These US National Parks Experienced The Most Visitors In 2025

This just in! The National Park Service has released visitation numbers for 2025, and an impressive 323 million people visited last year, including more than 13 million overnight stays. While this figure includes many classifications, including Parkways (PKWY) and National Recreation Areas (NRA), it also includes visitors to the 63 designated national parks throughout the country.

Despite a 2.7% dip from 2024's record-breaking total attendance of 331.9 million visitors, 26 national parks set all-time visitation records in 2025. California's nine national parks actually surpassed visitation numbers from its record-setting year in 2019! These achievements become even more impressive after considering the National Park Service struggled to keep parks open during the longest partial government shutdown recorded, keeping resources tight for a staggering 43 days.

"National parks offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences for millions each year," said Emily Douce, Deputy Vice President for Government Affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) in a statement concurrently released with 2025's visitation statistics. "Not only are they economic engines for communities across the country [...] but they also protect our nation's history, wildlife, and cultural heritage."  While over a dozen of the country's national parks hold world records, a handful of parks boast the highest attendance records year after year – and 2025 was no different. You're sure to recognize the names of all of the heavy-hitters on the list, so read on to learn which national parks made the top five, and what their visitation numbers actually clocked in at compared to prior years.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains America's most-visited national park, once again claiming the top spot on the list in 2025. Located in both Tennessee and North Carolina, it has attracted the most annual visitors of any US national park for decades. Surrounding it are eight charming gateway towns that are absolutely worth a visit.

There is really no contest when it comes to the numbers. Great Smoky Mountains racked up 11,527,939 visitors in 2025 — number two on the list doesn't even hit 5 million. That being said, attendance has slightly declined over the years. There are various possible reasons for this — budget cuts at U.S. national parks are making it more challenging for some facilities to remain open, reports The Guardian. Plus, an overall decrease in international tourism could be to blame. 

Despite these struggles, glowing reports from visitors continue to pour in. One TripAdvisor review posted in January 2026 raves, "Absolutely breathtaking!! This was my first time visiting a national park and it set a high bar on what to expect for the remaining 62. From the changing colors of leaves to such a close proximity to wildlife, it was eyeopening."

Zion National Park, located in Utah, takes second place with an attendance of 4,984,52. This is less than half of Great Smoky Mountain's numbers and accounts for 5.31% of the total number of recreational visits at US national parks in 2025. Annual visitation numbers have steadily increased at Zion, with the exception of 2020 when campgrounds were closed and restrictions were in place. After surpassing 5 million visitors for the first time in 2021, the park came close to hitting that number again in both 2024 and 2025 with 4.9 million visitors.

So, what is there to see here? Well, Zion is home to some of the most spectacular and unique landmarks in US national parks, including the Narrows, the most narrow section of Zion Canyon. The walls are 1,000 feet tall, and the Virgin River that flows through it is anywhere from 20 to 30 feet wide. You can traverse the Narrows by walking directly in the river, or view it from the Riverside Walk, which is paved and wheelchair accessible.

"Truly an incredible wonder of the world. I remember this incredible almost visceral reaction when I first entered the park from the [east] side scenic road, I could barely believe what I was looking at," reads one TripAdvisor review from October 2025. "You could probably spend a whole week at this place [...] MUST SEE in Utah."

Everyone is sure to have heard of Yellowstone National Park, the world's first national park and a mesmerizing destination for nature lovers. It covers 3,472 square miles and is located primarily in Wyoming, with small sections in Montana and Idaho. Landing in third place, Yellowstone National Park raked in 4,762,988 visitors in 2025, maintaining and slightly surpassing its numbers in 2024. It broke the 4 million mark back in 2015 and has held onto this record since, with the exception of 2020 and 2022. It has maintained its reputation as one of the most popular US national parks for the last couple of years. It also rose to third place in 2021, but dropped down to seventh place in 2022!

There's lots you'll want to see during a trip to this popular park, and this list of Yellowstone National Park's 12 must-see attractions is a good place to start. The park's six grand geysers erupt over 100 feet high. Other highlights include the Mammoth Hot Springs area, Yellowstone Lake, wildlife watching in Lamar Valley, and Yellowstone's own Grand Canyon, where lava flowed 484,000 years ago, cutting a path 20 miles in length and more than 1,000 feet deep.

Fourth on the list is Grand Canyon National Park, which happens to be one of the best US national parks for hiking, according to visitors. It is certainly is one of the top places that comes to mind for taking in spectacular views. Consistently making the top five ranking, Grand Canyon National Park welcomed 4,430,653 visitors in 2025, accounting for 4.72% of the total national park attendance for the year. It is one of the greatest natural treasures in the country, as well as beyond — it's not called one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World for nothing! One Tripadvisor review from February 2025 writes, "The Grand Canyon is honestly mind-blowing. No photo does it justice it's just so massive and colorful it almost looks fake." 

Visitor numbers peaked at Grand Canyon in 2017 and 2018, surpassing 6 million both years, but attendance took a nose dive to only 2.8 million in 2020. Since then, it has consistently recorded over 4 million annual visitors, but has yet to break any of its own records since those banner years. It's held steady in the top five since 2021, rating as high as number two overall in both 2022 and 2023.

There's something for all levels of activity here, from beginner hiking at the 2.1-mile Shoshone Point Trail, to more advanced hiking on the 15.3-mile Bright Angel Trail. It also boasts spectacular driving routes like the South Rim's Desert View Scenic Drive, which stretches 23 miles from Grand Canyon Village to the east entrance of the park. If you are fortunate enough to visit the Grand Canyon, be sure to follow the important safety rule that can save your life.

In fifth place, we have California's most famous national park, home to breathtaking, towering waterfalls, among other natural wonders and copious wildlife. Yosemite National Park welcomed 4,278,413 visitors in 2025, accounting for 4.56% of overall national park visitation. This is the first time it has cracked the top five since 2019, holding strong at number six from 2022 to 2024. It is one of California's top 10 tourist hot spots worth visiting on your next trip, and its beauty is definitely worth the hype. It set an all-time record of 5,028,868 visitors back in 2016, and appears to be striving for that 5 million milestone once again with over 4 million visitors in both 2024 and 2025.

Peak visitation in Yosemite National Park occurs from May through October, with June, July, and August being the busiest months of the year, so those who are averse to crowds might consider a winter trip. Glacier Point, which is drivable, offers the best views, but there are a multitude of hikes that will reward you with amazing scenery, such as the Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls Trails.

One TripAdvisor reviewer points out that you have to see the park for yourself to really understand its greatness. "Yosemite is hard to describe to someone who has never visited the park. It is of course a National Park with the expected sweeping landscapes and nature but, having been to [nine] National Parks, I have to say there is something special here," they claim. "Gazing out from Glacier Point at Half Dome, or seeing the Valley bookended by El Cap and Half Dome from the tunnel view vista, you can't help but be in awe."

For this list of the most visited US national parks in 2025, our research was based solely on statistics released by the National Park Service. A press release issued by the National Park Service on March 13, 2026 revealed the visitation numbers for 2025. It featured a list of the top ten national parks based on the total number of recreation visits recorded in each, as well as each park's percentage of the overall visitation numbers recorded throughout the year.

At the beginning of every year, the National Park Service adds the previous year's attendance records to the Annual Park Ranking Report for Recreation Visits, which is publicly accessible online. We used this database to track each park's attendance records throughout the years and to identify trends. 

It's worth noting that our list only includes attendance records at US national parks. According to the National Park Service, the Blue Ridge Parkway recorded the greatest number of annual visitors in 2025, with a total of 16,533,753. Second place went to the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, which saw 15,748,676 visitors, making the Great Smoky Mountains National Park second runner-up across all of the sites managed by the National Park Service.