Top Ten Most-Isolated National Parks

The winner, by a long shot, is Gates of the Arctic, sprawled out over the Brooks Range in north central Alaska. An untouched area that avoided American and European influence until the 1880s, Gates will be tough for you to reach, too, since its glaciated valleys mean you have to fly in. And, with snow possible at any time of year, you could wait for days for decent weather to get out. How lonely is this place? Even the park service says that "it may be weeks before you encounter another person." Weeks! It ain't easy living. The winter brings temperatures as low as 50 below, and summer months mean rain and mosquitoes. The payoff includes stunning scenery, warm springs, great fishing, and wildlife spottings (bears, moose, and eagles, to name a few) all to yourself.