Most Visited National Parks of 2010

A few times throughout the year the United States National Park Service waives admission fees, hoping to attract visitors to the parks and raise awareness for the historical, cultural, and natural landmarks they protect. I get the feeling that when most people hear the phrase "National Park" they think of places like Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, or Yosemite - which they should, but of the 394 official National Park Units, only 58 of them carry the title of "National Park." The other 336 are made up of National Monuments, Memorials, Historic Sites, Historical Parks, Battlefields, Military Parks, Seashores, Lakeshores, Recreation Areas, Trails, Parkways, Scenic and Wild Rivers, and Preserves.

According to the National Park Service's Public Use Statistics Office website, 281.3 million recreational visits to the National Park Units in 2010 were counted. Even though only 23% of those visitors actually went to one of the 58 units with a "National Park" designation, no other park type received more visitors. The second and third most popular types of parks were National Recreation Areas and National Memorials with 17% and 11% of the visits, respectively.

According to the National Parks Conservation Association, of the top 10 most visited National Park Units in 2010, only one holds the "National Park" designation:

1. Blue Ridge Parkway (NC, VA): 14,517,118 visits
2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (CA): 14,271,503

My friend, Dave, and me on the beach at Golden Gate NRA (April, 2010)

3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (TN, NC): 9,463,53
4. Gateway National Recreation Area (NY, NJ): 8,820,757
5. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (NV, AZ): 7,080,758
6. George Washington Memorial Parkway (MD, VA, DC): 6,925,099
7. Lincoln Memorial (DC): 6,042,315
8. Natchez Trace Parkway (MS, AL, TN): 5,910,950
9. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (PA, NJ): 5,285,761
10. Cape Cod National Seashore (MA): 4,653,706

Hundreds of gray seals sun themselves on sand bars exposed during low tide at Cape Cod NS (August, 2010)

It seems as if the most visited National Park Units are those receiving the most automobile traffic. Three of the Top 10, are specifically designed with driving (Blue Ridge, George Washington Memorial, and Natchez Trace Parkways) and many of the rest seem to have thousands of vehicles driving through them every day as people commute to and from work in large urban centers or require respite from the hustle and bustle of the big city (Golden Gate, Delaware Water Gap, and Gateway National Recreation Areas).

Two of the sites most likely receive their patronage from visitors who are not even traveling with that park in mind, only using park land to get to their actual destination. For example, summers out on Cape Cod are relaxing getaways for the city people and it's no surprise the National Seashore is on the list. Anyone would guess it if they've ever had to sit through traffic on Route 6, trying to get on or off the Cape. Another example, Lake Mead NRA, is most likely only on the list because busloads of tourists going out to the Grand Canyon typically start their trip in Las Vegas and since people on buses can be impatient and restless, the buses will probably stop once or twice along the way, including a brief 5-minute pause at Lake Mead so people can see the Hoover Dam. Photos are taken and the bus rolls out of the park.

Most of the park units on the Top 10 involve people staying in their cars, driving through, and probably not even realizing they are in a National Park. And only two of them were specifically set aside for the public's enjoyment of nature (Great Smoky Mountains NP and Cape Cod NS). I understand that families on these trips have limited time to get to so many places and that cars are necessary to do this. But from my own experience, a visit to a park is so much nicer when you're able to slow down, put your feet down on the ground, take a look around, and forget about time!

So with the vast majority of national park visitors not even visiting the National Parks, it's a wonder why Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon, and Yosemite are some of the first images that come to mind. Or is it? We have some spectacular landscapes and ecosystems protected in our country! Here are the Top 10 most visited National Parks (of 2010):

1. Great Smoky Mountains (TN, NC): 9,463,538 visits
2. Grand Canyon (AZ): 4,388,386

My friend, Kelly, and me at the Toroweap Overlook in Grand Canyon NP (May, 2007)

3. Yosemite (CA): 3,901,408
4. Yellowstone (WY, MT, ID): 3,640,185

American bison grazing in Yellowstone NP (July, 2007)

5. Rocky Mountain (CO): 2,955,821
6. Olympic (WA): 2,844,563
7. Grand Teton (WY): 2,669,374

Me, hiking up to the summit of Middle Teton (Grand is behind me) in Grand Teton NP (July, 2007)

8. Zion (UT): 2,665,972

The view of Zion Canyon from Observation Point in Zion NP (May, 2007)

9. Acadia (ME): 2,504,208

Granite cairns guiding me to Cadillac Mountain on a stormy morning in Acadia NP (August, 2010)

10. Cuyahoga Valley (OH): 2,492,670

Exploring caves at the Ledges in Cuyahoga Valley NP with friends (December, 2010)

To me, this list seems much more complete and appropriate for what we think of when we hear someone talking about the National Parks. I am proud to say that I have been to six of the top ten and cannot wait to get to the other four! They are spread throughout this great country of ours and cover vastly different landscapes. It's no wonder Americans are fascinated with the idea of summer road trips. There is so much to see in this great country of ours. Oddly enough, many of these parks are so often referenced, that I feel we have become immune to them. Also, I know for a fact that a large percentage of the general US populous doesn't even know where some of these are or that they even exist!

The National Park Service of the United States of America was founded in 1916 during Woodrow Wilson's Presidency. The 100th Birthday of the Park Service is fast approaching and it would be a wondrous miracle if, by then, we could get people excited again about exploring nature in all corners of our country! And who knows? Maybe Congress will even designate a few new parks in celebration of the Service's 100th (that will be a blog post in the near future)!