44 national parks set visitation records in 2021

News and Adventure from Glacier National Park

While some of the most well-known national parks again had record visitation in 2021, numbers across the entire National Park System remained below pre-pandemic totals. These findings were released today as the National Park Service published its official annual visitation statistics for 2021.

Of 423 parks in the National Park System, just 25 received more than 50 percent of the system’s total 297.1 million recreation visits in 2021. Last year’s visitation increased by 60 million over 2020 when COVID-19 shuttered facilities in most parks for at least part of the year.

“It’s wonderful to see so many Americans continuing to find solace and inspiration in these incredible places during the second year of the pandemic,” said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams. “We’re happy to see so many visitors returning to iconic parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, but there are hundreds more that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Whatever experience you’re looking for in 2022, national parks are here to discover.”

As you plan your travel, take advantage of the search feature on the NPS website to search by state, activity and topic– you’re sure to discover a hidden gem or two. Also be sure to download the NPS App from the iOS App Store or Google Play Store to find up-to-date information about all 423 national parks.

Inside the 2021 visitation report:

* Forty-four parks set a record for recreation visits in 2021.

* Six parks broke a visitation record they set in 2020.

* Blue Ridge Parkway remained the most-visited park in the National Park System.

* Great Smoky Mountains National Park set a visitation record in 2021 and passed 14 million recreation visits for the first time.

* Five parks began reporting official visitor statistics for the first time: Alagnak Wild River (Alaska), Camp Nelson National Monument (Ky.), Medgar and Myrlie Evers Home National Monument (Miss.), Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (Nev.), and World War I Memorial (District of Columbia).

* In 2021, some parks operated with limited capacities or indoor space restrictions, but most were open to visitors. Seven parks—all of them historic sites in urban areas—remained closed throughout 2021 due health and safety concerns related to COVID-19.

* Recreation visitor hours dipped from 1.43 billion in 2019 to 1.36 billion in 2021, a 5% decrease.