National Parks

...summarized links to all national parks we visited

Of the 63 national parks in the U.S., we have visited 45 so far. This overview is intended to help you find specific parks more quickly. They are listed here in alphabetical order. Clicking on the respective photos will take you to the detailed reports on the national parks. In 2025, 323 million visitors were recorded across all areas managed by the National Park Service. National parks accounted for 29% of that total. With 11.5 million visitors, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is by far the most visited national park.

Current: Starting in 2026, extra admission fees of $100 per person will apply to particularly popular parks in addition to the regular admission price. The parks in question are listed with xxx .

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 - 4.2 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

Top Ten 2024

1. Great Smoky Mountains NP - 12.2 million visitors
2. Zion NP - 5 million visitors
3. Grand Canyon NP - 4.9 million visitors
4. Yellowstone NP - 4.7 million visitors
5. Rocky Mountain NP - 4.1 million visitors
6. Yosemite NP - 4.1 million visitors
7. Acadia NP - 4 million visitors
8. Olympic NP - 3.7 million visitors
9. Grand Teton NP - 3.6 million visitors
10. Glacier NP - 3.2 million visitors

Top Ten 2025

1. Great Smoky Mountains NP - 11.5 million visitors
2. Zion NP - 5 million visitors
3. Yellowstone NP - 4.8 million visitors
4. Grand Canyon NP - 4.4 million visitors
5. Yosemite NP - 4.3 million visitors
6. Rocky Mountain NP - 4.2 million visitors
7. Acadia NP - 4.1 million visitors
8. Grand Teton NP - 3.8 million visitors
9. Olympic NP - 3.6 million visitors
10. Glacier NP - 3.1 million visitors

Acadia NP – Maine xxx

So far 2 visits: October 2008, October 2010
Permits 2026 - 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 2026 – No permits required for 2026!!!

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 xxx

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 2026 – Tickets with time slots for 2026

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 xxx

So far 2 visit: März 1997, November 2022

Gateway Arch NP – Missouri

So far 2 visits: August 1994, May 2017

Glacier NP – Montana xxx

So far 1 visit: June 1998
Permits 2026 – No permits required for 2026!!!

Grand Canyon NP (North) – Arizona xxx

So far 2 visits: November 2009, October 2012

Grand Canyon NP (South) – Arizona xxx

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

Grand Teton NP – Wyoming xxx

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

Indiana Dunes NP – Indiana

So far 1 visit: September 2024

Joshua Tree NP – California

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

Kings Canyon NP – California xxx

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 2026 – No permits required for 2026!!!

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 xxx

So far 2 visit: October 2012, June 2017
Permits 2026 – From May 22 to October 12 – Permits with specified time slots.

Saguaro NP – Arizona

So far 2 visits: April 1997, May 2013

Sequoia NP – California xxx

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 xxx

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

Yellowstone NP (South) – Wyoming xxx

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

Yosemite NP – California xxx

So far 4 visit: August 1994, September 1999, May 2013, September 2019
Permits 2026 – No permits required for 2026!!!

Zion NP – Utah xxx

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

Days with free admission to the National Parks

Presidents Day

16.02.2026

Memorial Day

25.05.2026

Flag Day

14.06.2026

Independence Day Weekend

3-5.07.2026

110th Birthday of the National Park Service

25.08.2026

Constitution Day

17.09.2026

Theodore Roosevelt´s Birthday

27.10.2026

Veterans Day

11.11.2026

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

Attention!!! Until now, admission has been free for all visitors on these days. From 2026, international tourists will no longer be granted free admission. The standard admission prices for the respective parks will apply. As the parks can become extremely crowded, we strongly advise everyone to avoid visiting the parks on these dates.