Richland County attraction named one of most underrated national parks

A ranking of the most underrated national parks in the United States has singled out a Richland County facility.

Congaree National Park ranks No. 10 on vocational rental platform Lake.com’s list of national parks deemed the most underrated in the country.

The study compared all national parks that saw less than 750,000 visits last year, and compared visitor volumes, reviews and ratings, according to a news release.

The study analyzed last year’s NPS data to identify all parks with under 750,000 visitors, according to the release. Parks on the list were then scored out of 100, based on visitor volumes, visitor reviews and review ratings.

Parks were awarded a higher score for fewer visits, fewer reviews, and a high ratio of reviews to visits and for higher ratings, the release stated.

“National parks attract an incredibly large volume of visitors every year, especially as summer approaches,” David Ciccarelli, CEO of Lake.com , said in the release. However, there are many hidden gems out there which are just as wonderful as the most-visited spots and that may be better for avoiding crowds.

Congaree, located about 20 miles outside Columbia and comprising of nearly 27,000 acres, has the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States, according to its website.

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North Cascades, a large blue lake surrounded by forest and snowy mountains in Washington with over 500,000 acres to explore, scored the highest at 89.7 out of 100 making it the most underappreciated park among visitors last year, according to the release.

Isle Royale is second with a score of 86.0. Situated in Lake Superior, Mich., this park is an isolated island that offers plenty of hiking and camping spots.

Third place is Dry Tortugas, west of Key West, Florida, with a score of 84.6 out of 100. This park is mostly water and comprises seven islands that are only accessible by boat or seaplane, the release stated. The area is known for its coral reefs and thriving marine life.

Ranking fourth with a score of 78.2 is the Gates of The Arctic National Park and Preserve in Alaska. The park protects portions of the Brooks Range in Northern Alaska and is characterized by arctic valleys, scenic rivers and rugged peaks, the release stated.

The largest national park in the US, Wrangell-St. Elias, also a preserve based in South Central Alaska, ranked fifth with a score of 77.5, according to the ranking.

The full ranking and methodology can be found here .

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