7 Popular Park Dupes for More Adventure and Fewer Crowds
Looking to escape the crowds and explore somewhere new? Try a park dupe! Destination “dupes” are a trend aimed at offering travel alternatives for overcrowded areas. Park dupes suggest a place that is similar to a popular wilderness area, so you get the same vibe without as much of the hype.
Overcrowding in parks can strain local resources, leading to delayed emergency response and other safety concerns. It can also create unpleasant traffic and resource damage. Considering another option for your travels when high-visitation parks are at their peak can both ease pressure on land management agencies and give you an opportunity to adventure somewhere you may not have otherwise known about. Or, if you know you’ve liked a certain style of park in the past, a park dupe offers another place to try that’s likely up your alley.
Below, we offer seven alternatives for popular parks to get your travel dupe plans rolling. But if you’re still set on visiting a busier park, consider planning your trip during shoulder seasons or other times when the location has fewer crowds. And, no matter where you choose to adventure, always remember to follow the seven principles of Leave No Trace.
1. Like Sequoia National Park? Try Redwood National and State Parks!
Photo credit: Korrin Bishop
Sequoia National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains is known for its towering giant sequoia trees, including General Sherman, the world’s largest known single-stem tree by volume.
If you want to be wowed by enormous trees at a lesser-visited national park, head to California’s far-north coast for a visit to Redwood National and State Parks. This unique state and federal conservation effort is home to impressive groves of coastal redwoods, including the world’s tallest living tree at 380.3 feet. With gorgeous coastline, ancient trees, and lovely spring wildflowers, Redwood National and State Parks is worth the trek to this remote stretch of the Golden State. You’ll find more than 200 miles of trails through old-growth forests, prairies, and beaches. Make sure to obtain a permit for one of the park’s seven designated backcountry campsites.
2. Like Great Smoky Mountains National Park? Try Cumberland Gap National Historical Park!
Photo credit: Korrin Bishop
Known for its biodiversity, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, located on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, is the most-visited national park in the United States. It is especially crowded in autumn when its rolling mountains put on a colorful show.
If you’re looking for nearby fall leaf peeping without the flocks of tourists, head a little north to Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, located at the intersection of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia. The landscape at this park also puts on a brilliant autumn show, and you can even see all the way to the Smokies on a clear day. This cozy Appalachian wilderness includes 85 miles of trails across 14,000 acres, as well as a cave and several historical structures.
3. Like Everglades National Park? Try Congaree National Park!
Photo credit: Korrin Bishop
Occupying 1.5 million acres at the southern end of Florida, Everglades National Park is a unique subtropical wilderness of mangrove wetlands, sawgrass marshes, and hardwood hammocks. It’s a truly unique ecosystem.
If you’re looking for another water-driven park in the Southeast, head to South Carolina for a visit to Congaree National Park. While only about 42 square miles, this park boasts the largest remaining tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest in the United States, along with some of the tallest trees in the East. Its unique floodplain landscape is filled with opportunities for hiking and paddling. Congaree National Park is a wonderful place to find some solitude, ranking in the top 15 least-visited national parks, with around only 250,000 trips per year.
4. Like Big Bend National Park? Try Big Bend Ranch State Park!
Photo credit: Jonathan Schmid
Located in West Texas along a scenic stretch of the Rio Grande, Big Bend National Park has grown in popularity over the years. Reservations are required for all park campgrounds, with many filling up months in advance.
However, never fear! If you’d like to explore the striking canyons, river views, and vast desert expanses of this region but didn’t snag a reservation, head on over to Big Bend Ranch State Park. The largest of the Texas state parks at about 500 square miles, Big Bend Ranch State Park sits just west of Big Bend National Park. The park offers stunning scenery, fascinating geology, dark night skies, diverse flora and fauna, and historical remnants of over 10,000 years of human habitation. Come prepared to hike, mountain bike, camp, or go horseback riding.
5. Like Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area? Try Umpqua National Forest!
Photo credit: Korrin Bishop
Just about 30 miles east of Portland, Oregon, Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area is home to Multnomah Falls, the most-visited natural recreation site in the Pacific Northwest, with more than 2 million visits per year. It can get so busy that from mid-May through early September, you must have a timed-use permit to use the site’s main parking area.
However, Oregon is brimming with other scenic waterfalls worth visiting. Try heading to Umpqua National Forest in southwest Oregon, where you’ll not only find a gorgeous river valley and natural hot springs, but also ample waterfalls within a short drive from one another. Make a stop at Toketee Falls, a double cascade plummeting a combined 120 feet into a bright blue pool. Also nearby on Highway 138 are Clearwater Falls, Whitehorse Falls, and Watson Falls. A visit to the area is excellent for hiking through evergreen forests and standing in awe of columnar basalt.
6. Like Mammoth Cave National Park? Try Jewel Cave National Monument!
Photo credit: Korrin Bishop
Located in central Kentucky, Mammoth Cave National Park attracts visitors from near and far to explore the longest cave system in the world, clocking in at over 400 miles of passageways.
If you want to explore an equally impressive yet lesser-known cave, navigate your way to South Dakota’s Black Hills where you’ll find Jewel Cave National Monument. Measuring over 200 miles in length, this cave system is the second longest in the United States and the fifth largest in the world. The cave is known for its dazzling jewel-like features and other intricate formations. The park also includes above-ground hiking trails worth exploring, such as the Canyons Trail loop that traverses through open meadows surrounded by canyon cliffs and rocky outcroppings. If you want even more nearby cave adventure, the park is just under 30 miles from Wind Cave National Park, home of the seventh longest cave in the world.
7. Like Arches National Park? Try Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area!
Photo credit: Arnita Sitasari Gray
Travelers flock to Utah’s Arches National Park for its remarkable natural rock formations, including more than 2,000 iconic arches.
If you want to explore some impressive rock work, but rather adventure in a less-visited location, try Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area. Located along the border of Kentucky and Tennessee, the park is sometimes referred to as the Arches of the East. It has more natural arches than any other region in the eastern United States. Some of the most popular of the park’s more than 100 sandstone arches include Twin Arches, Needle Arch, and Split Bow Arch, all reachable via hiking trails. For arch lovers looking for a change of scenery, the more than 125,000-acre park is much more forested and green than Utah’s red rock landscapes. Visit for fewer crowds, rugged terrain, scenic rivers, sandstone bluffs, and deep gorges.
Expand Your Adventures to New Public Lands With Alternatives for Popular Parks
Whether looking for a wilderness trip with more solitude or simply wanting to explore a new landscape similar to one you already love, popular park dupes are a travel trend worth embracing. We hope these suggestions get you dreaming and planning your next adventure in the great outdoors. Don’t forget to load up your favorite daypack with the essentials and grab your trekking poles before you hit the trail!
Have an idea for a park dupe that’s not on our list? We’d love to hear about it! Share your best alternatives for crowded parks with us by tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and using the hashtag #takelessdomore.
Looking for more outdoor adventure inspiration? Check out some of our other articles on the Light Feet blog: