Trying to escape the crowds and discover someplace new? Attempt a park dupe! Vacation spot “dupes” are a pattern aimed toward providing journey options for overcrowded areas. Park dupes counsel a spot that’s much like a well-liked wilderness space, so that you get the identical vibe with out as a lot of the hype.
Overcrowding in parks can pressure native sources, resulting in delayed emergency response and different security issues. It might additionally create disagreeable site visitors and useful resource injury. Contemplating another choice to your travels when high-visitation parks are at their peak can each ease stress on land administration companies and provides you a chance to journey someplace it’s possible you’ll not have in any other case identified about. Or, if you realize you’ve appreciated a sure type of park previously, a park dupe provides one other place to attempt that’s seemingly up your alley.
Beneath, we provide seven options for fashionable parks to get your journey dupe plans rolling. However if you happen to’re nonetheless set on visiting a busier park, contemplate planning your journey throughout shoulder seasons or different instances when the situation has fewer crowds. And, irrespective of the place you select to journey, at all times keep in mind to comply with the seven ideas of Depart No Hint.
1. Like Sequoia Nationwide Park? Attempt Redwood Nationwide and State Parks!
Photograph credit score: Korrin Bishop
Sequoia Nationwide Park in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains is understood for its towering big sequoia timber, together with Basic Sherman, the world’s largest identified single-stem tree by quantity.
If you wish to be wowed by monumental timber at a lesser-visited nationwide park, head to California’s far-north coast for a go to to Redwood Nationwide and State Parks. This distinctive state and federal conservation effort is residence to spectacular groves of coastal redwoods, together with the world’s tallest dwelling tree at 380.3 toes. With attractive shoreline, historic timber, and beautiful spring wildflowers, Redwood Nationwide and State Parks is well worth the trek to this distant stretch of the Golden State. You’ll discover greater than 200 miles of trails by means of old-growth forests, prairies, and seashores. Be sure to acquire a allow for one of many park’s seven designated backcountry campsites.
2. Like Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park? Attempt Cumberland Hole Nationwide Historic Park!
Photograph credit score: Korrin Bishop
Recognized for its biodiversity, Nice Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park, situated on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most-visited nationwide park in the USA. It’s particularly crowded in autumn when its rolling mountains placed on a colourful present.
Should you’re on the lookout for close by fall leaf peeping with out the flocks of vacationers, head slightly north to Cumberland Hole Nationwide Historic Park, situated on the intersection of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. The panorama at this park additionally places on an excellent autumn present, and you may even see all the way in which to the Smokies on a transparent day. This cozy Appalachian wilderness contains 85 miles of trails throughout 14,000 acres, in addition to a cave and several other historic buildings.
3. Like Everglades Nationwide Park? Attempt Congaree Nationwide Park!
Photograph credit score: Korrin Bishop
Occupying 1.5 million acres on the southern finish of Florida, Everglades Nationwide Park is a singular subtropical wilderness of mangrove wetlands, sawgrass marshes, and hardwood hammocks. It’s a very distinctive ecosystem.
Should you’re on the lookout for one other water-driven park within the Southeast, head to South Carolina for a go to to Congaree Nationwide Park. Whereas solely about 42 sq. miles, this park boasts the most important remaining tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the USA, together with a few of the tallest timber within the East. Its distinctive floodplain panorama is full of alternatives for mountaineering and paddling. Congaree Nationwide Park is a superb place to search out some solitude, rating within the prime 15 least-visited nationwide parks, with round solely 250,000 journeys per 12 months.
4. Like Huge Bend Nationwide Park? Attempt Huge Bend Ranch State Park!
Photograph credit score: Jonathan Schmid
Situated in West Texas alongside a scenic stretch of the Rio Grande, Huge Bend Nationwide Park has grown in recognition through the years. Reservations are required for all park campgrounds, with many filling up months upfront.
Nevertheless, by no means worry! Should you’d wish to discover the hanging canyons, river views, and huge desert expanses of this area however didn’t snag a reservation, head on over to Huge Bend Ranch State Park. The biggest of the Texas state parks at about 500 sq. miles, Huge Bend Ranch State Park sits simply west of Huge Bend Nationwide Park. The park provides beautiful surroundings, fascinating geology, darkish night time skies, various natural world, and historic remnants of over 10,000 years of human habitation. Come ready to hike, mountain bike, camp, or go horseback using.
5. Like Columbia River Gorge Nationwide Scenic Space? Attempt Umpqua Nationwide Forest!
Photograph credit score: Korrin Bishop
Nearly 30 miles east of Portland, Oregon, Columbia River Gorge Nationwide Scenic Space is residence to Multnomah Falls, the most-visited pure recreation web site within the Pacific Northwest, with greater than 2 million visits per 12 months. It might get so busy that from mid-Might by means of early September, you could have a timed-use allow to make use of the positioning’s predominant parking space.
Nevertheless, Oregon is brimming with different scenic waterfalls value visiting. Attempt heading to Umpqua Nationwide Forest in southwest Oregon, the place you’ll not solely discover a attractive river valley and pure sizzling springs, but additionally ample waterfalls inside a brief drive from each other. Make a cease at Toketee Falls, a double cascade plummeting a mixed 120 toes right into a brilliant blue pool. Additionally close by on Freeway 138 are Clearwater Falls, Whitehorse Falls, and Watson Falls. A go to to the realm is superb for mountaineering by means of evergreen forests and standing in awe of columnar basalt.
6. Like Mammoth Cave Nationwide Park? Attempt Jewel Cave Nationwide Monument!
Photograph credit score: Korrin Bishop
Situated in central Kentucky, Mammoth Cave Nationwide Park attracts guests from close to and much to discover the longest cave system on this planet, clocking in at over 400 miles of passageways.
If you wish to discover an equally spectacular but lesser-known cave, navigate your solution to South Dakota’s Black Hills the place you’ll discover Jewel Cave Nationwide Monument. Measuring over 200 miles in size, this cave system is the second longest in the USA and the fifth largest on this planet. The cave is understood for its dazzling jewel-like options and different intricate formations. The park additionally contains above-ground mountaineering trails value exploring, such because the Canyons Path loop that traverses by means of open meadows surrounded by canyon cliffs and rocky outcroppings. If you’d like much more close by cave journey, the park is just below 30 miles from Wind Cave Nationwide Park, residence of the seventh longest cave on this planet.
7. Like Arches Nationwide Park? Attempt Huge South Fork Nationwide River and Recreation Space!
Photograph credit score: Arnita Sitasari Grey
Vacationers flock to Utah’s Arches Nationwide Park for its exceptional pure rock formations, together with greater than 2,000 iconic arches.
If you wish to discover some spectacular rock work, however reasonably journey in a less-visited location, attempt Huge South Fork Nationwide River and Recreation Space. Situated alongside the border of Kentucky and Tennessee, the park is usually known as the Arches of the East. It has extra pure arches than every other area within the japanese United States. A few of the hottest of the park’s greater than 100 sandstone arches embody Twin Arches, Needle Arch, and Cut up Bow Arch, all reachable by way of mountaineering trails. For arch lovers on the lookout for a change of surroundings, the greater than 125,000-acre park is far more forested and inexperienced than Utah’s crimson rock landscapes. Go to for fewer crowds, rugged terrain, scenic rivers, sandstone bluffs, and deep gorges.
Develop Your Adventures to New Public Lands With Options for Well-liked Parks
Whether or not on the lookout for a wilderness journey with extra solitude or just eager to discover a brand new panorama much like one you already love, fashionable park dupes are a journey pattern value embracing. We hope these strategies get you dreaming and planning your subsequent journey within the nice outdoor. Don’t neglect to load up your favourite daypack with the necessities and seize your trekking poles earlier than you hit the path!
Have an concept for a park dupe that’s not on our record? We’d love to listen to about it! Share your greatest options for crowded parks with us by tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and utilizing the hashtag #takelessdomore.
Searching for extra out of doors journey inspiration? Take a look at a few of our different articles on the Gentle Ft weblog:
