The National Park Service Reports 4% Visitation Increase in 2023

Plus, 20 parks break visitation records

Image: New River Gorge National Park, SeanPavonePhoto, Adobe Stock

The National Park Service has reported that their system of 400 national parks saw 325.5 million recreation visits in 2023. This number marks an increase of 13 million visits or 4% compared to 2022. In a release, the organization attributed the increase to more off-season visits and visits to lesser-known parks. Additionally, 20 National Parks, including Dry Tortugas National Park, Joshua Tree National Park, New River Gorge National Park & Preserve, and Nez Perce National Historical Park, broke visitation records in 2023. Though it may have seemed that more people were heading to national parks in the years following COVID shutdowns, annual visitation for national parks was actually higher in 2016, 2017, and 2019, saw a significant drop in 2020, and has since increased steadily.