Guides
National park guides, from the data
Last verified
Short, sourced answers to the questions people actually ask before a trip: what it costs, whether to book, where the stamps are and which apps to bother with.
Guides
Read before you go
- The basics5 min read
How many national parks are there?
63 parks, 30 states, 2 territories, and why the other ~370 NPS sites don't count.
63 national parksRead the guide → - Collecting6 min read
National park passport stamps, explained
The ink stamps at visitor centers: how they work and where to find them.
Stamps in all 63 parksRead the guide → - Gear7 min read
The best national park apps, honestly compared
NPS, AllTrails, Recreation.gov, Gaia GPS, Chimani and Park'd: what each is for.
Read the guide → - Fees4 min read
National park fee-free days
Every free-entry day, and the parks that never charge.
Read the guide → - Plan ahead6 min read
Which national parks need a reservation in 2026?
Every timed-entry and vehicle reservation system, park by park.
Read the guide → - International visitors5 min read
Visiting US national parks from abroad: 2026 fees
The 2026 nonresident fee, the $250 pass, and how to plan around them.
$100 nonresident feeRead the guide →
Data pages
Rankings, crowds and maps
Built from NPS Visitor Use Statistics and the NPS Data API, 2021–2025.
- Most visited national parks, 2025All 63, ranked by NPS recreation visits
- Least visited national parks, 2025Where the crowds aren't
- Best time to visit: the crowd calendarEvery park, month by month
- National parks by state32 states and territories with a national park
- National park road trips15 routes, two to four parks each
- All 63 national parks, A to ZFees, crowds, photos and nearby parks
- Things to do95 activities, park by park
Best parks to visit in…
Tools
Do the maths
Sources · 3
- 1.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
- 3.Entrance Passes (nps.gov) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
Every guide carries its own sources and a last-verified date. 63 parks, no guesswork.
Park'd · free on iPhone & Android
Your parks map, in your pocket.
Park'd for iPhone and Android: check off every national park on a map, log trips with photos, notes and a favorite memory, and watch your stats and badges grow.
