6 Hidden Gems to Celebrate 102 Years of National Parks

Posted on August 20, 2021March 27, 2023 by Patrick McCarthy

Saturday is the 102nd birthday of our National Parks Service. On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson solidified the United States’ commitment to preserving this country’s amazing natural resources for generations to come.

Everyone knows the big name parks like the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone, but with over 417 parks in the system, there really is something for everyone. Some of the most amazing things to be seen are well off the beaten path, and not something that everybody gets a chance to see.

Here are 6 of the coolest hidden gems of the National Parks System:

Hidden Ice Caverns and Lakes of Mount Rainier

Towering over 14,000 feet above the Cascades and near Seattle, Mount Rainier National Park is home to an ice-capped volcano visible from up to 100 miles away. Hidden beneath the frozen caps is an otherworldly secret. Heat from the volcano warms the rocks under the ice and melts the bottom layers. This creates surreal caverns, streams, and lakes underneath a ceiling of clear blue ice. Unfortunately, getting to these caves is extremely difficult, and only professionals on scientific expeditions are allowed to go. But hey, that’s good motivation to become a scientist!

The ground, warm from volcanic activity deep underneath, melts the ice and creates a surreal system of caves and tunnels.

An Untouched Piece of Southern California

We all know California has some of the best beaches in the world. The problem is, they’re always overrun with tourists and locals alike. Thankfully, the National Park Service has protected the Channel Islands National Park as a sanctuary to preserve what might just be the last untouched piece of oceanfront SoCal real estate. Hop on a short boat ride from Los Angeles and walk pristine beaches in solitude, kayak alongside sea lions, and explore the wonders of California’s kelp forests, all before making it home for dinner.

The Channel Islands offer an unspoiled slice of Southern California, just a quick boat ride from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles.

The World’s Tallest Tree

The Redwood trees in California are the largest trees on Earth, towering hundreds of feet above the forest floor. Twelve years ago, on National Park Service Founder’s Day 2006, the world’s tallest known tree was discovered by environmentalists Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor far off the beaten path in a remote section of Redwoods National Park. While the remote location is kept a secret to protect the 380-foot-tall tree, an equally impressive specimen, the General Sherman Tree, is much easier to reach and is accessible to the public.

Redwoods in Northern California is home to the tallest trees in the world.

Where Lava and Ice Meet

Lucky winter visitors to Lava Bed National Monument in Northern California have the chance to see one of the most unique sites in the world: Crystal Ice Cave, a place where lava and ice meet. Water seeping down into these hollow lava tubes has frozen over the course of thousands of years to create spectacular ice formations. Hanging from the ceiling like chandeliers and growing up out of the ground like a garden of glass, these ice formations are like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Make sure to get a permit for this amazing excursion if you’re planning a trip to Lava Beds during wintertime.

Water seeping into the lava tube has created ice formations over thousands of years.

Arctic Sand Dunes

Kobuk Valley is the least visited of all the National Parks, but it’s far from the least exciting. The only way to access this extremely remote park is by private bush plane. Once you’re dropped off, it wouldn’t be uncommon for you to not see anyone else during your entire stay. The park is home to not only migrating herds of thousands of caribou but also the largest sand dunes in the Arctic. Take a walk across these otherworldly dunes by the light of the midnight sun for an experience you’ll never forget.

Alaska is probably the last place you would expect to see towering sand dunes. (Image Credit: The Greatest American Road Trip)

The World’s Rarest Fish… In the World’s Hottest Place

The world’s rarest fish actually lives in a water-filled hole in Death Valley National Park, the hottest place on Earth. More than 100 miles to the closest river which flows to the sea, the Devil’s Hole Pupfish truly does seem like a fish out of water. The tiny fish live at the entrance to a vast underground and waterlogged cave system which is at least 300 feet deep. The cave is just a part of a much larger aquifer that traps all the rain which falls across much of Nevada, Utah, and California underground. What’s weird is that whenever a large earthquake happens somewhere on Earth, the water at Devil’s Hole sloshes around like a wave pool. Who knows what other rare and unique creatures are hidden in this underwater world locked away beneath the desert.

Devil’s Hole in Death Valley, Nevada, home to the world’s rarest fish.

The National Parks Service does a great job at making many of these amazing places accessible to all. An annual access pass to all National Parks is only $80, though many parks don’t even charge an entrance fee. If you want to visit one of the more popular destinations, but are on a budget, free admission days are planned for National Public Lands Day (September 22) and Veteran’s Day (November 11).