The opportunity to visit Isle Royale — the least visited national park in the lower 48 U.S. states — is coming to an end this year. Lake Superior’s secluded island archipelago is closed to the public annually between November 1 and April 15.
The park includes one large island, roughly 50 miles long and nine miles wide, surrounded by more than 400 smaller islands. Ferries, seaplanes, or private boats transport people to the park, where personal vehicles and pets, except service dogs, are prohibited.
According to federal data, the number of people making the trek to Isle Royale has rebounded post-pandemic.
U.S. National Parks ranked by total visitors
Across the U.S. and its territories, 63 parks managed by NPS are designated national parks. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which spans North Carolina and Tennessee, saw the most visitors last year ― more than 13 million people. Other popular sites included the Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain and Yosemite National Park. Acadia National Park in Maine ranked 7th last year for total recreational visitors.
Three national parks in Alaska and one in American Samoa had the fewest visitors last year. Dry Tortugas National Park, located 70 miles west of Key West in Florida and only reachable by boat or seaplane, was the third least visited national park in the contiguous U.S.
NPS parks in Michigan
The National Park Service (NPS) manages many different types of parks. About 2.8 million people visited Michigan’s five NPS parks last year, up 4% from 2022.
Contact Kristi Tanner: ktanner@freepress.com. Follow her on X: @MIdatalove
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Isle Royale least visited national park in the lower 48 states
