CNN —
Disrupted by the pandemic, visitors flocked to U.S. national parks and related sites last year, drawing attention to some of the most famous sites.
The National Park Service released a detailed visitation report on Wednesday, recording approximately 297.1 million total visitors in 2021.
According to NPS, the number of visitors to parks increased by 60 million last year compared to 2020. Around that time, most park facilities were closed for at least part of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Across the national park system, that number remains below pre-pandemic totals.
However, it was a different story for the most famous sites that were flooded with visitors. In fact, 44 locations set records for recreational visitation in 2021.
Of the 423 sites in the National Park System, the top 25 sites received more than half of the system’s total visits.
Here are the top 10 for 2021: This includes not only national parks, but also parkways, recreational areas, monuments and associated facilities (numbers are rounded).
1. Blue Ridge Parkway: 15.9 million people
2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 14.1 million people
3. Golden Gate National Recreation Area: 13.7 million people
4. Gateway National Recreation Area: 9.1 million people
5. Lake Mead National Recreation Area: 7.6 million people
6. George Washington Memorial Parkway: 6.8 million people
7. Natchez Trace Parkway: 6.4 million
8. Lincoln Memorial: 5.8 million people
9. Gulf Islands National Seashore: 5.5 million people
10. Zion National Park: 5 million people
Spanning 769 miles across the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, the Blue Ridge Parkway holds the title of the most-visited site in the system.
NPS announced in a report that Great Smoky Mountains National Park set a visitation record in 2021, with recreational visitors exceeding 14 million for the first time.
f11 Photo/Adobe Stock
Bass Harbor Lighthouse is seen at dusk in Acadia National Park, Maine.
Of the more than 400 sites systemwide, only 63 are actually designated as “national parks.” The most visited national parks in 2021 are (numbers are rounded).
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 14.16 million people
2. Zion National Park: 5.03 million people
3. Yellowstone National Park: 4.86 million people
4. Grand Canyon National Park: 4.53 million people
5. Rocky Mountain National Park: 4.43 million people
6. Acadia National Park: 4.06 million people
7. Grand Teton National Park: 3.88 million people
8. Yosemite National Park: 3.28 million people
9. Indiana Dunes National Park: 3.17 million people
10. Glacier National Park: 3.08 million people
If you really want to avoid the crowds and be alone in nature, Kobuk Valley National Park in northwest Alaska saw just 11,540 recreational visitors in 2021. Even by Alaskan standards, this place is remote.
Last year, long lines and closed signs greeted visitors at the most popular locations. This prompted the Parks Department to implement a new system for crowd management. For example, Arches National Park in Utah has a timed admission program that allows reservations up to three months in advance.
In addition to measures to control crowds at the most popular locations, NPS is trying to direct people to parks where records aren’t being set.
“It’s amazing to see so many Americans continue to find solace and inspiration in this amazing place, even in the second year of the pandemic,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in the report. That’s wonderful,” he said.
“We’re thrilled to see so many visitors returning to iconic parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite, but there are hundreds more that should be on everyone’s bucket list.”
One idea NPS encourages is visiting multiple parks on the same vacation.
As an example, a family may be considering a visit to the highly popular Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina and Tennessee). NPS said detours can also be made to other relatively nearby spots that may be less crowded.
• Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Parks (Georgia and Tennessee)
• Cumberland Gap National Historical Park (Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia)
• Little River Canyon National Conservation Area (Alabama)
• Carl Sandburg National Historic Site (North Carolina)
• Obed Wild and Scenic River (Tennessee)
