National parks with off-trail permitted hiking
Bright dots offer off-trail permitted hiking. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for off-trail permitted hiking
- 1Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve14,923 visits
- 2Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
- 3Isle Royale National Park29,091 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for off-trail permitted hiking
- Alaska 3
- American Samoa 1
- Arizona 1
- California 1
- Colorado 1
- Michigan 1
- North Dakota 1
- Oregon 1
13 parks
Where to go for off-trail permitted hiking
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: NPS Photo / Nathan KostegianDenali National Park & Preserve
Alaska
543,300 visits in 2025Quietest: January$15 / person
Photo: NPS Photo / Sean TevebaughGates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Alaska
14,923 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Patrick MyersGreat Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Colorado
432,498 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Paul BrownIsle Royale National Park
Michigan
29,091 visits in 2025Quietest: January$7 / person
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Michael LarsonNational Park of American Samoa
American Samoa
43,258 visits in 2025Quietest: JuneFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoPetrified Forest National Park
Arizona
315,951 visits in 2025Quietest: February$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Mark MeyersTheodore Roosevelt National Park
North Dakota
729,893 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
FAQ
Off-Trail Permitted Hiking, quickly
- Which national parks offer off-trail permitted hiking?
- 13 of the 63 national parks list off-trail permitted hiking as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Capitol Reef, Channel Islands, Congaree, Crater Lake, Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Grand Teton, Great Sand Dunes, Isle Royale, Lake Clark, American Samoa, Petrified Forest, Theodore Roosevelt.
- What's the least crowded national park for off-trail permitted hiking?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve (14,923 visits), then Lake Clark (19,778). The busiest park on this list is Grand Teton, with 3,800,648.
- Which state has the most national parks for off-trail permitted hiking?
- Alaska, with 3, followed by American Samoa (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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