Scott Stevens

Scott Stevens

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*LIST* THE MOST VISITED NATIONAL PARK SERVICE SITES

By Scott Stevens

The National Park Service (NPS) oversees more than 400 sites, which include memorials, battlefields, recreation areas and of course, the parks themselves. Last year, those sites had about 325.5-million recreation visits, according to the NPS’s annual visitation report that just came out.

  • That’s 13-million more visits (or 4%) more than in 2022, but the peak year for recreation visits is still 2016 with 330.97-million.
  • Of course, some sites are much more popular than others, including the most visited National Park Service in 2023, the Blue Ridge Parkway.
  • It’s a roadway that winds through 29 counties in North Carolina and Virginia, linking Shenandoah National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
  • The only new entry on the most-visited NPS sites in 2023 is Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah.
  • The national parks get a lot of the attention, but they only account for 28% of total visitors to all National Park Service sites in 2023.

The Top 10 Most Visited National Park Service Sites in 2023

  1. Blue Ridge Parkway (16.75 million visits)
  2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (14.95 million
  3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13.29 million)
  4. Gateway National Recreation Area (8.70 million)
  5. Gulf Islands National Seashore (8.27 million)
  6. Lincoln Memorial (8.09 million)
  7. George Washington Memorial Parkway (7.39 million)
  8. Natchez Trace Parkway (6.78 million)
  9. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (5.79 million)
  10. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (5.20 million)

The Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in 2023

  1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13.29 million)
  2. Grand Canyon National Park (4.73 million)
  3. Zion National Park (4.62 million)
  4. Yellowstone National Park (4.50 million)
  5. Rocky Mountain National Park (4.11 million)
  6. Yosemite National Park (3.89 million)
  7. Acadia National Park (3.87 million)
  8. Grand Teton National Park (3.41 million)
  9. Joshua Tree National Park (3.27 million)
  10. Olympic National Park (2.94 million)

Source: CNN

Scott's Thoughts:

  • Forget all the popular ones, I want to go to the national park site that has the fewest visitors!
  • Not surprised about the Great Smoky Mountains! After all, that's where Dollywood is! :)
  • Guess I am not well traveled. I have only been to 3 on these lists.

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