50 Most Popular National Parks

Above, a crowd gathers for an eruption of Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Determining the popularity of any given national park depends on a number of things including location, attractions, lodging, camping and distinctive features. Anything else has to be looked at subjectively.

With that in mind, the Lincoln Journal Star has compiled a list of the 50 most popular national parks.

They begin with:

Approximately 237 million people visited American national parks in 2020, representing a 28% year-over-year decrease attributed to the coronavirus pandemic. To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020.

President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 signed the act creating the National Park Service to leave natural and historic phenomenons "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Since then, our national parks have welcomed visitors from around the world to experience some of the best the country has to offer and showcase the country’s natural beauty and cultural heritage.

Today, the country's 63 national parks contain at least 247 species of endangered or threatened plants and animals, more than 75,000 archaeological sites, and 18,000 miles of trails.

Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.

To read more, go here.