Park Visitation Drop
National Park Visitation Falls 2.7% in 2025, First Drop Since 2020
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Key Points
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There are 63 national parks across the United States.
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Estimated driving times are provided only for the contiguous United States (lower 48 states) and are based on standard reference locations; actual road access may vary.
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Distances in the proximity lists are calculated as straight-line distances from representative points in each metro area to the parks, with caveats that the on-the-ground distance to the closest entryway may be shorter or longer.
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Stacker’s NC proximity lists are based on WSOC-TV’s 'Closest National' data, with each metro having its own dedicated proximity feature listing the nearest national parks.
U.S. national parks drew about 323 million visitors in 2025 — a 2.7% drop from 2024's record high of nearly 332 million, according to National Park Service. It is the first annual decline since the pandemic year of 2020. The NPS released the data on March 13, 2026.
The drop comes after a turbulent year for the agency. The Department of Government Efficiency fired more than 1,000 NPS workers in February 2025. A 43-day partial government shutdown followed in the fall. Conservation groups say the cuts and chaos drove tourists away. The administration says parks ran fine.
Staffing Cuts and a Historic Shutdown Shook the Parks
In February 2025, DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency — fired over 1,000 probationary NPS employees. By year's end, the agency had lost roughly 24% of its permanent workforce, about 4,000 people. Seasonal hiring froze too, leaving 44% of summer jobs unfilled. The U.S. Supreme Court allowed the firings to stand in April 2025, rejecting a lower court order to reinstate the workers.
Then came the longest full government shutdown in U.S. history — 43 days, from October 1 to November 12, 2025. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum kept parks open with skeleton crews. The NPS lost an estimated $25 to $43 million in entrance fees during that stretch, according to Center for American Progress reporting. Partner groups like the Black Hills Parks and Forests Association reported a direct loss of $105,000.
Great Smoky Mountains Led Visits, But Many Big Parks Fell
Great Smoky Mountains remained the busiest national park in 2025, with 11.5 million visits — but that was nearly 600,000 fewer than in 2024. Zion drew 4.98 million visitors, Yellowstone 4.76 million, Grand Canyon 4.43 million, and Yosemite 4.28 million. The steepest drop of all: Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historical Park collapsed 44.2%, falling from 1.16 million to just 647,349 visits.
Not every park lost ground. Twenty-six parks set all-time visitation records in 2025, even as the system as a whole fell short. Blue Ridge Parkway led all NPS units with 16.5 million visits. Golden Gate National Recreation Area lost the most visits of any single site — down 1.44 million — finishing at 15.7 million.
Officials Clash Over Whether Budget Cuts Hurt or Helped
Acting NPS Director Jessica Bowron put a positive spin on the numbers. She said parks remain "places where people come to experience our country's history, landscapes, and shared heritage." The administration pointed to the 26 record-breaking parks as proof the system held up. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said the cuts were "aggressively saving taxpayer dollars."
Critics pushed back hard. Emily Douce of the National Parks Conservation Association said parks are "economic engines for communities" and warned that understaffing led to uncollected trash, closed campgrounds, and vandalism. Democratic Rep. Emily Randall grilled Secretary Burgum in May 2026 over a proposed 25% NPS budget cut — while the administration sought $13.1 million to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.
Local Proximity Still Drives Park Visits Across the Country
Even as national numbers fell, regional travel to nearby parks stayed strong. Data compiled by Stacker, using WSOC-TV's closest-park rankings, shows how proximity shapes where people go. For Charlotte, NC residents, Congaree National Park in South Carolina is just 96 miles away — about 2.4 hours by car. Great Smoky Mountains is 158 miles, or roughly 4.2 hours.
Greensboro residents are closest to New River Gorge National Park in West Virginia at 158 miles, while Durham travelers would head to Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, 174 miles away. The NPS manages 433 total units, including 63 designated national parks. The system protects at least 247 endangered species, over 75,000 archaeological sites, and 18,000 miles of trails — a mission set by President Woodrow Wilson when he created the agency in 1916.
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