National Parks Record 323 Million Visits in 2025 After Ending Some Reservations and Cutting Staff

The National Park Service recorded 323 million visits across its sites in 2025, with 26 parks drawing more visitors than in any previous year. Insider reported that demand remained elevated into 2026, supported by a 77 percent year-over-year rise in social-media interest in domestic vacations tracked by Expedia.

Yosemite National Park saw visitation rise 13 percent year-over-year in May 2026, while Arches National Park posted its highest-ever monthly total in March.

Four parks—Yosemite, Glacier, Arches, and Mount Rainier—eliminated season-long reservation requirements for 2026 after internal reviews found the systems were not the most effective tool. Permanent staffing across the National Park Service stood 25 percent lower in July 2026 than in January 2025.

At Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, 48 percent of permanent positions remained vacant as of April, according to the union representing park employees.

Insider reported that seasonal hiring has also lagged because parks are competing for a smaller pool of applicants. Emily Thompson, executive director of the Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, told Insider that one unnamed Pacific West park required every employee to staff an entrance gate shift because of shortages.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Yosemite experienced full parking lots and entrance waits exceeding one hour.

The park reported similar congestion in February after lifting reservations for the Firefall event. Cassidy Jones, a senior visitation program manager at the National Park Conservation Association, told Insider that the crowding and congestion advocates anticipated after the removal of managed-access systems have occurred.