According to the National Park Service’s annual report, these are the best national parks for RVing in solitude…
Do you want to RV to a national park but don’t want to be overrun by crowds? You may be looking for the least-visited national parks or the least crowded national parks. However, as an RVer, you should look at another statistic the National Park Service provides…
Every year, the National Park Service releases an Annual Visitation Report. You can see the Annual Visitation Highlights here. However, if you dig deeper, you can filter the types of visits at each park, including RV camping.
By digging deeper, we found the best national parks for RV campers looking to get away from the crowd. This is mainly for RVers wanting to stay in National Park campgrounds. Although, I will say that many on the list correlate with the best backcountry camping for boondockers, too.
9 Best National Parks for RV Campers Looking for Solitude
By filtering the NPS Annual Park Ranking Report for RV campers, you can see which national park had the most RV campers in recent years. By doing so, you can determine which are the best national parks for solitude.
However, you can’t just look at the list and say that the lower the NP on the list, the less crowded it is. Why not?…
Because this list is for the number of RV campers specifically staying in NPS campgrounds. At the same time, some national parks have fewer RV camping spots available than others.
So, don’t get excited when you see Arches National Park, for instance, way down the list at number 26. Arches is known for its crowds!
But, if you take out the Favorite National Parks for RV Camping, you’re left with a good guide for the best national parks for RVing in solitude.
Alright, with that explained, let’s jump in! We include a quick description and the most popular attraction for each destination.
And you can use this interactive map to learn even more about each of these National Parks!
1. Badlands National Park
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As you can see in the above video, the Badlands is one of our favorite places to visit along I-90! We love the entire route and sometimes have spent as much as a week traveling through.
Located in southwestern South Dakota, this park features a unique and otherworldly landscape of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires.
The most popular attraction is the Badlands Loop Road, which offers scenic drives and hiking opportunities.
2. Wind Cave National Park
Located in southwestern South Dakota, this park is named for the intricate and unique Wind Cave, one of the longest and most complex caves in the world.
Visitors can tour the cave to see its famous box work formations.
3. Indiana Dunes National Park
Located along the southern shore of Lake Michigan in northwestern Indiana, this park features a diverse range of habitats, from sandy beaches to forests and wetlands.
The most popular attraction is the scenic beach at West Beach, which offers swimming and sunbathing opportunities.
4. Guadalupe Mountains National Park
Located in west Texas, this park features a towering range of mountains and canyons, including the highest peak in Texas, Guadalupe Peak.
The most popular attraction is the scenic drive to the top of Guadalupe Peak, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
5. New River Gorge National Park
Located in southern West Virginia, this park is centered around the New River, one of the oldest rivers in the world.
The most popular attraction is the New River Gorge Bridge, which offers scenic views and opportunities for rock climbing and whitewater rafting.
6. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park
Located in western Colorado, this park features a deep and narrow canyon carved by the Gunnison River.
The most popular attraction is the scenic drive along the rim of the canyon, which offers breathtaking views.
7. Mammoth Cave National Park
Located in central Kentucky, this park is centered around the longest-known cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave.
Visitors can tour the cave to see its towering chambers and underground streams.
8. Lassen Volcanic National Park
Located in northern California, this park features a landscape shaped by volcanic activity, including the towering Lassen Peak and other volcanic features.
The most popular attraction is the scenic drive to the top of Lassen Peak, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
9. Great Basin National Park
Located in eastern Nevada, this park features a landscape of towering peaks, deep canyons, and ancient forests. Plus, the Lehman Caves, a system of intricate limestone formations.
The most popular attraction is the scenic drive to the top of 13,063-foot Wheeler Peak, which offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape.
It’s Worth Noting…
It’s worth noting that the above parks aren’t the overall least visited national parks or the most remote national parks in the system. There are other parks that have fewer visitors, in general, but this list focuses on RV camping.
I also excluded the national park that was lowest in the filtered results because it’s located in Hawaii. Unless you wish to rent an RV on the island, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park isn’t a practical location to include on a “Best” list.
Want More Statistics on National Parks?
The National Park Service has a great resource called the Visitor Use Statistics Data Portal. You can use this resource to help you plan where to go and when to visit.
The Visitor Use Statistics Data Portal is a web-based resource that provides access to visitor-use data and statistics for national parks in the United States. The portal collects and reports information on the number of visitors to individual national parks. The data is used to inform park management decisions and planning and to understand the impact of visitor use on park resources.
Additionally, the portal provides information on trends in park visitation over time, helping to identify popular parks and seasons, as well as areas for improvement. The portal is a valuable resource for park managers, researchers, policymakers, and anyone interested in understanding the use and impacts of national parks in the United States. Or, for helping to plan around crowds!!
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What to use for the Internet?
That said, we get asked a lot about what we do for the Internet while RVing. And I can tell you this – it has changed a lot over the years.
We used to just use a hotspot on our mobile devices, and then we used cellular boosters, and then we tested out systems for a variety of providers, and now – without Nomad – we use a mix of things.
If you only need to check your email and get caught up on your social media, you only need a good cellular service from any of the major providers. Use your cell phone or tablet as a hotspot.
If you need to power up your laptop and do some work, check email, maybe watch a few youtube videos, then you need something more, like a Jetpack or Mi-Fi card from your Internet Service Provider.
If you are online content creators like us, and need to edit long videos and upload them to Youtube, or are very heavy online users, you’ll need a more robust service like Internetonthego or Starlink (if you are out west and are not covered by trees).
If you want to read through a few posts we’ve done on this topic, here are a few to get you started… RV Lifestyle Internet
We are always searching for and testing out Internet solutions for RVers so watch for more articles and videos here as we come across things that catch our attention. But I will be very careful in ever again recommending another service after our experience with Nomad.
If you want truly expert technical reviews of the latest technology, check out the RV Mobile Internet Resource Center from our friends Cherie and Chris.
They keep track of Internet offerings aimed for travelers better than anyone we know and they are totally objective. They accept no third party advertising and are not sponsored by any Internet service or company.
February 16, 2023at7:23 am, tina henry said:
Gunnison is my favorite breathtakingly powerful and very peaceful.
February 17, 2023at3:45 pm, Team RV Lifestyle said:
It is gorgeous! Team RV Lifestyle
February 13, 2023at11:01 am, Bev Parkison said:
Theodore Roosevelt NP north unit is a beautiful less visited park. The campground there is wonderful and quiet. We loved our stay there in September 2022.
February 14, 2023at10:33 am, Team RV Lifestyle said:
The Theodore Roosevelt NP is a gem, isn’t it? Thanks for the feedback, Bev! Team RV Lifestyle