Americans and international travelers flocked to US National Park Service (NPS) sites in 2024, setting a new visitation record.
The NPS reported an all-time high of nearly 331.9 million recreational visits across its 433 locations, which range from iconic national parks like Yellowstone to historic sites, battlefields, parkways, memorials, and coastal areas.
This figure surpasses the previous record of approximately 330.9 million visits in 2016 and marks a 2% increase—about 6.36 million more visits—compared to 2023.
One of the biggest shifts in rankings occurred in 2024 when the long-time most-visited site, the Blue Ridge Parkway, was overtaken by a popular destination in Northern California. However, the scenic mountain roadway faced disruptions due to closures caused by Hurricane Helene’s aftermath in late September.
Additionally, four new sites were added to the NPS system in 2024, contributing to the overall increase in visits.
Top 10 Most Visited National Park Service Sites in 2024
Golden Gate National Recreation Area had an exceptional year, emerging as the most-visited NPS site. Spanning from San Mateo County to Marin County, this vast area includes historic military sites like the Presidio in San Francisco and supports 19 unique ecosystems, from rugged shorelines to redwood forests. Its attendance surged nearly 15% from the 14.95 million visitors recorded in 2023.
Top 10 Most Visited National Park Service Sites in 2024
The National Park Service recorded a historic surge in visitors, with several iconic sites drawing millions. Here are the top 10 most-visited NPS locations in 2024:
- Golden Gate National Recreation Area – 17.18 million visits
- Blue Ridge Parkway – 16.73 million visits
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 12.19 million visits
- Gateway National Recreation Area – 8.92 million visits
- Lincoln Memorial – 8.47 million visits
- Gulf Islands National Seashore – 7.80 million visits
- Natchez Trace Parkway – 7.36 million visits
- George Washington Memorial Parkway – 6.78 million visits
- Lake Mead National Recreation Area – 6.41 million visits
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial – 5.29 million visits
Among these, the Lincoln Memorial stands out as the most-visited site that isn’t a vast natural area, proving its enduring appeal as a historic landmark.
Most Visited National Parks of 2024
When looking specifically at national parks rather than all NPS sites, a familiar destination once again led the rankings:
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 12.19 million visits
- Zion National Park – 4.94 million visits
- Grand Canyon National Park – 4.91 million visits
- Yellowstone National Park – 4.74 million visits
- Rocky Mountain National Park – 4.15 million visits
- Yosemite National Park – 4.12 million visits
- Acadia National Park – 3.96 million visits
- Olympic National Park – 3.71 million visits
- Grand Teton National Park – 3.62 million visits
- Glacier National Park – 3.20 million visits
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, spanning North Carolina and Tennessee, once again drew the most visitors among the top-tier national parks.
A close competition continued between Zion National Park in Utah and Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, with Zion edging ahead in 2024 after Grand Canyon held the second-place position in 2023.
Despite national parks being the most well-known part of the system, the 63 locations designated as “national parks” accounted for just 28% of all NPS visits last year.
Additionally, 2024 saw 28 NPS sites break records for annual visitor numbers.
The record-setting attendance came amid significant staffing cuts at the National Park Service, with approximately 1,000 employees reportedly let go. According to an internal NPS memo cited by The New York Times, the federal administration at the time chose not to issue press releases about the record-breaking numbers, though the data was made publicly available online.
