According to 2022 National Park Service visitation data, these three wildly remote National Parks in Alaska are some of the least visited national parks in America, and they’re some of the most beautiful, yet highly underrated, places in the country. With over 22,000 combined square miles, there is no shortage of adventure to be had in any of these brilliantly beautiful places. Getting there might be a bit more difficult than visiting the parks located along the state’s the road system, but the remote locations of these parks is a large part of what makes them so special. If you have a wanderlust for the Last Frontier, you need to plan a visit to these national parks in Alaska ASAP!

1. Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Flickr - swanNPS
The 6,297-square-mile Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is located southwest of Anchorage, along the western shore of Cook Inlet.
Flickr - Caitlin Marr
With the incredible abundant salmon streams that offer world-class fishing opportunities, many are surprised to learn that the annual traffic to this park is only around 18,000 visitors. In fact, in 2022, it was the third least-visited of the 63 national parks in the United States.
Flickr - Caitlin Marr
But as you can expect, getting there isn't as easy as it is get to other parks in the state, which is likely the reason for the limited number of visitors. With no roads leading in, a float plane or a boat is your best option for visiting.
Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA
Flickr - Sanjoy Ghosh
In addition to fishing, the wildlife viewing in Lake Clark National Park is by far one of the best experiences that you will ever have in your life. Get up close and personal with bears during the day, and stay at a luxury lodge in the evening. This enormous national park is what vacation goals are made for!
2. Kobuk Valley National Park, Alaska
Flickr - Western Arctic National Parklands
The 2,735 square-mile Kobuk Valley National Park is one of the most unexpected places that you'll find in the entire state of Alaska.
Flickr - Western Arctic National Parklands
Home to the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes - the largest, active high-latitude dune field on the planet - this national park is the second least-visited among the 63 national parks in the system. In 2022, for example, only 16,925 people visited this vast Alaskan park. But those lucky few who did enjoyed hiking, backpacking, fishing, skiing, dog mushing, and snow machining.
Flickr - National Park Service, Alaska Region
In addition to the sand dunes, the Kobuk River is an enchanting part of this widespread national park. With abundant fishing opportunities, visitors can stay busy for days.

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Flickr - Western Arctic National Parklands
The Kobuk River caribou herd is another big attraction when visiting this special area. In fact, over a half-million caribou migrate through the park each year.
Kobuk Valley National Park, 171 3rd Ave, Kotzebue, AK 99752, USA
Flickr - Western Arctic National Parklands
Getting to this incredibly remote park is not easy. There are no roads leading into this vast national park, so your best best is to take a small plane from the nearest town of Kotzebue.
3. Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska
Flickr - Bureau of Land Management
Known as one of the last "truly wild places on Earth," the phenomenal Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is the northernmost National Park in the United States.
Flickr - Paxson Woelber
At more than 11,750 square miles, Gates of the Arctic is the second largest national park in the United States (Wrangell-St. Elias National Park is the biggest). However, it is the least visited of the 63 U.S. national parks, registering only 9,457 visitors in 2022.
Flickr - Paxson Woelber, Expedition Arguk
Although there are no roads into Gates of the Arctic National Park, that shouldn't stop you from visiting. Limestack Mountain is a stunningly beautiful attraction inside the park that everyone should see at least once in their lifetime.
Flickr - Ilya Katsnelson
In addition to there not being roads into the park, there are also no "official" established trails inside the park - but there are game trails and natural routes over the landscape. This makes it an excellent location for backcountry hiking and overnight backpacking.
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska, USA
Flickr - Paxson Woelber, Expedition Arguk
The lakes, glaciers and mountains inside the park will give you the biggest dose of eye candy in your lifetime. You must experience this least visited national park in Alaska for yourself.

For more of the same great stuff you’ve been reading above, check out the arctic desert that is hiding in this underrated National Park in Alaska. You’ll also love these 7 wonders of the world that are actually right here in Alaska.

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National parks to visit in Alaska

Sarah | January 14, 2022

What are some well-known national parks I should visit in Alaska?

How many national parks are in Alaska? Eight! That's right, The Last Frontier is full of amazing national parks that you really ought to visit. These are places worthy of any adventure seeker's bucket list! Places we absolutely recommend visiting include Denali National Park, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Wrangell - St. Elias National Park and Preserve. Of course, these amazing national parks really are just the tip of the (literal!) iceberg... other amazing places to visit in the Last Frontier include sites like Mendenhall Glacier. The ice caves located at the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau, Alaska, are natural ice formations in one of the most extraordinary places on the planet. Calling the Mendenhall Glacier "caves" is a misnomer; this place is an entire frozen kingdom that is 13.6 miles long with an estimated total area of 38 square miles. A place of immense beauty and splendor, there's nowhere in the world like the ice caves at Mendenhall Glacier, and experiencing this natural wonder in person will be something you'll never, ever forget.

What are the biggest national parks in Alaska?

While Texas might be known for their "go big" mantra, as the largest state in the country, Alaska is home to seven of the 10 largest national parks in the country! Denali, of course, is one of the biggest national parks in the country; it encompasses 6 million acres of Alaska’s interior wilderness. Second on the list is Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, covering an immense 13,238 square miles. The park houses 8.4 million acres of the diverse arctic ecosystems in Alaska's central Brooks Range, too! We've compiled several must-visit superlative superstar parks in this list. Take a tour of these gorgeous, unique national parks that should be on everyone’s bucket list, and try and pick your favorite!

In terms of biggest national parks, however, Wrangell St Elias takes the title for Alaska - and the whole national park system. Designated as a national park in 1980, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve sprawls across 13.2 million acres in the south-central region of Alaska. It's bigger than many states and countries. Wow!

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