The Most (and Least) Popular US National Parks

As weather warms, one might be forgiven for starting to plan summer vacations. For millions of Americans, those plans will include a trip to one of the nation’s 63 national parks. But which are the most popular? And where might a family go if they want to avoid campout crowds?

A record 331.8 million people visited US national parks in 2024, the National Park Service (NPS) says. It expects a similar turnout this year.

Here are the 10 most-visited US national parks: 

Great Smoky Mountains National Park. North Carolina and Tennessee. 12.1 million visitors last year. 

Zion National Park. Utah. 4.9 million. 

Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona. 4.9 million. 

Yellowstone National Park. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. 4.7 million. 

Rocky Mountain National Park. Colorado. 4.1 million. 

Yosemite National Park. California. 4.1 million. 

Acadia National Park. Maine. 3.9 million. 

Olympic National Park. Washington. 3.7 million. 

Grand Teton National Park. Wyoming. 3.6 million. 

Glacier National Park. Montana. 3.2 million.

The least-visited US parks are generally harder to get to for folks in the lower 48 states. But they still boast some of the nation’s most spectacular natural wonders:

Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Alaska. 11,907.

North Cascades National Park. Washington. 16,485.

Kobuk Valley National Park. Alaska. 17,233 visits.

Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Alaska. 18,505 visits.

Isle Royale National Park. Michigan. 28,806 visits.

Reflect: What do you think makes a national park worth visiting?

Gif of Grand Canyon National Park from GIPHY.