The final numbers for the most visited national parks in 2023 show some shakeups in the ranks! In this article, we want to familiarize you with the most visited national parks in the United States (or most popular national parks) based on this year’s data (released in February 2024).
You might want to know what is the most visited national park, but don’t you also want to know what park is filled to the brim, even if it’s not the most visited? How about what popular park won’t lead to long lines and give plenty of breathing room? As we review the most visited national parks in 2023, we’ll also review the visitors per square mile and the number of recreation hours people spend at those parks on average.
Most Visited National Parks
Table of Contents: Most Visited National Parks
Table of Contents: Most Popular National Parks
- Most Visited National Parks
- Overview of the Most Visited National Parks
- Top 5 Most Popular US National Parks
- Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in America
- Key Takeaways from the National Park Visitation Statistics
- Map of Most Visited National Parks
- List of Top 10 Most Visited National Parks
- List of Top 10 Least Visited National Parks
- Complete List of All 63 Most Visited National Parks
- Least/Most Visited National Parks in USA Facts
- Alaska National Parks and Least Visited Status
- Final Thoughts About Least Visited Parks
Overview of the Most Visited National Parks
In 2023, overall visitation to national park sites across America increased by 13,512,648 million visitors from 2022. That is a 4.3% increase year-to-year.
A total of 325,498,646 people visited a National Park Service property. That includes all monuments, national recreation areas, and more. Of those visitors, 92,390,204 visited designated National Parks from Acadia to Zion. To put it more simply, that’s 325.5 million visitors at all the NPS sites and 92.3 million visitors at National Parks.
Over the past five years, 2023 saw the second-highest number of recreation visits, just 6% lower than 2019. However, 2023 was 4.3% higher than 2022 and almost 10% higher than 2021, as the nation was coming out of pandemic travel restrictions.
Note: I’ve included a complete table of the full stats at the bottom in case you want to check on your favorite national park.
Top 5 Most Popular US National Parks
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Location: Tennessee & North Carolina
2023 Visitation: 13,297,647
2022 Visitation: 12,937,633 (#1)
2020 Numbers: 14,161,548 (#1)
Visitors Per Square Mile: 16,283 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 7 Hours 22 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Map / Guidebook / Guide / Things to Do / Hikes / Where to Stay / Video / Facts
Great Smoky Mountains remains the most visited National Park in America in 2023, up nearly 3% from 2022 but still 6% lower than the all-time high in 2021. That year, 14.2 million people visited.
Park Description
One of the best national parks in America is also the most popular, receiving more visits annually than any other national park. In fact, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is also the most visited national park in the world. Considered the crown jewel of the eastern U.S. parks by many, Great Smoky Mountains National Park protects a vast swath of the immense beauty of the Appalachian Mountains.
These old mountains and forests and streams have a character about them that tends to invite one to slow down and imagine a world where this was what much of the eastern United States looked like. Herds of elk freely roam the park, and bears, otters, deer, foxes, and woodpeckers are commonly sighted.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is in the fall when the brilliant foliage is on full display. The month of October is the best time to see peak fall colors. October also brings the biggest crowds of the year, bringing 13% of the total crowd.
Best Things to Do
Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a mecca for outdoor lovers. Along with its abundant wildflowers and wildlife, a few of our favorite things to see and do include:
- Visiting the stunning waterfalls along wooded trails, including Grotto Falls
- Climbing Clingmans Dome or Chimney Tops
- Take a scenic drive along the Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail
- We also recommend visiting the educational exhibits, including historic structures from early settlers like those at Cades Cove.
2. Grand Canyon National Park
Location: Arizona
2023 Visitation: 4,733,705
2022 Visitation: 4,732,101 (#2)
2021 Numbers: 4,532,677 (#4)
Visitors Per Square Mile: 2,486 visitors per square mile.
Average Length of Visit: 15 Hours 38 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Map / Guidebook / Things to Do / Best Views / Closest Cities / South Rim / North Rim / Where to Stay / Winter / Facts /Bright Angel Trail / Rim to Rim
Visitation Summary
Grand Canyon National Park remains at #2 on the most visited list, but get this – just 6% of the 1.56 million vehicles that entered the park went through the North Rim entrance. Have you seen the amazing things to do at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon? Overall visitation was up 4% year to year.
Description
We could try to describe to you the singular beauty and majesty of one of the great wonders of the world, or we could let one of America’s greatest presidents do it–President Theodore Roosevelt.
“In the Grand Canyon, Arizona has a natural wonder which is in kind absolutely unparalleled throughout the rest of the world. I want to ask you to keep this great wonder of nature as it now is.
I hope you will not have a building of any kind, not a summer cottage, a hotel or anything else, to mar the wonderful grandeur, the sublimity, the great loneliness and beauty of the canyon. Leave it as it is. You cannot improve on it. The ages have been at work on it, and man can only mar it.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Grand Canyon National Park is during the off-season, like September and October, when the park cools down, and so does the visitation. The busiest month was July, with 557,321 visitors.
3. Zion National Park
Location: Utah
2023 Visitation: 4,623,238
2022 Visitation: 4,692,417 (#3)
2021 Visitation: 5,039,835 (#2)
Visitors Per Square Mile: 19,929 visitors per square mile 🫨
Average Length of Visit: 6 Hours 22 Minutes (And HOW MUCH OF THAT WAS TRAFFIC? We’ll never know!)
My Favorite Resources: Guide | Things to Do | Hikes | Map | Guidebook | Where to Stay | Road Trip
Visitation Summary
Zion National Park dropped to the third most visited national park in America, still surpassing the much larger Yellowstone in overall visits and popularity. Given its relative size, this sort of visitation is extremely difficult to manage. We highly encourage folks to visit Zion in the shoulder seasons (spring & fall) and visit nearby equally spectacular National Forests.
Description
Listen, folks, we love Zion, but the truth is this park is an absolute mess right now, with crowds regularly over-running the place. We hear a lot today about our national parks being “loved to death,” and no park epitomizes this problem more than Zion. Zion is the most crowded national park for its size.
While the park is jaw-droppingly beautiful and home to world-class recreational opportunities, it’s also completely choked with tourists on every trail and crowding every vista. Buses, lottery systems, permits, closures, and still, the crowds swarm like moths to a flame. What’s that old proverb? If you love it, let it go.
Best Time to Visit
If you are looking to avoid the crowds then the best time to visit Zion National Park is during the fall to see the spectacular foliage on full display and a tiny fraction of the summer crowds. June, July, May and October are the busiest months, bringing between 504,584 and 564,036 people.
April can lead to the closure of The Narrows, which has happened seven out of the past 10 years due to snow runoff flooding the Virgin River.
4. Yellowstone National Park
Location: Wyoming, Montana & Idaho
2023 Numbers: 4,501,382
2022 Visitation: 3,290,242 (#7/Flooding)
2021 Visitation: 4,860,242 (#3)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 1,298 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 18 Hours 15 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Map / Guidebook / Things to Do / Facts / Airports / Where to Stay
Visitation Summary
Yellowstone National Park made it back to the Top 5 Most Visited National Parks in the United States in 2023. After a dip due to those awful floods in 2022, the park had its second busiest year ever.
Description
Ah, Yellowstone National Park, the national park that started it all, is the third most visited national park in America. Yellowstone is an absolutely spectacular and magical national park. A landscape dotted with otherworldly thermal works, bison holdouts from a time when they ruled the prairie, a thriving wolf population, and an encapsulation of the great American West.
Yellowstone is the Disneyland of national parks, complete with food courts, souvenir shops, resort villages, and more. Street traffic (and we’re not talking “bison jams”) due to the sheer number of cars entering the park has become a real issue here.As a result, and despite its stunning beauty, we recommend visiting in the off-season for the best experience.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Yellowstone is during the shoulder season when visitation is down. We like September when crowds are reduced, and some fall foliage is popping throughout the park. https://morethanjustparks.com/visiting-yellowstone-in-the-fall/
Best Things to Do
So many things. So little time. Of course, we recommend visiting Old Faithful, taking the magnificent Grand Canyon Rim hike, a whitewater rafting adventure if you’re willing to be a bit daring, taking the five-mile loop hike through the entire Upper Geyser Basin or just enjoying the endless views of mountains, geysers, canyons, rivers, lakes and so much more.
5. Rocky Mountain National Park
Location: Colorado
2023 Numbers: 4,115,837
2022 Visitation: 4,300,424 (#4)
2021 Visitation: 4,434,848 (#5)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 9,916 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 6 Hours 31 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Guide / Map / Guidebook / Hikes / Things to Do / Where to Stay / Video / Facts
Visitation Summary
Rocky Mountain National Park dropped a notch, but that’s due to Yellowstone’s dip in 2022 and subsequent rebound. The small loss of visitors happened in June and July, with numbers that haven’t been that low since the pandemic and then around 2014.
Description
Tucked into the heart of Colorado’s Front Range, Rocky Mountain National Park spans more than 400 square miles of breathtaking mountain scenery and is the 4th most popular national park in the US. This national park is considered by many to be the crown jewel of the American Rockies, and it’s no wonder why.
Rocky Mountain is home to an incredible diversity of wildlife, including elk, moose, bighorn sheep, beaver, deer, black bear, eagles, marmots, mountain lions, and so much more.
Best Time To Visit
We recommend going to see the magnificent fall colors from late September to the beginning of October, as well as the elk rutting season.
Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in America
6. Yosemite National Park
Location: California
2023 Numbers: 3,897,070
2022 Visitation: 3,667,550 (#6)
2021 Visitation: 3,287,595 (#8)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 3,336 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 13 hours and 22 minutes
My Favorite Resources: Map / Guidebook / Facts / Where to Stay / Things to Do
Visitation Summary
Yosemite holds onto its number six spots in 2023, rising more than 6% in visitation. For the first November on record, Yosemite saw more than 250,000 people in November. We recommend only visiting this park in the off-season or during times that the reservation system is in place due to the severe overcrowding. Summer visitors face the timed-entry system or planning entrance very early or late in the afternoon.
Description
Alas, it’s the 21st century, and John Muir’s “grandest of all temples of nature” is bursting at the seams with tourists in search of their latest social media trophy. But at the end of the day, it’s still Yosemite National Park. Once there, you’ll realize just why the park is one of the most popular in the US.
Despite the summer crowds, the valley and the park are truly one of the natural wonders of the world. The immense beauty found here is overwhelming and tends to make one feel small in the most humbling way.
Best Time To Visit
We recommend visiting in the off-season for the best experience. This means avoiding peak summer crowds by visiting in the spring and fall. Remember, February brings the Horsetail Fall, which is also so popular that it now requires reservations.
7. Acadia National Park
Location: Maine
2023 Numbers: 3,879,890
2022 Visitation: 3,970,260 (#5)
2021 Visitation: 4,069,098 (#6)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 50,591 visitors per square mile (That’s 154% higher than the per-square-mile of Zion!)
Average Length of Visit: 6 Hours 39 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Guide / Map / Hikes / Guidebook / Where to Stay / Video / Facts / Things to Do / Summer / Winter / Road Trip
Visitation Summary
Acadia National Park dropped two spots from 2022 but is still hovering near that 4 million visitor mark. It seems that’s about as much as this park can handle with summer traffic and full campsites, making even locals cringe at its newfound fame.
Description
Along the rocky shores of Maine’s coast, you’ll find this easternmost national park. Once the exclusive domain of the Gilded Age elite, a few civic-minded residents decided to make Acadia’s beauty available to all Americans by donating the land to the National Park Service – and boy, are we glad they did.
With rounded mountains, shimmering lakes (called ponds here), rugged coastline, and forests dotted with old stone roads and trails, this New England national park is a real treasure.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Acadia National Park is in the Fall when one of the most brilliant foliage displays in the world takes place. Mid to late October is best for peak fall foliage, but you really can’t go wrong here. Also, don’t sleep on Acadia National Park in the winter. You get amazing access to trails covered in snow or get the bonus of a mild winter yet still empty trails.
8. Grand Teton National Park
Location: Wyoming
2020 Numbers: 3,417,106
2022 Visitation: 2,806,223 (#12)
2021 Visitation: 3,885,230 (#7)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 7,119 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 6 Hours 22 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Guide / Maps / Guidebook / Hikes / Things to Do / Where to Stay / Video / Facts
Visitation Summary
As Yellowstone bounced back, so did Grand Teton National Park leap back into the Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in America. Grand Teton saw a 22% increase compared to Yellowstone’s 37% increase in 2023. We expect to see Grand Teton get more visitors as people tire of the crowds in Yellowstone.
Description
Grand Teton National Park is truly iconic and, thanks to strong management and foresight, has been able to avoid the crowding more characteristic of its neighbor to the north, Yellowstone. Here, you’ll find the spectacular Teton mountains, the winding Snake River, gorgeous lakes and valleys, and some of the best wildlife viewing opportunities in the entire national park system.
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Grand Teton National Park is early July when wildlife is on the move and wildflowers are on full display. July 2023 saw 707,000 guests! Looking to avoid the crowds? October gets less than 250,000 visitors.
9. Joshua Tree National Park
Location: California
2023 Numbers: 3,270,404
2022 Visitation: 3,058,294 (#8)
2021 Visitation: 3,064,400 (#11)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 2,649 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 5 Hours 51 Minutes
Our Favorite Resources: Guide / Hikes / Things to Do / Map / Guidebook / Where to Stay / Video / Facts
Visitation Summary
Joshua Tree National Park moved up a rank in the Top 10 Most Popular National Parks, but the real headline is that the park broke visitation records. With 3.3 million visitors, it was the most visited year in this desert oasis popular with rock climbers.
Description
Oh, Joshua Tree. Has any park been more idolized by musicians and pop culture? What was once thought of as an interesting other-worldly filming location for old Hollywood television productions like Star Trek is now every budding artist’s pilgrimage for photo shoots and fun.
Alas, through all of its publicity, Joshua Tree has not lost any of its beauty, and despite its crowds, it still provides plenty of space to explore its magical desert landscapes.
Best Time to Visit
The best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park is during the cooler months of the year. We recommend fall and winter. Spring brings amazing wildflower displays, with a peak in March or April. March is the most crowded month, with 434,000 other people.
10. Olympic National Park
Location: Washington
2023 Visitation: 2,947,503
2022 Visitation: 2,432,972 (#14)
2021 Visitation: 2,718,925 (#12)
Visitors Per Square Mile: Approximately 2,105 visitors per square mile
Average Length of Visit: 5 Hours 16 Minutes
My Favorite Resources: Guide / Map / Guidebook / Things to Do / Hikes / Where to Stay / Video
Visitation Summary
We welcome Olympic National Park back to the Top 10 and still stand by our ranking of the best national park in America. Before the pandemic, Olympic National Park had seven years with more than three million visitors in a row. With 2.9 million in 2023, we expect the park to get there next year. Here’s hoping late spring brings great snowpack.
Description
Olympic National Park is the most diverse national park in America, hands down. This park has everything from lowland forests, striking mountain ranges, pristine alpine lakes, sparkling rivers, temperate rainforests (the largest in North America), iconic wildlife, and over 50 miles of wild coastline!
Oh, and it’s a stone’s throw from Seattle! Olympic National Park truly has it all and without the crowds that have become so insidious in other US national parks in recent years – which is why we rank this Pacific Northwest gem as the best national park in America.
Best Time To Visit
The best time to visit Olympic National Park is in the summer when precipitation is at a low, trails are melted out, temperatures are warm, and days are long. August is the busiest month, and June is the slowest summer month. Specifically, the months of July and August are best, but make sure to check for fires in the area prior to booking your trip (if possible).
Key Takeaways from the National Park Visitation Statistics
A key takeaway from this year’s report shows that park visitation has returned to pre-pandemic levels. We’re also using data that includes all 63 parks since New River Gorge, White Sands, and Indiana Dunes were all in the mix for the 2019 reports.
The park with the greatest increase in visitors was Gateway Arch National Park, with a 50% jump, but there’s a big caveat here. The downtown St. Louis park changed the way it tabulates visitors and didn’t see a massive increase in foot traffic. The new methodology was explained on the Gateway Arch website.
Yellowstone National Park made the “most increased visitation” list, but that’s due to the recovery of visitors after the 2022 floods. Visitation was up 37% compared to 2022 but still down 7% from the all-time high in 2021 of 4.86 million guests. The story is about the same for Grand Teton National Park in 2023.
The REAL park with the greatest increase in visitors was Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, setting its all-time high record of 703,659 recreation visits, up 29% from 2022.
USA National Parks that Broke Records in 2023
Parks that made history with record visitation other than those noted above include:
- Congaree National Park: 251,114 Visitors
- Dry Tortugas National Park: 84,285 Visitors
- Joshua Tree National Park: 3.27 Million Visits
- New River Gorge National Park and Preserve: 1.7 Million Visitors
In what might come as a shock to some of you, fan-favorite Glacier National Park fell out of the top 10 most visited national parks, as did Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Map of Most Visited National Parks
List of Top 10 Most Visited National Parks
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains NP | 13,297,647 | |
| 2 | Grand Canyon NP | 4,733,705 | |
| 3 | Zion NP | 4,623,238 | |
| 4 | Yellowstone NP | 4,501,382 | |
| 5 | Rocky Mountain NP | 4,115,837 | |
| 6 | Yosemite NP | 3,897,070 | |
| 7 | Acadia NP | 3,879,890 | |
| 8 | Grand Teton NP | 3,417,106 | |
| 9 | Joshua Tree | 3,270,404 | |
| 10 | Olympic | 2,947,503 |
List of Top 10 Least Visited National Parks
| 54 | Great Basin NP | 143,265 |
| 55 | Dry Tortugas NP | 84,285 |
| 56 | Wrangell-St. Elias NP & PRES | 78,305 |
| 57 | North Cascades NP | 40,351 |
| 58 | Katmai NP & PRES | 33,763 |
| 59 | Isle Royale NP | 28,965 |
| 60 | Kobuk Valley NP | 17,616 |
| 61 | Lake Clark NP & PRES | 16,728 |
| 62 | National Park of American Samoa | 12,135 |
| 63 | Gates of the Arctic NP & PRES | 11,045 |
List of Top 10 Least Visited National Parks in the Lower 48
The least visited national parks generally have two things in common. First, no roads and/or around the park. Gates of the Arctic will long be at the bottom unless Americans get a rush on exploring a park with no roads and or trails. Hiking there means following hard-to-find paths made by animals.
Second, being on an island provides a challenge for access. Boats and seaplane trips cost money. Also, the limited room on those modes of transportation always holds visitors back. I can guarantee that ferries to Dry Tortugas National Park aren’t running routes with 10 people on them. They’re packed and booked months in advance.
In the spirit of full transparency, here are the top least visited national parks in the lower 48 of America that aren’t on an island.
| 1 | North Cascades NP | 40,351 |
| 2 | Great Basin NP | 143,265 |
| 3 | Voyageurs NP | 220,825 |
| 4 | Guadalupe Mountains NP | 227,340 |
| 5 | Congaree NP | 250,114 |
| 6 | Pinnacles NP | 341,220 |
| 7 | Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP | 357,069 |
| 8 | Carlsbad Caverns NP | 394,121 |
| 9 | Redwood NP | 409,105 |
| 10 | Lassen Volcanic NP | 418,978 |
Complete List of All 63 Most Visited National Parks
| 1 | Great Smoky Mountains NP | 13,297,647 |
| 2 | Grand Canyon NP | 4,733,705 |
| 3 | Zion NP | 4,623,238 |
| 4 | Yellowstone NP | 4,501,382 |
| 5 | Rocky Mountain NP | 4,115,837 |
| 6 | Yosemite NP | 3,897,070 |
| 7 | Acadia NP | 3,879,890 |
| 8 | Grand Teton NP | 3,417,106 |
| 9 | Joshua Tree NP | 3,270,404 |
| 10 | Olympic NP | 2,947,503 |
| 11 | Glacier NP | 2,933,616 |
| 12 | Cuyahoga Valley NP | 2,860,059 |
| 13 | Indiana Dunes NP | 2,765,892 |
| 14 | Hot Springs NP | 2,502,967 |
| 15 | Bryce Canyon NP | 2,461,269 |
| 16 | Gateway Arch NP | 2,422,836 |
| 17 | New River Gorge NP & PRES | 1,707,223 |
| 18 | Mount Rainier NP | 1,674,294 |
| 19 | Hawaii Volcanoes NP | 1,620,294 |
| 20 | Shenandoah NP | 1,576,008 |
| 21 | Arches NP | 1,482,045 |
| 22 | Capitol Reef NP | 1,268,861 |
| 23 | Death Valley NP | 1,099,632 |
| 24 | Badlands NP | 1,046,400 |
| 25 | Saguaro NP | 1,010,906 |
| 26 | Sequoia NP | 980,567 |
| 27 | Everglades NP | 810,189 |
| 28 | Canyonlands NP | 800,322 |
| 29 | Haleakala NP | 791,292 |
| 30 | Theodore Roosevelt NP | 746,862 |
| 31 | White Sands NP | 729,096 |
| 32 | Glacier Bay NP & PRES | 703,659 |
| 33 | Mammoth Cave NP | 654,450 |
| 34 | Kings Canyon NP | 643,065 |
| 35 | Wind Cave NP | 592,459 |
| 36 | Biscayne NP | 571,242 |
| 37 | Crater Lake NP | 559,976 |
| 38 | Petrified Forest NP | 520,491 |
| 39 | Great Sand Dunes NP & PRES | 512,219 |
| 40 | Big Bend NP | 509,129 |
| 41 | Mesa Verde NP | 505,194 |
| 42 | Denali NP & PRES | 498,722 |
| 43 | Lassen Volcanic NP | 418,978 |
| 44 | Redwood NP | 409,105 |
| 45 | Carlsbad Caverns NP | 394,121 |
| 46 | Kenai Fjords NP | 387,525 |
| 47 | Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP | 357,069 |
| 48 | Virgin Islands NP | 343,685 |
| 49 | Pinnacles NP | 341,220 |
| 50 | Channel Islands NP | 328,746 |
| 51 | Congaree NP | 250,114 |
| 52 | Guadalupe Mountains NP | 227,340 |
| 53 | Voyageurs NP | 220,825 |
| 54 | Great Basin NP | 143,265 |
| 55 | Dry Tortugas NP | 84,285 |
| 56 | Wrangell-St. Elias NP & PRES | 78,305 |
| 57 | North Cascades NP | 40,351 |
| 58 | Katmai NP & PRES | 33,763 |
| 59 | Isle Royale NP | 28,965 |
| 60 | Lake Clark NP & PRES | 17,616 |
| 61 | Kobuk Valley NP | 16,728 |
| 62 | Gates of the Arctic NP & PRES | 12,135 |
| 63 | National Park of American Samoa | 11,045 |
More Than Just “Most Visited” Parks
Now, this is where some of the context will come in as you review these numbers, and I want to make it as simple as possible. However, I also want to show you the math behind the process so it doesn’t appear we’re doing voodoo or favoring any particular spot.
(If you’ve read my Dry Tortugas National Park Things to Do article, you’ll know I get worked up about people calling it a “least visited park,” since that statement comes without a WORLD of context. Just try to get a campsite for next week. I’ll wait.)
Visitors Per Square Mile
This information balances the playing field a bit while also showing some logic behind timed entry and reservations. Since this article focuses on national parks, it’s important to know the average number of people who visit national parks compared to the square miles of each park.
For all National Park Service sites, every square mile would have 102 people on it in 2023. For the designated National Parks, there were 1,128 people per square mile. That at least gives us an overall benchmark.
How Long Visitors Spend at National Parks
Then, a new category we created shows how many recreation hours people spend at parks. Across all park sites, the average person spent 8.2 hours (8 hours, 12 minutes). You’ll find some parks might have more people visiting, but those guests only stay a half day. Others might have average stays of 2 or more days.
You can also break down the data into how many people camped in the frontcountry, backcountry, and used park losing. The data is available on the NPS website, but leave a comment below if you have a particular category that interests you, and I can help.
Least/Most Visited National Parks in USA Facts
The downside of the best national parks in the USA and the least visited American parks comes with the beauty of the parks stuck in the middle.
As I mentioned earlier, the lack of context widely reported on these stories makes my head explode. Here are a few examples of things you didn’t know about some of the most visited national parks in America.
Isle Royale National Park
This stunning island off the Upper Peninsula in Michigan holds wilderness, scenic views, epic paddling, shipwrecks lighthouses, and boat tours. Plus, Isle Royale stands as the only national park far too dangerous to visit in the winter. The park closes from November 15 through April 1. Regular ferry trips might not start until May and close up in October.
At the same time, Isle Royale is consistently one of the most re-visited parks. People keep coming back. Why?
- Considering just the island, there are only 140 visitors per square mile.
- Taking into account the five-mile water perimeter ripe for boating and paddling, that’s 33 people per square mile. Remember, Zion has 19,929 visitors per square mile.
- Worried you’ll get bored on a small island? The average visitor spends 53 hours here. That’s two nights at one of the campsites or hotels.
Would you call that an unpopular park because it’s among the “least visited”? In order for Isle Royale National Park to meet the “people per square mile” of Zion, it would require 4,118,038 visitors – and ferry service just can’t accommodate that, nor would the wilderness hold up with those kinds of crowds.
Channel Islands National Park
We now arrive at California’s least visited national park. In a good news/bad news situation, depending on how you look at it, Channel Islands, California, is less visited than you might think.
Channel Islands National Park in California saw 328,746 visits in 2023. However, those visits include people who stop by the visitor centers in Santa Barbara or Ventura. Only about 36% of those people get on a boat to go to the islands or tour around the islands. Another 26% take their own boat.
Even when I do all my fun math and data crunching, at the least crowded, there could still be 565 people per square mile. Do you want to be on a series of five smaller islands with that many people? Check out some of the lesser visited islands of Channel Islands National Park, California, and you’ll have the bulk of an island to yourself.
Alaska National Parks and Least Visited Status
The Alaska national parks seem to get the “least visited” moniker many times over, but that’s mostly due to a lack of roads to get there or within the parks some of the parks.
Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve breaks the mold and ranks in the top 35 most visited national parks. Why? Because 95% of its visitors come from the cruise port.
On the flip side, Denali National Park and Preserve also make it to the top 45 most visited national parks. Of course, having the tallest mountain in North America helps. I had a friend tell me she didn’t want to go there because “there were no roads.” There ARE roads to and around Denali, but only 1% of visitors use them. By and large, a tour bus is the way to go.
At the same time, Denali dealt with the Pretty Rocks landslide, which was a blow to visitor numbers. Yet still, nearly 500,000 people visited this famed piece of Alaska.
Final Thoughts About Least Visited Parks
I hope I’ve helped you put some context to the national park visitation data. Asking “why” or “what does that mean” is a critical part of enjoying the national park experience catered to your preference, not just following the crowds to the “most popular” parks.
If you’re wondering what is the most visited national park in the world (outside of the United States), it’s Banff National Park in Alberta, Canada, with about four million visitors a year. There are approximately 1,559 visitors per square mile.
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What do you think of this list? Any parks surprise you? Leave us a comment below!
See Our Full National Park Rankings
We actually ranked ALL 63 National Parks from best to worst using the same point system featured in this article here. Curious to see how California’s parks stack up against the rest of the parks nationwide?
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More Helpful Information on the National Parks
List of National Monuments: Ultimate List of National Monuments (Alphabetical + By State)
Best National Parks Ranked: ALL 63 US NATIONAL PARKS RANKED By Experts
List of National Monuments: Ultimate List of National Monuments (Alphabetical + By State)
Free Downloadable National Parks Map & List: LIST & MAP of National Parks By State (+ Printable Checklist)
Best National Parks to Visit: 20 Best National Parks to Visit 2023
Largest National Parks: 15 Largest National Parks in the United States (+ Full List)
Best National Monuments: All 128 US National Monuments Ranked (Best to Worst)
Most Visited National Parks: Top 10 Most Visited US National Parks
Least Visited National Parks: Top 10 Least Visited National Parks
Best East Coast National Parks: Top 10 Best East Coast National Parks Ranked
Utah National Parks Road Trips: 5 Best Utah National Park Road Trips
Best National Park Road Trips: 10 Best National Park Road Trips
You list Zion National Park in Tennessee, it’s in Utah. Probably should change that.
Hi Stephanie,
Thanks for the catch! We just updated & re-ordered this list with the new data from 2021 and looks like that one got transposed.
Have a great day!
Will
It’s shocking to see Death Valley and Sequoia at 23 and 26 respectively even though being more popular than many in the top 20.
However, it’s a superb article! Keep posting!
Hi Manikanta,
I felt the same way! So many great gems out there that are somewhat lesser visited. Thanks so much for stopping by!
Best,
Will
The title says 2022 but all of the data and text says 2021, and the numbers/parks aren’t accurate… It’s disappointing to see this ranking #1 on Google when it’s full of errors.
Hi Valerie,
Thanks so much for taking the time to read through this article and leave a comment. You were completely right – the numbers were dated and that’s on us. I just totally updated the article with all of the latest numbers and stats. Let me know if you think I’m missing anything that would be helpful and I’ll be glad to update again.
Best,
Will
Hey Jennifer: We’re trying to connect with you for the ABC news segment. Your email bounces back. Can you please reach out?
Tanya