How Many People Visited Rocky Mountain National Park Last Year?

The United States is filled with some incredible national parks. Many set out a goal to see all of them, and sadly, not everyone will achieve this. Luckily, for Coloradoans, one of the best national parks in the country is in the state. Rocky Mountain National Park, is 415 square miles and is one of the most beautiful places in the country to go hiking, fishing, see wildlife, enjoy a day outdoors, or to take a scenic drive. Many people make their way to Colorado each year to check out the park, but is Rocky Mountain National Park the most visited in America?

The Most Visited National Parks in America

When you hear the words 'national park,' which is the first one that comes to mind? Is it Rocky Mountain National Park? Is it Yellowstone? Is it a different one that perhaps you have visited or have always wanted to go to? According to nps.gov, 2025 saw a slight decline in visitors to the national parks across America, yet still millions of people made their way to many of them. Last year, the number one visited national park in the country was Great Smoky Mountains, with over 11 million visitors. The second most visited park was Zion with over 4.9 million, and the third most visited was Yellowstone with over 4.7 million. It is astounding that Great Smoky Mountains National Park had more visitors than the number two and number three parks combined.

How Many People Visited Rocky Mountain National Park Last Year?

Shockingly, Rocky Mountain National Park was not among the top five visited last year. Rounding out the top five were Grand Canyon National Park at four and Yosemite at number five. Rocky Mountain came in as the sixth most visited national park in 2025, with over 4.1 million visitors making their way through the park. For anyone who has waited in line to enter the park, this may often seem like how many cars are ahead of you while you wait. While down from previous years, the numbers remained good despite a government shutdown in 2025.

K99

With the year more than halfway over and the summer season done, what will be the final total of visitors for this year? Time will tell, but as we enter fall, now is a great time to go and see wildlife, the beautiful changing leaves, and enjoy some nice fall weather on a hike before winter comes. To see the full study, make sure to click the link in the second paragraph above.

25 Things To Know About Rocky Mountain National Park

Rocky Mountain National Park is located in northeast Colorado between the mountain towns of Estes Park and Grand Lake. The Beaver Meadows entrance is about a 90-minute drive from Denver. Scroll on for 25 things to know about Rocky Mountain National Park before you go.

Gallery Credit: Zane Mathews

Mesa Verde: 10 Cool Facts about Colorado's Amazing National Park

Summer is a great time of year to visit Coloraod's Mesa Verde National Park. Located near Cortez, Colorado, the park is home to thousands of cliff-dwellings created by the Ancient Pueblo people. Keep scrolling to see pictures and learn ten cool facts to inspire a visit to see this park for yourself.

Gallery Credit: Wesley Adams