About 312 million people visited America’s national parks, memorials, and historic sites in 2022 – a 5% increase from the previous year, which signifies a return toward pre-pandemic numbers, according to the National Park Service. Although the NPS offers 424 sites across the nation, over a quarter of 2022 park visits occurred at just eight of the most popular ones. (Read about the largest and smallest national parks in America.)
To identify America’s favorite destinations managed by the government in 2022, 24/7 Tempo reviewed the record of last year’s recreational visits published in the National Park Service’s annual visitation report, as well as National Park data for visits in 2021.
Some of the best-known parks out West like Yellowstone and Yosemite accounted for just over 1% of park visits, while Eastern destinations including Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway pulled in 4.15% and 5.04% of visits, respectively. Several parkways, where visitors can view sites from the comfort of their vehicles with scenic overlooks and occasional nature trails for stretching the legs, are among the most visited government-managed sites.
Other parks that saw the most visitors include those near populous urban areas, like the Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, the Gateway National Recreation Area in New York and New Jersey, and the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (These are the most popular states for national park visits.)
30. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 2,913,312 (0.93% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 2,575,275 (0.87% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 34 out of 387
> Known for: Preserving the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River in Northeast Ohio
29. Thomas Jefferson Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 2,975,148 (0.95% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 1,833,924 (0.62% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 43 out of 387
> Known for: Quotes from Jefferson, capturing his ideology and philosophy
28. San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park (California)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,034,750 (0.97% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 2,827,885 (0.95% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 30 out of 387
> Known for: Historic ships docked at Hyde Street Pier
27. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,058,294 (0.98% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 3,064,400 (1.03% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 28 out of 387
> Known for: Twisted, bristled Joshua trees
26. Statue of Liberty National Monument (New York)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,141,213 (1.01% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 1,556,482 (0.52% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 52 out of 387
> Known for: Being a universal symbol of freedom and democracy
25. Yellowstone National Park (Idaho, Montana, Wyoming)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,290,242 (1.05% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 4,860,242 (1.64% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 12 out of 387
> Known for: Being the world’s first national park, comprising 2.2 million acres
24. Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,291,313 (1.05% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 2,022,050 (0.68% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 41 out of 387
> Known for: The 22 quotes from Roosevelt’s presidency engraved in the red South Dakota-granite walls
23. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,321,897 (1.06% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 2,032,470 (0.68% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 40 out of 387
> Known for: The Stone of Hope, a granite statue of the civil rights leader
22. Castle Clinton National Monument (New York)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,471,661 (1.11% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 1,665,660 (0.56% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 49 out of 387
> Known for: Being the first American immigration station, predating Ellis Island
21. Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (Georgia)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,537,848 (1.13% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 3,256,151 (1.10% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 22 out of 387
> Known for: Year-round fishing
20. Yosemite National Park (California)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,667,550 (1.18% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 3,287,595 (1.11% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 21 out of 387
> Known for: Giant ancient sequoia trees
19. Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,968,672 (1.27% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 4,017,239 (1.35% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 17 out of 387
> Known for: 40 miles of sandy beach, marshes, ponds, and uplands
18. Acadia National Park (Maine)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 3,970,260 (1.27% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 4,069,098 (1.37% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 16 out of 387
> Known for: 47,000 acres of Atlantic Coast recreation area
17. Korean War Veterans Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,010,009 (1.29% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 2,986,751 (1.01% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 29 out of 387
> Known for: Its striking, controversial design of soldiers seeming marching through the fog of war
16. Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (District of Columbia and Maryland)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,286,185 (1.37% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 5,005,217 (1.68% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 11 out of 387
> Known for: The canal that operated for almost a century
15. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,300,424 (1.38% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 4,434,848 (1.49% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 14 out of 387
> Known for: Its scenic Trail Ridge and Old Fall River roads
14. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (New Jersey and Pennsylvania)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,380,225 (1.40% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 4,340,902 (1.46% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 15 out of 387
> Known for: Stunning landscapes, year-round recreational opportunities
13. Zion National Park (Utah)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,692,417 (1.50% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 5,039,835 (1.70% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 10 out of 387
> Known for: Towering sandstone cliffs, unique flora and fauna
12. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,732,101 (1.52% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 4,532,677 (1.53% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 13 out of 387
> Known for: Unforgettable vistas, spectacular examples of erosion
11. World War II Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,815,309 (1.54% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 3,727,167 (1.25% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 19 out of 387
> Known for: Stone architecture with bronze sculptures, bas-relief depictions of wartime life
10. Vietnam Veterans Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 4,886,254 (1.57% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 3,636,033 (1.22% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 20 out of 387
> Known for: A chronological list of the names of 58,318 Americans who died in the war
9. America’s First National Recreation Area (Arizona and Nevada)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 5,578,226 (1.79% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 7,603,474 (2.56% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 5 out of 387
> Known for: Being America’s first and largest national recreation area
8. Gulf Islands National Seashore (Mississippi)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 5,685,155 (1.82% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 5,458,816 (1.84% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 9 out of 387
> Known for: Its emerald-green waters and white beaches
7. Natchez Trace Parkway (Tennessee and Mississippi)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 6,543,533 (2.10% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 6,401,346 (2.15% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 7 out of 387
> Known for: Its 440 miles of historic forest trail
6. George Washington Memorial Parkway (Virginia)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 7,397,120 (2.37% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 6,821,179 (2.30% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 6 out of 387
> Known for: Linking historical sites
5. Lincoln Memorial (Washington. D.C.)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 7,825,397 (2.51% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 5,792,331 (1.95% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 8 out of 387
> Known for: Its inspiring monumental sculpture of “the savior of our nation”
4. Gateway National Recreation Area (New York and New Jersey)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 8,728,291 (2.80% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 9,060,807 (3.05% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 4 out of 387
> Known for: The Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge and Floyd Bennett Field
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 12,937,633 (4.15% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 14,161,548 (4.77% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 2 out of 387
> Known for: Ancient mountains, Appalachian culture
2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (California)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 15,638,911 (5.01% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 13,712,614 (4.62% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 3 out of 387
> Known for: The iconic Golden Gate Bridge
1. Blue Ridge Parkway (Virginia and North Carolina)
> Recreation visits in 2022: 15,711,004 (5.04% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Recreation visits in 2021: 15,948,148 (5.37% of all visits to NPS destinations)
> Rank in 2021: 1 out of 387
> Known for: Being America’s longest linear park (469 miles)