It doesn’t make much sense. You head into the Great Outdoors to get away from people and soak up a little quiet time, but then you follow the crowds of holiday makers to the same old destinations. Nothing against Yosemite, Yellowstone or the Grand Canyon (we’re big fans, honest), but if you want your nature with a slice of solitude, maybe it’s time to try something a little different.
Our trips visit the big players, but we like to check out the rookie leagues too – the Smokey Mountains, Mesa Verde and Yoho parks that are just as stunning in their own quiet way. And they often come without the tourist hordes. I believe they call that a win/win. So without further ado, we present six North American national parks you’ve probably never heard of.
Carlsbad Caverns
Image c/o J.J, Flickr
Most people don’t associate New Mexico and Texas with national parks, but you just have to be willing to dig beneath the surface (about 250 metres below the surface to be exact). That’s where you’ll find the countries coolest subterranean national park: Carlsbad Caverns. Some of these caves are hundreds of kilometres long, with bat colonies numbering in the hundreds of thousands and more stalactites, stalagmites and strange rock formations than you can shake a stick at.
Drop down in an elevator about the height of the Empire State Building, explore the aptly named Big Room, then be at the cave mouth at sunset to see a swarm of Mexican free-tailed bats take to the skies for a night-time hunting session.
Mesa Verde
Image c/o Don Graham, Flickr
There’s a pretty eerie backstory to Mesa Verde. In the 1300s a whole civilisation of Ancestral Puebloans (a Native American tribe) vanished into thin air. As such, the national park is a bit of an anthropologist’s dream. A lot of energy is expended here to preserve the Mesa’s cultural treasures, not just its natural beauty.
You can wind your way through the canyons and mesas, stumbling on any of 4,000 known Ancestral Puebloan sites and getting some spectacular photos from the high plateaux. Make sure to check out the Chapin Mesa Museum while you’re here too – it’s an eye-opening insight into Native American culture.
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Yoho
Image c/o Chris Lee, Flickr
Although it’s the smallest of the four national parks that make up the Rockies, Yoho packs a punch. The glacial-fed, ice-blue waters of the Kicking Horse River are the stuff desktop screensavers are made of, and you could spend a happy month wandering along its banks and exploring the little valleys and alpine meadows scattered across the park.
Make sure to explore Iceline, a 20 kilometre loop track that takes you past many of the park’s most spectacular glaciers. History buffs shouldn’t miss the Cambrian-age fossil beds on Mt Stephen or Mt Field either. Some of the marine remains here date back over 515 million years.
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Great Smokey Mountains
Image c/o Tom Bricker, Flickr
The Southern Appalachians are the world’s oldest mountain range, proof that it takes time to perfect paradise. Cherokee Indians called this place Shaconage, land of the blue smoke, for the wisps of cloud that cling to the peaks of the national park. Americans know how special the Great Smokeys are (it’s the country’s most popular park), but most of them stick to the major campsites and road arteries.
Venture off the trail a bit and you’ll have miles and miles of cool deciduous forests, crazy autumn foliage and breathtaking views to yourself. Want proof? Google Mt Le Conte.
Jasper
Image c/o Dillan K, Flickr
There are thousands of national parks in the world, but Canada’s Jasper (along with its more famous neighbour, Banff) is one of the oldest. Unlike some of the wilder parks in the US, there are actually small mountain communities hanging on in these valleys (useful if you like a little infrastructure with your mountain scenery).
It was protected by UNESCO in 1984 for its important glacial features and abundant wildlife, a small sample of which include: elk, deer, moose, caribou, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, bears, coyotes, wolves, beavers, pine martens, lynx, porcupines, cougars, snowshoe hares and wolverines (phew).
15 PLACES IN CANADA THAT WILL GIVE YOU INSTANT WANDERLUST
Wells Gray
Image c/o Jason Hollinger, Flickr
Technically Wells Gray is a provincial park, but we’ll let that one slide. After all, we’d be remiss if we didn’t share with you this underappreciated gem. It’s the fourth-largest park in British Columbia and it turned 75 years old last year (obviously not in a geological sense). The gorgeous alpine meadows with their thick carpet of yellow flowers are a definite drawcard, but it’s the clear mountain lakes that really stand out for us.
Grab a canoe and paddle your way across Murtle Lake, or maybe try a spot of fishing on the stunning waters of Mahood. The wildlife is nothing to sniff at either, with good numbers of black and brown bear, wolf, cougar and lynx running wild in the conifer forests.
Inspired to discover North America? Check out Intrepid Travel’s range of itineraries.
