Planning summer travel? These national parks are most (and least) popular

If national parks were people, Great Smoky Mountains would be prom queen – again. She’s that popular.

National Park Service statistics show she remains America’s most visited national park by far, with more visitors last year than the second and third-most popular parks combined.

The National Park System overall recorded more than 323 million visits in 2025. That’s less than the 331.8 million record high a year prior, but including a government shutdown, which impacted some prospective trips.

Here’s how the most visited and least visited parks stacked up.

10 most visited national parks in 2025, by visits

1. Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina and Tennessee – 11.5 million
2. Zion in Utah – 4.9 million
3. Yellowstone in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming – 4.7 million
4. Grand Canyon in Arizona – 4.4 million
5. Yosemite in California – 4.2 million
6. Rocky Mountain in Colorado – 4.1 million
7. Acadia in Maine – 4 million
8. Grand Teton in Wyoming – 3.8 million
9. Olympic in Washington – 3.5 million
10. Glacier in Montana – 3.1. million

10 least visited national parks in 2025, by visits

1. Kobuk Valley in Alaska – 7,786
2. Gates of the Arctic in Alaska – 14,923
3. Lake Clark in Alaska – 19,778
4. Isle Royale in Michigan – 29,091
5. Katmai in Alaska – 34,479
6. National Park of American Samoa – 43,258
7. North Cascades in Washington – 46,925
8. Dry Tortugas in Florida – 89,355
9. Wrangell-St. Elias in Alaska – 108,840
10. Great Basin in Nevada – 161,210

Other popular 'parks'

There are 63 national parks in the United States, but the National Park Service informally refers to all 433 of its sites as parks, even if they’re national battlefields or seashores.

Under this larger umbrella, Blue Ridge Parkway was most visited "park" in 2025, with more than 16.5 million recreational visits.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area came in second with more than 15.7 million visits.

Great Smoky Mountains came in third overall, though still first for national parks.

This year, parks may see even more visitors with a host of events celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary and more free entry days for U.S. residents. Foreign visitors, however, face increased entry fees at some of the most popular parks.