National parks can be absolutely invigorating—all that clean air, miles and miles of wild land, and crackling campfires. But that blissed-out state can be ruined if you have to wait for ages in a bathroom line or circle the parking lot yet again looking for an open space at a trailhead. If you’re planning a trip during peak season—or worse, you’ve missed your window to get reservations at top parks—never fear. These alternatives to the country’s most beloved national parks will give you all the awe with less of the crowds.

The Swap: Great Basin National Park for Yosemite National Park

Solitude is hard to come by at Yosemite, but Great Basin National Park—one of the least-visited parks in the country—has solitude to spare. Great Basin has similarly extreme dips and rises, from the low desert at 5,000 feet to over 13,000 feet.

Travel to the park’s highest elevations, and you’ll get Yosemite-like glacier-carved mountaintops barren of trees. Wheeler Peak is the area’s most well-known attraction, which you can summit in an 8.6 mile hike, or get close with no wheezing required via the Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive. Think you’ll miss Yosemite’s sequoias? Great Basin is home to an even more ancient tree species, the Bristlecone Pine, which can live for more than 5,000 years.

Other highlights of the park include hiking to Nevada’s last remaining glacier, peeking at the crystal-clear lakes on the 2.7-mile Alpine Lakes Loop, and going underground at Lehman Caves, the longest cave in the state.

The Swap: Lassen National Park for Yellowstone National Park

If Yellowstone’s geothermal features get your heart pumping, consider Northern California’s Lassen National Park. Like Yellowstone, much of Lassen is nestled within the belly of an ancient volcano. That 11,000-foot tall volcano’s cone collapsed some 350,000 years ago, leaving a dramatic two-mile-wide caldera behind—and creating the park’s namesake, Lassen Peak.

Hikers regularly summit Lassen Peak on their trips, but the park has plenty of marvels. Other highlights include bubbling mud pots, steam vents, and boiling springs. One favorite: the three-mile Bumpass Hell Trail, which features a scald-free boardwalk view of the springs, much like Norris Geyser Basin at Yellowstone. Manzanita Lake also offers plenty of water-based activities, if you want to go for a dip. And like Yellowstone, it’s a great park to see by car—several worthwhile sites are right by the side of the road, including Sulphur Works, a crop of fumaroles.

The Swap: Cumberland Gap National Historical Park for Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Just two hours north of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Cumberland Gap National Historical Park flies under the radar, despite being one of the larger national parks in the east at over 24,000 acres. It’s an area rich with history: Geographically, it provides a break in the Appalachian Mountains, which drew Native Americans for hunting and fishing. Then, after the Wilderness Road was constructed in the 1700s, 200,000-plus white settlers flooded into Kentucky.

Much like the Smokies, you’ll find dense forests, old pioneer buildings, and more than 20 limestone caves here. But Cumberland Gap sees less than a million visitors per year, compared to more than 12 million at Great Smoky. The park boasts 80 miles of hiking trails, including the 21-mile Ridge Trail, plus 160 campsites. Cool off at one of the park’s multiple streams, or keep an eye out for opossums, black bears, and even elk. In the fall, be sure to look up: hawks migrate through the area in September and November.

The Swap: Cobscook Shores for Acadia National Park

Cobscook Shores is a brand-new park infrastructure near Lubec, Maine, two hours north-east of Acadia. Rather than being one central destination, it’s actually a daisy-chain of parks easily accessible by driving or even biking the scenic country roads. Although the total acreage is considerably smaller than Acadia, the park has similarly gorgeous scenery. Wander 12 miles of uncrowded rocky shoreline to spot eagles, osprey, and cormorants, explore eight miles of biking and walking trails that rival Acadia’s carriage roads, and five first-come, first-serve backcountry campsites. Bonus: It’s totally free to visitors.

Dodge the summer mosquitos during lunchtime in one of the park’s 14 screened picnic areas, or explore the shores by sea via one of the park’s recommended intermediate paddling routes. Need more? Cobscook Bay State Park and Quoddy Head State Park are short drives away, offering even more camping, hiking, and picnicking spots.

The Swap: Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park for Grand Canyon

While Grand Canyon is a magnificent place, it’s not the only impressive canyon in the U.S. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park got its name because the canyon is so steep and narrow that portions of the canyon receive just 33 minutes of sunlight a day. And just like the Grand Canyon, this chasm owes its existence to a millennia-old river that still flows today.

Hike to the river, but be prepared for a butt-kicker of a trek: The most popular route drops 1,800 feet in a mile and a half over loose terrain, at one point even providing a chain to help hikers descend. Not up for a workout? There are plenty of trails along the rim that offer stunning views with less brutal fitness requirements, like the Cedar Point Nature Trail, which showcases stunning views of the canyon via a flat walk of less than one mile. Recoup at one of the park’s three campgrounds, or rest your legs entirely and take one of the park’s scenic drives peppered with overlooks on the North or South rim of the canyon.

The Swap: Guadalupe Mountains National Park for Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree might be your idea of an oasis, but battling the park’s crowded parking and trails can make it feel more like a desert mirage. Instead, head farther east to Guadalupe Mountains National Park, which has its own unique desert ecosystem in the Chihuahuan Mountains. The park protects an ancient fossil reef formed in a Permian Period lagoon. It’s also home to four of the largest mountains in Texas.

Take a strenuous hike to Guadalupe Peak to summit the highest point in Texas, or wander through a dry wash in Pine Springs Canyon to see the steep cliff sides of Devil’s Hall from the bottom up. If you’re visiting in the fall, mid-October through mid-November is prime leaf-peeping season for the deciduous trees near water sources. Wherever you are in the park, watch your step: Western diamondback and black-tailed rattlesnakes are common. The park offers limited camping at two first-come, first-serve campgrounds.

Looking for an option closer to Cali and not committed to camping? Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona, has its own otherworldly plant life and miles of trails to explore.

The Swap: North Cascades National Park for Glacier National Park

If gorgeous hikes, scenic drives, and the chance to see some of the country’s last remaining glaciers have you dreaming of Glacier National Park, consider going farther west to Washington State’s North Cascades National Park instead. This park is home to 300 glaciers, the most you’ll find in the U.S. outside of Alaska. While experienced hikers and snowshoers can access the park year-round, the most popular time to visit is mid-June through September, when snow has melted and trails are accessible into the highest elevations.

The park has oodles of camping options, most of which are reservable in advance. Bring your own kayak to the milky emerald waters of Diablo Lake or rent a canoe at Ross Lake. (And consider getting a backcountry permit to boat to a remote campsite while you’re at it!) Hike up 30 switchbacks to Cascade Pass for sweeping vistas, and—if you’re in killer shape—continue on another two miles for views of Sahale Glacier. Or take a more moderate five-mile hike to Blue Lake right off of Highway 20.

The Swap: Capitol Reef National Park for Zion National Park

Feeling drawn to the rust-colored cliffs of Zion National Park? Consider another Utah escape with jaw-dropping sandstone pillars three hours northeast. Capitol Reef National Park has loads of dazzling sites: a natural rock arch called Hickman Bridge, 1,000-year-old petroglyphs, and several monoliths in the northern end of the park called Cathedral Valley (not unlike another Utah favorite, Monument Valley).

Take the 25-mile Scenic Drive to spot the distinctive spine-like geologic formation called Waterpocket Fold that runs for 100 miles through and beyond the park, as well as pockmarked sandstone created by erosion, now-closed uranium mines, and the rounded domes of the Navajo Formation that rise to 1,400 feet. Hikers can hop on one of fifteen trails in the Fruita area, or get their feet wet walking through Sulphur Creek to three waterfalls. Experienced outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy canyoneering or rock climbing in the park.

The Swap: Wind River Range for Grand Teton National Park

There’s no doubting the grandeur of Grand Teton National Park, but just an hour and a half southeast is a lesser-known section of the Continental Divide called Wind River Range. One claim to fame: Wyoming’s high point, the 13,804-foot Gannett Peak is in “Winds,” along with seven of the ten largest glaciers in the U.S.

Just note, unlike Grand Teton, which has amenities at the ready, many areas of Wind River range are extremely remote, without cell service, bathrooms, or even well-defined hiking paths. But if you’re willing to get a little rugged, you’ll be treated to some of the country’s most beautiful peaks without the crowds. There are more than 600 trails in the area, so hikers will never be bored. Climbers, cyclists, and skiers can have all-day adventures here, too.

The Swap: Indian Peaks Wilderness for Rocky Mountain National Park

Think of this park as the ultimate workaround. Indian Peaks Wilderness borders Rocky Mountain National Park to the north. While you might not technically be in the park, you’ll still be in those Rocky Mountains.

Best for avid hikers, snowshoers, fly fishermen, and campers, this park provides plenty of ways to immerse yourself in the great outdoors. But it’s not as slick as some other parks—you won’t find a gift shop or park lodge here. The 4.1-mile Long Lake trail is a popular and easy hike for families leading halfway around a lake through wildflowers and meadows. Folks looking to stretch their legs can take a 15-mile hike past several waterfalls to Lone Eagle Peak, which leads to views of jagged mountains above the stunning Mirror Lake.

Colleen Stinchcombe writes about outdoor recreation, health, and the environment. Her work has appeared in Outside, Sierra Magazine, and The Seattle Times, among others. When not on assignment or crouched over a laptop, she's likely hiking, biking, or curling up in any available sunbeam at her home near Seattle, WA.