National parks with backcountry camping
Bright dots offer backcountry camping. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for backcountry camping
- 1Kobuk Valley National Park7,786 visits
- 2Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve14,923 visits
- 3Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for backcountry camping
- Alaska 8
- California 7
- Utah 5
- Arizona 3
- Colorado 3
- Washington 3
- Hawaii 2
- Montana 2
50 parks
Where to go for backcountry camping
Photo: NPS PhotoArches National Park
Utah
1,511,740 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoBadlands National Park
South Dakota
1,139,361 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPSBig Bend National Park
Texas
568,104 visits in 2025Quietest: August$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/LynchBlack Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Colorado
250,086 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Peter DensmoreBryce Canyon National Park
Utah
1,967,367 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Rhodes SmarttCanyonlands National Park
Utah
796,057 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoCapitol Reef National Park
Utah
1,388,476 visits in 2025Quietest: January$20 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Brett SeymourChannel Islands National Park
California
227,186 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPSCongaree National Park
South Carolina
287,833 visits in 2025Quietest: AugustFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoCrater Lake National Park
Oregon
632,242 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPSDeath Valley National Park
California, Nevada
1,320,134 visits in 2025Quietest: September$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan KostegianDenali National Park & Preserve
Alaska
543,300 visits in 2025Quietest: January$15 / person
Photo: NPS Photo by Miguel SalasEverglades National Park
Florida
778,198 visits in 2025Quietest: October$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Sean TevebaughGates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Alaska
14,923 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / T. VandenBergGlacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Alaska
740,044 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoGlacier National Park
Montana
3,136,557 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/M. QuinnGrand Canyon National Park
Arizona
4,430,653 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoGreat Basin National Park
Nevada
161,210 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS/Patrick MyersGreat Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Colorado
432,498 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS / Bob CarrGreat Smoky Mountains National Park
North Carolina, Tennessee
11,527,939 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS/BieriGuadalupe Mountains National Park
Texas
206,423 visits in 2025Quietest: August$10 / person
Photo: NPSHaleakalā National Park
Hawaii
853,711 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoHawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park
Hawaii
1,877,854 visits in 2025Quietest: April$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Paul BrownIsle Royale National Park
Michigan
29,091 visits in 2025Quietest: January$7 / person
Photo: NPS / Emily HassellJoshua Tree National Park
California
2,932,644 visits in 2025Quietest: July$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/David JacobKatmai National Park & Preserve
Alaska
34,479 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo, S. RainoneKenai Fjords National Park
Alaska
425,369 visits in 2025Quietest: NovemberFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoKobuk Valley National Park
Alaska
7,786 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Scott ArnazLassen Volcanic National Park
California
504,777 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / J. CooperMammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
660,734 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / E. BrouwerMount Rainier National Park
Washington
1,635,342 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlinNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve
West Virginia
1,958,440 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/D.DixonNorth Cascades National Park
Washington
46,925 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/Jon PrestonOlympic National Park
Washington
3,584,187 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoPetrified Forest National Park
Arizona
315,951 visits in 2025Quietest: February$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Steve OlsonRedwood National and State Parks
California
1,202,480 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS/J.MarinoRocky Mountain National Park
Colorado
4,171,431 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoSaguaro National Park
Arizona
847,749 visits in 2025Quietest: August$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Rick CainSequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
California
2,158,128 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Neal LewisShenandoah National Park
Virginia
1,682,152 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Mark MeyersTheodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota
729,893 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Daniel DendlerVoyageurs National Park
Minnesota
206,326 visits in 2025Quietest: AprilFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoWhite Sands National Park
New Mexico
659,742 visits in 2025Quietest: February$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoWind Cave National Park
South Dakota
606,258 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal HerbertWrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
108,840 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. FrankYellowstone National Park
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
4,762,988 visits in 2025Quietest: November$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoYosemite National Park
California
4,278,413 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Shane CarteZion National Park
Utah
4,984,525 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Ideas from the National Park Service
Backcountry Camping ideas, park by park
Backpacking at Arches is allowed in designated sites only and requires a permit.
Reservation/permitFee
- Backpacking Big BendAll year
Big Bend National Park is a backpacker's paradise. For those who come prepared, there are hundreds of miles of trails, and vast expanses to explore.
Reservation/permitFee - Primitive Roadside CampsitesWinter, Spring, Fall
Off the Beaten Path! If you have a rugged vehicle, and wish to get away from it all...Big Bend offers a number of primitive campsites located along rough, remote, backcountry roads.
Reservation/permitFeePets OK
- Backcountry Hiking and CampingAll year
Experience the solitude of Bryce's forested backcountry! To preserve this experience, backcountry camping is permitted only in designated campsites. A backcountry permit must be obtained at the Visitor Center prior to…
Reservation/permitFee
- Backcountry Camping in Canyonlands1-14 Days · All year
What better way to connect with this wilderness of countless canyons than on foot? Canyonlands offers hundreds of miles of hiking trails with designated campsites for overnight backcountry travel.
Reservation/permitFee
- Backpacking in Denali2 Days · All year
A backpacking trip in Denali is unlike backpacking in most other national parks. Denali is about the size of Vermont, with only a handful of trails—most of which are near the entrance of the park for day-hiking, rather…
Reservation/permit
- Get a Backcountry Camping Permit1-14 Days · All year
Get away from the developed areas of Great Basin National Park and find a campsite nestled deep in the mountains of the backcountry.
- Overnight on McKittrick Ridge2-3 Days · All year
The journey to the top of McKittrick Ridge is "the toughest hike in Texas." This arduous hike is best enjoyed as an overnight hike allowing for rest, recovery, and fabulous night skies at the McKittrick Ridge Wilderness…
Reservation/permitFee - Overnight on Wilderness Ridge2-3 Days · Winter, Spring, Fall
The lesser used Permian Reef Trail leads to sheltered campsites and spectacular views into McKittrick Canyon, making a great destination of a one night, two day backpacking trip into the Wilderness.
Reservation/permitFee - Guadalupe Ridge Trail (GRT)5-6 Days · Winter, Spring, Fall
This trail covers 100 miles (161 km) through Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Lincoln National Forest, Bureau of Land Management, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Over 20 miles (32 km) of this trail is within…
Reservation/permitFee
Looking for solitude or adventure? The vast backcountry on Kīlauea and Mauna Loa provides ample opportunities.
Reservation/permitFee
- Hike the Daisy Farm Trail1-3 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
Explore a bog, trek along a lengthy boardwalk through wetlands, and view wildlife along the Daisy Farm Trail that connects the Greenstone Ridge to Daisy Farm Campground. Mileage: About 1.7 miles
- Hike the Mount Franklin Trail1-4 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
Looking for a hike with a scenic view? The Mount Franklin Trail connects Three Mile Campground to Mount Franklin, an overlook with picturesque northern views. Mileage: About 2.5 miles
- Hike the Mount Ojibway Trail1-3 Hours · Spring, Summer, Fall
Hike from Mount Ojibway to Daisy Farm on the Mount Ojibway Trail. Explore an old fire tower on the Greenstone Ridge, hike through wetlands, and finish near Daisy Farm Campground along Rock Harbor Channel. Mileage: About…
- Black Rock Zone Backpacking2-15 Days · All year
Backpack in the Black Rock Zone at Joshua Tree National Park. The Black Rock Zone features a wide variety of hiking trails through mountains, washes, ravines, and valleys.
Reservation/permitFee - Boy Scout Trail Zone Backpacking2-15 Days · All year
Experience Joshua Tree National Park's wilderness by backpacking along the Boy Scout Trail.
Reservation/permitFee - Eagle Mountains Zone Backpacking2-15 Days · All year
Backpack through the Joshua Tree Wilderness in the Eagle Mountains Zone.
Reservation/permitFee
- Visit the Great Kobuk Sand Dunes1-5 Days · Summer, Fall
The Great Kobuk Sand Dunes are the northern most sand dune complex in North America with an abundance of arctic wildlife.
Pets OK
- Camp at Kontrashibuna Lake2-7 Days · All year
Pack up and journey out to the wilderness. Lay in your tent listening to a lone wolf's howl. Stand in awe as mountains reflect across still waters in the early morning light.
Pets OK - Remote Base Camping2-14 Days · Summer
A camping trip into Lake Clark's trail-less wilderness can be a spectacular and rewarding experience. Thorough preparation and careful trip planning will help ensure you have a safe and meaningful trip. Here you will…
Reservation/permitPets OK
- Wilderness Camping at Mount Rainier National Park2-14 Days · All year
With 97% of the park designated wilderness, backpacking and wilderness camping is one of the best ways to experience Mount Rainier National Park.
Fee
- Plan a Backcountry Trip2-14 Days · All year
Backcountry camping in the North Cascades can be an exciting adventure for prepared hikers.
Pets OK
While this app is a great tool for "front country" visits (places you can get to with a car, bike, or short hike), it's not meant to guide you through the back country. For that we have the Wilderness Information Center…
Reservation/permitFee
- Backcountry Camping at Wind CaveAll year
Experienced hikers may enjoy camping in Wind Cave's scenic backcountry. Thousands of acres of undeveloped forest and prairie provide countless sites for hikers to pitch a tent and camp.
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Backcountry Camping, quickly
- Which national parks offer backcountry camping?
- 51 of the 63 national parks list backcountry camping as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Arches, Badlands, Big Bend, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Channel Islands, Congaree, Crater Lake, Death Valley, Denali, Everglades, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Great Basin, Great Sand Dunes, Great Smoky Mountains, Guadalupe Mountains, Haleakalā, Hawaiʻi Volcanoes, Isle Royale, Joshua Tree, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mammoth Cave, Mount Rainier, New River Gorge, North Cascades, Olympic, Petrified Forest, Redwood, Rocky Mountain, Saguaro, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Shenandoah, Theodore Roosevelt, Voyageurs, White Sands, Wind Cave, Wrangell–St. Elias, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Zion.
- What's the least crowded national park for backcountry camping?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Kobuk Valley National Park (7,786 visits), then Gates of the Arctic (14,923). The busiest park on this list is Great Smoky Mountains, with 11,527,939.
- Which state has the most national parks for backcountry camping?
- Alaska, with 8, followed by California (7).
Sources · 2
- 1.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
Activities are the ones each park lists in the NPS Data API. Check the park's own nps.gov page for current trail, water and permit conditions.
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