The Least Crowded National Parks in the US, Ranked
Tired of long longs and packed trailheads? Check out our list of the least crowded US national parks and take the road less traveled.
Terradrift destination guides help you figure out where to go and what to do (and where to find the best vegan food) in cities all over the world without blowing your budget. We’ll help you experience the world in all sorts of destinations! Don’t forget to pack your hiking boots! Looking for a particular destination? Try our search feature!
Tired of long longs and packed trailheads? Check out our list of the least crowded US national parks and take the road less traveled.
There are so many amazing hikes out there it’s hard to know where to start or go to next. Luckily, with a little help from AllTrails, we can get an idea of which are the most hike-worthy trails out there. It may come as no surprise that #1 is also our favorite Utah hike: Navajo Loop and Queens Garden Trail in Bryce Canyon National Park (we talk about it in our Utah Mighty 5 road trip itinerary that you should definitely check out).
Glenwood Springs, Colorado is easy to miss. If you’re driving down I-70 through the state, it may look like just another one of the small towns that line the major thoroughfare between Denver and Utah. But Glenwood Springs is a more than worthwhile destination in its own right. It offers outdoor fun galore, plus tons of hot springs, whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, and more. So grab your sun hoodie and trekking poles and start your exploratory visit with one of the 5 best hikes in Glenwood Springs! Then check out how else you might like to fill your time while you’re in town.
Think Breckenridge, Colorado is nothing more than a bougie ski town? Think again. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails carve through the high mountain terrain, often right from downtown! There are practically unlimited opportunities to head into wilderness areas or backcountry whether you’re looking for a family-friendly stroll or a challenging summit. We recently explored the area ourselves, but also tapped a few local friends and fellow outdoorists to share some of their picks for the best hikes in Breckenridge. So grab your boots (or hiking sandals) and get to it!
Headed to Colorado? These 5 hikes in Crested Butte and Gunnison are some of the best of the best (according to the people who live there).
We love hiking. We love the mountains. We love hiking in the mountains. Which is why we moved to Northern Utah almost two years ago; so we could hike in the mountains to our hearts’ content. Naturally, we quickly discovered the best places to lace up our boots nearby. So here are the best hiking trails in Ogden (in our humble opinion).
We recently visited all 5 Utah national parks (known as the Mighty 5) in one road trip with my parents (!). While Josh and I have been to all five before, including on road trips, backpacking trips, bikepacking trips, you name it, but this was the first time my parents had ever been to any of them. So they flew over, we picked them up at Salt Lake City International Airport, and we hit the road for a 10-day road trip for the ages. Want to plan your own Utah national parks road trip? Here’s our route and recommendations.
Crested Butte, Colorado is a truly lovely destination year-round, especially for outdoorists. There are trails galore, a well-known ski resort, and a poppin’ small town filled with locally-owned shops and restaurants. It’s a destination renowned for mountain biking and wildflowers in the summer (including an annual wildflower festival) and world-renowned ski resorts in the winter. But if you’re not a downhill skier, you may be left looking for other things to do in Crested Butte in winter besides ski. We got you. Here are some other ways to stay active and play outside when there’s snow on the ground.
Wondering what the mass national park layoffs and cuts mean for you? We describe what’s happening and what to expect at parks this summer.
Are expedition cruises destroying Antarctica? Depending on who you ask, yes. But also, no. The debate is a legitimate one. After all, most massive cruise ships are often unsustainable and environmentally irresponsible. And Antarctica is home to a delicate ecosystem that affects the weather of the entire world. So yeah, it’s a fair question. But like most complicated questions, the answer to whether an Antarctica cruise is a responsible choice isn’t a simple “yes” or “no,” it’s more nuanced than that.
After all, the concerns posed by folks who don’t think Antarctica tourism should be a thing are legitimate. But modern expedition cruises are also doing lots to mitigate those concerns. So what gives? And is there a clear answer? We sailed to Antarctica on the Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic Explorer to see what we could learn about sustainability on the southernmost continent and what tour operators are doing to protect it. Also, if an Antarctica cruise is a responsible choice.