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WhenToVisitParks

Updated July 2026

National Parks by State

55 states and territories contain National Park Service units that report monthly visitation. Pick a state to see all of its parks ranked by annual visits, each with the month our data recommends for the best balance of light crowds, comfortable weather and daylight.

StateNPS unitsMost-visited parkBest time to visit it
Alabama6Natchez TraceMay
Alaska15Klondike Gold RushApril
American Samoa1National Park of American SamoaJune
Arizona21Lake MeadNovember
Arkansas7Hot SpringsSeptember
California23Golden GateFebruary
Colorado12Rocky MountainApril
Connecticut2AppalachianSeptember
Delaware1First StateApril
District of Columbia21Lincoln MemorialFebruary
Florida10Gulf IslandsNovember
Georgia11AppalachianSeptember
Guam1War In The PacificOctober
Hawaii6Hawaiʻi VolcanoesSeptember
Idaho6YellowstoneApril
Illinois3Lincoln HomeSeptember
Indiana3Indiana DunesMay
Iowa2Herbert HooverFebruary
Kansas5Tallgrass PrairieOctober
Kentucky7Big South ForkApril
Louisiana4VicksburgSeptember
Maine3AppalachianSeptember
Maryland16George WashingtonSeptember
Massachusetts14AppalachianSeptember
Michigan5Sleeping Bear DunesMay
Minnesota5Saint CroixJune
Mississippi9Natchez TraceMay
Missouri7Gateway ArchOctober
Montana8YellowstoneApril
Nebraska5Scotts BluffJune
Nevada4Lake MeadNovember
New Hampshire2AppalachianSeptember
New Jersey6GatewayOctober
New Mexico15White SandsSeptember
New York23GatewayOctober
North Carolina10Blue RidgeJanuary
North Dakota3Theodore RooseveltMay
Ohio8Cuyahoga ValleyFebruary
Oklahoma4ChickasawOctober
Oregon6Fort VancouverSeptember
Pennsylvania17AppalachianSeptember
Puerto Rico1San JuanSeptember
Rhode Island1Roger WilliamsFebruary
South Carolina7Fort Sumter and Fort MoultrieSeptember
South Dakota6Mount RushmoreAugust
Tennessee11Great Smoky MountainsAugust
Texas14San Antonio MissionsFebruary
U.S. Virgin Islands4Virgin IslandsSeptember
Utah13ZionApril
Vermont2AppalachianSeptember
Virginia19Blue RidgeJanuary
Washington12OlympicMay
West Virginia6AppalachianSeptember
Wisconsin3Saint CroixJune
Wyoming6YellowstoneApril

442 state–park pairings across 55 states. Parks that span a state line are listed under each state they touch.

Frequently asked questions

Which state has the most national parks?

California has the most National Park Service units that report visitation, with 23. Note that a single park spanning a state line is counted in each state it touches, which is why the state totals add up to more than the number of distinct units.

How many states have national parks?

55 states and territories have at least one National Park Service unit reporting monthly visitation. Each state page lists every unit with its crowd calendar and recommended month.

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