These were the most (and least) popular national parks in 2023

America’s 400 national parks had 325 million site visitors previous year. Here is a list of most- and the very least-frequented parks. Which just one is your most loved?

We may perhaps reside in an age of engineering, when electronic stimuli and shiny screens consistently vie for our consideration, but several people even now long to discover awe and experience in the great outdoor. The 2023 visitation data from the Countrywide Park Services (NPS) implies that far more men and women than at any time prior to are checking out our country’s preserved lands and historic internet sites.

According to facts across 400 national parks, there were being a complete of 325.5 million recreation visits in 2023, which is an raise of 13 million in excess of 2022. 13 million much more visits!

And it is not just the huge names like Grand Canyon and Yosemite — lesser-acknowledged web sites are seeing far more visitors than at any time, far too.

Far more: You can stop by the nationwide parks for cost-free on these times in 2024

Adobe

“Our nationwide parks tell our shared American tale,” National Park Company director Chuck Sams explained in a statement. “I’m glad guests are getting concealed gems, exploring in the off-period and finding new approaches to have a good time in our nationwide parks.”

The NPS also highlighted 20 parks and historic web pages that broke visitation information in 2023, together with Joshua Tree, which did seem to be intensely featured on Instagram feeds final year.

The popular southern California place with its twisty trees and desert vibes saw a record-breaking 3.2 million visits in 2023.

Additional: Here’s the greatest highway journey to visit most of the countrywide parks

The list of the prime 10 most common nationwide parks is mostly the identical as the 1 from 2022, with a couple adjustments. Newcomers to the top 10 include things like Grand Teton Countrywide Park in Wyoming and Olympic Countrywide Park in Washington condition, although Montana’s Glacier Nationwide Park and Ohio’s Cuyahoga Valley Nationwide Park fell off the best 10 listing in 2023.

Meanwhile, Yellowstone Countrywide Park moved from seventh to fourth position on the list, with perfectly more than a million a lot more visits in 2023 than 2022.

The Excellent Smoky Mountains Countrywide Park held regular at No. 1, as it has for yrs, viewing an remarkable 13 million visits in 2023. At minimum some of those people have been there to see the magical synchronous fireflies screen in May.

Top rated 10 Most-Frequented Countrywide Parks of 2023

10. Olympic Nationwide Park: 2.948 million visits

9. Joshua Tree Nationwide Park: 3.270 million visits

8. Grand Teton National Park: 3.417 million visits

7. Acadia National Park: 3.879 million visits

6. Yosemite Countrywide Park: 3.897 million visits

5. Rocky Mountain Countrywide Park: 4.116 million visits

4. Yellowstone Countrywide Park: 4.501 million visits

3. Zion Countrywide Park: 4.623 million visits

2. Grand Canyon Nationwide Park: 4.733 million visits

1. Wonderful Smoky Mountains Nationwide Park: 13.297 million visits

Prime 10 Least-Frequented National Parks of 2023

Even nevertheless this listing of the “bottom 10” is very similar to that of 2022, visitation numbers for some of them jumped drastically calendar year about yr. The Countrywide Park of American Samoa, for instance, documented 1,887 visits in 2022 — and 12,135 in 2023!

Continue to, if you are seeking to get way off the beaten route so you can truly ditch the crowds, these national parks are your most effective guess.

10. Fantastic Basin Nationwide Park: 143,265 visits

9. Dry Tortugas Countrywide Park: 84,285 visits

8. Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve: 78,305 visits

7. North Cascades Nationwide Park: 40,351 visits

6. Katmai National Park & Protect: 33,763 visits

5. Isle Royale Nationwide Park: 28,965 visits

4. Kobuk Valley Countrywide Park: 17,616 visits

3. Lake Clark Nationwide Park & Protect: 16,728 visits

2. Nationwide Park of American Samoa: 12,135 visits

1. Gates of the Arctic Countrywide Park & Protect: 11,045 visits

Kate Emswiler and Sarah Kuta contributed to this report.