National parks with gathering and foraging
Bright dots offer gathering and foraging. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for gathering and foraging
- 1Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve108,840 visits
- 2Great Basin National Park161,210 visits
- 3Denali National Park & Preserve543,300 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for gathering and foraging
- Alaska 2
- Nevada 1
- Virginia 1
4 parks
Where to go for gathering and foraging
Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan KostegianDenali National Park & Preserve
Alaska
543,300 visits in 2025Quietest: January$15 / person
Photo: NPS PhotoGreat Basin National Park
Nevada
161,210 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Neal LewisShenandoah National Park
Virginia
1,682,152 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal HerbertWrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
108,840 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Ideas from the National Park Service
Gathering and Foraging ideas, park by park
- Berry Picking in DenaliSummer, Fall
Alaska is well known for it’s amazing and abundant berries in August and September—just ask any of the grizzly bears in Denali! A family friendly activity would be to strike off into the tundra and search for berries.
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Gathering and Foraging, quickly
- Which national parks offer gathering and foraging?
- 4 of the 63 national parks list gathering and foraging as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Denali, Great Basin, Shenandoah, Wrangell–St. Elias.
- What's the least crowded national park for gathering and foraging?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve (108,840 visits), then Great Basin (161,210). The busiest park on this list is Shenandoah, with 1,682,152.
- Which state has the most national parks for gathering and foraging?
- Alaska, with 2, followed by Nevada (1).
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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