National parks have always drawn people to them in an effort to find adventure, solitude, or meaning. These days, people are flocking to the U.S. national parks by the millions, as evidenced by this list of the U.S. national parks ranked by visitation!
List of the U.S. National Parks by Visitation
The visitation numbers in this list were pulled from the most recent reports released by the National Park Service. Here is a list of the U.S. National Parks by visitation (from the most visited to the least visited):
1. Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee/North Carolina): 12.2 million visitors
2. Zion (Utah): 4.9 million visitors
3. Grand Canyon (Arizona): 4.9 million visitors
4. Yellowstone (Wyoming): 4.7 million visitors
5. Rocky Mountain (Colorado): 4.2 million visitors
6. Yosemite (California): 4.1 million visitors
7. Acadia (Maine): 4 million visitors
8. Olympic (Washington): 3.7 million visitors
9. Grand Teton (Wyoming): 3.6 million visitors
10. Glacier (Montana): 3.2 million visitors
11. Joshua Tree (California): 3 million visitors
12. Cuyahoga Valley (Ohio): 2.9 million visitors
13. Indiana Dunes (Indiana): 2.7 million visitors
14. Gateway Arch (Missouri): 2.6 million visitors
15. Bryce Canyon (Utah): 2.5 million visitors
16. Hot Springs (Arkansas): 2.5 million visitors
17. New River Gorge (West Virginia): 1.8 million visitors
18. Shenandoah (Virginia): 1.7 million visitors
19. Mount Rainier (Washington): 1.6 million visitors
20. Arches (Utah): 1.5 million visitors
21. Death Valley (California): 1.4 million visitors
22. Hawai’i Volcanoes (Hawai’i): 1.4 million visitors
23. Capitol Reef (Utah): 1.4 million visitors
24. Sequoia (California): 1.3 million visitors
25. Badlands (South Dakota): 1 million visitors
26. Saguaro (Arizona): 946,369 visitors
27. Canyonlands (Utah): 818,492 visitors
28. Mammoth Cave (Kentucky): 747,042 visitors
29. Everglades (Florida): 741,983 visitors
30. Glacier Bay (Alaska): 736,282 visitors
31. Theodore Roosevelt (North Dakota): 732,951 visitors
32. Haleakala (Hawai’i): 732,477 visitors
33. White Sands (New Mexico): 702,236 visitors
34. Kings Canyon (California): 699,389 visitors
35. Redwood (California): 622,883 visitors
36: Big Bend (Texas): 561,458 visitors
37: Petrified Forest (Arizona): 559,254 visitors
38. Biscayne (Florida): 512,213 visitors
39. Crater Lake (Oregon): 504,942 visitors
40. Wind Cave (South Dakota): 489,399 visitors
41: Mesa Verde (Colorado): 480,065 visitors
42. Denali (Alaska): 466,227 visitors
43. Carlsbad Caverns (New Mexico): 460,474 visitors
44. Great Sand Dunes (Colorado): 437,661 visitors
45. Virgin Islands (U.S. Virgin Islands): 423,029 visitors
46. Kenai Fjords (Alaska): 419,468 visitors
47. Lassen Volcanic (California): 357,651 visitors
48. Pinnacles (California): 354,076 visitors
49. Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado): 335,862 visitors
50. Channel Islands (California): 262,581 visitors
51. Congaree (South Carolina): 242,049 visitors
52. Guadalupe Mountains (Texas): 226,134 visitors
53. Voyageurs (Minnesota): 199,030 visitors
54. Great Basin (Nevada): 152,068 visitors
55. Dry Tortugas (Florida): 84,873 visitors
56. Wrangell-St. Elias (Alaska): 81,670 visitors
57. Katmai (Alaska): 36,230 visitors
58. Isle Royale (Michigan): 28,806 visitors
59. American Samoa: 22,567 visitors
60. Lake Clark (Alaska): 18,505 visitors
61. Kobuk Valley (Alaska): 17,233 visitors
62. North Cascades (Washington): 16,485 visitors
63. Gates of the Arctic (Alaska): 11,907 visitors
Free Printable Map of the U.S. National Parks
What is the Most Visited National Park in the USA?
With 12.2 million visitors per year, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is the most visited national park in America! This spectacular national park is located in both Tennessee and North Carolina, and it protects a beautiful and historic section of the Appalachian Mountains.
What is the Least Visited National Park in the USA?
The least visited national park within the 50 U.S. states is Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska. This wild and remote national park only had 11,907 visitors during the year!
National Parks in the U.S. that Always Feel Extremely Crowded
Some national parks have millions of visitors but plenty of room to spread out (like Great Smokies, Yellowstone, and Yosemite), so things don’t feel quite as crowded.
But some national parks have millions of visitors that are all crammed into a small amount of space, making things feel extremely crowded.
Here are my choices for the national parks that always feel EXTREMELY crowded during peak season:
1. Zion — this park consistently has more people in it than almost every other national park, but it’s also a really small national park. All of those millions of people are hiking the same trails, driving the same roads, and catching the same shuttle buses. It is extremely difficult to find solitude in Zion, but it is possible with a great sightseeing plan.
2. Rocky Mountain — if you’re focusing your time on the east side of Rocky Mountain, it will often feel like you are surrounded by millions of people! This east side of the park is the main side, and it’s close to some very large population centers like Denver and Fort Collins that bring in the crowds. Be sure to plan ahead because reservations are often needed just to enter this park.
3. Acadia — Acadia is a small national park located on a small island all the way up in Maine, but that doesn’t keep people from visiting — they come here in droves! Expect plenty of traffic and crowding if you try to navigate through this park without an understanding of the traffic patterns here.
4. Joshua Tree — if you’re hoping to escape a cold and snowy winter, Joshua Tree is the perfect place to visit. But its warm and sunny weather, as well as its proximity to some huge cities like Los Angeles and Palm Springs, keeps this park packed with people.
5. Glacier — the dramatic mountain peaks of Glacier National Park draw in millions of people per year. But because of all of the snow this area receives, the main visiting season is short, so those millions of people are all primarily visiting during just two months of the year! Come with a plan, or be prepared to circle parking lots for a very long time.
Free Printable U.S. National Parks Checklist
Easily keep track of where you’ve been and where you still need to go with this free printable checklist of all of the national parks in the U.S.A.!
My Favorite Least Visited National Parks in the USA
Some of the least visited national parks also pack a ton of adventure within their boundaries! Here is a list of my favorite least visited parks:
1. North Cascades National Park — If you only stay along Highway 20 during your trip to North Cascades, it will feel busy! But if you can get up into the mountains and cross the official border into the national park, you’ll be treated to iconic mountain peaks and a lot more solitude. I recommend driving up to Cascade Pass and hiking the Sahale Arm or entering the national park via the small village of Stehekin!
2. Dry Tortugas — this Florida national park can only be reached by boat or airplane, which keeps the visitation numbers low. If you put in the effort to get to Dry Tortugas, you will not be disappointed by the vibrant turquoise water that is perfect for snorkeling and the historic fort that has a fascinating story!
3. Great Basin — nobody expects there to be an amazing national park tucked into the Nevada desert, but Great Basin is one of the most underrated parks in America. In the span of a day, you can explore beautiful Lehman Caves, hike to the top of the 13,000-foot Wheeler Peak, and see a bristlecone pine (the oldest living organism on earth)!
4. Glacier Bay (or anywhere in Alaska) — Alaska has some of the most amazing national parks in the country, and they are arguably the best places to go to get away from the crowds and have epic adventures. I love Glacier Bay because it’s off-the-beaten-path but not too hard to get to, and you can go hiking, kayaking, whale watching, and see the beautiful glaciers meet the sea.
Hey there, I’m Ash!
I worked as a park ranger in Alaska, Utah, and Wyoming, and I am so excited to help you plan your next national park trip. I think that every national park is unique and beautiful, and you never know which one will speak to your soul the most (which is why the parks should never be ranked from best to worst)!
I hope you’ll enjoy all the resources on our website, the Exploring the National Parks podcast, and our YouTube channel to help with your trip planning as you discover our nation’s amazing national parks!
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