Gates of the Arctic is one of several national parks in remote, roadless areas of Alaska. This northernmost national park in the U.S. is visited by only a few thousand people a year, making for great wildlife viewing.
Photograph by Alaska Stock Images, National Geographic
First a national monument in southern Alaska was established in 1910 to preserve volcanic ash flows, the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes, and outstanding wildlife habitat.
Photograph by Kelley Deutmeyer, My Shot
Home to stunning vistas, Lake Clark in southwestern Alaska is among the least visited in the National Park system.
Photograph by National Park Service
Coral reefs, rain forests, and volcanic peaks are among the gems found in the National Park of American Samoa. The U.S. territory of Samoa is closer to Australia than the lower 48.
Photograph by Randy Olson
Kobuk Valley's ethereal sand dunes lie about 40 miles (64 kilometres) north of the Arctic Circle. The park is also host to great herds of migrating caribou.
Photograph by Nick Jans/Alaska Stock LLC
Straddling the Nevada-Utah border, Great Basin National Park is known for its glacier-sculpted landscape, the 13,000-foot (3,900-metre) Mount Wheeler, and ancient bristlecone pines.
Photograph by Bill Hatcher
Congaree National Park contains the largest intact tract of old-growth bottomland forest in North America. Boardwalk hikes and canoe tours are popular activities among the towering trees.
Photograph by Getty Images/Panoramic Images
The site of the highest point in Texas, the 8,749-foot (2,600-metre) Guadalupe Peak, this sprawling park in the western part of the state is home to rugged terrain, forests, desert, and rich wildlife.
Photograph by Dustin Nelson
Big Thicket in eastern Texas is home to carnivorous plants, cypress forest, and a host of wildlife. After political opposition the site was made a preserve instead of a park, which allows hunting and some oil development.
Photograph by Dave Ryan/AP
El Malpais is Spanish for "the badland" which describes the park's rugged landscape of lava flows, cinder cones, and lava tubes, where there are few marked trails.
Photograph by National Park Service
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