By Liam National Parks are some of the most beautiful and beloved places to travel in the United States. In 2024, the National Park system pulled a record 331.8 million visitors and those numbers are only expected to increase. While we’ve all heard of Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, today we’re covering five of the most overlooked US National Parks out west.
I can personally vouch for all of the US National parks on this list and thoroughly enjoyed each one. They cover a range of landscapes, four different states and have plenty of different activities. Make sure to check out our free camping guide to save money on your trip as well!
Overlooked US National Parks: #1 Guadalupe Mountains
In 2023, Guadalupe Mountains National Park ranked 52nd out of 63 US National Parks in visitation numbers. That is a bit shocking, given the Texas National Park isn’t all that inaccessible. It’s under two hours from El Paso, the nearest big city, and also only half an hour away from the more-visited Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
There aren’t many services on the way from El Paso to Guadalupe Mountains and nothing in the way of roadside attractions. In any case, the Guadalupe Mountains are perfect for no-frills nature lovers and is one of the five overlooked US National Parks out west.
There is a ton to do here, including a challenging hike to Texas’s highest point. The hike to Guadalupe Peak is beautiful throughout and incredibly rewarding. You’ll be able to see for miles in any direction after reaching the peak.
Don’t miss the viewpoint of the towering fossil reef, El Capitan, on US-62 south of Guadalupe Peak. Head further north to hike into McKittrick Canyon and see the Pratt Cabin and the Grotto. The Devil’s Hall Trail is also popular and in the same Pine Springs area as Guadalupe Peak.
#2 Carlsbad Caverns
Right up the road from the Guadalupe Mountains, across the New Mexico border, you’ll find the otherworldly Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Although it receives more visitors than the Guadalupe Mountains, it still only ranked 45th of 63 in 2023.
Hiking down into the main cave (Carlsbad Cavern) was one of my favorite National Park experiences and it genuinely feels like another planet inside. The “Big Room” is the biggest cave chamber in North America and has an incredibly delicate ecosystem that a single Cheetos bag can alter. Apparently there are 119 caves in the park, only three of which are open to the public.
The rock formations inside Carlsbad Cavern look like that font that pretty much every black and death metal band uses. I wasn’t expecting too much when I arrived but Carlsbad Caverns quickly earned its place on the list of five overlooked US National Parks out west. You could spend hours in awe of what you find inside.
I’d certainly recommend it as part of a larger New Mexico/West Texas road trip. Carlsbad Caverns could be combined with White Sands National Park, Big Bend National Park and Guadalupe Mountains.
Also, don’t forget to head back to the park around sunset time. There’s an amphitheater right outside of the main cave where you can watch thousands of bats fly out for the night. Plus, there are some surface hikes where you can walk around the Chihuahuan Desert landscape.
#3 Petrified Forest
With 520,491 visitors, Arizona’s Petrified Forest National Park ranked 38th in visitation numbers in 2023. That’s absolutely criminal, given the Grand Canyon drew nine times more people in the same year. Petrified Forest is easily one of the most underrated US National Parks and is a must-visit.
This unique National Park is 1 hour and 40 minutes from Flagstaff and about 3 hours and 30 minutes from Phoenix. The park contains the largest deposits of petrified wood in the entire world. Petrified wood is fossilized wood in which the organic material from a tree is replaced by minerals, which often results in wild looking stones.
Petrified Forest is also home to incredible “painted” badlands and buttes with prominent orange, blue, red and purple hues. The roadside “Teepee” formations are a great place to see that on display.
However, where the park really shines is on the little-known Blue Forest Trail. You may very well be able to have the entire trail to yourself and it has the best views in the entire park.
To take it all in, make sure to walk on the Giant Logs and Crystal Forest trails, where you’ll see the biggest pieces of petrified wood in the park. The Blue Mesa Trail and Newspaper Rock petroglyphs are also essential stops.
You can see a bunch of National Parks, monuments and forests in Arizona. So, consider making other stops like the Coconino National Forest, Grand Canyon, Saguaro National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument.
#4 Death Valley
Death Valley is often the hottest place on Earth during the Summertime but it is an excellent place to visit during the Winter. It is the only park on this list which received more than one million visitors in 2023. However other California National Parks, Yosemite and Joshua Tree, received over three times more visitors in the same year.
I thought Death Valley would just be a desolate desert but that couldn’t be further from the truth. There are enough things to do to spend three or four days in the park and it is one of the few National Parks I’ve been to multiple times.
If you are short on time, head to Badwater Basin. It’s the lowest point in the USA, at 282 feet below sea level. There, you’ll find large salt flats and the nearby Devil’s Golf Course, with its incredibly jagged salt crystals.
Then, I’d recommend doing the Artist’s Drive loop and getting out at the “Artist’s Palette” section. There are pastel colored hills that don’t feel like they’re from this planet. After that, drive further north to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, which are particularly beautiful around sunset time.
Given more time in the park, I’d highly recommend the Golden Canyon Trail and Zabriskie Point for a great view of the badlands. On very hot days, you could also drive 5,000 feet above the Badwater Basin to Dante’s View Trail, which has a completely different climate and panoramic views.
These are just the things I’ve done in the park but there’s plenty more to be discovered in the Mojave Desert.
Overlooked US National Parks: #5 Big Bend
The Big Bend region of Texas, and Big Bend National Park, are named for the bend in the Rio Grande River that created wonders like the Santa Elena Canyon. When you drive to Big Bend you really start to understand just how vast Texas is. It is five and a half hours from El Paso and almost four hours from the closest city with over 100,000 people, Odessa.
If not for how difficult it is to arrive, Big Bend would undoubtedly receive a lot more traffic. In 2023, it got over 509,000 visitors, ranking 40th out of 63. If you find yourself anywhere near Big Bend don’t hesitate to go. It is one of my favorite US National Parks and completely worth the long drive.
It’s hard to fully grasp in pictures, but the beautiful Santa Elena Canyon just makes you feel small in the best way possible. It’s possible to rent a canoe to navigate through it and take in all of the views.
Other points of interest further inland include the Mule Ears Viewpoint and Grapevine Hills Trail with its famous Balanced Rock. The most awe inspiring trail in the park is the Lost Mine Trail, which has sweeping vistas at the top. The Window Trail is well worth it for its views as well.
Also, the Boquillas border crossing is another feature of the park but it was closed when I went during COVID. From Rio Grande Village, you can cross over into Mexico on foot.
Stay tuned for plenty more on US National Parks and cities, as well as international destinations.