The United States has 63 national parks run by the US National Park Service. These lands are preserved due to diverse ecosystems, unique geological features, protection of wildlife, historical significance, and extraordinary beauty. By protecting these lands, it is ensured that people will be enjoying these parks for generations to come.
Some of the national parks warrant a longer visit to savor its offerings. Others you can see in a day. Check out the “facts box” on each national park post for quick facts and top experiences to have in the park.
On the map below the orange markers are national parks we are planning to visit in the coming months. The black markers are national parks we have visited with posts linked, just click!
“Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt” – John Muir
Our Parks Project
We have a big goal of visiting all of the U.S. National Parks.
Our first national park was Mount Rainier in 2004 when we first moved to Seattle, Washington. We visited Mount Rainier frequently, hiking the incredible trails and even had our first camping experience there. After moving back to the midwest, we didn’t visit another national park for 12 years! Then, in 2018, we spent spring break visiting Zion, Bryce Canyon, and Grand Canyon and our love for the national parks was reignited. At that point we made a goal to visit all of the U.S. National Parks and our “Parks Project” was born!
Currently, we sit at 26 national parks visited, over one-third of the way to our goal of visiting all 63! When we visit the parks, we seek out the top experiences and build our itinerary around that. We then publish guides so you can have the same awesome experiences. Be sure to follow along as we share our guides and itineraries as we make our way through the U.S. National Parks!
List of The US National Parks
Below is a list of all the national parks ranked by visitor numbers. The parks highlighted in blue are where we have visited with links to the park’s page.
1. Great Smoky Mountains – 12 million
3. Grand Canyon – 4.92 million
5. Rocky Mountain – 4.15 million
6. Yosemite – 4.12 million
7. Acadia – 3.96 million
10. Glacier – 3.2 million
11. Joshua Tree – 2.99 million
12. Cuyahoga Valley – 2.9 million
13. Indiana Dunes – 2.7 million
14. Gateway Arch – 2.56 million
15. Bryce Canyon – 2.5 million
17. New River Gorge – 1.8 million
18. Shenandoah – 1.7 million
19. Mount Rainier – 1.6 million
21. Death Valley – 1.44 million
22. Hawaii Volcanoes – 1.43 million
23. Capitol Reef – 1.42 million
24. Sequoia – 1.3 million
25. Badlands – 1.1 million
30. Glacier Bay – 736,000
31. Theodore Roosevelt – 733,000
32. Haleakala – 732,000
33. White Sands – 702,000
34. Kings Canyon – 699,000
35. Redwood – 622,000
36. Big Bend – 561,000
37. Petrified Forest – 559,254
38. Biscayne – 512,000
39. Crater Lake – 504,000
40. Wind Cave – 489,000
41. Mesa Verde – 480,000
42. Denali – 466,000
43. Carlsbad Caverns – 460,000
44. Great Sand Dunes – 437,000
47. Lassen Volcanic – 357,000
48. Pinnacles – 354,000
49. Black Canyon of the Gunnison – 335,000
50. Channel Islands – 262,000
52. Guadalupe Mountains – 226,000
53. Voyageurs – 199,000
54. Great Basin – 152,000
56. Wrangell-St. Elias – 81,000
58. Isle Royale – 28,000
59. National Park of American Samoa – 22,500
61. Kobuk Valley – 17,000
62. North Cascades – 16,000
63. Gates of the Arctic – 11,900
Recent National Parks Posts
Brooks Lodge in Katmai National Park: All You Need to Know
Brooks Lodge in Katmai National Park: All You Need to Know Brooks Lodge in Katmai National Park is one of the most coveted places to
Lake Clark National Park: Day Trip to the Proenneke Cabin
Lake Clark National Park: Day Trip to the Proenneke Cabin Lake Clark National Park is one of the most remote national parks in the U.S.
Visting Yellowstone National Park’s Best of the Best
Yellowstone National Park’s Best of the Best Yellowstone National Park is a diverse national park, from its geothermal features to its spectacular wildlife to its