This reference brings together the latest annual figures published by the National Park Service. It is designed for collectors, travel writers, local-history readers, and anyone looking for a reliable snapshot of the places represented on vintage souvenir pennants.
2025 National Park System quick facts
323,014,305
Recreation visits
The National Park System recorded more than 323 million recreation visits in 2025, 2.7% below the record year in 2024.
Source: National Park Service Visitor Use Data, accessed October 5, 2026406 of 433
Units reporting use
406 of the 433 National Park System units reported visitor-use data for 2025.
Source: National Park Service, released March 13, 20261.39 billion
Visitor hours
Visitors spent 1,386,749,187 recreation hours in the National Park System during 2025.
Source: National Park Service, released March 13, 202613,016,577
Overnight stays
The system recorded more than 13 million overnight stays in 2025.
Source: National Park Service, released March 13, 202626
Record-setting parks
Twenty-six park units set annual recreation-visit records in 2025.
Source: National Park Service, released March 13, 2026#1
Most visited national park
Great Smoky Mountains National Park led all national parks with 11,527,939 visits in 2025.
Source: National Park Service, released March 13, 2026Most visited national parks in 2025
Great Smoky Mountains National Park remained the most visited national park, with more than twice the annual visits of the next-ranked park. These figures cover the 10 sites designated as national parks, rather than every unit in the wider National Park System.
| Rank | National park | 2025 recreation visits |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
Source: National Park Service, 2025 visitation release, March 13, 2026
National Park visitor spending in 2024
The newest National Park Service economic report measures the spending associated with the prior full calendar year. These figures describe visitor spending in communities near national parks, not park admissions or operating revenue.
$29 billion
Visitor spending
National park visitors spent an estimated $29 billion in local gateway communities in 2024.
Source: National Park Service, released September 25, 2025$56.3 billion
Economic output
That visitor spending contributed an estimated $56.3 billion in economic output nationwide.
Source: National Park Service, released September 25, 2025340,100
Jobs supported
The report estimates visitor spending supported 340,100 jobs across the national economy.
Source: National Park Service, released September 25, 2025Great Smoky Mountains: a nearby travel landmark
For a Tennessee-based collection of travel and place pennants, the Smokies are especially relevant. Great Smoky Mountains National Park recorded 11,527,939 visits in 2025. The park also reports that visitors spent an estimated $2.2 billion in its local gateway regions in 2024, supporting 33,700 local jobs.
Source: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, updated April 30, 2026
Methodology and sources
All visitor counts on this page are National Park Service recreation-visit figures for calendar year 2025. The service released these annual figures on March 13, 2026. Figures are presented as published, without estimating missing values.
- National Park Service: Public Interest in National Parks Remains Strong as Visits Top 323 Million in 2025, released March 13, 2026.
- National Park Service: Visitor Use Data, accessed October 5, 2026.
- National Park Visitor Spending Contributed $56 Billion to the U.S. Economy in 2024, released September 25, 2025.
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park Visitor Experience Stewardship, updated April 30, 2026.
Cite this page
EBKS Resale. “National Park Visitation Statistics: 2025.” Updated October 5, 2026. https://ebksresale.com/national-park-visitation-statistics.
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