Taking the Kids: Heading to less visited national parks

While America's most visited national park, Great Smoky Mountains, had nearly 13.3 million visitors last year, America's least visited national park and preserve, Gates of the Arctic in Alaska, recorded just over 11,000 recreational visits across its 8.5 million acres.

Or try other Alaska National Parks, including Lake Clark National Park & Preserve, (with less than 17,000 visitors and two National Natural Landmark volcanoes, Kobuk Valley National Park, (just over 17,000 visitors famous for the Caribou migration) Katmai National Park & Preserve, (less than 34,000 visitors and famous for its thousands of brown bears) and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve, (78,305 visits to America’s largest national park. Wrangell-St. Elias encompasses 13.2 million acres — or about the size of Yellowstone National Park, Yosemite National Park and Switzerland combined!)

But you don’t need to go as far as Alaska to get away from the crowds. Isle Royale National Park, Michigan, had less than 28,965 recreation visits last year. The isolated archipelago in Lake Superior, open mid-April through October, boasts more than 150 miles of trails and more than 30 campgrounds.

North Cascades National Park, Washington, had just over 40,000 recreation visits last year and boasts more than 300 glaciers, 1,600 species of plants and 400 miles of plants.

Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida – though with under 90,000 recreation visits, broke visitation records last year. Accessible by boat or plane and about 70 miles west of Key West, Dry Tortugas is mostly open water with seven small islands. Garden Key is home to one of the nation’s largest 19th-century forts, Fort Jefferson. The park is host to nearly 300 species of birds.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada – with 143,265 recreation visits, is home to 40 caves and hiking trails for all levels with elevation starting at 5,000 feet.

If you have a child in fourth grade, the complimentary Every Kid Outdoors Annual 4th Grade Pass covers park entry for all children under 16 and up to three adults per passholder and includes the vehicle entrance fee. If you plan to visit more than one park in a year, save with an annual America the Beautiful pass ($80) that also covers all federal recreation sites. Look for Senior Passes (ages 62+) and free passes for military and those with permanent disabilities.

Check your park’s website to book ahead for special free activities, guided hikes and talks, and the Junior Ranger program with age-appropriate activities that will keep the kids engaged and enable them to earn a park patch.

Got your backpacks ready? Don’t forget rain jackets!

========

(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow TakingTheKids on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments. The fourth edition of The Kid’s Guide to New York City and the third edition of The Kid’s Guide to Washington D.C. are the latest in a series of 14 books for kid travelers published by Eileen.)