We’ve all been there—you’re huddled onto the crowded summit of a popular peak, at the base of that iconic waterfall, or crammed into a tiny pullout along that scenic road through a well-known national park, and everyone is snapping the same photo. You followed the masses and found yourself a beautiful vista. Well done. NowÌýwouldn’t you like a little solitude to go with the view? It’s time to get off the beaten path. Here’s where to go.
Austin, Texas
Where the Crowds Are: Congress Avenue Bat Bridge
Over a million Mexican free-tailed bats live under theÌý in downtown Austin, andÌýall summer long, the creatures flock from the bridge around sunset in search of food. It’s quite a sight. But you won’t be alone—hundreds of people gather there, in kayaks on Lady Bird Lake or on the grassy hill alongside the bridge.
Go Here Instead: Old Tunnel State Park
Eighty miles west of Austin isÌý, home to three million of the same bat species found under the famous bridge. You can watch from two different observation areas while state-park staff give presentations on summer evenings. Get there early to be one of 70 people to score a spot in the lower, close-up viewing area (entry costs $5).
If you’re set on seeing the bats in Austin, do it from the lake:Ìý hosts kayak bat tours. Or stay at theÌý (from $199), across the lake, and watch the bats leaving the bridge from the hotel’s rooftop pool deck.
Seattle, Washington
Where the Crowds Are: Gum Wall at Pike Place Market
You have to know where it is, tucked into a hidden alley downtown underneath Pike Place Market, but once you’re there, you and hordes of other spectators will get aÌýlook at one of the weirdest public art installations ever—a 50-foot-long wall spackled with otherÌý.
Go Here Instead: Olympic Sculpture Park
If outdoor art is what you’re after, skip staring at spit-covered bubble gum and head to the waterfrontÌý. With nine acres, it’s downtown’s largest green space, and it’sÌýfilled with massive works of art. The Seattle Art Museum leads hourlong tours, or you can explore on your own. Plus, the park isÌýfree, open from sunrise to sunset, and easy to find. There’s alsoÌýa waterfront path that cutsÌýthrough the grounds, a great optionÌýfor running or biking.
Glacier National Park, Montana
Where the Crowds Are: Going-to-the-Sun Road
There may be no more scenic routeÌýin America than the 50-mileÌý. It crosses the Continental Divide through the park, withÌý of glaciers, waterfalls, mountain goats, and snowcapped peaks. But midsummerÌýyou’ll be on the clogged roadway with a lineup of tour buses, RVs, and motorcycles.
Go Here Instead: Camas Road
For a panoramic drive through Glacier National Park without the crowds, veer towardÌý from West Glacier. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it curves around Huckleberry Mountain (stop for a hike to Huckleberry Lookout), then leaves the park on the dirt North Fork Road toward the off-the-grid community of Polebridge, 13 miles away, followingÌýthe banks of the North Fork of the Flathead River. TheÌý is worth a visitÌýfor huckleberry bear claws.
Maui, Hawaii
Where the Crowds Are: Sunrise at Haleakala National Park
So manyÌý want to watch the sunrise from the top of the volcano in Haleakala National ParkÌýthat the park service started requiringÌý to drive up at dawn. It’s a beautiful way to start your day—if you don’t mind a bunch of other cars and Instagrammers alongside you.
Go Here Instead: Wilderness Cabins at Haleakala CraterÌý
The National Park Service maintains threeÌýrustic backcountry cabins on the Haleakala Crater, accessibly only via trail. You’ll start at 10,023 feet above sea level, atop the volcano, and hike down into the crater, to 7,000 feet, covering roughly four miles to reach the closest of the three cabins or nine miles to the farthest one. You’ll need aÌý (from $75 a night), but that’ll guarantee you a bunk in a cabin with minimal crowds.
San Francisco, California
Where the Crowds Are: The Golden Gate Bridge
On a visit to San Francisco, it’s pretty much mandatory that you walk across theÌý, an iconic 1.7-mile span that connects the city withÌýMarin County, to the north. But you won’t have the place to yourself. In fact, tenÌýmillion people visit the bridge every year
Go Here Instead: Marshall’s Beach
Located within Golden Gate National Park, sandy Marshall’s Beach is adjacent to the bridge on the San Francisco side, so you can still snap a photo of itÌýshrouded in morning fog—without the mobs of people. To reach the beach, hike a half-mile along theÌý, where you can spot dolphinsÌýas you descend to the ocean.
Juneau, AlaskaÌý
Where the Crowds Are: Mendenhall Glacier
When massive cruise ships roll into Alaska’s capital city, many passengers disembark and board tour buses bound for , the only glacierÌýin the stateÌýthat can be reached via road. We’re not talking about just a few people—around one million cruise-ship passengers visit Juneau each summer, and the glacier sees around 500,000 visitors annually. (Most stick to the visitorÌýcenter, so you can take a walk and avoid the crowds.)
Go Here Instead: Mount Roberts
Juneau is surrounded by mountains covered in lush, green trees andÌý that see minimal traffic. Ride theÌý ($35 for a round-trip ticket), which departs from downtown and soars through a rainforest to an elevation of 1,800 feet; from here, if you hike a half-mile, you can haveÌýaÌýview of the Chilkat Mountains to yourself. Or skip the tram entirely and hike theÌý that climbs nearly 4,000 vertical feet up the mountain.
Niagara Falls, New York
Where the Crowds Are: Niagara Falls State Park
The oldest state park in America,Ìý is home to such wonders as American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and Horseshoe Falls. It’s also a predictably popular sightseeing spot, especially in the summer, when busloads of tourists show up to gawkÌýat the nearly 3,160 tons of water flowing overÌý every second.
Go Here Instead: Taughannock Falls State Park
Located 150 miles east of Niagara Falls, near Ithaca, 750-acreÌý has one standout feature: aÌý that’s nearly 50 feet taller than Niagara Falls. Hike the Gorge Trail along Taughannock Creek, which is less than a mile to the base of the falls, or the North Rim Trail for a bird’s-eye view. If you’re set on seeing Niagara Falls, head to the lesser known viewpoint within the park: , accessible via a pedestrian bridge with great panoramasÌýof American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls.
Aspen, Colorado
Where the Crowds Are: Maroon Bells
Called the mostÌý peaks in Colorado, the 14,000-footÌý, tenÌýmiles west of Aspen, are stunning. Due to midsummer crowds, there’s now a public bus you have to ride midday to reach Maroon Lake (or you can bike there). Most people hike the one-mile round-trip Maroon Lake Scenic Trail, which skirtsÌýthe lake at the base of the peaks.
Go Here Instead: Castle Creek Road
For a breathtaking rideÌýto majestic vistas, driveÌýor bike the 13-mile, paved Castle Creek Road, whichÌýpasses the historic Toklat Lodge andÌý. TheÌý is well worth a stop for lunch or dinner on your way, and you’ll haveÌýstellar views of Star Peak and other pinnacles in the Elk Mountain Range.
Acadia National Park, Maine
Where the Crowds Are: Cadillac Mountain
You can drive to the top of 1,533-footÌý, the highest point in Acadia National Park. You’ll score a picture-perfectÌýview of the sunrise as well asÌýall of Frenchman Bay and Mount Desert Island from there, along with a bunch of other people. Some 400 cars a day drive to the summit with the same idea in mindÌýand battle for limited parking spots.
Go Here Instead: Sargent Mountain
The second-tallest mountain on Mount Desert Island,Ìý1,373-footÌýÌýsees way fewer people and still has amazing views. No roads lead to the summit here, however; you’ll have to hike up either the North or South Ridge Trails or the more difficult Grandgent Trail. Or hire a rock-climbing guide from theÌý, and they’ll lead you to sheer faces within the park without a soul in sight.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Where the Crowds Are: Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area
ThisÌý, just 17 miles west of the Las Vegas Strip andÌýrun by the Bureau of Land Management, features a gorgeous 13-mile drive through sandstone bluffs and is home to numerousÌýhiking trails. But the place gets visited by someÌý a year.
Go Here Instead: Spring Mountain Ranch State Park
You’ll get similar views atÌý, five miles south of the Red Rock Canyon visitorÌýcenter, but with a fraction of the people. Once a working ranch, this 520-acre park has hiking trails,Ìý on a grassy meadow, and an old blacksmith shop and cabin that you can tour.
Crater Lake National Park, Oregon
Where the Crowds Are: Crater Lake National Park
Welcome to the deepest lake in the United States and Oregon’s only national park. Of the many visitors who flock toÌý each summer, most drive around the lake and visit one of two visitorÌýcenters. Another popular option? Riding bikes along the rolling roadway ofÌý33-mile Rim Drive, which circumnavigates the crater.
Go Here Instead: Paulina Lake
Located outside of Bend, Oregon, 80 miles north of Crater Lake, high-alpineÌý was also formed by a crater, but it doesn’t have the cachet of its national-park sibling. You’ll get turquoise waters and trails forÌýhikingÌýand mountain biking. Don’t miss the primitive Paulina Lake Hot Springs, tubs alongside the lake’s northeastern shore made of driftwood and filled with geothermal water. Book a cabin (from $126) on the shoreÌýat .