Plus, What Is a Neuro-Wellness Spa Retreat?
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By Josh Laskin
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act on June 30, 1864, the wheels were set in motion for a government-run conservation system that would eventually become the National Park System. Today, there are 63 national parks across 31 states and two territories, each with its own unique cultural, geological, and natural significance. And these parks are popular—they attracted over 93 million visitors cumulatively in 2025 alone.
Regardless of whether you’re hoping to find solitude amongst the craggy peaks of the Grand Teton or learn about Lakota history in the Badlands, the national parks have a range of experiences to offer. While it's no easy task to name the best national parks in the US, these 25 are some of the lesser-known and less-crowded parks we feel deserve the same play time.
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What the Traveler Editors Are Loving
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This month, I fulfilled a long-held desire to visit Norway, and fit in a trip to Oslo before heading further north to Lofoten, a rugged archipelago just above the Arctic Circle. Late summer in the northern Nordics can look—and feel—very different from their Southern European counterparts, so I reached for my fall wardrobe earlier than usual: a cozy funnel neck sweater, a plaid wool jacket, and corduroy pants make for perfect travel companions. I added on a lovely wool scarf from Toast, a fresh collaboration with French-owned handmade accessories brand Moismont, and fun blue sneakers.
My days in Lofoten were spent hiking, foraging, and crafting, as I was one of a lucky few to attend Kitchen at the Edge of the World, an incredible four-day culinary adventure organized by Holmen Lofoten, a lodge made up of fisherman cabins perched on cliffs with dramatic views. Between activities, I sidled up to the nearest picture window and read—Autumn Light by Pico Iyer, a suitably contemplative companion to the setting, and John of John, which—no coincidence—is set on another island—the Isle of Harris in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. I also drew. I’m no artist, but I find that carrying a sketchbook and some pens forces me to try to interpret the world differently than I would through writing. Here’s to a fall season filled with more quiet observation and intention-setting and less frantic scurrying.
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Zara ZW Collection Contrast-Collar trench
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Where the adventures are as various as the flora and fauna
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Spanning from the hills of Scotland to the jungles of Sri Lanka.
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An Old Friend Returns to Women Who Travel
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