The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) manages over 400 sites, including 63 national parks, and provides the most reliable rankings based on raw visitation data.
Recently, the NPS faced criticism due to President Donald Trump’s budget proposal to cut $1.2 billion and lay off 1,000 employees. In response, the administration announced plans to hire more seasonal workers to handle the increased workload.
However, it’s uncertain whether these temporary staff can manage the rising competition among parks. Ranking America’s national parks has become a popular trend, with travel websites, magazines, and organizations publishing lists of the best to worst parks and highlighting their unique features.
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The National Park Service (NPS) provides the most reliable rankings based on visitation data from over 400 sites, including 63 national parks.
In 2024, the most visited park was the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, with 12,191,834 visits. Close behind are Zion National Park with 4,946,592 visits and the Grand Canyon with 4,919,163 visits.
The top ten parks also include:
- Yellowstone (4,744,353 visits)
- Rocky Mountain (4,154,349)
- Yosemite (4,121,807)
- Acadia (3,961,661)
- Olympic (3,717,267)
- Grand Teton (3,628,222)
- Glacier National Park (3,208,755)
Travel publications create their own rankings, considering factors like accessibility, natural beauty, scenic diversity, hiking opportunities, wildlife viewing, and activities offered.
Social media, especially Instagram, plays a big role in these rankings. Parks with stunning views and eye-catching landscapes often gain more attention, making them more popular among travelers.
Experience the beauty of winter at El Capitan in Yosemite National Park, California. Imagine yourself surrounded by snow-covered cliffs and tranquil landscapes.
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Many travel blogs rank national parks to help visitors choose their next adventure. One popular blog, “Trip Of A Lifestyle,” evaluated parks based on “Wow Factor,” “Fun Factor,” and “Crowd Factor.”
Lauren and Steven Keys visited and photographed every park before creating their personal ranking. After months of travel and debate, they identified seven parks tied for first place:
- Death Valley — The hottest place on Earth, but with an otherworldly feel
- Yosemite — Known for iconic hikes and spectacular waterfalls
- Hawai’i Volcanoes — Unique volcanic landscapes
- Yellowstone — Famous for geothermal features and wildlife
- American Samoa — Noted for its tropical beauty but has feral dogs
- Carlsbad Caverns — Known for massive underground caves and fantastic formations
- Canyonlands — Considered one of the best-kept secrets in the National Park system
Some parks are considered less interesting. Travel blogger Lee Abbamonte ranked all 63 parks based on his experience. His top pick is Yosemite, praising its iconic hikes, waterfalls, and breathtaking vistas. He highlights Tunnel View at sunset as the most beautiful view in America.
On the other hand, Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas landed at the bottom of his list. He found it boring and questioned why it’s officially a national park.
Thinking about your next trip? Why not explore the stunning winter scenery at El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Experience the breathtaking views and outdoor adventure.
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The Quapaw Baths on Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs National Park, in Hot Springs, Ark. (AP Photo/Beth Harpaz)
What’s the least-visited national park? Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve recorded only 11,907 visits in 2024, no doubt partly because of its remote north Alaska location.
Such remote parks, however, are ranked higher by wilderness groups, which value their unspoiled nature, no matter how hard it might be to actually reach them.
Forbes has ranked national parks based on crowd size, an increasingly crucial factor given rising popularity. Writer Joe Yogerst compiled ten parks that aren’t crushed by urban throngs:
Black Canyon of the Gunnison (Colorado), Channel Islands (California), Congaree (South Carolina), Dry Tortugas (Florida), Great Basin (Nevada), Guadalupe Mountains (Texas), Isle Royale (Michigan), Lassen Volcanic (California), North Cascades (Washington State) and Voyageurs (Minnesota).
A Campaign To Crown The Global King Of National Parks
A female leopard relaxes in the branches of a dead tree in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. (Photo by Tom Stoddart/Getty Images)
The race to be the best has recently gone global. In March, the non-profit National Parks Association launched its “World’s Best National Parks,” a year-long campaign that allows the public to vote on favorites. Campaign dates are March 18, 2025, through June 11, 2028. Website visitors can vote for one park per country per day. There are three phases to the campaign:
- Phase one: votes will determine the best national park among countries, and parks with the most votes will advance to phase two. Phase one runs through March 17, 2026.
- During phase two, each country’s leading parks will compete within their own continents. The voting runs from March 18, 2026, to March 17, 2027.
- Phase three pits the top continental parks against each other in a competition to capture the title of the “World’s Best National Park.” The voting runs from March 18, 2027 to June 11, 2028.
Yosemite National Park currently leads the race, followed by Mkomazi National Park in northeastern Tanzania and Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa.