NC Dominates National Park Rankings With Two of America’s Most Visited

North Carolina now sits at the top of both major National Park Service visitation lists, according to newly released 2025 data. The Blue Ridge Parkway ranked as the most visited site in the entire U.S. park system with 16,533,753 visitors, while Great Smoky Mountains National Park remained the most visited national park with 11,527,939 visitors.

Overall visitation across the National Park Service system declined slightly in 2025. Visits dropped about 2.7% from the previous year, representing roughly 8.85 million fewer visitors. Overnight stays also decreased by 2.4%.

The drop comes after a record-setting 2024, when the agency reported 331.9 million total visits across parks, historic sites, and recreation areas nationwide.

Officials say several challenges impacted operations last year. These included the longest federal government shutdown in U.S. history, which lasted 43 days from Oct. 1 to Nov. 12. The agency also dealt with staffing reductions and prolonged hiring freezes.

Even with those hurdles, visitation remained strong. In fact, 26 parks set new records for annual recreation visits in 2025.

Top 10 Most Visited National Parks (2025)

1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park — 11,527,939

2. Zion National Park — 4,984,525

3. Yellowstone National Park — 4,762,988

4. Grand Canyon National Park — 4,430,653

5. Yosemite National Park — 4,278,413

6. Rocky Mountain National Park — 4,171,431

7. Acadia National Park — 4,079,318

8. Grand Teton National Park — 3,800,648

9. Olympic National Park — 3,584,187

10. Glacier National Park — 3,136,557

Rocky Mountain National Park dropped out of the top five for the first time since 2013, although its visitation still increased by more than 1%.

Top 10 Most Visited National Park Service Sites (2025)

1. Blue Ridge Parkway — 16,533,753

2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area — 15,748,676

3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park — 11,527,939

4. Natchez Trace Parkway — 7,994,783

5. Lincoln Memorial — 7,743,295

6. Gateway National Recreation Area — 7,696,939

7. Gulf Islands National Seashore — 7,576,923

8. George Washington Memorial Parkway — 6,732,932

9. Appalachian National Scenic Trail — 6,215,118

10. Lake Mead National Recreation Area — 6,135,586

The National Park Service manages at least one site in every U.S. state, though not all states contain a national park. Officials say visitation data helps guide safety planning, infrastructure needs, and visitor experience improvements across the system.