Samoa3) Lake Clark National Park and PreserveNumber of Visitors: 4,134Location: Alaska4) Katmai National Park and PreserveNumber of Visitors: 4,535Location: Alaska5) Gates of the Arctic National Park and PreserveNumber of Visitors: 9,257Location: Alaska6) Isle Royale National ParkNumber of Visitors: 12,691Location: Michigan7) North Cascades National ParkNumber of Visitors: 13,759Location: Washington8) Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and PreserveNumber of Visitors: 53,274Location: Alaska9) Great Basin National ParkNumber of Visitors: 60,248Location: Nevada10) Congaree National ParkNumber of Visitors: 63,068Location: South CarolinaTo learn more about national parks, visit the official website of the National Park Service. References Ramos, Kelsey. (n.d.). Americas Hidden Gems: The 20 Least Crowded National Parks in 2009. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from: latimes.com/travel/la-tr-national-parks-least-visited-pg,0,1882660.photogallery