Wide Open Spaces

Looking to dodge the crowds at national parks this summer? Here are the least-visited ones:

Annual Visitors, 1999

1. Lake Clark.................6,190

150 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska

Scenic wilderness with abundant fish and wildlife

2. Kobuk Valley...............6,309

Northwest Alaska

Kobuk River, mountains, unusual landscapes, archeological sites

3. Gates of the Arctic........8,166

North central Alaska

Vast wilderness

4. North Cascades............21,488

Northwest Washington state

Numerous glaciers and mountain lakes

5. Isle Royale...............23,493

In Lake Superior in Michigan

Islands, forested wilderness, cascades, lakes

6. Wrangell-St. Elias........29,252

East of Anchorage, Alaska

Mountains, abundant wildlife

7. Katmai....................51,399

North end of Alaska Peninsula

Mt. Katmai volcano, Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes

8. Dry Tortugas..............74,186

Islands west of Key West, Fla.

Marine exhibit, remains of 1846 fortifications

9. Great Basin...............90,119

Eastern Nevada

Wheeler Peak, alpine lakes, caves, bristlecone pines

10. Guadalupe Mountains.....219,591

100 miles east of El Paso

Geological interest, Permian limestone fossil reef

Sources: National Park Service; Merriam Webster’s National Geographic Dictionary