Top 10 National Parks of 2025 revealed
The National Park Service has released its annual list of the most-visited parks across the United States, with the top park being located in the eastern United States.
With more people hitting the road this summer, national parks are expecting to have record crowds. But if you’re looking to escape the congestion, our Ali Reid has uncovered some hidden gems worth exploring.
America's national parks had one of the busiest years in history as people from around the world visited some of the country's most breathtaking outdoor destinations in 2025.
The National Park Service reported 323 million recreation visits across the National Park System in 2025, the sixth-highest on record, and a slight dip from 2024’s record 331.9 million.
Among national parks, Great Smoky Mountains National Park once again topped the list with more than 11.5 million visitors. This was followed by Zion, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Yosemite, respectively, each drawing roughly 4 to 5 million visitors in 2025.
Some of the busiest places in the entire National Park System weren't national parks at all. The Blue Ridge Parkway led all NPS sites with 16.5 million people. The scenic highway stretches from Virginia into North Carolina and has been the most-visited site in all but three years since 1950.
Golden Gate National Recreation Area was close behind with 15.7 million visitors.
Blue Ridge Parkway amid peak fall foliage in North Carolina. (Getty Images/ Pierre Lecler Photography)
At the other end of the list, many of the least-visited national parks were in Alaska, where distance and logistics keep crowds low. Gates of the Arctic is one of the most remote: There are no roads into the park, and visitors often reach it by traveling through backcountry terrain or chartering a plane.
"You're on your own," the NPS said on its website. "There is no cell phone service and there are no amenities or services in the preserve. When you depart Fairbanks, Bettles, or Coldfoot, you may not see another person until your return to civilization or your pilot comes to pick you up."
Aerial view of the Gates of the Arctic National Park in Alaska in August 2011. (Photo by DeAgostini/Getty Images)
2025 stats at a glance:
•323 million total recreation visits
•Visitor use tracked at 406 reporting sites
•1.39 billion recreation visitor hours
