The United States' many national parks are great places to visit due to their scenic beauty and iconic geological features.. However, not all of them, as it turned out, are equally popular among travelers: some of them accept more than 13 million tourists a year, while other only more than 11 thousand people, IFLSCIENCE writes.
Despite the picturesque landscapes by the least visited National Park, the National Park and the reserve of the Arctic Gate was recognized. According to the US National Parks Service (NPS), in 2023 only 11,045 people visited this place, which is 16.8% more than in the previous year. Still, that number of tourists seems incredibly tiny compared to the number of travelers who visited the Great Smoky Mountains National Park that same year—an incredible 13,297,647 people..
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However, researchers note that for such statistics there are very good reason. In fact, there are many national parks in Alaska and they are all in the list of the least visited. Among them, Elias National Park and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve are all, alas, in the bottom ten.
According to Peter Christian, director of public affairs and legislative affairs for the National Park Service's Alaska region, Alaska's national parks are actually at the bottom of the list for one good reason: they're hard to get to.. As for the Arctic gate, researchers believe that this is the most wild and distant place that can only be found in North America.
Despite the fact that people have lived in the area for at least 12,000 years, the Gates of the Arctic still represents 3,428,701 hectares of untouched wilderness. Researchers note that there are no roads or paths to this park, and therefore, in order to get here, you will have to walk or fly by plane.
Those who still manage to get to the gate of the Arctic will face another problem-there are no convenience for visitors. In simple words, travelers have to rely only on their knowledge, skills and equipment that they take with them.
But experts say if travelers are well prepared for their visit to the Gates of the Arctic, they're more likely to enjoy.
The park and the reserve are the house for the picturesque Brook-Route Mountains, formed by tectonic and glacial activity, as well as vast strips of boreal forest, followed by meadows and tundra.
Researchers note that many wild animals can be found here, including partridges and Dall sheep, as well as larger and more dangerous ones - lynx, grizzly bears and moose.
Previously, Focus wrote that the “alarming button” of the Earth was found in the Arctic: it heats up 7 times faster than the rest of the world.