National Park Visitation Hit an All-Time High in 2024
2024 was a banner year for America’s national parks, with record numbers of people flocking to those iconic locations. Last week, the National Park Service released its visitation numbers for last year, which saw 331.9 million people pass through the entrance gates of such famous places as Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Glacier. That number tops the previous record of 330.9 million visitors set back in 2016.
In addition to managing the 63 locations designated as “national parks,” the NPS also oversees another 370 “units” that include national historic sites, battlefields, seashores, memorials, and parkways. Those places range in size from the Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial in Philadelphia, which covers just .2 acres, to the sprawling wilderness that is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska. That remote and wild destination spreads out over 13.2 million acres.
Photo Credit: Kraig Becker
The Park Service not only released the overall national park visitation numbers for 2024, but also released its list of the most popular destinations that fall under its care. This year, there were a couple of shake-ups on that list, with the Blue Ridge Parkway—a perennial favorite with road trippers—slipping out of the number one spot for the first time in years. That happened because large sections of the scenic route were shut down this past fall due to damage from Hurricane Helene.
Utah’s Zion National Park and Arizona’s Grand Canyon NP continue to battle it out for the number two and three positions on the most visited national parks list. This year, Zion took that honor, which went to the Grand Canyon last year. Both finished behind Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which has been number one for decades.
El Capitan and Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. Photo Credit: Getty
The top ten list of most visited national parks—with the total number of visitors—is as follows:
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12.19 million)
2. Zion National Park (4.94 million)
3. Grand Canyon National Park (4.91 million)
4. Yellowstone National Park (4.74 million)
5. Rocky Mountain National Park (4.15 million)
6. Yosemite National Park (4.12 million)
7. Acadia National Park (3.96 million)
8. Olympic National Park (3.71 million)
9. Grand Teton National Park (3.62 million)
10. Glacier National Park (3.20 million)
And the list of top ten sites managed by the Park Service looks like this:
1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (17.18 million visits)
2. Blue Ridge Parkway (16.73 million)
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (12.19 million)
4. Gateway National Recreation Area (8.92 million)
5. Lincoln Memorial (8.47 million)
6. Gulf Islands National Seashore (7.80 million)
7. Natchez Trace Parkway (7.36 million)
8. George Washington Memorial Parkway (6.78 million)
9. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (6.41 million)
10. Vietnam Veterans Memorial (5.29 million)
With a recent survey indicating 80% of all campers plan to stay in a national park in 2025, the new visitation record may not stand all that long. Then again, with the Park Service facing severe budget cuts and staff layoffs, it could be a very challenging year for the organization and visitors alike. Hopefully, most of those issues will get sorted ahead of the busy summer travel season, but as of now, many campgrounds are closed, visitor centers have limited hours, and guided hikes and tours are on hiatus. If you’re planning a visit to a park in the months ahead, be sure to check what services are available before you go.
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