If You Want to Experience a National Park, Avoid the Major Ones

As summer fully arrives and cities across the U.S. navigate the ebb and flow of COVID-19 restrictions, people are eager to escape their homes. While no travel is completely safe at this time, some options are certainly more responsible than others for satisfying that wanderlust.

National parks, with their expansive landscapes, are better suited for socially distanced getaways than resort towns or amusement parks. However, even these vast areas have their risks—like visitor centers and busy trailheads near parking lots. Moreover, attractions like Yellowstone’s Old Faithful or the scenic route at Zion National Park have drawn such large crowds since reopening that the park had to limit access starting at 6:30 a.m.

Now is the perfect time to explore some of America’s hidden gem national parks. By avoiding the throngs at Yosemite, the Grand Canyon, and the Great Smoky Mountains, you can discover new places and enjoy mostly empty trails. The adventure continues beyond the parks, as these lesser-known spots are often nestled among charming small towns and communities featuring unique restaurants, cozy speakeasies, and even a Texas saloon with chicken-fried delicacies.

While all of this is enticing, it’s crucial for travelers to be cautious in and around national parks, as these smaller gateway towns may struggle with an influx of visitors. This poses a challenge for local businesses that depend on tourism. It’s essential to exercise the same level of caution while traveling as you do at home; vacationing doesn’t mean you can stash away your face masks. Wherever you are, practicing social distancing and adhering to health guidelines is vital to protect these communities and keep them safe.

With safety as a priority, here are some alternative parks to consider for your summer getaway in 2020, along with the best nearby dining options for takeout, dine-in, or outdoor meals.

Congaree National Park, South Carolina

Congaree attracts only about 3 percent of the annual visitors compared to popular parks like Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain, indicating that many are unaware of this hidden gem in South Carolina. Situated in the heart of the state, its swampy landscape resembles a mix of the Everglades and Redwood forests, boasting the tallest trees east of the Mississippi and winding waterways ideal for paddling. While main attractions like the Boardwalk Trail are currently closed, visitors can still canoe or kayak along Cedar Creek, a narrow passageway through towering hardwood forests that block the sunlight, making hooting owls a common sound throughout the day. For those seeking easier hikes, the River Trail and Oakridge Trail are open and accessible. The park is just 20 miles from Columbia, the state capital, which offers a variety of excellent dining and drinking options.

Where to Eat: Before heading out to paddle through Congaree, it's essential to start your day with a hearty breakfast, like pancakes infused with tequila. The Black-owned food truck 27 Pancakes serves up unique breakfast options, operating on weekends only during the summer due to the pandemic. Chef-owner Joy Eggleston is like a pancake wizard, creating both classic flavors (like buttermilk and blueberry) and inventive savory dishes, such as a shrimp-and-grits pancake made with grits batter, succulent shrimp, and jalapeños, or the tequila pancake, an almond-flour flapjack topped with a honey, maple syrup, and tequila reduction blend. Follow 27 Pancakes on social media for updates on their schedule.

Big Bend National Park, Texas

Located about four and a half hours southeast of El Paso, the nearest major airport, this expansive park in West Texas offers nearly 1 million acres to explore, from the scenic hikes in the Chisos Mountains to the relaxing hot springs and the stunning Santa Elena Canyon, which provides shaded relief along the winding Rio Grande. With its vastness, varied geography, and remote location, Big Bend is an ideal park for a week-long getaway filled with sights and activities. The nearby communities are full of character but light on crowds, such as the dusty ghost town of Terlingua, which is becoming a serene artist’s haven, and the tranquil riverside town of Lajitas, where a goat serves as the mayor.

Where to Eat and Drink: The main highlight in Terlingua is the Starlight Theatre, a vibrant spot amid a town filled with graves and abandoned homes, remnants of miners who fell victim to mercury poisoning or mining accidents in the early 1900s. This spacious saloon is known for its creative takes on West Texas game flavors, such as chicken-fried wild boar strips served with beer gravy and tequila-marinated quail in blueberry-balsamic sauce. Currently, they offer dine-in and bar service at 50 percent capacity, along with takeout options and occasional live music.

Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado

Nestled in the lush landscapes of southwest Colorado, Mesa Verde National Park is once again inviting visitors eager to hike, drive the Mesa Top Loop Road, and admire the park's renowned cliff dwellings—intricate structures built centuries ago by the Puebloan peoples. Covering just over 50,000 acres, the park serves as a perfect weekend escape, celebrated for its scenic drives along the mesas and hiking trails that make you feel as if you're walking among the clouds, all while enjoying sweeping views of the Colorado valley. The quaint gateway town of Mancos, though small, is surprisingly rich in galleries, cafes, and restaurants that have adapted to new operational methods.

Where to Eat: Absolute Bakery & Cafe is a cherished gathering spot for both locals and visitors, offering a pre-adventure menu before heading to Mesa Verde. Enjoy avocado omelets, chicken Florentine, Cubano sandwiches, and freshly baked treats like cherry strudel, pumpkin brownies, and coconut-walnut blondies. In response to COVID-19, the cafe has expanded its hours to seven days a week, providing breakfast and lunch to go, along with take-and-bake options like pot pie, quiche, and lasagna—perfect for RV cooking. They’ve also introduced nightly pizza dinners for takeout, featuring sourdough crusts and toppings like asparagus pesto, Hawaiian, and pepperoni. Guests are encouraged to wear masks, and the cafe is equipped with hand sanitizer stations.

Great Basin National Park, Nevada

Situated along U.S. Route 50, famously dubbed “The Loneliest Road in America,” and adjacent to the small town of Baker, Great Basin National Park is the perfect destination for those seeking social distancing. Besides your travel companions, you're unlikely to see many other visitors. This region in eastern Nevada, nestled between the Sierra Nevadas and Wasatch Mountains, offers dramatic contrasts—from the towering Wheeler Peak, the park's highest point at 13,065 feet, to the intricate formations of Lehman Caves and the ancient bristlecone pines, some nearly 5,000 years old. With less than 200,000 annual visitors and 77,000 acres of varied landscapes, solitude is easily found in this stunning setting.

Where to Eat: A tribute to road-trip enthusiasts, Kerouac’s Restaurant is a seasonal Mytoury open from May through October at the Stargazer Inn in Baker. Due to COVID-19 precautions, this year the restaurant offers only counter service, with food and drinks available for takeout or dining on their cozy front patio. The menu features a selection of American comfort food favorites, perfect for refueling after a long drive or hike, including pesto-mushroom pizzas, spicy chicken sandwiches, veggie burgers, oatmeal cranberry cookies, and strawberry-rhubarb Moscow mules.

Wind Cave National Park, South Dakota

While Western South Dakota is famous for its notable parks and landmarks like Badlands National Park and Mount Rushmore, Wind Cave offers a quieter escape for those wishing to avoid the crowds. Although the cave, known for its intricate calcite formations such as needle-like frostwork and rare boxwork, is currently closed, the park boasts miles of serene prairie trails across 30,000 acres filled with rolling hills and meadows bursting with wildflowers that resemble confetti fields. Keep an eye out for wildlife, including bison, prairie dogs, elk, and the elusive black-footed ferret.

Dining Options: Rapid City serves as the vibrant culinary center of western South Dakota, offering a remarkable food scene despite its modest size. Just an hour from Wind Cave, visit the two-story Vertex Sky Bar on top of the historic Hotel Alex Johnson for stunning views of the Black Hills while sipping rosé. Alternatively, enjoy a meal at Kōl, which has reopened for dine-in service with reservations and spaced-out tables, featuring wood-fired pizzas, steaks, and roasted chicken. In the mornings, downtown’s Harriet & Oak cafe has limited seating and a two-hour time limit for customers, perfect for savoring a trendy latte alongside Instagram-worthy avocado toast. Curbside pickup and online ordering are also offered.

Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota

Situated on Minnesota’s northern border, Voyageurs National Park is a peaceful expanse of lakes and islands where the calls of loons replace the noise of urban life. In this heart of the Land of 10,000 Lakes, it’s simple to keep your distance for several days, as one-third of the 250,000-acre park is water, making it ideal for activities like kayaking, canoeing, and fishing.

Dining Recommendations: You can’t get more authentic to the Minnesota Northwoods than Rocky Ledge, a charming cabin-style restaurant perched on the scenic shores of Kabetogama Lake, famous for its Minnesota delicacies like wild rice casserole. And if you didn’t catch your own fish, don’t worry: the menu features fry-bread fish tacos and crispy walleye sandwiches to satisfy your cravings.

Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas

For those seeking a leisurely experience instead of a rigorous hike, Arkansas’s historic Hot Springs offers a quaint city park perfect for a midday visit. Renowned for its elegant bathhouses that harness the area’s celebrated thermal waters, the town is fondly referred to as “The American Spa” and has been drawing visitors for over a century. Bathhouse Row serves as the park’s centerpiece, featuring bubbling water fountains and grand structures adorned with intricate Gilded Age designs. Although traditional baths may not be available just yet, guests can hike up the gentle slopes of Hot Springs Mountain for stunning views of the lush Ouachita Mountains and enjoy the spring water at the unique brewery nestled within the national park.

Dining Options: Superior Bathhouse, nestled in one of the historic bathhouses on Bathhouse Row along Main Street, has reopened with limited counter service. Guests must wear masks unless they’re eating (consider the beer cheese dip or sweet potato-beet sandwiches) or sipping one of the craft beers brewed on-site—such as a hazy blood-orange IPA, honey-basil kolsch, or oatmeal stout—using the thermal waters of Hot Springs. To truly embrace the Southern spirit of Hot Springs, visit Emma Lee’s, a cozy restaurant filled with the delightful scents of peach cobbler, beef roast, and freshly baked cornbread. Founded by Courtney Sanders in honor of his grandmother Emma Lee, this family-run Mytoury offers curbside pickup along with limited dine-in service on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Whether you opt for rich smoky brisket with candied yams or bubbling mac and cheese under a crispy golden crust, this restaurant promises to uplift hearts in these times. Masks are mandatory for entry but can be removed once seated.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota

With its badlands, petrified wood, roaming bison, and wild horses, it’s easy to see why President Theodore Roosevelt fell in love with this serene part of the nation, where you’re more likely to hear prairie dogs chirping than encounter other hikers. The park, divided into two primary districts, each deserving a day or two of exploration, spans 70,000 acres and embodies the spirit of the Wild West, with the Little Missouri River winding through lush grasslands and eroded sandstone formations that resemble colossal sandcastles. Medora serves as the gateway to the popular southern unit, while the nearby city of Dickinson offers a variety of independent dining and shopping options.

Dining Recommendations: Start your day right with a blackberry pancake latte and a decadent caramel roll at the Brew, a charming coffee shop converted from a former church. Later, relax with a sweet and spicy jalapeno honey beer alongside a Badlands pizza topped with pepperoni, Italian sausage, and ricotta at Phat Fish Brewing. This brewpub offers dine-in seating with spacious indoor tables and a large outdoor patio featuring a grassy area. They also provide take-and-bake pizza kits and bottled beers for takeaway.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Colorado

With its pleasantly warm weather, lush woodlands, and diverse landscapes, Colorado is a favorite for outdoor activities. Instead of the crowded Rocky Mountain National Park, consider the lesser-known Black Canyon of the Gunnison. As the least visited national park in the state, it offers hiking along both the north and south rims, featuring trails that bring you alarmingly close to the stunning canyon and the roaring river below. Each side of the canyon is worth exploring, so allocate at least two to three days for a complete experience. Accessing the north rim involves a longer drive around the canyon’s southern end, adding to your travel time. For adventurous hikers, the park includes a few steep trails leading down to the canyon floor, providing a cool escape from the sun, as the canyon’s height and narrowness keep it mostly in shadow. Montrose serves as the gateway to the park’s southern rim, which boasts the most trails and scenic overlooks.

Dining Spots: Discovering a speakeasy with craft cocktails and charcuterie platters near a national park is a rare treat, making Phelanies a hidden gem. Tucked away in an alley off one of Montrose’s main thoroughfares, this spacious lounge has opened an outdoor patio for the first time, enhancing its menu with dishes like Korean barbecue pulled pork and duck wontons, alongside seasonal cocktails such as honeydew margaritas and the timely COVID Reviver No. 19, a twist on the Corpse Reviver featuring gin, orange liqueur, Lillet Blanc, lemon, and a CBD tincture. Guests are requested to wear masks when not seated and to minimize movement around the bar, except for essential trips like restroom visits.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio

Nestled between Cleveland and Akron, Cuyahoga Valley stretches across 30,000 acres along the winding Cuyahoga River, offering a refreshing escape for city residents from urban congestion to vibrant green forests, gentle streams, and over 70 waterfalls. Although popular attractions like the Brandywine Falls boardwalk are currently closed, visitors can still enjoy hiking along numerous woodland trails, horseback riding, fishing, and kayaking opportunities.

Dining Options: This park is a perfect day trip from major cities in Ohio, allowing visitors to enjoy safe travel while keeping their footprint minimal without needing an overnight stay. If you're coming from Cleveland, kick off your day with a delicious fried ring of blueberry cake from the Vegan Doughnut Company, renowned for its vibrant, whimsical pastries. Located in Lakewood, this Black-owned bakery, run by sisters Kharisma and Kyra Mayo, features treats like a birthday-cake doughnut topped with colorful sprinkles and crushed Golden Oreos, as well as a vanilla-glazed doughnut adorned with chocolate chips and cookie dough. Currently, the shop is open on weekends for takeout only. After exploring the park and chasing waterfalls, refuel with wood-fired pepperoni and banana-pepper pizza from Sarah’s Vineyard and Winery. Nestled in a timber barn that doubles as an art gallery, this spacious restaurant and tasting room offers dine-in service, expanded patio seating, hand sanitizer stations, and a menu featuring hearty favorites like pulled pork sandwiches, nachos, and pizza. Enjoy your meal outdoors with stunning vineyard views, and pair your spicy pizza with a sweet carafe of Ohio-grown Vidal.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico

The renowned caverns, filled with stunning stalagmites, stalactites, and a massive colony of Brazilian free-tailed bats that swirl like clouds of dark smoke during their evening flights, are currently closed to the public. However, the lesser-known hiking trails on the surface offer an excellent alternative, especially for morning or late-afternoon excursions to avoid the midday heat. With nearly 50 miles of trails winding through the serene Chihuahuan Desert, from Rattlesnake Canyon to Guadalupe Ridge, there’s ample opportunity for exploration and a chance to connect with the local flora and fauna, including cacti and roadrunners.

Dining Options: In the nearby Carlsbad area, Guadalupe Mountain Brewing Company has reopened for dine-in service with limited hours and an outdoor patio. Their house-brewed beers range from a tangy grapefruit gose to rich coconut porters, and their thin, crispy brick-oven pizzas are so well-loved that they often sell out. They also provide gluten-free crust options, cauliflower-crust pizzas, and occasional specials like dessert pizzas topped with berries and New Mexican green chile pies.

A full-time RV adventurer and freelance travel writer, Matt Kirouac is the co-founder and co-host of Hello Ranger, a community blog, podcast, and upcoming app focused on national parks.