21 Underrated National Parks for Avoiding Summer Crowds

12. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota): Solitude in the Badlands

Escape the crowds flocking to South Dakota's Badlands by heading north to this rugged gem. Theodore Roosevelt NP offers similarly stunning painted canyons and unique geological formations but receives significantly fewer visitors. Summer provides long daylight hours perfect for driving the scenic loops, spotting vast bison herds, wild horses, and prairie dogs, and hiking trails where you might not see another soul. Its Northern Plains location simply doesn't draw the same massive summer numbers as parks further west or south, ensuring a more peaceful encounter with Badlands beauty.