Can you guess what the most popular national park in America is? Nope, it’s not Yellowstone. Nope, it’s not Arizona’s Grand Canyon National Park, either. It isn’t Grand Teton or Rocky Mountain National Parks. In fact, the most-visited national park in the country is actually down south – way down south. The most popular national park in America, according to the National Park Service, is the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to them, this amazing park sees the most visitors of any national park in the country year after year. In fact, it hosts 11.4 million people or more annually! That’s almost twice the amount of runner-up Grand Canyon National Park, which saw “only” 6.3 million visitors in, say, 2018, and sees fewer visitors than GSM does on any given year.

 

Tony Barber / Moment Collection via Getty Images

We’re not surprised- it’s a special kind of amazing out there.

In other park news, Walnut Canyon National Monument in Arizona has seen its greatest visitor numbers in 25 years in recent times, and 28 parks in the nation set new visitation records in 2018 alone! Americans are clearly camping, hiking, and exploring more than ever, and again, we just can’t blame them. Our National Parks (and our National sites) are almost too amazing to be true. They are the perfect places for all your outdoor recreational wants and needs, from camping to hiking to boating and fishing and everything in between.

Which national park in America is your favorite? Tell us about it in the comments, or by filling out this form. We love hearing your thoughts!

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Address: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, United States

The OIYS Visitor Center

National Park to Visit in America January 29, 2022 Tori Jane What are some amazing hiking trails at National Parks in the USA?   America’s National Parks are seriously just the most ridiculously incredible places in the world (well, some of them, anyway). Each is designated as a National Park for a reason, and usually those reasons tend to be because of a place’s amazing beauty, significant history, or otherwise notable locale. Each of our National Parks is home to some amazing hiking trails, too, which means you can hike through our country’s most incredible landscapes no matter what your skill level might be. Of course, there are just about too many amazing hiking trails at National Parks to mention in a short paragraph; the possibilities honestly feel endless once you realize how many there are! Some of our favorites, however, include Yosemite National Park’s 16.4-mile Half Dome Trail, the Last Horse Mine Trail at Joshua Tree National Park (which is four miles out and back), and Abrams Falls Trail at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seriously, though – this isn’t even a scratch on the tip of the iceberg; there are countless options for everyone to enjoy, so pick a landscape you’d like to explore and go hiking!   Where is the best hiking in the USA?   You know, “best” is subjective, and there are plenty of states that claim to be THE premier destination for hikers. Honestly, they’re all great. Each state – every one of ‘em - has its pros and cons, and we have found hikes we love in each of them. However, some states do come to mind most often when thinking about planning a hiking excursion; some of those include Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, Utah, Arizona, Montana, and Maine. These states all have world-famous hikes for lots of reasons, be they scenic, historic, or anything else. For example, check out these awesome hikes in the state of Utah. You can’t act like you don’t want to try these! 

The OIYS Visitor Center

National Park to Visit in America

January 29, 2022

Tori Jane

What are some amazing hiking trails at National Parks in the USA?   America’s National Parks are seriously just the most ridiculously incredible places in the world (well, some of them, anyway). Each is designated as a National Park for a reason, and usually those reasons tend to be because of a place’s amazing beauty, significant history, or otherwise notable locale. Each of our National Parks is home to some amazing hiking trails, too, which means you can hike through our country’s most incredible landscapes no matter what your skill level might be. Of course, there are just about too many amazing hiking trails at National Parks to mention in a short paragraph; the possibilities honestly feel endless once you realize how many there are! Some of our favorites, however, include Yosemite National Park’s 16.4-mile Half Dome Trail, the Last Horse Mine Trail at Joshua Tree National Park (which is four miles out and back), and Abrams Falls Trail at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seriously, though – this isn’t even a scratch on the tip of the iceberg; there are countless options for everyone to enjoy, so pick a landscape you’d like to explore and go hiking!   Where is the best hiking in the USA?   You know, “best” is subjective, and there are plenty of states that claim to be THE premier destination for hikers. Honestly, they’re all great. Each state – every one of ‘em - has its pros and cons, and we have found hikes we love in each of them. However, some states do come to mind most often when thinking about planning a hiking excursion; some of those include Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, Utah, Arizona, Montana, and Maine. These states all have world-famous hikes for lots of reasons, be they scenic, historic, or anything else. For example, check out these awesome hikes in the state of Utah. You can’t act like you don’t want to try these! 

The OIYS Visitor Center

The OIYS Visitor Center

America’s National Parks are seriously just the most ridiculously incredible places in the world (well, some of them, anyway). Each is designated as a National Park for a reason, and usually those reasons tend to be because of a place’s amazing beauty, significant history, or otherwise notable locale. Each of our National Parks is home to some amazing hiking trails, too, which means you can hike through our country’s most incredible landscapes no matter what your skill level might be. Of course, there are just about too many amazing hiking trails at National Parks to mention in a short paragraph; the possibilities honestly feel endless once you realize how many there are! Some of our favorites, however, include Yosemite National Park’s 16.4-mile Half Dome Trail, the Last Horse Mine Trail at Joshua Tree National Park (which is four miles out and back), and Abrams Falls Trail at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Seriously, though – this isn’t even a scratch on the tip of the iceberg; there are countless options for everyone to enjoy, so pick a landscape you’d like to explore and go hiking!  

Where is the best hiking in the USA?  

You know, “best” is subjective, and there are plenty of states that claim to be THE premier destination for hikers. Honestly, they’re all great. Each state – every one of ‘em - has its pros and cons, and we have found hikes we love in each of them. However, some states do come to mind most often when thinking about planning a hiking excursion; some of those include Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska, Washington, Utah, Arizona, Montana, and Maine. These states all have world-famous hikes for lots of reasons, be they scenic, historic, or anything else. For example, check out these awesome hikes in the state of Utah. You can’t act like you don’t want to try these!