The National Parks Service manages a total of 433 individual units across the United States, covering more than 85 million acres across all states and territories. 63 units are designated National Parks, while the other 370 include National Historic Sites, National Monuments, National Lakeshores, National Parkways, and so much more.
The most visited National Parks typically aren’t that surprising, with Great Smoky Mountains National Park dominating the list year after year. Other common sites in the top 10 include Zion National Park, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Canyon National Park, and beyond. But if we expand the numbers to include all 433 individual units, only one National Park cracks the top 10 when looking at the 2025 visitation statistics, and only 7 make it into the top 20.
The 20 Most Visited National Park Service Units of 2025
1. Blue Ridge Parkway – 16,533,753 visitors
2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area – 15,748,676 visitors
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 11,527,939 visitors
4. Natchez Trace Parkway – 7,994,783 visitors
5. Lincoln Memorial – 7,743,295 visitors
6. Gateway National Recreation Area – 7,696,939 visitors
7. Gulf Islands National Seashore – 7,576,923 visitors
8. George Washington Memorial Parkway – 6,732,932 visitors
9. Appalachian National Scenic Trail – 6,215,118 visitors
10. Lake Mead National Recreation Area – 6,135,586 visitors
11. Zion National Park – 4,984,525 visitors
12. Vietnam Veterans Memorial – 4,848,112 visitors
13. Yellowstone National Park – 4,762,988 visitors
14. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park – 4,579,704 visitors
15. Grand Canyon National Park – 4,430,653 visitors
16. Yosemite National Park – 4,278,413 visitors
17. Rocky Mountain National Park – 4,171,431 visitors
18. Acadia National Park – 4,079,318 visitors
19. World War II Memorial – 3,993,717 visitors
20. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – 3,986,709 visitors
