Here are the most-visited states for national parks

There are dozens of national parks sprinkled across the United States.

Each park is majestic and has its own charm.

In 2024, there were over 331 million people who visited the many national parks, monuments and historic sites that are managed by the National Park Service in the U.S. 

If you're having a hard time deciding on which one you'd like to see, here are the states (and one district) that had the most park visitors and a list of the most-visited parks in each state to help you decide. 

States with the most park visitors

The top 10 states that had the most visitors, due to the sheer size of the state and the number of national parks and monuments it has, as well as its general population size, include: 

1. District of Columbia: 41,961,726 visitors
2. California: 39,405,196 visitors
3. Virginia: 21,362,318 visitors
4. North Carolina: 18,796,184 visitors
5. New York: 18,741,053 visitors
6. Utah: 15,821,579 visitors
7. Florida: 13,503,256 visitors
8. Tennessee: 12,571,303 visitors
9. Arizona: 11,254,081 visitors
10. Washington: 9,036,038 visitors

D.C. has many historic sites designated as national monuments or memorials, which makes it No. 1 on the list. 

California has over two dozen national parks, monuments, memorials and preserves, awarding it the No. 2 spot for the most recreation visitors. Its size and diverse climate make it the optimal destination to visit for outdoor recreation. 

Virginia’s George Washington Memorial Parkway is filled with hiking trails, scenic drives and memorials, making it a popular recreational and educational site. 

Most-visited national parks by state 

Some of these parks are not actually parks, but rather locations or monuments designated as national parks or historic sites that are managed by the NPS. 

Other locations were chosen as the "most popular" or "most visited" because it’s the only one in their state. 

1. Alabama: Little River Canyon National Preserve
2. Alaska: Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park
3. Arizona: Grand Canyon National Park 
4. Arkansas: Hot Springs National Park 
5. California: Yosemite National Park 
6. Colorado: Rocky Mountain National Park 
7. Connecticut: Weir Farm National Historical Park 
8. Delaware: First State National Historical Park 
9. DC: Rock Creek Park
10. Florida: Gulf Islands National Seashore
11. Georgia: Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area
12. Hawai’i: Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park 
13. Idaho: Nez Perce National Historical Park 
14. Illinois: Lincoln Home National Historic Site
15. Indiana: Indiana Dunes National Park 
16. Iowa: Effigy Mounds National Monument
17. Kansas: Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve
18. Kentucky: Mammoth Cave National Park 
19. Louisiana: Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve
20. Maine: Arcadia National Park 
21. Maryland: Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park 
22. Massachusetts: Cape Cod National Seashore
23. Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
24. Minnesota: Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway
25. Mississippi: Natchez Trace Parkway
26. Missouri: Ozark National Scenic Riverways
27. Montana: Glacier National Park 
28. Nebraska: Scotts Bluff National Monument
29. Nevada: Lake Mead National Recreation Area
30. New Hampshire: Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park 
31. New Jersey: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area
32. New Mexico: White Sands National Park 
33. New York: Gateway National Recreation Area
34. North Carolina: Blue Ridge Parkway 
35. North Dakota: Theodore Roosevelt National Park 
36. Ohio: Cuyahoga Valley National Park 
37. Oklahoma: Chickasaw National Recreation Area
38. Oregon: Crater Lake National Park 
39. Pennsylvania: Independence National Historical Park 
40. Rhode Island: Roger Williams National Memorial
41. South Carolina: Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historic Park
42. South Dakota: Mount Rushmore National Memorial 
43. Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountains National Park 
44. Texas: San Antonio Mission National Historical Park 
45. Utah: Zion National Park 
46. Vermont: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park 
47. Virginia: George Washington Memorial Parkway 
48. Washington: Olympic National Park 
49. West Virginia: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve
50. Wisconsin: Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway (Shared with Minnesota)
51. Wyoming: Grand Teton National Park 

How national parks and monuments are designated

There are two ways parks and monuments become designated as "national:" 

Dig deeper:

Through congressional action
"The Secretary of the Interior is usually asked by Congress for recommendations on proposed additions to the System. The Secretary is counseled by the National Park System Advisory Board, composed of private citizens, which advises on possible additions to the System and policies for its management," according to the National Park Service. 

The president declares it using the Antiquities Act of 1906
Under the Antiquities Act of 1906, a president can proclaim a national monument or park under federal jurisdiction, according to the National Parks Conservation Association website. 

About one-quarter of sites in the National Parks system originated through the Antiquities Act. 

How many national parks and monuments are in the US? 

By the numbers:

There are more than 420 park sites that are managed by the National Park Service. 

They cover more than 85 million acres across all 50 states, the District of Columbia and territories.