Things to do · 5 of 63 parks
National parks with orienteering
Last verified
5 of the 63 US national parks list orienteering as an activity. Here's every one, with how busy it got in 2025, its quietest month and what it costs to get in. Then tick off the ones you've done.
Bright dots offer orienteering. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for orienteering
- 1Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
- 2Channel Islands National Park227,186 visits
- 3Petrified Forest National Park315,951 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for orienteering
- Alaska 1
- Arizona 1
- California 1
- Colorado 1
- Oregon 1
5 parks
Where to go for orienteering
Photo: NPS/Brett SeymourChannel Islands National Park
California
227,186 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoCrater Lake National Park
Oregon
632,242 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Patrick MyersGreat Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Colorado
432,498 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoPetrified Forest National Park
Arizona
315,951 visits in 2025Quietest: February$25 / vehicle
FAQ
Orienteering, quickly
- Which national parks offer orienteering?
- 5 of the 63 national parks list orienteering as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Channel Islands, Crater Lake, Great Sand Dunes, Lake Clark, Petrified Forest.
- What's the least crowded national park for orienteering?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Lake Clark National Park & Preserve (19,778 visits), then Channel Islands (227,186). The busiest park on this list is Crater Lake, with 632,242.
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.


