Which national park sits atop the list of most visited in 2025?
America is one of nearly 100 countries in the world with national parks. Australia actually has the most with over 750, but the United States isn’t too far behind the “Land Down Under.” We’ve got 423 of our own, and tourists flock to each and every one by the thousands on an annual basis.
Which begs the question… what’s the most popular national park in the good ol’ U.S. of A.? There are plenty of beautiful and breathtaking plots of land designated by the National Park Service across the country. Most would assume that places like Yellowstone National Park, Rocky Mountain National Park and Yosemite National Park would be the most visited… but what if I told you those don’t even crack the top two?
Thanks to Discover Wildlife, we’ve got a list of 2025’s Top 10 Most-Visited U.S. National Parks. Most of the notable national parks made the list, but where each place falls in the ranking might surprise you. Check it out:
10) Glacier National Park in Montana – 3,136,557 visits
Located in Montana and showcasing the Northern Rocky Mountains, Glacier National Park saw over 3,000,000 visitors last year.
9) Olympic National Park in Washington – 3,584,187 visits
On Washington state’s Olympic peninsula, the Olympic Mountains and lush, old-growth forests provide beautiful views for those who visit.
8) Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming – 3,800,648 visits
The Teton Mountain Range is the main event of Grand Teton, but the rich landscape and pristine lakes also make Grand Teton National Park a popular park to visit.
7) Acadia National Park in Maine – 4,079,318 visits
Primarily located on Maine’s Mount Desert Island, the 47,000 acre area showcasing rocky beaches and lush woodlands brought in over 4,000,000 visitors in 2025.
6) Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado – 4,171,413 visits
This Northern Colorado national park features forests, protected mountain and an alpine tundra… and a coating of snow can make it that much more beautiful.
5) Yosemite National Park in California – 4,278,413 visits
The Sierra Nevada mountains offer up remarkable views in Yosemite, which is known as a perfect paradise for hikers in California.
4) Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona – 4,430,653 visits
This one was bound to show up on the list, right? One of the more popular national parks in the country had just shy of 4.5 million visitors last year.
3) Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana & Idaho – 4,762,988 visits
Surprisingly, the iconic Yellowstone National Park ranks third on the most visitors list. The wildlife alone draws millions to Wyoming, Montana and Idaho every year… and just shy of 5,000,000 in 2025.
2) Zion National Park in Utah – 4,984,525 visits
Utah’s national park, known for its steep red cliffs and scenic drives, almost had 5,000,000 visitors in 2025.
1) Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee & North Carolina – 11,527,939 visits
People LOVE the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (more on that below).
Surprised? When you remember that Great Smoky Mountains National Park includes Gatlinburg, Tennessee, you shouldn’t be. As you can see, millions of people flock to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park every year to take in the beautiful scenery and witness the incredible wildlife (and moonshine tastings) that Gatlinburg has to offer.
In fact, the National Park of the Great Smoky Mountains is typically the most visited national park in the country year after year. Other national parks out there should take notes if they want to up their visitor numbers… build multitudes of pancake houses and moonshine distilleries, and they will come.
