National parks are a vast array of land space earmarked for wildlife growth and natural habitations of extinct species to serve as recreational sites for all and sundry. The USA boasts of the most visited national parks in history. In fact, according to figures by the U.S National Park Service (NPS), 237 million spectators visited national parks in Central America and other parts of the US in 2020, despite the pandemic.
The Most Visited National Parks in USA
1. Acadia National Park, Maine
This is a special natural resort national park in the US, often referred to as Crown Jew of the North Atlantic Coast. It is situated primarily on Mount Desert Island, Maine. It is an Atlantic coast recreation site crested with miles-long, historic carriage and motor roads, hiking trails, and a vast array of snowy layers during winter. Acadia National Park had a swell in of 2.7 million national parks as of 2020. It offers stargazing, birdwatching, cross-country skiing, and even skijoring – skiing in dog carriages.
2. Joshua Tree National Park, California
Enclosed by Rocky terrains, the 800 acres the park accommodated nearly 2.5 million visitors last year 2020. Joshua Tree is on the plains of the Mojave Desert, considered most visited for stargazing, rock climbing, horseback riding, hiking, and a host of others. It was made known by NPS that the busiest time at the park is between March and April, where an influx of visitors causes full camps, a shortage of parking space, and a time, queuing up to enter the park. You should plan your visit betwixt Mondays to Thursdays, possibly before 10 am, according to officials.
3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park, Ohio
Known as CVNP in short, it is a 33,000-acre landmass, across the Cuyahoga River nestled between Akron, Cleveland, and Ohio, It boasted 2.8 million visitors last year 2020. The park has a spread of the Cuyahoga River, with rolling hills, forests, including open farmlands. Towpath Trail is one of its core attractions, following the historic path of the Ohio and Erie canal. The route, open 24hrs, is solidly-packed, to enable people on wheelchairs, bikes, and strollers to have accessibility. It has a sixty-foot waterfall popularly known as Brandywine Falls and Beaver Marsh restoration sites. The waterfalls can be cruised through the boardwalk.
4. Olympic National Park, Washington
Situated in the mountains, Olympic National Park is resplendent of uniqueness: with its multiple ecosystems, composing of temperate rainforest, subalpine, lowland, and coastal ecosystems. Millions troop in during the temperate seasons to have a glimpse of the whales here.
It is one of the most visited national parks in the US with an all-weather feature for visitors. Plan a trip within the winter months for the most visited experience of snowboarding, mountain bikes, and skiing. The summer months, on the other hand, will cap your adventure with camping, boating, hikes fishing, and wildlife watching.
5. Arches National Park, Utah
With over 2,000 Arches, like the Landscape, Double and Delicate Arches that make a thrilling sight to visitors, this national park was established in 1929. It spans almost 77,000 acres of eastern Utah, has oddly formed sandstone monuments resting at every nook. The monuments make the park a first-choice for backpackers, hikers, rock climbers, and a host of picture freaks.
6. Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
Situated in between Jackson town and Yellowstone National Park, it is resplendent with over 300 thousand acres of floors with downward slopes, alpine lakes, mountains, and the highlands of the Teton range. Aside from large mammals like elks, pronghorn and deer, and even moose that scurry around on roads at nights, the national park is popular for its spectacular hiking, exploring, mountaineering, and rock climbing. Grand Teton National Park had a slay of visitors numbering up to 3.3 million in 2020.
7. Glacier National Park, Montana
Glacier happens to be one of the most visited parks in USA, covering a span of 1,500plus m² of northwestern Montana, bordering Waterton Lakes National Park, Canada. A visit to Glacier National Park will give you a ride up the continental divide at Logan Pass. It is a rocky terrain with bouts of canoeing, stargazing, and hiking, with an annual influx of 3 million visitors.
8. Yosemite, California
Yosemite is the most-visited national park in California, standing out for its large collection of impressive falls, like the Bridalveil and Vernal Falls. It is encapsulated in spectacular granite formations such as the Half Dome and El Capitan. The Tunnel View Outlook alone is worth a vacation of your busy itinerary. Come experience the thrill of a show-stopping panoramic scenery of Yosemite Valley.
9. Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
Yellowstone National Park is among the top 3 most visited national parks in the USA. It is a premier wildlife resort center, with a vast array of wild beasts, boars, grisly bears, and wolves. Yellowstone Park spans three cities; Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho.
It is all-encompassing with over 2 million acres and 900 miles of hiking trails. Yellowstone is known for its Grand Canyon River, made up of the high and low falls of the river body. The park had a slay of 3.8 million viewers in 2020, a little lower than 4million as of 2019.
10. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
With over 500 thousand acres of forest and wildlife, this Tennessee National Park is nestled between North Carolina and Tennessee. The name “Smoky Mountains” is derived from the thick vapors that ooze from the peak of the mountain atmosphere.
The National Park ranks first among the most visited, top 3 national parks in the USA. Plan a visit to the Smoky Mountains and get to marvel at the wonders of the cascading waterfalls, species of wildlife, and the vastness of its 800 miles of hiking trails. Over 12.1 visitors trooped into the national park in 2020, a huge figure that surpasses all others.
In conclusion, national parks continue to be time-honored wonder sites for millions of people who just want to have a recap of the stark solitude of mother nature, beyond the beehive of this modern age. US National Parks Service has for more than a century managed myriads of acres of national/recreational parks, seeing to the influx of over 300 million visitors annually. These people come to spend time outside these splendiferous terrains, for optimum physical, emotional, and mental health. So, make a quick choice now that you know which national park ranks most.