The National Park Service has released its 2025 visitation data, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park is still the most visited national park in the United States by a huge margin.
The Smokies recorded 11,527,939 recreation visits in 2025. That is more than double the #2 park, Zion, which recorded 4,984,525 visits.
Here are the 10 most visited national parks in the U.S. based on the latest NPS data.
2025 Most Visited National Parks: Quick Ranking
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park — 11,527,939 visits
- Zion National Park — 4,984,525 visits
- Yellowstone National Park — 4,762,988 visits
- Grand Canyon National Park — 4,430,653 visits
- Yosemite National Park — 4,278,413 visits
- Rocky Mountain National Park — 4,171,431 visits
- Acadia National Park — 4,079,318 visits
- Grand Teton National Park — 3,800,648 visits
- Olympic National Park — 3,584,187 visits
- Glacier National Park — 3,136,557 visits
#1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Visitor Count: 11,527,939
Great Smoky Mountains National Park remains the clear national-park traffic leader. Its location near Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Sevierville, Townsend, and Cherokee gives it an enormous drive-market advantage.
The park also has no entrance fee, though parking tags are required when parked longer than 15 minutes. That combination of access, scenery, family-friendly stops, and nearby lodging keeps the Smokies far ahead of every other national park.
For travelers, the 2025 number matters because it confirms what visitors feel on the ground: Cades Cove, Newfound Gap Road, Laurel Falls, Sugarlands, and Gatlinburg-area entrances can get crowded fast.
#2 Zion National Park
Visitor Count: 4,984,525
Zion held the #2 spot in 2025 with just under 5 million recreation visits. Its canyon scenery, shuttle system, Narrows hike, and Angels Landing permit system keep it near the top of national-park bucket lists.
Compared with the Smokies, Zion has a more concentrated visitor flow. That means planning around shuttle timing, parking, heat, and permit rules is a bigger part of the trip.
#3 Yellowstone National Park
Visitor Count: 4,762,988
Yellowstone moved into the #3 position for 2025. The park's geysers, wildlife, thermal basins, waterfalls, and huge driving loops make it one of the most complete national-park trips in the country.
Its size spreads visitors out more than smaller parks, but popular stops like Old Faithful, Grand Prismatic Spring, Lamar Valley, and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone still require early starts.
#4 Grand Canyon National Park
Visitor Count: 4,430,653
Grand Canyon ranked #4 in 2025. The South Rim remains one of the most famous viewpoints in the world, and it draws both dedicated national-park travelers and one-day road-trippers from Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Sedona.
The big mistake here is underestimating distance. Even a simple viewpoint day can involve long drives, crowded parking lots, and major temperature swings.
#5 Yosemite National Park
Visitor Count: 4,278,413
Yosemite took the #5 spot in 2025. Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, El Capitan, waterfalls, and high-country drives give the park a level of visual drama that few places can match.
Because so many visitors concentrate in Yosemite Valley, lodging and entry planning matter. The best trips usually start with reservations, not a spontaneous arrival.
#6 Rocky Mountain National Park
Visitor Count: 4,171,431
Rocky Mountain National Park ranked #6 in 2025. Its alpine lakes, Trail Ridge Road, elk viewing, and easy access from Colorado's Front Range make it one of the most visited parks in the West.
Timed-entry rules, high elevation, and fast-changing weather are the main planning issues. Visitors should also build in time to acclimate before tackling harder hikes.
#7 Acadia National Park
Visitor Count: 4,079,318
Acadia ranked #7 in 2025. It is the top East Coast park in the ranking after the Smokies, combining coastal scenery, carriage roads, granite peaks, and Bar Harbor access.
Cadillac Mountain sunrise reservations, parking around trailheads, and summer congestion are the key planning friction points.
#8 Grand Teton National Park
Visitor Count: 3,800,648
Grand Teton ranked #8 in 2025. The park's sharp mountain skyline, lakes, wildlife viewing, and proximity to Yellowstone make it a natural add-on for western road trips.
Visitors should not treat it as a quick photo stop. Jenny Lake, Mormon Row, Schwabacher Landing, and wildlife drives can easily fill two or three days.
#9 Olympic National Park
Visitor Count: 3,584,187
Olympic ranked #9 in 2025. It is really several trips in one: Pacific beaches, mossy rainforests, mountain ridges, lakes, and remote drives around Washington's Olympic Peninsula.
The park rewards travelers who slow down. Distances are longer than they look, and weather can vary wildly between the coast, rainforest, and Hurricane Ridge.
#10 Glacier National Park
Visitor Count: 3,136,557
Glacier rounded out the 2025 top 10. Going-to-the-Sun Road, alpine lakes, wildlife, and rugged Montana scenery keep it one of the most competitive summer national-park trips to plan.
The main challenge is seasonality. Snow can limit high-country access deep into summer, and lodging near the park fills early.
What This Means for Smoky Mountains Visitors
The Smokies are not just popular. They are in a different traffic category from every other national park.
That does not mean you should avoid them. It means you should plan around crowd patterns instead of pretending they will not matter.
For the easiest trip, choose your town carefully, start major park drives early, keep backup rainy-day plans, and avoid packing every famous stop into one day.
If you are visiting Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Townsend, or Cherokee, use the Smokies ranking as a reminder: the park is massive, beautiful, and free to enter, but the most famous places are popular for a reason.