The Great Smoky Mountains were again the most visited national park in the United States for 2023. That’s two years in a row, according to recently published National Park Service data.
The Smokies had more than 13 million visitors last year. The Grand Canyon was a distant second with more than 4.7 million visitors. Zion, Yellowstone, and the Rocky Mountains rounded out the top five most visited parks, with more than 4 million tracked recreational visitors.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park continues to climb in popularity year over year, and that’s not expected to slow down anytime soon. This led to growth challenges for America’s most visited state park. As a result, local municipalities take on the task to improve some of the more dangerous roads and make them safer for travelers.
Most Popular National Parks With Lakes in 2023
Lake-loving park visitors selected Yellowstone National Park as their preferred 2023 park destination. Travel website Places to Travel named Yellowstone one of the United States’ top lakes. The national park in Montana attracted more than 4.5 million visitors last year.
Rocky Mountain’s 4.1 million visitors, Grand Teton’s 3.4 million visitors, Olympic’s 2.9 million visitors, and Glacier National Park’s 2.9 million visitors rounded out the top five most visited lake-bearing national parks.
Top 10 Most Visited National Parks in 2023
Great Smoky Mountains National Park – 13,297,647Grand Canyon – 4,733,705Zion – 4,623,238Yellowstone – 4,501,382Rocky Mountain – 4,115,837Yosemite – 3,897,070Acadia – 3,879,890Grand Teton – 3,417,106Joshua Tree – 3,270,404Olympic – 2,947,503
Growth Challenges for National Parks in the United States
As popularity among tourists continues to climb and more Americans desire to explore the country affordably, these U.S. national parks face additional threats. Overtourism, overfishing, and plastics — often caused by dense crowds — pose growing challenges for parks. Additionally, compromised water quality, changing ecosystems, and the presence of invasive species also threaten the sanctity of U.S. national parks.
Overtourism
While the COVID-19 pandemic offered a slight reprieve from the crowds in 2020, park visitation continues to increase, contributing to some of the highest visitor counts in park history.
From traffic to delays to frustrations with travelers, tourism fuels novel park problems. Park representatives encourage visitors to do their due diligence by researching optimal times to visit each park. Informed arrival times and departures ensure guests maximize their experience without the burden of uncontrolled crowds.
Overfishing
As visitor numbers spike, overfishing becomes a marked concern to local ecosystems and conservationists. Some parks’ regulations prevent fishing and require a license for any would-be angler. License issuance helps to limit the number of bodies present in particular areas at high-volume times.
Plastics
Though most visitors respect and care for parks and the environment, parks see an uptick in irresponsible waste management. As a result, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland issued a June 2022 order to phase out the use of single-use plastics by 2032 at all national park sites.
Water Quality
Higher-than-ever tourist counts contribute to looming pollution and water quality concerns. The United States Geological Survey has been working with the National Park Service since 1998 to address high-risk areas with declining water quality. Limiting plastics and other pollutants will help ensure the water supply stays contaminant-free for future generations.
Changing Ecosystems
These environmental concerns, alongside the development of lands bordering natural parks, give way to detrimental changes in delicate park ecosystems. To systemically combat this impact, some governing bodies have introduced and passed legislation that keeps land around national parks secure by designating them as national monuments. One recent declaration, issued by the Biden administration in August of 2023, protects land around the Grand Canyon National Park.
Invasive Species
As parks’ ecosystems change in response to human activity, invasive species increasingly encroach on existing ecological communities. Changes to flora and fauna create a more hospitable environment for plants and animals that would otherwise not populate the area.
Visitors sometimes introduce these invasive species, ultimately harming the local ecosystem. Park leaders urge visitors to prevent the accidental or sometimes purposeful introduction of invasive species in all national parks during their visit.
