Here are the top 10 most visited National Parks in 2025

WASHINGTON — The National Park Service is reporting a slight decline in visitation in 2025 than in 2024, but more than 25 parks set new visitation records last year, despite a lengthy federal government shutdown during peak season for many parks. 

The parks recorded more than 323 million visitors and more than 13 million overnight stays in 2025, the agency reported. 

Overall visitation in 2025 was down about 2.7% from 2024, or roughly 8.85 million fewer visitors year over year. There was also a 2.4% decrease in overnight stays from 2024. 

The National Park Service set a visitation record of 331.9 million in 2024. 

The agency faced several hurdles last year, including the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, spanning 43 days from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12, as well as hundreds of staffing cuts and lengthy hiring freezes. 

Despite the challenges, 26 parks set new records in 2025 for annual recreation visits. 

The top 10 most visited National Parks saw a shakeup this year. Rocky Mountain National Park dropped out of the top five for the first time since 2013. But despite falling in the rankings, its visitation still grew by more than 1%, according to KUSA. 

1. Great Smoky Mountains: 11,527,939 
2. Zion: 4,984,525 
3. Yellowstone: 4,762,988 
4. Grand Canyon: 4,430,653 
5. Yosemite: 4,278,413 
6. Rocky Mountain: 4,171,431 
7. Acadia: 4,079,318 
8. Grand Teton: 3,800,648 
9. Olympic: 3,584,187 
10. Glacier: 3,136,557 

1. Blue Ridge Parkway: 16,533,753 
2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area: 15,748,676 
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 11,527,939 
4. Natchez Trace Parkway: 7,994,783 
5. Lincoln Memorial: 7,743,295 
6. Gateway National Recreation Area: 7,696,939 
7. Gulf Islands National Seashore: 7,576,923 
8. George Washington Memorial Parkway: 6,732,932 
9. Appalachian National Scenic Trail: 6,215,118 
10. Lake Mead National Recreation Area: 6,135,586 

At least one site managed by the National Park Service is located in every state, though not all states have a National Park. The agency says that visitation data helps them manage safety and visitor experience.