The number of people visiting national parks dipped slightly in 2025, a year that included a recordlong government shutdown that closed some park properties.
The National Park Service last year recorded 323 million visitations, the agency said Friday. That’s compared with 332 million the year before — the highest ever recorded. NPS’s database includes visitor counts all the way back to 1979 for some parks.
“America’s national parks continue to be places where people come to experience our country’s history, landscapes and shared heritage,” said Jessica Bowron, the park service’s comptroller, who has been acting as the NPS director. “We are committed to keeping parks open, accessible and well-managed so visitors can safely enjoy these extraordinary places today and for generations to come.”
National parks were partially shuttered in 2025 due to a federal funding lapse. The Trump administration ordered parks to remain mostly accessible to the public despite furloughing most employees, but many visitors centers and museums were closed. National park advocacy groups also implored the public to delay park visits until park rangers returned to avoid damages to park sites.
