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14 Underrated Parks & Monuments To Visit After The Memorial Holiday Crowds Leave
Tired of elbowing through crowds like it’s Black Friday at a grocery store? Maybe it’s time to reclaim your personal space and check out a few hidden gems that don’t come with hour-long lines or toddlers wailing in the background.
Think quiet trails, jaw-dropping views, and the kind of serene beauty that feels like it should cost extra (but doesn’t). Because who needs overpriced spa retreats when you can get the same soul-soothing experience by trading GPS coordinates with your closest friends?
Got a favorite secret spot or an underrated destination of your own? Spill the beans in the comments on MSN… don’t keep all that genius to yourself!
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Imagine a desert that’s cooler than your average toaster oven, sprinkled with 5,000-year-old bristlecone pines – Great Basin is exactly that. These ancient trees look like something straight out of a Tolkien novel, twisting and gnarly, as if they hold the secrets of eternity (and they probably do).
Then there are the Lehman Caves, where limestone formations rival the artistry of any overachieving stalactite. And those alpine lakes? Mirror-like gems surrounded by peaks daring you to go for a splash… if you’re brave enough for water colder than your last breakup.
Congaree National Park, South Carolina
Congaree is that underrated southern cousin at the family reunion – a little swampy but full of surprises. And by early summer, the mosquitoes lose their appetite a bit (thank goodness), and you’re left with shady paddling routes through old-growth trees as tall as tall as the eye can see.
The floodplain hums with life, from chirping birds to the soft rustle of a mild breeze through the forest. Pro tip? Glide through on a canoe or kayak. No screaming tourists here, just you, your paddle, and the occasional fish jumping like it’s auditioning for a circus act.
Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado
Step aside, Grand Canyon; Black Canyon’s got the rugged charm of your coolest friend who doesn’t try too hard. Its cliffs are taller than your average skyscraper, with slivers of dizzying darkness that make you question your fear of heights.
Breathe in the scent of junipers, feel the crunch of the gravel underfoot, and soak in the views that could easily be mistaken for a moodier version of a movie backdrop. June weather here is just right, and you don’t need to elbow your way through hordes of tourists. That’s what I call winning.
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Once the spring wildflower enthusiasts head home, Guadalupe Mountains become Texas’s best-kept secret. The trails here are so rugged they practically scoff at the word “easy,” but hey, who needs easy when you’ve got ancient fossil formations to gawk at?
From the scent of desert sage to the crunch of trail beneath your boots, this place is a buffet for the senses. And the other hikers? There’s just enough to remind you humanity exists without making you want to invent an invisibility cloak.
North Cascades National Park, Washington
Snow might linger here into June, but so does the quiet. And in a world where Olympic and Rainier hog all the glory, North Cascades is the introverted sibling you didn’t know you’d love but do.
You’ll find jagged peaks that look freshly carved by some overzealous artist, complete with turquoise alpine lakes. And the crisp air has that rejuvenating bite. The trails? Solitude central, baby. Pack a lunch, lace up those boots, and wave goodbye to the crowds. Adventure found.
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
If you like your outdoor adventures served with a side of moose sightings, Isle Royale is your ticket. Accessible only by ferry or seaplane, this remote park feels so secluded you’ll wonder if you’ve accidentally stepped into an alternate dimension.
Early summer is prime for wildlife spotting – moose, foxes, and maybe even wolves who couldn’t care less about your trail mix. The air smells faintly of pine and lake water, and the peace is punctuated only by the gentle lap of waves against the shore. It’s bliss, basically, but without the resorts.
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Lassen Volcanic National Park is essentially nature’s science experiment gone wonderfully awry. By late spring, the snow starts to melt, and geothermal features start doing their thing (think steaming fumaroles and bubbling mud pots that smell like rotten eggs).
And the trails are a playground of contrasts, with snow-dusted peaks framing sulfur-scented hot springs. It’s raw, wild, and just the right amount of unpredictable… like if Yellowstone took a chill pill and added fewer tourists to the mix.
Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
Think of Voyageurs as Minnesota’s slightly jazzy answer to the Boundary Waters – but without the application drama and hordes of paddlers leaning into their canoes like it’s a race. Here, it’s just you, a kayak, and an endless sprawl of interconnected waterways that seem ripped from a dream.
Between the calm, glass-like lakes and the whisper of towering pines swaying in the breeze, this place practically begs you to unplug and float away. And at night? The skies throw a solo show of stars that makes you question why you live anywhere else.
Capitol Reef National Park, Utah
Located between its louder Utah neighbors (yes, Zion and Arches, we’re looking at you), Capitol Reef is what you’d get if the desert decided to take up painting. Vibrant red-rock cliffs tower over fields of fresh fruit orchards where, by June, you can pluck sun-warmed cherries straight from the tree.
Trails wind through narrow slot canyons and weathered stone that looks like alien terrain (cue the sci-fi soundtrack in your head). It’s Utah, sure. But less screaming-tourist Utah and more “grab a pie from Gifford House, enjoy the view, and breathe” Utah.
Pinnacles National Park, California
Condors, anyone? Pinnacles is your chance to see these feathered behemoths soaring overhead as if auditioning for an aerial ballet. The real showstoppers, though, are the spires (jagged rock formations that look like a mountain decided to spike its hair in rebellion).
Show up early or come for the night sky to beat the oven-level heat of summer and shimmy your way through talus caves that feel cooler than your air-conditioned car. And Pinnacles might be the smallest crowd you’ll get this close to San Francisco, so trust us, savor it.
Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona
Chiricahua is Arizona’s best-kept secret… and we’re only kind of mad about sharing it. High elevations here mean you’re not melting like an abandoned popsicle in the low desert below. Instead, you’re traipsing through a landscape of rock towers so bizarre they look like God stacked them during a coffee-fueled game of Jenga.
Plus, this place is a birder’s paradise, with vibrant species darting through the pines like tiny airborne jewels. You’ll leave feeling cooler (literally and figuratively), because who doesn’t love a hiking destination without an oven-level sunburn?
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Texas in June? Not the scorcher you fear. Big Bend’s mornings here are crisp enough to make early hikes feel like a solid life choice. Picture craggy trails winding through canyons, the Rio Grande lazily snaking below, and golden sunrises worth losing sleep for.
Nights, though, are where the magic happens – stars blanket the sky in what can only be described as nature’s mic-drop moment. Slightly sweaty, rugged adventurer by day; stargazing philosopher by night. That’s the Big Bend feeling.
Wrangell–St. Elias National Park, Alaska
The largest national park in America (it’s basically the park that ate all the other parks), and it feels like all yours in June. Wrangell–St. Elias is where glaciers the size of Rhode Island hang out like it’s no big deal, and the wilderness stretches farther than your GPS can comprehend.
And whether you’re scaling a peak, hiking a glacier, or just staring slack-jawed at the vast emptiness, it’s like discovering the world before humans got too extra. Oh, and the wildlife? Moose and bears on the sidelines, just keeping things humble for us.
Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
A ferry or seaplane is your ticket to this little slice of paradise, located 70 miles west of Key West. And by June, the post-holiday rush is gone, leaving the beaches calm, the water clearer than your conscience, and the snorkeling? Perfection.
Fort Jefferson, sitting smack in the middle of this aquatic haven, is a massive brick ode to history and unfulfilled dreams (they never finished the fort). Swim, sunbathe, and snorkel your way through coral reefs and WWII relics before realizing, yup, this beats a crowded, more popular park any day.
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