2024 was a record-breaking year for the National Park Service (NPS), with about 331.9 million recreational visits, a nearly 2% increase from the previous year and surpassing the previous all-time high in 2016.
With post-pandemic outdoor trends still pushing people outside, the rise in visitors highlights the popularity of America’s natural and historical landmarks, even as parks face budget and staffing constraints.
Most Visited Sites See Surging Numbers
Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, California, led all NPS sites with 17.18 million visitors, a nearly 15% increase from 2023. The Blue Ridge Parkway, traditionally the most visited site, decreased to 16.73 million visits due to temporary closures caused by Hurricane Helene.
Among the 63 designated national parks, the most visited were a familiar bunch. Great Smoky Mountains National Park held onto its top spot, welcoming 12.19 million visitors, with Zion, Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks rounding out the top five.
Even though the top National Park destination was on the east coast, destinations in the western United States carried much of the record attendance, reinforcing their outsized impact on local communities. Glacier National Park in Montana saw over 600,000 visitors in September alone, pushing its annual total past 3 million, a 9% jump from the previous year. Meanwhile, neighboring Yellowstone National Park recorded 838,458 visits that month, contributing to an annual total exceeding 4.3 million, a 5% increase from 2023.
But, it wasn’t just the most popular national parks that saw high turnout.
Arkansas’s public lands welcomed over 4.4 million visitors in 2024, strengthening their economic importance to local communities. Up north, Maine’s Acadia National Park also experienced a visitation surge, fueled by tourists hunting for fall colors and its gorgeous coastline. And as the lone National Park in the northeast, it holds greater importance for the region.
The Economic Contributions
The surge in visitation has translated to significant economic benefits for the regions surrounding these parks.
Across the country, park tourism generated billions, supporting thousands of jobs and businesses reliant on outdoor recreation. In Arkansas, for example, national park visits contributed an estimated $9.9 billion to the state’s economy in 2023, accounting for approximately 7% of its total GDP. Similarly, tourism in the Great Smoky Mountains region generated billions in revenue and over $30 billion statewide in 2023, underscoring the financial impact of national park visitors on surrounding communities.
Outdoor recreation experts cite growing public interest in nature, increased road trips, and social media-driven travel trends fueling the continued rise in national park visits. The rise of remote work has also allowed more travelers to extend their stays in outdoor destinations.
Operational Challenges Jeopardize Visitor Experience
Despite record-breaking attendance, the NPS has struggled to meet rising demand due to staffing shortages and budget constraints. In early 2024, the Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) cut 1,000 probationary park workers and suspended seasonal hiring. Though a court ruling later reinstated many of these positions, the uncertainty disrupted operations at multiple parks.
The strain on park resources has led to overcrowding, maintenance delays, and visitor safety concerns. With large increases in visitors over the last decade, popular destinations such as Yosemite and Mount Rainier have implemented reservation systems to manage influxes of guests (it is unknown if these will continue in 2025). Some visitor centers and public safety facilities have even faced temporary closures due to staffing shortages, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of record-breaking attendance.
Parks like Arches and Glacier started using timed entry systems in the last couple of years and many more parks are leaning on shuttle services to help ease traffic, reduce pressure on the environment, and improve visitors’ experience.
Finding Solitude in Nature
While people flock to easily accessible and beautiful locations, plenty of grandiose locations offer solitude and few crowds. Five of Alaska’s seven national parks landed in the top 10 of the least visited National Parks (three of those happen to be some of my favorites).
Wrangell-St. Elis National Park, on the border of Alaska and Canada, is the largest national park in the United States and has glaciers larger than most airports in the United States. Then, to the southwest, Katmai National Park and Lake Clark National Park offer sightseers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see brown bears up close in their natural habitat.
But you don’t have to book a trip all the way to Alaska to beat the crowds. Great Basin National Park, four hours north of Las Vegas, was America’s tenth least visited location. Or you can head to northern Michigan for Isle Royale National Park, which saw only 29,000 people step foot in its lush forests.
These places require more planning and logistical hurdles, but the reward of experiencing nature’s best, at its most raw, is a memory you’ll always hold onto.
