Forget crowds and fighting for parking — these are the parks you might have all to yourself.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department has once again released its annual visitor counts, and we have once again rounded up not the most, but the least popular state parks in Oregon.

These are not the marquee parks we all know well. There are no pins or patches or scratch-off bucket lists for these places, however well-loved some of them may be.

Frequent readers of this annual feature may spot some repeat places such as Red Bridge, Catherine Creek and Battle Mountain, which always feature in the bottom 20. But this year’s list also has a few surprises.

Chief among them is Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site, a typically busy spot that has no business being listed among the least popular parks. State parks spokesperson Stefanie Knowlton said the department didn’t have an immediate answer about why the coastal park saw an 85% decrease in visitors last year.

It’s rarely clear why day use numbers fluctuate at these lesser-visited parks. A closed restroom, a highway detour or a shift in the winds of public opinion can apparently affect these numbers.

Some places, like Cottonwood Canyon State Park, just never seem to catch on. Cottonwood Canyon is one of only a few official Dark Sky Parks in Oregon, and cabin rentals remain extremely competitive, yet it somehow always finds itself on this least-popular parks list. What will it take for people to discover one of the most beautiful high desert destinations in our state?

Honestly, the same could be said for the rest of these places, each of which is beautiful in its own right. They may be remote, they may be small and they might not have as much to offer, but all of these least-visited parks are worthy of a little more attention.

20. Winchuck State Recreation Site

Visitors: 51,752

Location: Oregon Coast

One-year change: -13%

Known for: Ocean beach access on the southern tip of the Oregon coast.

19. Catherine Creek State Park

Visitors: 41,938

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: +141%

Known for: A tranquil setting along the crystal-clear waters of Catherine Creek, with a small, primitive campground.

18. J.S. Burres Day Use Area

Visitors: 40,196

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: -3%

Known for: Sagebrush and towering basalt cliffs along the John Day River, just across the water from Cottonwood Canyon State Park.

17. Unity Lake State Recreation Site

Visitors: 37,246

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: +80%

Known for: A green and beautiful place for boating, fishing and picnicking in the otherwise arid high desert.

16. Cottonwood Canyon State Park

Visitors: 36,380

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: -12%

Known for: High desert scenery and camping beside the John Day River in north-central Oregon.

15. Clay Meyers State Natural Area at Whalen Island

Visitors: 35,699

Location: Oregon Coast

One-year change: +11%

Known for: Pristine coastal estuary habitat that’s great for wildlife watching on the north coast.

14. Goose Lake State Recreation Area

Visitors: 33,940

Location: Southern Oregon

One-year change: +42%

Known for: A large, seasonal lake that’s home to large numbers of migrating waterfowl in spring and early summer.

13. Yachats Ocean Road State Natural Site

Visitors: 33,506

Location: Oregon Coast

One-year change: -85%

Known for: An intertidal beach along the rocky shoreline in the heart of Yachats.

13. Fort Rock State Natural Area

Visitors: 33,332

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: +5%

Known for: A fascinating volcanic attraction with historical significance in a beautiful high desert setting.

11. Golden & Silver Falls State Natural Area

Visitors: 30,254

Location: Coast Range

One-year change: +39%

Known for: Two stunning waterfalls in a remote forest setting off the Southern Oregon coast.

10. Munson Creek Falls State Natural Site

Visitors: 25,502

Location: Oregon Coast

One-year change: -44%

Known for: A 319-foot waterfall found at the end of a short hike, just off the Oregon coast in Tillamook County. Read more in this Oregon Coast Range waterfall roundup.

9. Geisel Monument State Heritage Site

Visitors: 23,612

Location: Oregon Coast

One-year change: 0%

Known for: A historical gravesite and monument on the south Oregon coast.

8. Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site

Visitors: 22,830

Location: Central Oregon

One-year change: +10%

Known for: A quiet, secluded spot for fishing, canoeing and walking among a forest of quaking aspen at the headwaters of the Wood River.

7. Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Site

Visitors: 21,166

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: +4%

Known for: Tours of a historic gold dredge in eastern Oregon.

6. Bates State Park

Visitors: 18,236

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -5%

Known for: Hiking trails and a primitive campground at the former site of a thriving lumber mill.

5. Red Bridge State Wayside

Visitors: 14,404

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -19%

Known for: A forested park and quiet campground along the Grande Ronde River in the Blue Mountains.

4. Ukiah-Dale Forest State Scenic Corridor

Visitors: 11,588

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -19%

Known for: A seasonal campground and day-use area in a quiet forest replete with wildlife.

3. Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor

Visitors: 10,098

Location: Northeast Oregon

One-year change: -40%

Known for: A forest of ponderosa pine, larch, Douglas fir and spruce that is protected as habitat for wildlife on the side of the highway.

2. Booth State Scenic Corridor

Visitors: 7,506

Location: Southern Oregon

One-year change: -71%

Known for: A roadside forest of ponderosa pine and quaking aspen trees that are beautiful in the fall.

1. Chandler State Wayside

Visitors: 6,604

Location: Southern Oregon

One-year change: -75%

Known for: A wooded area just off U.S. 395 with access to fishing along Crooked Creek.

Cutlines

State parks winchuck

Evening at the Winchuck State Recreation Site, located near the Oregon-California border on the Southern Oregon coast. (The Oregonian photos)

Parks 2

The historic Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge is a fascinating Old West attraction in the tiny town of Sumpter in Eastern Oregon. The dredge was used in the early 20th century to mine large amounts of earth for gold.

Parks 3

A large granite fireplace is still open for use at Battle Mountain Forest State Scenic Corridor in remote northeast Oregon.

Parks 4

Munson Creek Falls is a 319-foot waterfall found at a state park site in Oregon’s Coast Range.

Parks 5

The sun sets over Goose Lake, a 147-square-mile lake that straddles the border of Oregon and California near the Southern Oregon town of Lakeview. (The Oregonian)