This realistic List of Uncrowded Memorial Day Destinations helps you plan a stress-free long weekend adventure.

Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States. Observed on the last Monday of May, it marks the start of the always busy summer travel season.

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A public holiday, nice weather, and long daytime bring crowds to a lot of destinations across the country. Beaches and springs in Florida, Texas, and Hawaii will be packed with locals and tourists.

Your experience will be similar in most national parks. Whether you go to Zion, Arches, Channel Islands or Grand Canyon, you will see endless crowds.

Long search for parking, busy trails, and expensive places to stay could spoil your travel experience. It is hard to enjoy the sights when a packed shuttle is the only way to reach them.

The best Memorial Day Weekend trips are planned months in advance. You cannot escape crowds at the popular destinations when you visit. But you could save on places to stay and car rental by booking early.

There is still a way to plan a great last-minute Memorial Day Weekend trip. You just need to pick less crowded places and start planning. This List of Uncrowded Memorial Day Destinations has the top spots.

1. Black Canyon in Colorado

• Address: 10346 CO-347, Montrose, CO 81401.
• Nearest large city: Denver, Colorado.
• Cost: $30 per car or free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park is the best uncrowded destination to visit on Memorial Day. This park is outside of major interstate highways and large cities. A drive from Denver is 5+ hours.

This distance helps deter at least a few visitors. Most outdoor enthusiasts who fly to the Mile High City go to Rocky Mountain National Park. That park is much closer and far more crowded as a result.

Black Canyon is worth spending at least 10 hours in a car. This park has a scenic drive with a a handful of viewpoints. You could see Painted Wall, Cross Fissures Overlook, and Tomichi Point with your own eyes.

Only the South Rim of Black Canyon has paved roads. Most visitors end up driving to this park unit. But there is a way to escape crowds even at the South Rim.

You should drive to East Portal. It is a less crowded spot in the park. A visit to East Portal brings you to the shores of the Gunnison River. Fewer people take a winding road to the canyon floor.

If you would like to see no other visitor for miles and miles, you should go to the North Rim. This park unit does not have any paved roads. But a drive between the two rims takes over 2 hours.

You do not need a reservation to visit Black Canyon of the Gunnison. No need to take part in a lottery either. But pack your America the Beautiful annual pass to save on admission fees.

2. Great Sand Dunes in Colorado

• Address: 11999 CO-150, Mosca, CO 81146.
• Nearest large city: Denver, Colorado.
• Cost: $25 per car or free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is the second best uncrowded destination for a Memorial Day Weekend trip. This park is another less busy spot in Colorful Colorado.

Great Sand Dunes are in a somewhat remote location. But the park is closer to a major highway than Black Canyon. It is halfway between Denver, Colorado and Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Visiting Great Sand Dunes involves a 3-hour detour from Interstate Highway I-25. This fact helps keep the number of park visitors to a manageable level even on Memorial Day Weekend.

You might wonder whether Great Sand Dunes are worth this long detour. The name is spot on when it comes to this park. Great Sand Dunes are home to the tallest dunes in North America.

You are welcome to hike these dunes. To make things even better, you could go sandboarding. Just bring a board with you to the park. Great views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains are a bonus.

There is no one way to reach High Dune and Star Dune. Therefore, you will always find a new path, no matter how busy the parking lot might get. Just be ready for a sand cleanup after your hike.

3. Canyonlands in Utah

• Address: Grand View Point Rd, Moab, UT 84532.
• Nearest large city: Moab, Utah / Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Cost: $30 per car or free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Canyonlands National Park is the third best uncrowded destination to visit on Memorial Day Weekend. This Utah park is so remote that you need a weekend to reach and explore it.

A similar location does not stop crowds from forming in Arches National Park, a famous neighbor of Canyonlands. You even need a reservation to see Delicate Arch, Windows, and Devils Garden.

Thankfully, this is not the case in Canyonlands. There are far fewer visitors to this park, even on a Memorial Day Weekend. It pays off to drive just a little further away from Moab, Utah.

Canyonlands is a beautiful park. There is a scenic drive, a handful of viewpoints, short day hikes, and long backcountry routes. You could pick your own adventure in this park.

There are three park units at Canyonlands: Island in the Sky, Needles, and Maze. Most visitors only stop by the Island in the Sky unit. It is the closest area to Moab and Arches.

That leaves the other two units to explore without crowds. In fact, you could often be one of the few people hiking their desert trails. The Maze brings you completely off the grid.

4. Bryce Canyon in Utah

• Address: UT-63, Bryce Canyon City, UT 84764.
• Nearest large city: Las Vegas, Nevada / Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Cost: $35 per car or free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Bryce Canyon National Park is one of the best uncrowded destinations to visit on Memorial Day Weekend. This park is perfect for casual and stress-free exploration.

It shares a lot of similarities with Canyonlands. Bryce Canyon has a famous neighbor, too. Like Arches near Moab, Zion National Park attracts most visitors in the region.

Fewer people take mountain roads to Bryce Canyon. This is great news if you are looking for a less crowded Memorial Day destination.

You will not regret a longer drive to Bryce Canyon. Thanks to higher elevation, the temperatures in Bryce Canyon are cooler than in Zion. This makes Memorial Day a great time to visit Bryce Canyon.

The park has an 18-mile (29-km) scenic drive with viewpoints. The orange hoodoo formations, green trees, and blue skies make the visit to this park very memorable.

It is still a good idea to book a place to stay as soon as possible. Best Western PLUS Bryce Canyon Grand Hotel is one of the few worthy hotels for miles.

5. Great Basin in Nevada

• Address: 5500 NV-488, Baker, NV 89311.
• Nearest large city: Las Vegas, Nevada / Salt Lake City, Utah.
• Cost: free.

Great Basin National Park is in a very remote area in Eastern Nevada. This fact makes it a great uncrowded destination for your next Memorial Day Weekend trip.

The park is about equally far from Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. You need to drive for a while to reach Great Basin, just as most other destinations on this list.

But if you are prepared to travel, you could visit this park with no crowds. This is a good trade-off to have if you are looking to escape the buzz of a big city.

There is a scenic drive, hiking trails, and caves to explore in Great Basin. The Wheeler Peak Scenic Drive gains over 3,000 ft (914 m) within 12 miles (19 km). There will be few people at the viewpoints and trails.

Sadly, you need an advance reservation to tour Lehman Caves in Great Basin. A guided cave tour costs between $12 and $15 per adult depending on the tour.

These tours might sell out during the long Memorial Day Weekend. But even then there will be no crowds. You could thank the park’s policy of letting only 20 visitors on each tour.

6. Cathedral Gorge in Nevada

• Address: 5500 NV-488, Baker, NV 89311.
• Nearest large city: Las Vegas, Nevada.
• Cost: $5 per car for Nevada residents or $10 per car for non residents.

Cathedral Gorge is the only state park on this List of the Best Uncrowded Memorial Day Destinations. You have probably never heard of this park in the middle of nowhere.

There is some truth to this statement. Cathedral Gorge is quite far from any large city. You will be driving for miles (km) and hours before you reach this park. This will help with crowds.

But Cathedral Gorge deserves its title as a worthwhile destination. All slot canyon lovers should pay a visit to this park. It could rival famous Antelope Canyon in beauty yet with far fewer visitors.

There are three slot caves in the park: Cathedral, Moon, and Canyon. They are all open to the public. You could walk inside these slot caves for $10 or less per car. This is a bargain even among state parks.

It is easy to explore these caves and their endless passages without seeing anyone else for hours. Give yourself time when visiting the caves. A few of the passages are very narrow.

You could pair Cathedral Gorge with Great Basin for a complete Eastern Nevada experience. These parks are a bit of a two-for-one deal.

7. New River Gorge in West Virginia

• Address: 4700 Grandview Rd, Beaver, WV 25813.
• Nearest large city: Charlotte, North Carolina.
• Cost: free.

New River Gorge National Park and Preserve is one of the few uncrowded Memorial Day destinations on the East Coast. It is one of the newest national parks that gained a new title in 2020.

New River Gorge is in West Virginia. It is quite far from major metro areas. Charlotte, North Carolina is the closest airport hub to the park. It is 3.5 hours away.

You could count on not running into crowds in New River Gorge. There are a few ways to see this park. Whitewater rafting is the most adventurous option to explore this river.

If you are more risk averse, you can admire the views from the Grandview Overlook. And make sure to take a picture of the stunning New River Gorge Bridge.

8. Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio

• Address: 6947 Riverview Rd, Peninsula, OH 44264.
• Nearest large city: Cleveland, Ohio.
• Cost: free.

Cuyahoga Valley National Park is rightfully among the best uncrowded destinations to visit on Memorial Day Weekend. This park could be a surprising addition if you have ever been to this part of Ohio.

Cuyahoga Valley is inside Cleveland Metro Area. The park is halfway between Downtown Cleveland and Akron. It is difficult to have an uncrowded spot in an area that over 2 million people call home.

The geography of this park comes to rescue. Cuyahoga Valley does not have one single area that people go to. Instead, it has beautiful waterfalls, rock formations, and farmlands all over the park.

As a result, crowds rarely form in Cuyahoga Valley. While there will be other visitors, you could always find an uncrowded spot in this park.

A few popular viewpoints, like Brandywine Falls, could get busy at times. But most other places will leave you with plenty of room. You would enjoy Cuyahoga Valley as a nature and history lover.

You should use the park’s location to your advantage. Cleveland Airport has a fair number of direct flights to the destinations all over the United States.

9. Grey Towers in Pennsylvania

• Address: 151 Grey Towers Dr Drive, Milford, PA 18337.
• Nearest large city: New York, New York.
• Cost: free.

Grey Towers National Historic Site is among the best uncrowded destinations to visit on Memorial Day Weekend. The park is within reach from New York Metro Area.

The Vanderbilt Mansion, Springwood, Val-Kill, and Mills Mansion in Staatsburgh and Hyde Park attract large crowds. But Grey Towers manages to claim the title of the least crowded house museum.

You might think that it has to do with the park’s beauty. This could not be further away from the truth. The Gifford Pinchot House is more scenic than nearly all other mansions mentioned.

While nearby Delaware Water Gap introduces crowd control measures, Grey Towers does not even require reservations. This park gives you a chance to see a stone castle with no crowds.

You could explore the grounds of Grey Towers free of charge. The Gifford Pinchot House is only open to guided tours. These tours cost extra. But America the Beautiful Annual Pass gives you a discount.

The tours do not get crowded. Only about 20 people are allowed inside the house on the tour. This policy leaves you plenty of space and time to ask your questions to the park ranger.

10. Badlands in South Dakota

• Address: 25216 SD-240, Interior, SD 57750.
• Nearest large city: Rapid City, South Dakota.
• Cost: $30 per car or free with America the Beautiful Annual Pass.

Badlands National Park is one of the best uncrowded destinations for this Memorial Day Weekend. This park is remote yet somewhat easy to reach.

If you find an affordable flight to Rapid City, South Dakota, you could get to Badlands in a hour. The nearest major airport is Denver, Colorado. It is some 7 hours south of the park.

Still, Black Hills region attracts crowds in the summer and on major holidays. Memorial Day Weekend is no exception. Jewel Cave, Wind Cave, Devils Tower, and Custer State Park will be packed.

Badlands is outside of the main sights in the Black Hills. Together with its large area, this fact helps keep crowds to a minimum.

A scenic drive is the main attraction in Badlands National Park. You could stop at any viewpoint and admire the colorful formations.

Badlands is not the park for avid hikers. But beginners could enjoy the easy hiking trails in the park. Keep in mind that there is no shade in Badlands. Apply sunscreen and bring plenty of water.

11. Denali in Alaska

• Address: Park Rd, Denali National Park and Preserve, AK 99755.
• Nearest large city: Anchorage, Alaska / Fairbanks, Alaska.
• Cost: free.

Denali National Park and Preserve is a no-brainer uncrowded destination to visit on Memorial Day Weekend. You have to go to Alaskan parks if you prefer to avoid crowds all together.

Alaska’s vast area and remote location ensure a crowd free visit. You might be happy to find other park visitors after driving for miles (km) without seeing a single soul.

It is hard to believe this observation if you are reading this post in a large city. You might want to escape the densely populated areas of New York, New Jersey, California, Texas, Illinois, Massachusetts, or D.C.

Denali offers visitors great views of Mount Denali. But this park has more than the highest peak in North America. Landscapes and wildlife are another reason to visit Denali.

You could try your luck in spotting wildlife in this park. Moose, bears, and porcupines roam through Denali. It is also quite common to see dall sheep and caribou in the park.

You could explore the first 15 miles (24 km) in your car. To go further into the wilderness, you need to hop on a shuttle bus. These shuttles get busy but you will never see more than a busload of visitors.

12. Kenai Fjords in Alaska

• Address: 5CR7+86, Bear Creek, AK 99664.
• Nearest large city: Anchorage, Alaska.
• Cost: free.

Kenai Fjords National Park rounds up this list of the Best Uncrowded Destinations for Memorial Day Weekend. This park is a beautiful spot to visit in the Last Frontier.

This park is less remote than Denali National Park and Preserve. It is a better alternative if you are looking for a Memorial Day Weekend trip from Anchorage.

You will be driving on a scenic highway to get to Kenai Fjords. Get ready to enjoy the views of Turnagain Arm and Chugach State Park on the way to this park.

Kenai Fjords gives you a chance to hike to Exit Glacier and Harding Ice Field. It is one of the easiest-to-reach glaciers in Alaska. It is rare that you could drive almost to the glacier.

Kenai Fjords is also a marine park. But it takes some more preparation to admire the ocean life. You need to take a wildlife cruise to see everything Kenai Fjords have to offer.

This cruise is not cheap. But you have a very good chance to see humpback and orca whales, see lions, and marine birds.

Takeaways: Memorial Day Uncrowded Destinations

Picking a less crowded spot to visit on Memorial Day is not always easy. Locals and visitors try to use this warm weekend to explore nearby sights and well known parks.

The search for no crowds on Memorial Day Weekend will bring you to the Western United States. These states have less residents than a few cities on the East Coast.

The sights in Western USA are in harder-to-reach areas. But you could connect with nature without crowds, even during busy travel season like Memorial Day.

Longer travel times and less choices for dining and places to stay are the unfortunate trade-offs. It is best to book your flight, rental car, and a place to stay as far in advance as possible.

Take a look at this Best Uncrowded Destinations for Memorial Day Video List. And visit the YouTube channel for the latest videos.

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Safe realist travels!