See This, Skip That: Celebrate National Park Service's Smallest Parks
Here's a look at five of the tiniest national parks.
— -- The National Park Service is celebrating! Aug. 25 marks its 100th birthday as the steward of millions of acres of gorgeous American land.
The National Park Service (NPS) manages 59 national parks today, with many of the biggest -- like Denali, with its six million acres, and Yellowstone, covering more than two million acres and nabbing much of the public’s attention. In 2015, more than 307 million recreation seekers visited national parks.
But when it comes to the NPS, size doesn’t matter, since Mother Nature often reveals her beauty in the smallest of spaces. Here’s a look at five of the United States’ tiniest national parks, where small acreage always comes with big appeal.
Skip Wrangell-St. Elias, Visit Hot Springs
On the other side of the size spectrum, clocking in at a comparatively diminutive 5,500 acres, is Hot Springs National Park, America’s smallest. Easy access makes this an attractive spot: It’s just outside downtown Hot Springs, Arkansas and an hour’s drive from the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock. But the real draw is the geothermal waters that bubble up from a fault along Hot Springs Mountain and that can top 140 degrees. Back in the day, they lured bathers seeking curative potential, giving Hot Springs the nickname, America’s Spa.
Don’t let size overshadow the appeal of much smaller Haleakala National Park, located on the beautiful island of Maui. Spanning 30,000 acres, this is America’s seventh smallest park, but with tons to offer. Super early bike tours are popular, since they can include sunrise experiences at the rim of Haleakala’s crater (at a summit of 10,000 feet) and self-guided downhill bike rides.
Skip Death Valley, Visit Pinnacles
Right next door, in South Carolina, Congaree National Park offers natural wonder all its own. Located 23 miles from Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Congaree, which is comparatively small at just over 26,000 acres, is easy to access. It’s also unique: “It’s the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the country,” says my colleague Hilary Solan, a deal expert in Travelzoo’s Chicago office.
Skip Badlands, Visit Wind Cave
Wind Cave National Park may offer a more intimate nature experience, though. Its 26,000 acres, which make it the sixth smallest national park in the country, are defined by hillside forests and rolling prairies, and bison, elk and antelope roam free here. The neatest marvel here exists underground -- one of the world’s longest and most complex caves, with more than 143 miles of passages. The limestone, composed of fragments of calcium carbonate seashells, dates back 350 million years.
All cave tours, including one by candlelight, are ranger-guided; avoid summer’s peak months, as well as Tuesdays and Wednesdays, for shorter wait times. Wind Cave also offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails for all skills levels. Camping comes with some restrictions, to minimize impact on soil and vegetation.
Skip Hawaii Volcanoes, Visit Haleakala
Don’t let size overshadow the appeal of much smaller Haleakala National Park, located on the beautiful island of Maui. Spanning 30,000 acres, this is America’s seventh smallest park, but with tons to offer. Super early bike tours are popular, since they can include sunrise experiences at the rim of Haleakala’s crater (at a summit of 10,000 feet) and self-guided downhill bike rides.
Skip Death Valley, Visit Pinnacles
Right next door, in South Carolina, Congaree National Park offers natural wonder all its own. Located 23 miles from Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Congaree, which is comparatively small at just over 26,000 acres, is easy to access. It’s also unique: “It’s the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the country,” says my colleague Hilary Solan, a deal expert in Travelzoo’s Chicago office.
Skip Badlands, Visit Wind Cave
Wind Cave National Park may offer a more intimate nature experience, though. Its 26,000 acres, which make it the sixth smallest national park in the country, are defined by hillside forests and rolling prairies, and bison, elk and antelope roam free here. The neatest marvel here exists underground -- one of the world’s longest and most complex caves, with more than 143 miles of passages. The limestone, composed of fragments of calcium carbonate seashells, dates back 350 million years.
All cave tours, including one by candlelight, are ranger-guided; avoid summer’s peak months, as well as Tuesdays and Wednesdays, for shorter wait times. Wind Cave also offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails for all skills levels. Camping comes with some restrictions, to minimize impact on soil and vegetation.
Skip the Great Smoky Mountains, Visit Congaree
Right next door, in South Carolina, Congaree National Park offers natural wonder all its own. Located 23 miles from Columbia Metropolitan Airport, Congaree, which is comparatively small at just over 26,000 acres, is easy to access. It’s also unique: “It’s the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the country,” says my colleague Hilary Solan, a deal expert in Travelzoo’s Chicago office.
Skip Badlands, Visit Wind Cave
Wind Cave National Park may offer a more intimate nature experience, though. Its 26,000 acres, which make it the sixth smallest national park in the country, are defined by hillside forests and rolling prairies, and bison, elk and antelope roam free here. The neatest marvel here exists underground -- one of the world’s longest and most complex caves, with more than 143 miles of passages. The limestone, composed of fragments of calcium carbonate seashells, dates back 350 million years.
All cave tours, including one by candlelight, are ranger-guided; avoid summer’s peak months, as well as Tuesdays and Wednesdays, for shorter wait times. Wind Cave also offers more than 30 miles of hiking trails for all skills levels. Camping comes with some restrictions, to minimize impact on soil and vegetation.