Blue Ridge Parkway & Great Smoky Mountains National Park -- Western North Carolina and East Tennessee’s natural landmarks proved their resilience in 2025, according to new data released by the National Park Service (NPS). The Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park once again emerged as the most-visited destinations in the country, even as the agency navigated a historic 43-day partial government shutdown and significant post-Helene recovery efforts.
Across its 406 reporting sites, the NPS recorded more than 323 million recreation visits in 2025. While this reflects a slight 2.7% decrease (approximately 8.8 million visits) from the record-breaking year of 2024, 26 parks nationwide still managed to set all-time visitation records.
Leading the Nation in 2025
For the calendar year, the Blue Ridge Parkway maintained its top spot among all sites in the National Park System. Meanwhile, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park remained the most-visited "National Park" (the specific designation), drawing more than double the visitors of the second-ranked Zion National Park.
Blue Ridge Parkway: 16,533,753 visits
Golden Gate National Recreation Area: 15,748,676 visits
Great Smoky Mountains National Park: 11,527,939 visits
Natchez Trace Parkway: 7,994,783 visits
Lincoln Memorial: 7,743,295 visits
Overcoming the 43-Day Shutdown
The longest partial government shutdown in U.S. history, spanning 43 days from October 1 to November 12, 2025, significantly impacted operations during peak leaf-peeping season. While visitor centers and many facilities were shuttered, the NPS worked to keep roads and trails accessible where possible.
The report highlights the following system-wide figures for 2025:
1.4 billion recreation visitor hours.
13 million overnight stays in campgrounds and backcountry sites.
26 parks reaching all-time visitation highs despite administrative and environmental hurdles.
Looking Toward 2026: The 250th Anniversary
As the NPS transitions into 2026, the focus turns to the Semiquincentennial, celebrating 250 years of American freedom. Officials expect millions more to visit historic sites and parks across the Appalachian corridor to take part in commemorative events.