National Park Visitation
How the U.S. national parks rank by the number of visits
Below are 2018 annual visitation statistics from the National Park Service for the 60 U.S. national parks, in three tables:
- Sorted by number of visits
- Sorted by percentage change in number of visits from previous year
- Sorted by park name
In 2018 Gateway Arch National Park became the 60th national park, and it's included in the rankings. Indiana Dunes National Park, formerly a national lakeshore, was made the 61st national park in 2019, and it will appear in next year's rankings.
The total number of recreational visits to all the national parks in 2018 was 84,122,421, down 1.6% from 2017, with 34 of 60 parks seeing decreases.*
Note that the statistics are for recreational visits, not unique visitors. A given visitor may have multiple visits to the same park. A park with more visits than another did not necessarily have more unique visitors.
Visit the American Park Ratings page to see ratings from Consumer Reports and GoOutsideBook.com of many of the most popular parks, plus an interactive map with photos and links.
Park Name | State(s) | Visits / Rank |
Change from Previous Year
Visits / % Change / Rank |
|||
Great Smoky Mountains NP | NC, TN | 11,421,200 | 1 | +82,307 | +0.7% | 24 |
Grand Canyon NP | AZ | 6,380,495 | 2 | +126,257 | +2.0% | 19 |
Rocky Mountain NP | CO | 4,590,493 | 3 | +153,278 | +3.5% | 16 |
Zion NP | UT | 4,320,033 | 4 | -184,779 | -4.1% | 35 |
Yellowstone NP | ID, MT, WY | 4,115,000 | 5 | -1,524 | 0.0% | 27 |
Yosemite NP | CA | 4,009,436 | 6 | -327,454 | -7.6% | 43 |
Acadia NP | ME | 3,537,575 | 7 | +28,304 | +0.8% | 23 |
Grand Teton NP | WY | 3,491,151 | 8 | +174,151 | +5.3% | 12 |
Olympic NP | WA | 3,104,455 | 9 | -297,541 | -8.7% | 47 |
Glacier NP | MT | 2,965,309 | 10 | -340,203 | -10.3% | 51 |
Joshua Tree NP | CA | 2,942,382 | 11 | +88,763 | +3.1% | 17 |
Bryce Canyon NP | UT | 2,679,478 | 12 | +107,794 | +4.2% | 15 |
Cuyahoga Valley NP | OH | 2,096,053 | 13 | -130,826 | -5.9% | 40 |
Gateway Arch NP | MO | 2,016,180 | 14 | +617,992 | +44.2% | 1 |
Death Valley NP | CA, NV | 1,678,660 | 15 | +383,833 | +29.6% | 2 |
Arches NP | UT | 1,663,557 | 16 | +124,529 | +8.1% | 6 |
Mount Rainier NP | WA | 1,518,491 | 17 | +102,624 | +7.2% | 7 |
Hot Springs NP | AR | 1,506,887 | 18 | -54,729 | -3.5% | 33 |
Shenandoah NP | VA | 1,264,880 | 19 | -193,994 | -13.3% | 53 |
Sequoia NP | CA | 1,229,594 | 20 | -61,662 | -4.8% | 38 |
Capitol Reef NP | UT | 1,227,627 | 21 | +77,462 | +6.7% | 8 |
Hawaii Volcanoes NP | HI | 1,116,891 | 22 | -899,811 | -44.6% | 58 |
Haleakala NP | HI | 1,044,084 | 23 | -68,306 | -6.1% | 41 |
Badlands NP | SD | 1,008,942 | 24 | -45,383 | -4.3% | 36 |
Saguaro NP | AZ | 957,405 | 25 | -7,355 | -0.8% | 30 |
Theodore Roosevelt NP | ND | 749,389 | 26 | +41,386 | +5.8% | 11 |
Canyonlands NP | UT | 739,449 | 27 | -2,822 | -0.4% | 29 |
Crater Lake NP | OR | 720,659 | 28 | +8,910 | +1.3% | 20 |
Kings Canyon NP | CA | 699,023 | 29 | +6,091 | +0.9% | 22 |
Wind Cave NP | SD | 656,397 | 30 | +36,473 | +5.9% | 10 |
Petrified Forest NP | AZ | 644,922 | 31 | +17,165 | +2.7% | 18 |
Glacier Bay NP & PRES | AK | 597,915 | 32 | +50,858 | +9.3% | 4 |
Everglades NP | FL | 597,124 | 33 | -421,433 | -41.4% | 57 |
Denali NP & PRES | AK | 594,660 | 34 | -48,149 | -7.5% | 42 |
Mesa Verde NP | CO | 563,420 | 35 | -50,368 | -8.2% | 44 |
Mammoth Cave NP | KY | 533,206 | 36 | -54,647 | -9.3% | 50 |
Lassen Volcanic NP | CA | 499,435 | 37 | -7,821 | -1.5% | 32 |
Redwood NP | CA | 482,536 | 38 | +37,536 | +8.4% | 5 |
Biscayne NP | FL | 469,253 | 39 | +22,292 | +5.0% | 13 |
Carlsbad Caverns NP | NM | 465,912 | 40 | -54,114 | -10.4% | 52 |
Great Sand Dunes NP & PRES | CO | 442,905 | 41 | -44,030 | -9.0% | 49 |
Big Bend NP | TX | 440,091 | 42 | -185 | 0.0% | 28 |
Channel Islands NP | CA | 366,250 | 43 | -17,437 | -4.5% | 37 |
Kenai Fjords NP | AK | 321,596 | 44 | +17,998 | +5.9% | 9 |
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP | CO | 308,962 | 45 | +1,819 | +0.6% | 25 |
Voyageurs NP | MN | 239,656 | 46 | +2,406 | +1.0% | 21 |
Pinnacles NP | CA | 222,152 | 47 | -11,182 | -4.8% | 39 |
Guadalupe Mountains NP | TX | 172,347 | 48 | -52,910 | -23.5% | 55 |
Great Basin NP | NV | 153,094 | 49 | -14,934 | -8.9% | 48 |
Congaree NP | SC | 145,929 | 50 | -13,666 | -8.6% | 46 |
Virgin Islands NP | VI | 112,287 | 51 | -192,121 | -63.1% | 60 |
Wrangell-St. Elias NP & PRES | AK | 79,450 | 52 | +11,158 | +16.3% | 3 |
Dry Tortugas NP | FL | 56,810 | 53 | +2,529 | +4.7% | 14 |
Katmai NP & PRES* | AK | 37,818 | 54 | 0 | 0.0% | 26 |
North Cascades NP | WA | 30,085 | 55 | -241 | -0.8% | 31 |
National Park of American Samoa | AS | 28,626 | 56 | -40,842 | -58.8% | 59 |
Isle Royale NP | MI | 25,798 | 57 | -2,398 | -8.5% | 45 |
Kobuk Valley NP* | AK | 14,937 | 58 | -563 | -3.6% | 34 |
Lake Clark NP & PRES | AK | 14,479 | 59 | -8,276 | -36.4% | 56 |
Gates of the Arctic NP & PRES | AK | 9,591 | 60 | -1,586 | -14.2% | 54 |
SORTED BY PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN NUMBER OF VISITS
Park Name | State(s) | Visits / Rank |
Change from Previous Year
Visits / % Change / Rank |
|||
Gateway Arch NP | MO | 2,016,180 | 14 | +617,992 | +44.2% | 1 |
Death Valley NP | CA, NV | 1,678,660 | 15 | +383,833 | +29.6% | 2 |
Wrangell-St. Elias NP & PRES | AK | 79,450 | 52 | +11,158 | +16.3% | 3 |
Glacier Bay NP & PRES | AK | 597,915 | 32 | +50,858 | +9.3% | 4 |
Redwood NP | CA | 482,536 | 38 | +37,536 | +8.4% | 5 |
Arches NP | UT | 1,663,557 | 16 | +124,529 | +8.1% | 6 |
Mount Rainier NP | WA | 1,518,491 | 17 | +102,624 | +7.2% | 7 |
Capitol Reef NP | UT | 1,227,627 | 21 | +77,462 | +6.7% | 8 |
Kenai Fjords NP | AK | 321,596 | 44 | +17,998 | +5.9% | 9 |
Wind Cave NP | SD | 656,397 | 30 | +36,473 | +5.9% | 10 |
Theodore Roosevelt NP | ND | 749,389 | 26 | +41,386 | +5.8% | 11 |
Grand Teton NP | WY | 3,491,151 | 8 | +174,151 | +5.3% | 12 |
Biscayne NP | FL | 469,253 | 39 | +22,292 | +5.0% | 13 |
Dry Tortugas NP | FL | 56,810 | 53 | +2,529 | +4.7% | 14 |
Bryce Canyon NP | UT | 2,679,478 | 12 | +107,794 | +4.2% | 15 |
Rocky Mountain NP | CO | 4,590,493 | 3 | +153,278 | +3.5% | 16 |
Joshua Tree NP | CA | 2,942,382 | 11 | +88,763 | +3.1% | 17 |
Petrified Forest NP | AZ | 644,922 | 31 | +17,165 | +2.7% | 18 |
Grand Canyon NP | AZ | 6,380,495 | 2 | +126,257 | +2.0% | 19 |
Crater Lake NP | OR | 720,659 | 28 | +8,910 | +1.3% | 20 |
Voyageurs NP | MN | 239,656 | 46 | +2,406 | +1.0% | 21 |
Kings Canyon NP | CA | 699,023 | 29 | +6,091 | +0.9% | 22 |
Acadia NP | ME | 3,537,575 | 7 | +28,304 | +0.8% | 23 |
Great Smoky Mountains NP | NC, TN | 11,421,200 | 1 | +82,307 | +0.7% | 24 |
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP | CO | 308,962 | 45 | +1,819 | +0.6% | 25 |
Katmai NP & PRES* | AK | 37,818 | 54 | 0 | 0.0% | 26 |
Yellowstone NP | ID, MT, WY | 4,115,000 | 5 | -1,524 | 0.0% | 27 |
Big Bend NP | TX | 440,091 | 42 | -185 | 0.0% | 28 |
Canyonlands NP | UT | 739,449 | 27 | -2,822 | -0.4% | 29 |
Saguaro NP | AZ | 957,405 | 25 | -7,355 | -0.8% | 30 |
North Cascades NP | WA | 30,085 | 55 | -241 | -0.8% | 31 |
Lassen Volcanic NP | CA | 499,435 | 37 | -7,821 | -1.5% | 32 |
Hot Springs NP | AR | 1,506,887 | 18 | -54,729 | -3.5% | 33 |
Kobuk Valley NP* | AK | 14,937 | 58 | -563 | -3.6% | 34 |
Zion NP | UT | 4,320,033 | 4 | -184,779 | -4.1% | 35 |
Badlands NP | SD | 1,008,942 | 24 | -45,383 | -4.3% | 36 |
Channel Islands NP | CA | 366,250 | 43 | -17,437 | -4.5% | 37 |
Sequoia NP | CA | 1,229,594 | 20 | -61,662 | -4.8% | 38 |
Pinnacles NP | CA | 222,152 | 47 | -11,182 | -4.8% | 39 |
Cuyahoga Valley NP | OH | 2,096,053 | 13 | -130,826 | -5.9% | 40 |
Haleakala NP | HI | 1,044,084 | 23 | -68,306 | -6.1% | 41 |
Denali NP & PRES | AK | 594,660 | 34 | -48,149 | -7.5% | 42 |
Yosemite NP | CA | 4,009,436 | 6 | -327,454 | -7.6% | 43 |
Mesa Verde NP | CO | 563,420 | 35 | -50,368 | -8.2% | 44 |
Isle Royale NP | MI | 25,798 | 57 | -2,398 | -8.5% | 45 |
Congaree NP | SC | 145,929 | 50 | -13,666 | -8.6% | 46 |
Olympic NP | WA | 3,104,455 | 9 | -297,541 | -8.7% | 47 |
Great Basin NP | NV | 153,094 | 49 | -14,934 | -8.9% | 48 |
Great Sand Dunes NP & PRES | CO | 442,905 | 41 | -44,030 | -9.0% | 49 |
Mammoth Cave NP | KY | 533,206 | 36 | -54,647 | -9.3% | 50 |
Glacier NP | MT | 2,965,309 | 10 | -340,203 | -10.3% | 51 |
Carlsbad Caverns NP | NM | 465,912 | 40 | -54,114 | -10.4% | 52 |
Shenandoah NP | VA | 1,264,880 | 19 | -193,994 | -13.3% | 53 |
Gates of the Arctic NP & PRES | AK | 9,591 | 60 | -1,586 | -14.2% | 54 |
Guadalupe Mountains NP | TX | 172,347 | 48 | -52,910 | -23.5% | 55 |
Lake Clark NP & PRES | AK | 14,479 | 59 | -8,276 | -36.4% | 56 |
Everglades NP | FL | 597,124 | 33 | -421,433 | -41.4% | 57 |
Hawaii Volcanoes NP | HI | 1,116,891 | 22 | -899,811 | -44.6% | 58 |
National Park of American Samoa | AS | 28,626 | 56 | -40,842 | -58.8% | 59 |
Virgin Islands NP | VI | 112,287 | 51 | -192,121 | -63.1% | 60 |
Park Name | State(s) | Visits / Rank |
Change from Previous Year
Visits / % Change / Rank |
|||
Acadia NP | ME | 3,537,575 | 7 | +28,304 | +0.8% | 23 |
Arches NP | UT | 1,663,557 | 16 | +124,529 | +8.1% | 6 |
Badlands NP | SD | 1,008,942 | 24 | -45,383 | -4.3% | 36 |
Big Bend NP | TX | 440,091 | 42 | -185 | 0.0% | 28 |
Biscayne NP | FL | 469,253 | 39 | +22,292 | +5.0% | 13 |
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP | CO | 308,962 | 45 | +1,819 | +0.6% | 25 |
Bryce Canyon NP | UT | 2,679,478 | 12 | +107,794 | +4.2% | 15 |
Canyonlands NP | UT | 739,449 | 27 | -2,822 | -0.4% | 29 |
Capitol Reef NP | UT | 1,227,627 | 21 | +77,462 | +6.7% | 8 |
Carlsbad Caverns NP | NM | 465,912 | 40 | -54,114 | -10.4% | 52 |
Channel Islands NP | CA | 366,250 | 43 | -17,437 | -4.5% | 37 |
Congaree NP | SC | 145,929 | 50 | -13,666 | -8.6% | 46 |
Crater Lake NP | OR | 720,659 | 28 | +8,910 | +1.3% | 20 |
Cuyahoga Valley NP | OH | 2,096,053 | 13 | -130,826 | -5.9% | 40 |
Death Valley NP | CA, NV | 1,678,660 | 15 | +383,833 | +29.6% | 2 |
Denali NP & PRES | AK | 594,660 | 34 | -48,149 | -7.5% | 42 |
Dry Tortugas NP | FL | 56,810 | 53 | +2,529 | +4.7% | 14 |
Everglades NP | FL | 597,124 | 33 | -421,433 | -41.4% | 57 |
Gates of the Arctic NP & PRES | AK | 9,591 | 60 | -1,586 | -14.2% | 54 |
Gateway Arch NP | MO | 2,016,180 | 14 | +617,992 | +44.2% | 1 |
Glacier NP | MT | 2,965,309 | 10 | -340,203 | -10.3% | 51 |
Glacier Bay NP & PRES | AK | 597,915 | 32 | +50,858 | +9.3% | 4 |
Grand Canyon NP | AZ | 6,380,495 | 2 | +126,257 | +2.0% | 19 |
Grand Teton NP | WY | 3,491,151 | 8 | +174,151 | +5.3% | 12 |
Great Basin NP | NV | 153,094 | 49 | -14,934 | -8.9% | 48 |
Great Sand Dunes NP & PRES | CO | 442,905 | 41 | -44,030 | -9.0% | 49 |
Great Smoky Mountains NP | NC, TN | 11,421,200 | 1 | +82,307 | +0.7% | 24 |
Guadalupe Mountains NP | TX | 172,347 | 48 | -52,910 | -23.5% | 55 |
Haleakala NP | HI | 1,044,084 | 23 | -68,306 | -6.1% | 41 |
Hawaii Volcanoes NP | HI | 1,116,891 | 22 | -899,811 | -44.6% | 58 |
Hot Springs NP | AR | 1,506,887 | 18 | -54,729 | -3.5% | 33 |
Isle Royale NP | MI | 25,798 | 57 | -2,398 | -8.5% | 45 |
Joshua Tree NP | CA | 2,942,382 | 11 | +88,763 | +3.1% | 17 |
Katmai NP & PRES* | AK | 37,818 | 54 | 0 | 0.0% | 26 |
Kenai Fjords NP | AK | 321,596 | 44 | +17,998 | +5.9% | 9 |
Kings Canyon NP | CA | 699,023 | 29 | +6,091 | +0.9% | 22 |
Kobuk Valley NP* | AK | 14,937 | 58 | -563 | -3.6% | 34 |
Lake Clark NP & PRES | AK | 14,479 | 59 | -8,276 | -36.4% | 56 |
Lassen Volcanic NP | CA | 499,435 | 37 | -7,821 | -1.5% | 32 |
Mammoth Cave NP | KY | 533,206 | 36 | -54,647 | -9.3% | 50 |
Mesa Verde NP | CO | 563,420 | 35 | -50,368 | -8.2% | 44 |
Mount Rainier NP | WA | 1,518,491 | 17 | +102,624 | +7.2% | 7 |
National Park of American Samoa | AS | 28,626 | 56 | -40,842 | -58.8% | 59 |
North Cascades NP | WA | 30,085 | 55 | -241 | -0.8% | 31 |
Olympic NP | WA | 3,104,455 | 9 | -297,541 | -8.7% | 47 |
Petrified Forest NP | AZ | 644,922 | 31 | +17,165 | +2.7% | 18 |
Pinnacles NP | CA | 222,152 | 47 | -11,182 | -4.8% | 39 |
Redwood NP | CA | 482,536 | 38 | +37,536 | +8.4% | 5 |
Rocky Mountain NP | CO | 4,590,493 | 3 | +153,278 | +3.5% | 16 |
Saguaro NP | AZ | 957,405 | 25 | -7,355 | -0.8% | 30 |
Sequoia NP | CA | 1,229,594 | 20 | -61,662 | -4.8% | 38 |
Shenandoah NP | VA | 1,264,880 | 19 | -193,994 | -13.3% | 53 |
Theodore Roosevelt NP | ND | 749,389 | 26 | +41,386 | +5.8% | 11 |
Virgin Islands NP | VI | 112,287 | 51 | -192,121 | -63.1% | 60 |
Voyageurs NP | MN | 239,656 | 46 | +2,406 | +1.0% | 21 |
Wind Cave NP | SD | 656,397 | 30 | +36,473 | +5.9% | 10 |
Wrangell-St. Elias NP & PRES | AK | 79,450 | 52 | +11,158 | +16.3% | 3 |
Yellowstone NP | ID, MT, WY | 4,115,000 | 5 | -1,524 | 0.0% | 27 |
Yosemite NP | CA | 4,009,436 | 6 | -327,454 | -7.6% | 43 |
Zion NP | UT | 4,320,033 | 4 | -184,779 | -4.1% | 35 |
* Visitation figures for remote Alaskan parks that have no facilities or roads may be crude estimates.
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