Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Travel

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

The most and least visited National Parks: See popular sites (or avoid crowds)

Whether you like the least or most visited ones, these are the best National Parks out there

By

If you love the outdoors, history, camping, or backpacking, then you’ve probably visited a few National Parks in your day. Well, if you’re looking for some new spots, we have the list of the most and least visited National Parks for you to plan your next visit around where to go.

A beautiful picture of people enjoying a hike at a national park.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Fun park facts

Before we dive into the specific parks, we want to dive into some fun park facts that we know you are dying to know.

Recommended Videos

Trivia time

  • There are 424 parks in National Park System
  • Out of those, 395 parks count visitors

We honestly didn’t know how many National Parks there were, but we didn’t expect that number. We do wonder why those 29 parks don’t tally how many visitors they receive. Potential job opportunities?

Related: 
Upgrade your daily routine with the best smartwatches for men

Parks broken down by type, and the numbers for visits

  • Recreation parks totaled 38% of visits
  • Historical or cultural heritage parks totaled 32% of visits
  • Nature parks totaled 30% of visits

We visited every type this past year, so we helped add to all of those numbers.

If you want to see what everyone else is seeing

People love to see places everyone posts about on their Instagram. If you’d love to visit the most visited National Parks, these are where you need to go. These three totaled over 14% of all visits to all parks in 2022.

Most popular National Park Service sites

  • The Blue Ridge Parkway got over 15.7 million visitors.
  • The Golden Gate National Recreation Area saw over 15.6 million people.
  • The Great Smoky Mountains National Park welcomed over 12.9 million guests.

Most popular National Parks

  • The Great Smoky Mountains National Park sees over 12.9 million people.
  • The Grand Canyon National Park received over 4.7 million visitors.
  • The Zion National Park welcomes just under 5 million guests.
Someone looking over a railing at the mountains at a national park.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you want to see a park by yourself without everyone else

Some people (definitely us) like to go to parks that aren’t overcrowded, with everyone trying to take pictures for their Instagram feeds. We also like that there will be fewer people there to see us if we trip over a root or something.

The least visited National Parks

  • The National Park of America Somoa had only 1,887 visitors.
  • The Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve had 9,457 guests.
  • Kobuk Valley National Park was busier, with 16,925 visitors.

With two of these being in Alaska, and one needing a passport to go, we get why they are in the least visited category. But that also means you might get the whole place to yourself, so maybe they are worth the effort.

With five of the least visited National Parks being in Alaska, there’s a backpacking, camping, wilderness wonderland waiting to be explored by you there.

With 311,985,998 visits reported by the National Park System in 2022, and 26% of those at the same eight parks, there are hundreds more to see. Get out there and check out the least as well as the most visited National Parks, and see what beauty the country has out there.

Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle Beardsley
Former Contributor
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
Topics

Editors’ Recommendations

Europe’s least crowded beaches to visit this summer, according to a new study
Beach of Durrës in Albania tops the list
Beach of Durrës

Dreaming of a European beach getaway without the summer crowds? While hotspots like Ibiza and Tenerife remain perennial favorites, they often come with packed shorelines and limited space to unwind. But not all beaches are brimming with tourists. A new study from low-cost airline Wizz Air has identified the least crowded beaches in Europe.

Using a unique methodology, Wizz Air analyzed top beaches across more than 50 European countries. By calculating beach size, dividing it by the area of a beach towel, and then factoring in average daily visitor numbers, they were able to estimate how much space each visitor typically has.

Read more
Want to see wildlife up close? Head to these 7 national parks
Here are the nest national parks for spotting wildlife
A view of the grand canyon during the day

National Park Week is right around the corner, and to celebrate, the National Park Service has introduced a fee-free day for Easter Sunday on April 20th. If you're itching to explore a national park this spring, KÜHL has just released a new study that ranks the top U.S. national parks for wildlife spotting based on species diversity and visitor interest across eight categories: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and more. Here are the top seven!
Grand Canyon National Park

If you want to see the most wildlife this April, head to Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, according to the study. This park ranks first for birdwatching, with 447 species in the area, including some rare finds like the California condor, peregrine falcon, and red crossbill. It also comes in second place for spotting mammals, with 91 different species. Reptile lovers will also appreciate 58 species like Gila monsters and short-horned lizards, and 142 species of arachnids like spiders and scorpions.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Read more
Why France is the most visited country in the world
France welcomed more than 89 million visitors in 2024
Provence France

Data from the World Tourism Barometer from UN Tourism shows that international travel has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, with 1.4 billion people traveling globally in 2024. But where are all these travelers headed? For many, the answer remains the same, France. As the most visited country in the world, it continues to captivate millions each year with its timeless charm.

Growing up, France was always a destination I dreamed about. It seemed to be at the top of everyone's list when I spoke to people who had never traveled to Europe before. The dream of sipping coffee at a charming café or strolling around the Eiffel Tower in Paris was always an appealing thought. But it’s not just Paris that draws people in. The South of France, with its picturesque villages and stunning beaches, has a way of calling to travelers from all over the world, and the French countryside is a dream for wine lovers. With so many irresistible destinations, it’s no wonder France holds the title of the most visited country in the world.
Why France holds the title of the most visited country in the world

Read more