Who Goes Hiking?

A record 331.9 million people visited national parks in the United States in 2024, according to the National Park Service. This is up 6.36 million from 2023 and surpasses the previous high of 331 million in 2016. The National Park Service releases nationwide data on the previous year’s visitations in the first quarter of each year.

This data underscores the desire of millions to experience the nature of the United States. According to data from a Statista Consumer Insights survey, roughly one in three U.S. adults go hiking at least occasionally. A similar share said the same in China, while closer to one in four said they occasionally go hiking in the United Kingdom. Austrians and Poles were the keenest hiking nations of the 21 countries polled.