National Parks

...summarized links to all national parks we visited

So far we have visited 43 of the 63 national parks in the USA. This overview should help to find certain parks faster. They are listed here in alphabetical order. A click on the respective photos leads to our detailed reports on the national parks.

In 2021, 297,115,406 visitors were recorded in all areas managed by the National Park Service. With 14.1 million visitors, Smoky Mountains NP is by far the most visited national park.

Top Ten 2021

1. Great Smoky Mountains NP - 14.1 million visitors
2. Zion NP - 5 million visitors
3. Yellowstone NP - 4.9 million visitors
4. Grand Canyon NP – 4.5 million visitors
5. Rocky Mountain NP - 4.4 million visitors
6. Acadia NP - 4 million visitors
7. Grand Teton NP - 3.9 million visitors
8. Yosemite NP - 3.3 million visitors
9. Indiana Dunes NP – 3.2 Millionen Besucher
10. Glacier NP - 3.1 million visitors

Top Ten 2022

1. Great Smoky Mountains NP - 13 million visitors
2. Grand Canyon NP – 5.7 million visitors
3. Zion NP – 4.7 million visitors
4. Rocky Mountain NP - 4.4 million visitors
5. Acadia NP - 4.1 million visitors
6. Yosemite NP - 3.7 million visitors
7. Yellowstone NP - 3.3 million visitors
8. Joshua Tree NP - 3.1 million visitors
9. Cuyahoga Valley NP - 2.9 million visitors
10. Glacier NP - 2.9 million visitors

Top Ten 2023

1. Great Smoky Mountains NP - 13.3 million visitors
2. Grand Canyon NP – 4.7 million visitors
3.Zion NP - 4.6 million visitors
4. Yellowstone NP - 4.5 million visitors
5. Rocky Mountain NP - 4.1 million visitors
6. Yosemite NP - 3.9 million visitors
7. Acadia NP - 3.9 million visitors
8. Grand Teton NP - 3.2 million visitors
9. Joshua Tree NP - 3.3 million visitors
10. Olympic NP - 2.9 million visitors

Acadia NP – Maine

So far 2 visits: October 2008, October 2010
Permits 2024 - To drive on Cadillac Mountain Summit Rd.

Arches NP – Utah

So far 10 visits: visits: August 1992, August 1994, April 1997, September 1999, October 2011, October 2014, February 2016, October 2018, April 2022, May 2023
Permits 2024 - Time tickets for entry into the park from April to October.

Badlands NP – South Dakota

So far 2 visits: August 1994, June 2017

Big Bend NP – Texas

So far 1 visit: March 2018

Biscayne NP – Florida

So far 1 visit: March 1997

Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP – Colorado

So far 2 visits: October 2011, October 2018

Bryce Canyon NP – Utah

So far 8 visits: August 1992, August 1994, April 1997, September 1999, October 2009, October 2011, October 2014, March 2016,

Canyonlands NP – Utah

So far 5 visits: April 1997, October 2011, October 2014, February 2016, April 2022

Capitol Reef NP – Utah

So far 6 visits: April 1997, October 2009, October 2011, February 2016, October 2018, April 2022

Carlsbad Caverns NP – New Mexico

So far 2 visits: August 1994, February 2018
Permits 2024 - For all self-guided tours.

Congaree NP – South Carolina

So far 1 visit: October 2016

Crater Lake NP – Oregon

So far 1 visit: June 2015

Death Valley NP – California

So far 3 visits: August 1994, September 1999, May 2013

Everglades NP – Florida

So far 2 visit: März 1997, November 2022

Gateway Arch NP – Missouri

So far 2 visits: August 1994, May 2017

Glacier NP – Montana

So far 1 visit: June 1998
Permits 2024 - For several roads in the national park.

Grand Canyon NP (North) – Arizona

So far 2 visits: November 2009, October 2012

Grand Canyon NP (South) – Arizona

So far 8 visits: August 1992, August 1994, April 1997, September 1999, November 2009, May 2013, October 2014, February 2016,

Grand Teton NP – Wyoming

So far 4 visits: August 1994, June 1998, September 1999, June 2015,

Great Basin NP – Nevada

So far 2 visits: September 1999, September 2019

Great Sand Dunes NP – Arizona

So far 3 visits: October 2011, October 2012, October 2014

Great Smoky Mountains NP – North Carolina

So far 1 visit: October 2016

Guadalupe Mountains NP – Texas

So far 1 visit: February 2018

Haleakala NP – Hawaii

So far 1 visit: August 2000

Hawaii Volcanoes NP – Hawaii

So far 1 visit: August 2000

Joshua Tree NP – California

So far 3 visits: April 1997, May 2013, March 2016

Kings Canyon NP – California

So far 2 visits: June 1998, September 2019

Lassen Volcanic NP – California

So far 2 visits: June 1998, September 2019

Mesa Verde NP – Colorado

So far 2 visit: August 1994, October 2011

Mount Rainier NP – Washington

So far 2 visits: June 2011, July 2015
Permits 2024 - From May to September

North Cascades NP – Washington

So far 2 visits: June 1998, June 2015

Olympic NP – Washington

So far 1 visit: June 1998

Petrified Forest NP – Arizona

So far 1 visit: September 2011

Redwood NP – California

So far 1 visit: July 1998

Rocky Mountains NP – Colorado

So far 2 visit: October 2012, June 2017
Permits 2024 - From May to October

Saguaro NP – Arizona

So far 2 visits: April 1997, May 2013

Sequoia NP – California

So far 3 visits: June 1998, September 1999, September 2019

Shenandoah NP – Virginia

So far 1 visit: October 2008

Theodore Roosevelt NP (North) – North Dakota

So far 1 visit: June 2017

Theodore Roosevelt NP (South) – North Dakota

So far 1 visit: June 2017

White Sands NP – New Mexico

So far 2 visit: August 1994, October 2014

Wind Cave NP – South Dakota

So far 1 visit: June 2017

Yellowstone NP (North) – Wyoming

So far 5 visit: August 1994, June 1998, September 1999, June 2015, June 2017

Yellowstone NP (South) – Wyoming

So far 5 visit: August 1994, June 1998, September 1999, June 2015, June 2017

Yosemite NP – California

So far 4 visit: August 1994, September 1999, May 2013, September 2019
Permits 2024 - For different months of the year.

Zion NP – Utah

So far 10 visit: gust 1992, August 1994, April 1997, September 1999, October 2009, October 2012, May 2013, October 2014, March 2016, April 2022.

Free Entrance Days in the National Parks

Birthday of Martin Luther King Jr.

15.01.2024

First Day of National Park Week

20.04.2024

Juneteenth

19.06.2024

Great American Outdoor Act

04.08.2024

National Public Lands Day

28.09.2024

Veterans Day

11.11.2024

Days with free admission to parks managed by the National Park Service:

As every year, there are six days in 2024 when you don't have to pay an entrance fee in the areas managed by the National Park Service. All information can be found on the official webpage.

However, it should be said that it will be extremely crowded on these days, especially in the popular national parks. We can only recommend to everyone who wants to enjoy nature in peace to rather avoid these days.

The Anual Pass, offers free entry to all areas managed by the National Park Service. You pay a one-time fee of $80 and can visit any national park, national monument, etc. free of charge for 13 months. Such a pass is worthwhile from the third national park that you visit within the 13 months and you are not tied to days when all the people of the planet gather in one place.