Americans keep flocking to national parks as fall travel season continues

America’s national parks remain some of the country’s most popular destinations, drawing millions of visitors who come for hiking, wildlife and iconic landscapes.

Zion National Park in Utah and Yellowstone National Park each welcomed more than 4 million visitors in 2025. Great Smoky Mountains, on the Tennessee–North Carolina border, remains the most visited national park, with more than 12 million visits a year.

Interest stayed strong into the fall. Yellowstone recorded 868,450 visits in September 2026, up 3% from the same month last year, according to the National Park Service. Through the end of September, the park had about 4.36 million visits, close to last year’s pace.

To manage the crowds and protect sensitive areas, some parks have introduced reservation systems and visitor limits during the busiest periods. Visitors to gateway towns also support local restaurants, hotels and outfitters in rural communities.

The parks also face challenges. The Interior Department recently canceled some maintenance and programming contracts and moved about 1,500 projects to low priority, a decision park advocates say could make day-to-day upkeep harder.