National parks across the country are still packed with tourists – and to beat the crowds, some are choosing to visit less popular parks instead, data shows. These students visit Hampton National Historic Landmark in Maryland.
National Park Service
National parks across the country are overflowing with tourists — and to beat the crowds, some have opted to visit less popular parks instead, data shows.
[–>
More than 312 million visits were recorded at national parks in 2022, the National Park Service said Monday, Feb. 27. That’s up about 15 million visits, or 5%, from 2021, and while that’s still less than pre-pandemic levels, park service officials say visitation is rebounding.
[–>
Most people (38%) visit for recreation opportunities, but many also visit to learn about U.S. history and cultural heritage (32%), or for nature-based experiences (30%), the data shows.
[–>
The National Park Service pledged to attract more visitors to the less popular parks after 2021 saw a record year of visitations for some favorites, McClatchy News previously reported. That paid off, according to the data released Monday.
[–>
“People continue to seek a variety of national park travel experiences — to learn about American history and culture, get active, and enjoy breathtaking scenic views,” said Chuck Sams, director of the National Park Service. “We’re excited to see our efforts to increase visitation to parks in the off-season and in parks that are less well-known paying off. Many parks with record visitation in 2022 are on what we would call ‘the road less traveled.’ The subtle shift in park visitation is good for visitors, good for protecting parks, and good for local communities whose economies benefit from tourism dollars.”
[–>
[–>
Online, those who regularly visit or try to visit national parks complained of still-impossibly long entry lines and inadequate parking accommodations.
[–>
“Something needs to be done to alleviate traffic jams and solve the terrible parking situation,” one commenter wrote on Twitter.
[–>
The National Park Service implemented timed-entry reservation systems at some of the most popular parks in 2023 to help alleviate that strain. Usually packed parks, such as Arches and Rocky Mountain, first tested those entry programs in 2022.
[–>
Others commented that the crowds are annoying, but overall the extra revenue for the National Park Service and for the towns around national parks is a good thing.
[–>
“On one hand, I dislike the ever increasing crowds but on the other, it’s good more people are appreciating the parks,” someone wrote on Twitter.
[–>
Someone else wrote that they were prioritizing visiting the parks for the first time.
[–>
“I quit Disney and now enjoy local parks,” they wrote, adding that it’s cheaper and they love seeing the parks’ landscapes.
[–>[–>[–>