Least visited National Park - Memorial Weekend, N. California
I understand that parks such as Yosemite are expected to reach a visitor peak on the upcoming memorial day weekend, and are thus best avoided if one does not enjoy hiking in a crowd.
What national parks or other natural points of interest in Northern California would be least crowded on Memorial Day weekend? How about the Mt. Shasta area or King's Canyon NP?
Best Answer
So 'points of interest' is probably way too broad, so I'll focus on the National Parks.
There are 59 National Parks in the United States and territories, across 27 states (and territories). California has nine of these:
- Channel Islands
- Death Valley
- Joshua Tree
- Kings Canyon
- Lassen Volcanic
- Pinnacles
- Redwood
- Sequoia
- Yosemite
Some of those, as indicated in @choster's comment, are debateable whether they're in 'northern California', and it also took me some effort to find lists of numbers. However, there are a few articles around about the least visited parks in the US, most being top 10 least visited, and as such don't have any California ones (pretty much always Alaska). However:
Hidden Gems: 25 Least Crowded U.S. National Parks [50 PICS]
is one list that DOES feature Californian parks, two to be precise - at 15th, the least visited Californian park is Channel Islands, as suspected. However, at 18th on the list with an annual visitor rate of 352,517 (2012) is Redwood National Park. Which is definitely in Northern California.
As a result, that looks like the best option in terms of National Parks, and I'll leave you with the official website for Redwood National Park, which comically leads with 'More than tall trees'. I actually nearly went there a couple of years ago - was between that and Yosemite. Yosemite was spectacular, but now I want to visit Redwood :)
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What is the least visited national park in California?
California's Four Least-Visited National Parks Are Some of the Raddest Places in the US. Here's Why.- Lassen Volcanic National Park. Five hours north of the San Francisco Bay, hell awaits you. ...
- Channel Islands National Park. ...
- Pinnacles National Park. ...
- Redwoods National and State Parks.
Which national park is visited the least?
The least visited of the 63 national parks, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve, contains no roads or trails and visitors must fly or hike into the park, according to the National Park Service.What is the least visited national park and why?
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve, Alaska With no roads or trails and a landscape carved by glaciers, Alaska's Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is for the traveler looking to truly get away from it all. With just 2,872 visitors in 2020, it was the least-visited national park of the year.Is Sequoia national park busy Memorial Day weekend?
May 26, 2022 \u2013 Memorial Day weekend is considered the summer \u201ckick-off\u201d for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and the parks are expected to be exceptionally busy. Trip planning is essential for a safe and enjoyable visit.8 Parks To Get the Big National Park Experience Without the Crowds
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Gotta Be Worth It, Enric Cruz López, Marta Wave, Budgeron Bach