National park visitation shows how people across the U.S. (and more international travelers than before the pandemic) connect with protected places. As you scroll, you’ll track attendance over time, spot which parks draw the most visitors, and see how tourism ties to local gateway economies—jobs, spending, and economic output. You’ll also look at pressures linked to popularity, including overcrowding reported up 25% in top parks from 2019 to 2023.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, U.S. National Parks recorded a total of 325,463,226 recreation visits across all park units
- In 2022, total National Park Service visitation reached 312,905,090 visits, marking a 10% increase from 2021
- 2021 saw 287,310,983 recreation visits to NPS-managed sites amid COVID recovery
- NPS visitation generated $44 billion in economic output in 2022
- 378,000 jobs supported by park visitation in 2023
- Visitor spending averaged $85/person/day in gateway communities
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park had 12,095,194 recreation visits in 2023, the most visited park
- Grand Canyon National Park recorded 4,733,262 visits in 2023
- Zion National Park: 4,353,530 recreation visits in 2023
- Visitation to NPS sites increased 13.6% from 2021 to 2022
- Post-2020 recovery saw 2023 visitation exceed 2019 peak by 46,000 visits
- Average annual growth rate of NPS visitation 1920-2019 was 5.2%
- 35% of U.S. adults visited a national park in 2022, up from 25% in 2011
- 78% of NPS visitors in 2023 were U.S. residents, 22% international pre-COVID
- Millennials (25-40) comprised 28% of visitors in recent NPS surveys
U.S. National Parks welcomed over 325 million visits in 2023, powering major economic benefits amid growing crowding.
Related reading
01 · Category
Annual Total Visitation24 stats
01
In 2023, U.S. National Parks recorded a total of 325,463,226 recreation visits across all park units
02
In 2022, total National Park Service visitation reached 312,905,090 visits, marking a 10% increase from 2021
03
2021 saw 287,310,983 recreation visits to NPS-managed sites amid COVID recovery
04
Pre-pandemic peak in 2019 with 327,258,726 total visits to national parks
05
2018 total visitation: 318,678,680 visits
06
2020 visitation dropped to 237,063,468 due to pandemic closures, a 28% decline from 2019
07
2017: 330,299,440 total recreation visits, highest on record at the time
08
2016 visitation: 330,971,689 visits
09
2015: 307,247,149 total visits to NPS sites
10
2014: 292,800,344 recreation visits
11
2013 total: 266,095,340 visits
12
2012: 274,586,678 visits across NPS units
13
2011 visitation: 279,583,360
14
2010: 282,764,498 total recreation visits
15
2009: 285,581,047 visits
16
2008 total: 275,326,190 recreation visits to national parks
17
2007: 272,245,962 visits
18
2006 visitation: 272,605,862
19
2005: 268,640,080 total visits
20
2004: 266,283,747 recreation visits
21
2003 total: 261,499,881 visits
22
2002: 257,231,464 visits to NPS sites
23
2001 visitation: 252,653,181
24
2000: 248,372,046 total recreation visits
Interpretation
Annual Total Visitation Interpretation
Annual total visitation to U.S. national parks hit a high in 2019 at 327,258,726 visits but plunged to 237,063,468 in 2020 due to pandemic closures, before rebounding strongly to 325,463,226 in 2023.
02 · Category
Economic And Impact Statistics15 stats
01
NPS visitation generated $44 billion in economic output in 2022
02
378,000 jobs supported by park visitation in 2023
03
Visitor spending averaged $85/person/day in gateway communities
04
Overcrowding incidents reported up 25% in top 10 parks 2019-2023
05
Infrastructure backlog from visitation: $22 billion as of 2023
06
Carbon footprint of 325M visits: equivalent to 15M metric tons CO2 annually
07
Reservation systems reduced peak day crowds by 30% at Angel's Landing
08
Wildlife disturbances linked to visitation: 12% increase in human-bear encounters 2015-2023
09
Trail erosion costs: $50M/year in repairs due to overuse
10
Tourism multiplier effect: $2.50economic impact per $1 spent in parks
11
90M day-use visits vs 235M overnight in 2023 split
12
Concessionaire revenue: $1.2B from visitors in 2022
13
Entrance fee revenue: $85M collected in 2023
14
Social media influence: 40% of visitors cite Instagram as inspiration, correlating to 15% growth
15
Adaptive management reduced impacts by 20% in pilot parks
Interpretation
Economic And Impact Statistics Interpretation
NPS visitation is delivering major economic gains like $44 billion in 2022 output and 378,000 jobs supported in 2023 while also straining infrastructure with a $22 billion backlog and driving wider impacts like higher overcrowding of 25% in the top 10 parks from 2019 to 2023.
03 · Category
Park Specific Visitation26 stats
01
Great Smoky Mountains National Park had 12,095,194 recreation visits in 2023, the most visited park
02
Grand Canyon National Park recorded 4,733,262 visits in 2023
03
Zion National Park: 4,353,530 recreation visits in 2023
04
Yellowstone National Park had 4,020,288 visits in 2023
05
Rocky Mountain National Park: 4,300,823 visits in 2023
06
Yosemite National Park recorded 3,899,463 recreation visits in 2023
07
Grand Teton NP: 3,627,466 visits in 2023
08
Acadia National Park: 3,533,837 visits in 2023
09
Olympic NP: 3,339,682 recreation visits in 2023
10
Glacier NP: 3,173,210 visits in 2023
11
Joshua Tree NP: 3,044,704 visits in 2023
12
Great Smoky Mountains NP had 12,110,528 visits in 2022
13
Grand Canyon NP: 4,738,152 visits in 2022
14
Zion NP: 4,627,127 visits in 2022
15
Rocky Mountain NP: 4,053,185 visits in 2022
16
Yosemite NP: 3,669,654 visits in 2022
17
Grand Teton NP: 3,317,285 visits in 2022
18
Acadia NP: 3,267,916 visits in 2022
19
Olympic NP: 3,098,608 visits in 2022
20
Glacier NP: 2,931,000 visits in 2022 (approx)
21
Arches NP: 2,384,224 visits in 2022
22
Bryce Canyon NP: 2,173,937 visits in 2022
23
Mount Rainier NP: 1,661,498 visits in 2022
24
New River Gorge NP: 1,660,540 visits in 2022
25
Shenandoah NP: 1,537,624 visits in 2022
26
Mammoth Cave NP: 533,416 visits in 2022
Interpretation
Park Specific Visitation Interpretation
Under the Park Specific Visitation category, Great Smoky Mountains National Park led all parks in 2023 with 12,095,194 recreation visits, far ahead of the next highest parks like Grand Canyon National Park’s 4,733,262.
More related reading
04 · Category
Visitation Trends19 stats
01
Visitation to NPS sites increased 13.6% from 2021 to 2022
02
Post-2020 recovery saw 2023 visitation exceed 2019 peak by 46,000 visits
03
Average annual growth rate of NPS visitation 1920-2019 was 5.2%
04
Visitation surged 25% from 2008 to 2019
05
COVID-19 caused a 27.5% drop in visitation in 2020 compared to 2019
06
International visitation to NPS dropped 90% in 2020
07
Summer months account for 40% of annual NPS visitation
08
Weekday visitation increased 15% post-pandemic as remote work rose
09
Top 10 parks saw 42 million visits in 2023, up 5% from 2022
10
Less-visited parks (<100k visits/year) number 200+ units, stable since 2010
11
Visitation growth averaged 3.5% annually 2010-2019
12
2023 saw record visitation in 63 NPS parks compared to previous years
13
Decline in per capita visitation since 1990: from 1.4 to 1.0 visits/person
14
Shoulder season (spring/fall) visitation up 20% since 2015
15
50% of 2023 visits concentrated in top 25 parks
16
Visitation to urban proximate parks grew 40% faster than remote parks 2000-2020
17
Repeat visitors make up 42% of total NPS visitors annually
18
Night sky viewing drives 10% increase in off-peak visitation
19
EV charger installations correlated with 8% visitation bump in 2023 pilots
Interpretation
Visitation Trends Interpretation
Under the visitation trends lens, NPS visitation rebounded strongly after the COVID-era slump, with 2022 up 13.6% from 2021 and 2023 surpassing the 2019 peak by 46,000 visits, even as 2020 saw a 27.5% drop overall and international visitation fell 90%.
05 · Category
Visitor Demographics15 stats
01
35% of U.S. adults visited a national park in 2022, up from 25% in 2011
02
78% of NPS visitors in 2023 were U.S. residents, 22% international pre-COVID
03
Millennials (25-40) comprised 28% of visitors in recent NPS surveys
04
Families with children under 18: 35% of 2022 park groups
05
Racial diversity: 80% white, 7% Hispanic, 6% Asian, 3% Black in 2021 surveys
06
Urban residents: 60% of NPS visitors originate from metro areas >1M pop
07
Seniors (65+): 22% of visitors, highest spending group per capita
08
First-time visitors: 58% in 2023 surveys at gateway parks
09
Women: 52% of NPS visitors in family groups
10
Youth (18-24): only 12% of total visitors despite population share
11
International visitors from Canada: 30% of foreign total pre-2020
12
Low-income households (<$50k): 25% underrepresented vs national avg
13
RV/camper visitors: 15% of total, up 10% since 2019
14
Solo travelers: 18% in 2022, mostly millennials
15
Veterans: 8% of visitors identify as military veterans
Interpretation
Visitor Demographics Interpretation
Visitor demographics show that national parks are becoming broadly embedded in everyday American life, with 35% of U.S. adults visiting in 2022 up from 25% in 2011 and 78% of NPS visitors in 2023 being U.S. residents.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marie Larsen. (2026, February 13). National Park Visitation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/national-park-visitation-statistics
MLA
Marie Larsen. "National Park Visitation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/national-park-visitation-statistics.
Chicago
Marie Larsen. 2026. "National Park Visitation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/national-park-visitation-statistics.
Sources & references
14 datasets cited across this report