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These Were the Most Visited National Parks in 2015

2 minute read
ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
The Linn Cove Viaduct crosses fall foliage on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carollina.Chicago Tribune—MCT via Getty Images
By Daniel White

Ahead of its 100-year anniversary celebration, the National Park Service announced its most visited parks last year with the release of its annual visitors data.

The park service reported more than 307 million visitors, breaking its previous attendance record of 292.8 million and up 4.9% from the 2014 total.

“The popularity of national parks is well known, but last year’s numbers really are extraordinary,” said National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis in a statement. “As the National Park Service celebrates its 100th year, we’re preparing to welcome more visitors than ever including a new generation of park supporters and advocates who are discovering their own national park adventures.”

The most visited out of all parks monitored by the National Park Service was Blue Ridge Parkway (some 15 million visitors), a scenic roadway that runs for 469 miles through North Carolina and Virginia. Among actual national parks, Great Smoky Mountains National Park (more than 10.7 million visitors) was the most trafficked, located along the North Carolina and Tennessee border.

Below are lists of the visitation totals from the National Park Service.

All parks in the National Park System

  • Blue Ridge Parkway – 15,054,603
  • Golden Gate National Recreation Area – 14,888,537
  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 10,712,674
  • Lincoln Memorial – 7,941,771
  • Lake Mead National Recreation Area – 7,298,465
  • George Washington Memorial Parkway – 7,286,463
  • Gateway National Recreation Area – 6,392,565
  • Natchez Trace Parkway – 5,785,812
  • Vietnam Veterans Memorial – 5,597,077
  • Grand Canyon National Park – 5,520,736

    • National Parks

  • Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 10,712,674
  • Grand Canyon National Park – 5,520,736
  • Rocky Mountain National Park – 4,155,916
  • Yosemite National Park – 4,150,217
  • Yellowstone National Park – 4,097,710
  • Zion National Park – 3,648,846
  • Olympic National Park – 3,263,761
  • Grand Teton National Park – 3,149,921
  • Acadia National Park – 2,811,184
  • Glacier National Park – 2,366,056

    • See Breathtaking Views of the National Parks From Space

    NASA - Yosemite National Park
    Yosemite National Park, Aug. 18, 2015 Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Colorado National Monument
    Colorado National Monument, Apr. 2, 2012 Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Redwood National Park
    Redwood National Park, Feb. 6, 2003Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Hot Springs National Park
    Hot Springs National Park, Jun. 13, 2013Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - White Sands National Monument
    White Sands National Monument, Jun. 27, 2009Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Shenandoah National Park
    Shenandoah National Park, Oct. 13, 2010Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Grand Staircase
    Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, May 15, 2015Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Big Bend National Park
    Big Bend National Park, May 10, 2002 Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Joshua Tree National Park
    Joshua Tree National Park, May 28, 2003Jesse Allen—NASA
    NASA - Hells Canyon National Recreation Area
    Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Sept. 19, 2002Jesse Allen—NASA

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