The Most Visited National Parks in the U.S. 🏞️

What We’re Showing

The top 10 busiest national parks in the U.S. by number of visits in 2023. Visits included recreational visits, and excludes non-recreational visits and camping.

Data comes from the National Park Service and is updated as of February 2024.

Key Takeaways

• Great Smoky Mountains, which saw almost three times the amount of visits compared to second-place Grand Canyon, is consistently the most visited national park. The sprawling park is easily accessible for many Americans, just a day's drive away for half of the U.S. population.
• A majority of the busiest parks, like Grand Canyon, Zion, Yellowstone, and Yosemite, are located in western United States, a region known for its extensive protected areas, natural landmarks, and outdoor recreation opportunities.
• Acadia, the only park located in the Northeastern U.S., is significantly smaller compared to other top national parks, spanning about 49,000 acres, compared to the next smallest park, Zion, which has an area of 147,242 acres.