There is a familiar pattern for modern American travelers. You see stunning photos of Half Dome in Yosemite, the geysers of Yellowstone park, or the delicate arches of Utah on social media. So, it feels inspired to visit. You book a flight, rent a car, and arrive at the entrance gate. Only to sit in a mile-long line of traffic. Once inside, you find yourself jostling for position on hiking trails and circling parking lots like a vulture waiting for a space to open up.
America’s National Parks are rightly called “America’s Best Idea.” They protect some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes on Earth. However, they are also suffering from their own success. In recent years, record-breaking attendance has led to timed-entry reservation systems, shuttle-only access, and a general feeling of congestion that can detract from the wilderness experience.
But here is the secret that seasoned road-trippers and locals know: the United States has an incredibly robust state park system that often rivals its national counterparts in beauty. Biodiversity, and geological wonder—without the overwhelming crowds.
If you are looking for stunning vistas, challenging hikes, and the serenity of nature without the Disney World-level queues, it’s time to look beyond the “Big Five” national parks. Here is your guide to some of America’s most underrated state parks that deserve a spot on your bucket list.
The “Grand Canyon” Without the Gridlock: Palo Duro Canyon State Park, Texas
When people think of massive canyons in the American Southwest, Arizona inevitably comes to mind. Yet, nestled in the Texas Panhandle is the second-largest canyon in the United States. Palo Duro Canyon State Park offers a stunning, rugged landscape of multi-colored layers of rock, historic caves, and hoodoos that rival anything found further west.
Why It’s Underrated: Because it isn’t the absolute biggest, it often gets bypassed. But Palo Duro is vast—roughly 120 miles long and up to 800 feet deep. Unlike the Grand Canyon, where most visitors stand on the rim looking down, Palo Duro invites you to drive and hike right into the canyon floor, immersing you immediately in the red rock grandeur.
The Experience: The park is a haven for hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. The famous “Lighthouse Trail” is a six-mile roundtrip trek leading to an iconic rock formation that looks exactly like its namesake. The colors at sunrise and sunset, painting the canyon walls in deep oranges, purples, and reds, are mesmerizing. Furthermore, the park hosts the outdoor musical drama “TEXAS” during the summer in a natural amphitheater, offering a unique cultural touchpoint you won’t find in most national parks.
- Best Alternative To: Grand Canyon National Park, Canyonlands National Park.
The Granite Peaks and Wildlife Haven: , South Dakota
If you took elements of Yosemite’s granite spires and combined them with Yellowstone’s incredible wildlife density, you would get Custer State Park. Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Custer is a massive, sprawling landscape that feels very much like a national park in scope and grandeur.
Why It’s Underrated: It is often overshadowed by nearby Mount Rushmore (a National Memorial) and Badlands National Park. Many tourists do a drive-by without realizing Custer is the main event in the region.
The Experience: Custer State Park is famous for its “Begging Burros”—wild donkeys that approach cars looking for a head scratch. More importantly, its massive herd of nearly 1,300 bison. Driving the 18-mile Wildlife Loop Road almost guarantees close encounters with these majestic beasts, along with pronghorn, elk, and bighorn sheep.
For hikers and climbers, the Needles Highway takes you through impossible granite spires that pierce the sky. Offering terrain that rivals many western national parks. The hike to Black Elk Peak (the highest point east of the Rockies in the U.S.) offers panoramic views that are simply unbeaten in the region.+1
- Best Alternative To: Yellowstone National Park (for wildlife), Yosemite National Park (for granite scenery).
The Red Rock Wonderland: Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada
Just an hour outside the neon glare of Las Vegas lies a landscape that feels like Mars. Valley of Fire State Park is Nevada’s oldest and largest state park, a geological wonderland of vibrant red Aztec sandstone outcrops nestled in gray and tan limestone mountains.
Why It’s Underrated: Many visitors to Vegas never leave the Strip. So those seeking nature often head further to Zion National Park in Utah. Valley of Fire is frequently viewed merely as a quick photo op on the way somewhere else. But it deserves a full day or two of exploration.
The Experience: The colors here are unbelievably saturated. The “Fire Wave” hike offers sweeping, striped sandstone formations that rival the famous “Wave” in Arizona, but without the impossible-to-get lottery permit. You can explore ancient petroglyphs carved into the rocks at Atlatl Rock. Squeeze through slot canyons, and scramble over mounds of petrified sand dunes. It is a photographer’s paradise, especially at sunset when the rocks appear to be actually glowing.
- Best Alternative To: Zion National Park, Arches National Park.
The Giants of the Coast: Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California
California’s Redwood National and State Parks complex is famous, but the northern National Park sections get the most press. Further south along the Avenue of the Giants lies Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Which actually contains the largest contiguous old-growth redwood forest on Earth.
Why It’s Underrated: It is slightly less accessible than Muir Woods near San Francisco and often lumped in generically with “the redwoods” further north.
The Experience: This is where you go to feel small. The park is home to the Rockefeller Forest, a cathedral of ancient giants that have stood for millennia. The hiking here is sublime; soft forest floors, misty mornings, and trees so tall you cannot see their tops. Unlike the crowded boardwalks of some more famous redwood groves, you can often walk for miles here in near silence, accompanied only by the sound of the wind in the canopy highly above. It offers a profound sense of prehistoric wilderness.
- Best Alternative To: Redwood National Park (crowded sections), Muir Woods National Monument.
The True Wilderness Experience: Baxter State Park, Maine
In the eastern United States, “wild” can sometimes feel like a relative term. Not in Baxter State Park. This massive expanse of northern Maine forest was gifted to the state by Governor Percival Baxter with the strict stipulation that it remain “forever wild.”
Why It’s Underrated: It is remote, hard to get to, and intentionally lacks modern amenities. There are no paved roads, no electricity in the campgrounds, and RVs are largely prohibited. This discourages the casual tourist, leaving the park for those who truly want a rugged experience.
The Experience: Baxter is home to Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail and a formidable, dramatic peak offering some of the most challenging hiking in New England via the famous “Knife Edge” trail. The park is a haven for moose, black bears, and native brook trout. If Acadia National Park is too manicured and crowded for your tastes, Baxter is the antidote. It is a place where you are responsible for your own safety, offering a level of solitude that is nearly extinct on the East Coast.
- Best Alternative To: Acadia National Park, Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Conclusion: Rethinking the American Road Trip
The National Park Service jewelers are undeniable treasures, but they are not the only places where America’s natural beauty shines. As travel demand increases, rethinking where we go is crucial for both conservation efforts and the quality of our own experiences.
These underrated state parks are not mere consolation prizes; they are world-class destinations in their own right. They offer the space to breathe, the quiet to reflect, and the rugged beauty that originally inspired the American road trip. The next time you are planning an adventure, look at the state map before the national one. You might just find your new favorite place hidden in plain sight, far from the madding crowds.
