People love visiting national parks. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in East Tennessee saw 13.29 million visitors in 2023! In fact, it's getting to the point that a park experience can be diminished by the very number of people in those parks. Like Yogi Berra once said, "Nobody goes there anymore; it's too crowded." However, there are some US National Parks that are quite un-crowded. The least visited is Gates of the Arctic in Alaska, which is quite scenic but has no roads, trails, or campsites. And it can get pretty cold. However, the second least visited US National Park is a tropical paradise. So why do few people visit it?
The name of the park is the National Park of American Samoa. It is our only national park south of the equator, and it's not easy to get to. First, you have to get to Hawaii, then take a plane 2,600 more miles to the island of Tutuila, and flights only happen twice a week. Despite it being American territory, you'll need a passport to prove your citizenship. There are limited hotels, and no visitor center. But once you are at the park, you'll have the solitude of a desert island while you hike, swim, snorkel, or just enjoy the scenery. Read about one intrepid traveler's experience at the National Park of American Samoa at BBC Travel. -via Damn Interesting
(Image credit: The U.S. National Park Service)
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