While Yosemite continues drawing massive crowds each year, one national park in Northern California is gaining attention for offering something many travelers now crave: peace and quiet.
In March 2026, outdoor clothing brand Kuhl conducted an analysis of 2024 National Park Service (NPS) data of the 63 national parks across the U.S.
Based on the NPS data, the brand created a “solitude score” for each park to identify which national parks offer visitors the most peaceful experiences. The higher the solitude score, the better.
Of the top ten selected as the best destinations for introverts, Lassen Volcanic National Park received the third-highest solitude score.
The outdoor clothing brand gave Lassen Volcanic a solitude score of 69.43, citing its “low-key” visitation levels and its generally secluded location.
Kuhl further gave Lassen Volcanic an “accessible rank” of 61. The park takes some traveling to get to, but introverts may find it worth it due to its distance from crowds and major cities.
“With only four tours on TripAdvisor, it maintains a serene atmosphere, perfect for reflective hikes away from overwhelming groups,” the report reads.
Lassen Volcanic is located in northeastern California, an hour east of Redding. It covers 106,452 acres of land, spanning across Lassen, Plumas, Tehama, and Shasta counties.
Lassen Volcanic receives an average of 3.36 visitors per acre.
It is technically open year-round, but most of its facilities are accessible from July to October.
Lassen Volcanic was established as a national park in 1916 by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson.
The park has been recognized by the NPS for being one of the only spots in the world where the four primary types of volcanoes can be seen. These are shield volcanoes, composite volcanoes, cinder cone volcanoes, and lava domes.
Why Lassen Volcanic Stands Out for Peace and Quiet
Hikers who visit the park usually head towards the Lassen Peak Trail or the Devastated Area Interpretive Trail.
The Lassen Peak Trail is one of the few active dome volcanoes where hikers can climb to the rim.
The Interpretive Trail, meanwhile, is a shorter scenic loop that shows hikers the aftermath of Lassen Peak’s eruption in 1915.
The park is not only for hikers, though.
It has been designated as an “International Dark Sky Park” for its clear, unrestricted view of the night skies. The park is considered a perfect spot for stargazing.
While visitors wait for nightfall to see the stars, many bring their bathing suits and paddleboats to Manzanita Lake.
The lake’s calm and still waters make it a premier spot for swimming (if you’re okay with cold water!) and kayaking.
While paddleboarders are enjoying Manzanita, they get treated to a beautiful view of Summit Lassen Peak lurking through the trees, especially at sunset.
Lassen Volcanic doesn’t always receive as many visitors as other parks, but it still gets its fair share.
It is a go-to spot in California for introverts or extroverts experiencing crowd fatigue.
Yosemite Remains One of California’s Busiest National Parks
To balance out their ranking of top parks for introverts, Kuhl included a list of 10 parks that could overwhelm introverts.
In this list, Northern California’s Yosemite National Park ranked second.
Yosemite was originally established by President Abraham Lincoln back in 1864.
In the century and a half since its founding, Yosemite has received worldwide recognition. In 1984, the park was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its geological features and dedication to preservation.
Yosemite received a significantly lower solitude score of 42.22. The brand justified its ranking by citing the park’s heavy tourism and consistently high visitor traffic.
It has a whopping 122 tours available for visitors to choose from, meaning that finding active tour groups is not a rare occurrence.
Additionally, Yosemite’s granite cliffs and waterfalls tend to attract visitors to sightsee and take photos.
Residents and travelers can stop by the park throughout the year.
The 759,620-acre park is located in Mariposa County and receives 5.51 visitors per acre on average.
Yosemite is one of the most visited national parks annually.
A few years ago, locals started to raise the alarm about congestion at the park.
To address this issue, Yosemite started utilizing timed entries.
But the park stopped using the system following a review by the NPS, which caused congestion levels to increase again.
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