U.S. National Park System - Visits and Ranking in 2010

Tags: parks usa Posted: Dec. 28, 2011 by Ilyn

Beach at Ofu, American Samoa. The American Samoa national park is located on three Samoan islands and protects coral reefs, rainforests, volcanic mountains, and white beaches.

Media credit: Peter Craig, National Park Service, License details

Date licensed: Dec. 28, 2011
License: Public domain
Media Source: Wikipedia
Media Author: Peter Craig, National Park Service
License Comments: This is to confirm that the original image at the date of downloading and publishing was located at this URL. It is based on a work of a US NPS employee created during the course of official duties and is in the public domain (see US NPS policy).

United States is a country with many amazing natural wonders, scenic places and routes, historic sites and recreational areas. While planning your next adventure, it may be useful to know not only what are they but also how popular they are among visitors. Unfortunately, even with the Internet, it may require more than click (at least in my experience) to get such data. However, if the place you are interested in as a tourist destinations is administered by the U.S. National Park Service, it is easy to obtain statistics regarding number of visits.

There are about 400 physical properties (called sometimes "units") included in the National Park System. The table below contains the most recent (2010) ranking of such properties by number of visits. You may notice that the total number of entries is only 363. There are two reasons for that. One is that the total count (that approaches 400) is messed up - it seems like even inside the National Park System there are differences in how units are counted in different cases. The second reason is that national historic and scenic trails and national cemeteries (also part of the system) are no included in statistics.

The following explanation of abbreviations may help you understand better what specific places are mentioned in the report (and give better insights of what's included in the U.S. National Park System):

NP - National Park
NM - National Monument
NPRES - National Preserve
NHP - National Historical Park
NHS - National Historic Site
NSR - International Historic Site
NBP - National Battlefield Parks
PKWY - National Parkways
NMP - National Military Parks
NMEM - National Memorial
NB - National Battlefields
NRA - National Recreation Area
NS - National Seashores
NL - National Lakeshores
NSR - National Rivers
W&SR - National Wild Scenic & Recreational River

U.S. National Park System - Ranking Report for Recreation Visits (2010) (Source: http://www.nature.nps.gov/stats/)

Park	Rank	Visitors	% of Total
Blue Ridge PKWY	1	14,517,118	5.16 %
Golden Gate NRA	2	14,271,503	5.07 %
Great Smoky Mountains NP	3	9,463,538	3.36 %
Gateway NRA	4	8,820,757	3.14 %
Lake Mead NRA	5	7,080,758	2.52 %
George Washington MEM PKWY	6	6,925,099	2.46 %
Lincoln Memorial	7	6,042,315	2.15 %
Natchez Trace PKWY	8	5,910,950	2.10 %
Delaware Water Gap NRA	9	5,285,761	1.88 %
Cape Cod NS	10	4,653,706	1.65 %
Vietnam Veterans MEM	11	4,555,371	1.62 %
Grand Canyon NP	12	4,388,386	1.56 %
Gulf Islands NS	13	4,283,747	1.52 %
San Francisco Maritime NHP	14	4,130,970	1.47 %
Castle Clinton NM	15	4,126,378	1.47 %
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal NHP	16	4,111,238	1.46 %
World War II Memorial	17	3,964,351	1.41 %
Yosemite NP	18	3,901,408	1.39 %
Statue of Liberty NM	19	3,833,288	1.36 %
Independence NHP	20	3,751,007	1.33 %
Yellowstone NP	21	3,640,185	1.29 %
Colonial NHP	22	3,459,965	1.23 %
Korean War Veterans Memorial	23	3,072,716	1.09 %
Chattahoochee River NRA	24	3,011,393	1.07 %
Rocky Mountain NP	25	2,955,821	1.05 %
Olympic NP	26	2,844,563	1.01 %
Grand Teton NP	27	2,669,374	0.95 %
Zion NP	28	2,665,972	0.95 %
Acadia NP	29	2,504,208	0.89 %
Cuyahoga Valley NP	30	2,492,670	0.89 %
Jefferson NEM	31	2,436,110	0.87 %
Mount Rushmore NMEM	32	2,331,237	0.83 %
Thomas Jefferson MEM	33	2,305,856	0.82 %
Franklin Delano Roosevelt MEM	34	2,238,052	0.80 %
Glacier NP	35	2,200,048	0.78 %
Cape Hatteras NS	36	2,193,292	0.78 %
Indiana Dunes NL	37	2,150,345	0.76 %
Glen Canyon NRA	38	2,124,467	0.76 %
Assateague Island NS	39	2,106,090	0.75 %
Point Reyes NS	40	2,067,271	0.73 %
Boston NHP	41	2,060,497	0.73 %
Rock Creek Park	42	1,883,457	0.67 %
Valley Forge NHP	43	1,617,511	0.58 %
Amistad NRA	44	1,574,322	0.56 %
Buffalo NR	45	1,545,599	0.55 %
Kennesaw Mountain NBP	46	1,512,191	0.54 %
Joshua Tree NP	47	1,434,976	0.51 %
Ozark NSR	48	1,416,529	0.50 %
World War II Valor in the Pacific NM	49	1,372,724	0.49 %
National Capital Parks Central	50	1,363,389	0.48 %
Lake Roosevelt NRA	51	1,324,074	0.47 %
Fort Point NHS	52	1,315,241	0.47 %
Hot Springs NP	53	1,311,807	0.47 %
San Antonio Missions NHP	54	1,304,690	0.46 %
Hawaii Volcanoes NP	55	1,304,667	0.46 %
Bryce Canyon NP	56	1,285,492	0.46 %
Sleeping Bear Dunes NL	57	1,280,932	0.46 %
Chickasaw NRA	58	1,253,637	0.45 %
Shenandoah NP	59	1,253,386	0.45 %
John D. Rockefeller, Jr. MEM PKWY	60	1,222,931	0.43 %
Mount Rainier NP	61	1,191,754	0.42 %
National Capital Parks East	62	1,181,960	0.42 %
New River Gorge NR	63	1,151,213	0.41 %
Haleakala NP	64	1,105,606	0.39 %
San Juan NHS	65	1,105,252	0.39 %
Minute Man NHP	66	1,073,748	0.38 %
Gettysburg NMP	67	1,031,554	0.37 %
Arches NP	68	1,014,405	0.36 %
Sequoia NP	69	1,002,979	0.36 %
Timucuan EHP	70	993,948	0.35 %
Chickamauga & Chattanooga NMP	71	991,901	0.35 %
Death Valley NP	72	984,775	0.35 %
Badlands NP	73	977,778	0.35 %
Curecanti NRA	74	969,549	0.34 %
Canaveral NS	75	966,099	0.34 %
White House	76	922,335	0.33 %
Cumberland Gap NHP	77	918,746	0.33 %
Everglades NP	78	915,538	0.33 %
Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania NMP	79	899,936	0.32 %
Lake Meredith NRA	80	883,586	0.31 %
Muir Woods NM	81	834,356	0.30 %
Canyon de Chelly NM	82	827,247	0.29 %
Salem Maritime NHS	83	806,506	0.29 %
Klondike Gold Rush NHP Alaska	84	797,716	0.28 %
Fort Sumter NM	85	797,713	0.28 %
Whiskeytown NRA	86	788,065	0.28 %
Fort Vancouver NHS	87	786,989	0.28 %
Cabrillo NM	88	763,140	0.27 %
Saguaro NP	89	717,614	0.26 %
Castillo de San Marcos NM	90	708,549	0.25 %
Ross Lake NRA	91	682,736	0.24 %
Fort Matanzas NM	92	673,700	0.24 %
Big Cypress NPRES	93	665,523	0.24 %
Petrified Forest NP	94	664,725	0.24 %
Capitol Reef NP	95	662,661	0.24 %
Ford's Theatre NHS	96	662,298	0.24 %
Martin Luther King, Jr. NHS	97	658,452	0.23 %
Big South Fork NRRA	98	656,374	0.23 %
Washington Monument	99	628,665	0.22 %
Arlington House The R.E. Lee MEM	100	627,576	0.22 %
Theodore Roosevelt NP	101	623,748	0.22 %
President's Park	102	616,635	0.22 %
Fire Island NS	103	613,057	0.22 %
Padre Island NS	104	612,716	0.22 %
Manassas NBP	105	612,490	0.22 %
Fort McHenry NM & HS	106	611,582	0.22 %
Mojave NPRES	107	600,897	0.21 %
Kings Canyon NP	108	598,205	0.21 %
Vicksburg NMP	109	581,459	0.21 %
Montezuma Castle NM	110	578,554	0.21 %
Wind Cave NP	111	577,141	0.21 %
Santa Monica Mountains NRA	112	568,371	0.20 %
Mesa Verde NP	113	559,712	0.20 %
Lowell NHP	114	540,475	0.19 %
Cape Lookout NS	115	530,181	0.19 %
Cedar Breaks NM	116	525,831	0.19 %
Wolf Trap NP for the Performing Arts	117	520,397	0.18 %
Pictured Rocks NL	118	499,281	0.18 %
Mammoth Cave NP	119	497,225	0.18 %
Virgin Islands NP	120	493,477	0.18 %
Wright Brothers NMEM	121	476,200	0.17 %
White Sands NM	122	470,921	0.17 %
Biscayne NP	123	467,612	0.17 %
Crater Lake NP	124	448,319	0.16 %
Glacier Bay NP & PRES	125	444,530	0.16 %
Devils Tower NM	126	436,200	0.16 %
Canyonlands NP	127	435,908	0.15 %
Colorado NM	128	433,561	0.15 %
Carlsbad Caverns NP	129	428,524	0.15 %
Pu'uhonua o Honaunau NHP	130	419,590	0.15 %
Redwood NP	131	418,820	0.15 %
Fort Pulaski NM	132	416,292	0.15 %
Governors Island NM	133	409,207	0.15 %
Antietam NB	134	393,957	0.14 %
Jean Lafitte NHP & PRES	135	391,019	0.14 %
Vanderbilt Mansion NHS	136	390,525	0.14 %
Prince William Forest Park	137	386,521	0.14 %
Catoctin Mountain Park	138	385,745	0.14 %
Lassen Volcanic NP	139	384,570	0.14 %
Denali NP & PRES	140	378,855	0.13 %
Big Bend NP	141	372,330	0.13 %
Lincoln Home NHS	142	354,125	0.13 %
Fort Washington Park	143	352,883	0.13 %
Boston African American NHS	144	333,463	0.12 %
Little Bighorn Battlefield NM	145	320,959	0.11 %
Shiloh NMP	146	317,046	0.11 %
Upper Delaware S&RR	147	306,468	0.11 %
Fort Raleigh NHS	148	305,711	0.11 %
Fort Caroline NMEM	149	299,906	0.11 %
Kenai Fjords NP	150	297,596	0.11 %
Fort Frederica NM	151	294,484	0.10 %
Guilford Courthouse NMP	152	285,444	0.10 %
Great Sand Dunes NP & PRES	153	283,284	0.10 %
Morristown NHP	154	278,392	0.10 %
New Bedford Whaling NHP	155	277,681	0.10 %
Channel Islands NP	156	277,515	0.10 %
Kings Mountain NMP	157	275,555	0.10 %
Greenbelt Park	158	270,661	0.10 %
Harpers Ferry NHP	159	268,822	0.10 %
De Soto NMEM	160	265,406	0.09 %
Fort Necessity NB	161	264,450	0.09 %
San Juan Island NHP	162	263,370	0.09 %
Pennsylvania Avenue NHS	163	262,030	0.09 %
Bighorn Canyon NRA	164	258,637	0.09 %
Voyageurs NP	165	253,891	0.09 %
Piscataway Park	166	248,314	0.09 %
Pinnacles NM	167	246,575	0.09 %
Bandelier NM	168	234,896	0.08 %
LBJ Memorial Grove on the Potomac	169	230,694	0.08 %
Cowpens NB	170	226,868	0.08 %
Chamizal NMEM	171	226,535	0.08 %
Wupatki NM	172	221,083	0.08 %
War in the Pacific NHP	173	219,349	0.08 %
Lewis & Clark NHP	174	218,553	0.08 %
Appomattox Court House NHP	175	216,220	0.08 %
Craters of the Moon NM	176	215,698	0.08 %
Organ Pipe Cactus NM	177	209,602	0.07 %
Natchez NHP	178	206,870	0.07 %
Fort Donelson NB	179	202,210	0.07 %
Dinosaur NM	180	197,812	0.07 %
Nez Perce NHP	181	193,000	0.07 %
Little River Canyon NPRES	182	192,576	0.07 %
Guadalupe Mountains NP	183	192,210	0.07 %
Sitka NHP	184	189,176	0.07 %
Saint Croix NSR	185	188,400	0.07 %
Stones River NB	186	187,559	0.07 %
Wilson's Creek NB	187	185,200	0.07 %
Obed W&SR	188	180,203	0.06 %
Federal Hall NMEM	189	178,749	0.06 %
Abraham Lincoln Birthplace NHP	190	177,122	0.06 %
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP	191	176,344	0.06 %
Petersburg NB	192	175,553	0.06 %
Missouri NRR	193	167,301	0.06 %
Sunset Crater Volcano NM	194	158,819	0.06 %
Apostle Islands NL	195	156,945	0.06 %
Herbert Hoover NHS	196	142,512	0.05 %
Big Thicket NPRES	197	140,489	0.05 %
Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt NHS	198	140,251	0.05 %
Flight 93 NMEM	199	137,837	0.05 %
Coronado NMEM	200	136,284	0.05 %
John Day Fossil Beds NM	201	135,151	0.05 %
El Malpais NM	202	134,662	0.05 %
Scotts Bluff NM	203	133,795	0.05 %
Kaloko Honokohau NHP	204	132,731	0.05 %
Lava Beds NM	205	130,765	0.05 %
Richmond NBP	206	130,415	0.05 %
Pu'ukohola Heiau NHS	207	129,886	0.05 %
George Washington Birthplace NM	208	128,158	0.05 %
Walnut Canyon NM	209	126,552	0.04 %
Lincoln Boyhood NMEM	210	126,228	0.04 %
Andersonville NHS	211	121,535	0.04 %
Congaree NP	212	121,208	0.04 %
Timpanogos Cave NM	213	120,241	0.04 %
General Grant NMEM	214	119,665	0.04 %
George Rogers Clark NHP	215	118,912	0.04 %
Christiansted NHS	216	117,214	0.04 %
African Burial Ground NM	217	117,113	0.04 %
Theodore Roosevelt Island	218	116,035	0.04 %
Pea Ridge NMP	219	115,128	0.04 %
Grand Portage NM	220	113,996	0.04 %
Lyndon B. Johnson NHP	221	112,680	0.04 %
Ocmulgee NM	222	109,413	0.04 %
Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS	223	107,363	0.04 %
Gauley River NRA	224	107,223	0.04 %
Petroglyph NM	225	105,643	0.04 %
Steamtown NHS	226	104,855	0.04 %
Rainbow Bridge NM	227	104,501	0.04 %
Fort Stanwix NM	228	103,748	0.04 %
Jewel Cave NM	229	103,462	0.04 %
Tuzigoot NM	230	103,274	0.04 %
Johnstown Flood NMEM	231	100,799	0.04 %
Natural Bridges NM	232	95,676	0.03 %
Perry's Victory & Intl. Peace MEM	233	92,944	0.03 %
City of Rocks NRES	234	92,484	0.03 %
Cumberland Island NS	235	91,996	0.03 %
Navajo NM	236	90,696	0.03 %
Great Basin NP	237	88,870	0.03 %
Carl Sandburg Home NHS	238	86,740	0.03 %
Oregon Caves NM	239	86,335	0.03 %
Hubbell Trading Post NHS	240	80,578	0.03 %
Devils Postpile NM	241	80,349	0.03 %
New Orleans Jazz NHP	242	80,195	0.03 %
Effigy Mounds NM	243	79,783	0.03 %
Pipestone NM	244	78,108	0.03 %
Casa Grande Ruins NM	245	77,347	0.03 %
Manzanar NHS	246	76,592	0.03 %
Homestead NM of America	247	74,314	0.03 %
Adams NHP	248	73,339	0.03 %
Wrangell-St. Elias NP & PRES	249	73,170	0.03 %
Niobrara NSR	250	69,705	0.02 %
Fort Smith NHS	251	68,678	0.02 %
Horseshoe Bend NMP	252	67,776	0.02 %
Klondike Gold Rush NHP Seattle	253	65,870	0.02 %
Florissant Fossil Beds NM	254	65,422	0.02 %
Jimmy Carter NHS	255	64,849	0.02 %
Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP	256	63,961	0.02 %
Ninety Six NHS	257	63,747	0.02 %
Saratoga NHP	258	63,719	0.02 %
Thomas Edison NHP	259	63,009	0.02 %
Eisenhower NHS	260	61,210	0.02 %
Tuskegee Airmen NHS	261	60,827	0.02 %
Tonto NM	262	60,497	0.02 %
Andrew Johnson NHS	263	60,323	0.02 %
Pipe Spring NM	264	59,952	0.02 %
Whitman Mission NHS	265	58,521	0.02 %
Fort Laramie NHS	266	57,128	0.02 %
Hopewell Furnace NHS	267	55,750	0.02 %
Chiricahua NM	268	55,436	0.02 %
Katmai NP & PRES	269	55,172	0.02 %
Sagamore Hill NHS	270	55,149	0.02 %
Dry Tortugas NP	271	53,890	0.02 %
Eleanor Roosevelt NHS	272	53,067	0.02 %
El Morro NM	273	52,566	0.02 %
Roger Williams NMEM	274	51,559	0.02 %
Moores Creek NB	275	51,326	0.02 %
Little Rock Central High School NHS	276	49,740	0.02 %
Capulin Volcano NM	277	48,580	0.02 %
Longfellow NHS	278	45,684	0.02 %
Big Hole NB	279	44,771	0.02 %
Frederick Douglass NHS	280	44,699	0.02 %
Charles Pinckney NHS	281	44,081	0.02 %
Golden Spike NHS	282	43,561	0.02 %
Fort Davis NHS	283	43,280	0.02 %
Minuteman Missile NHS	284	42,348	0.02 %
Ulysses S. Grant NHS	285	39,967	0.01 %
Tumacacori NHP	286	39,866	0.01 %
Lake Chelan NRA	287	39,249	0.01 %
Bluestone NSR	288	37,790	0.01 %
Aztec Ruins NM	289	37,437	0.01 %
George Washington Carver NM	290	35,068	0.01 %
John Muir NHS	291	34,904	0.01 %
Arkansas Post NMEM	292	34,712	0.01 %
Chaco Culture NHP	293	34,226	0.01 %
Hopewell Culture NHP	294	33,918	0.01 %
Pecos NHP	295	33,864	0.01 %
Monocacy NB	296	33,313	0.01 %
Salinas Pueblo Missions NM	297	32,941	0.01 %
Gila Cliff Dwellings NM	298	32,652	0.01 %
Friendship Hill NHS	299	32,562	0.01 %
Hampton NHS	300	32,153	0.01 %
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP	301	31,209	0.01 %
Saint-Gaudens NHS	302	30,941	0.01 %
Hagerman Fossil Beds NM	303	29,795	0.01 %
Fort Larned NHS	304	29,423	0.01 %
Bent's Old Fort NHS	305	29,120	0.01 %
Kalaupapa NHP	306	27,919	0.01 %
Harry S Truman NHS	307	27,670	0.01 %
Fort Scott NHS	308	27,635	0.01 %
Buck Island Reef NM	309	27,403	0.01 %
Hovenweep NM	310	27,386	0.01 %
Palo Alto Battlefield NHP	311	26,865	0.01 %
Cane River Creole NHP	312	25,115	0.01 %
James A. Garfield NHS	313	24,853	0.01 %
North Cascades NP	314	24,659	0.01 %
Clara Barton NHS	315	23,741	0.01 %
Russell Cave NM	316	23,374	0.01 %
Tuskegee Institute NHS	317	23,230	0.01 %
Women's Rights NHP	318	22,662	0.01 %
Grant-Kohrs Ranch NHS	319	22,075	0.01 %
Tallgrass Prairie NPRES	320	22,047	0.01 %
Knife River Indian Villages NHS	321	21,721	0.01 %
Booker T. Washington NM	322	21,665	0.01 %
William Howard Taft NHS	323	21,163	0.01 %
Martin Van Buren NHS	324	21,055	0.01 %
Fossil Butte NM	325	19,700	0.01 %
Mary McLeod Bethune Council House NHS	326	19,520	0.01 %
Weir Farm NHS	327	19,313	0.01 %
Brown v. Board of Education NHS	328	17,808	0.01 %
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural NHS	329	17,491	0.01 %
John F. Kennedy NHS	330	17,466	0.01 %
Springfield Armory NHS	331	16,876	0.01 %
Edgar Allan Poe NHS	332	16,584	0.01 %
Saint Paul's Church NHS	333	16,362	0.01 %
Isle Royale NP	334	15,793	0.01 %
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace NHS	335	15,029	0.01 %
Fort Union Trading Post NHS	336	14,458	0.01 %
Washita Battlefield NHS	337	12,552	0.00 %
Agate Fossil Beds NM	338	12,509	0.00 %
Maggie L. Walker NHS	339	12,331	0.00 %
Gates of the Arctic NP & PRES	340	10,840	0.00 %
Saugus Iron Works NHS	341	10,775	0.00 %
Fort Union NM	342	10,638	0.00 %
Lake Clark NP & PRES	343	9,931	0.00 %
Fort Bowie NHS	344	9,491	0.00 %
First Ladies NHS	345	8,766	0.00 %
Yukon-Charley Rivers NPRES	346	6,211	0.00 %
Thomas Stone NHS	347	6,004	0.00 %
Alibates Flint Quarries NM	348	4,350	0.00 %
Sand Creek Massacre NHS	349	4,063	0.00 %
Nicodemus NHS	350	3,448	0.00 %
Frederick Law Olmsted NHS	351	3,285	0.00 %
Noatak NPRES	352	3,257	0.00 %
Kobuk Valley NP	353	3,164	0.00 %
National Park of American Samoa	354	3,006	0.00 %
Thaddeus Kosciuszko NMEM	355	2,888	0.00 %
Bering Land Bridge NPRES	356	2,642	0.00 %
Cape Krusenstern NM	357	2,521	0.00 %
Eugene O'Neill NHS	358	2,445	0.00 %
Rio Grande W&SR	359	1,103	0.00 %
Port Chicago Naval Magazine NM	360	984	0.00 %
Salt River Bay NHP & Ecological Pres	361	204	0.00 %
Aniakchak NM & PRES	362	62	0.00 %
Hamilton Grange NMEM	363	0	0.00 %

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U.S. National Park System - Visits and Ranking in 2010

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