How many people visit Arches National Park each year?

1,511,740 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #21 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 1,334,063 a year.

What was Arches's busiest year?

2021, with 1,806,865 recreation visits — +19.5% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was June 2021 (238,499 visits).

Is Arches getting more crowded?

2025 visits were +8.0% compared with 2015 and +93.4% compared with 2005.

What counts as a recreation visit?

The NPS counts a recreation visit as one person entering the park for recreation; someone who leaves and re-enters is counted again, and commuters, through-traffic and staff are excluded. Counts come from gate and traffic counters with park-specific multipliers, so they are estimates.

Visitor statistics

How many people visit Arches?

Last verified October 5, 2026NPS Visitor Use Statistics1979–2025

1,511,740 recreation visits in 2025, #21 of 63 national parks. The record is 2021 (1,806,865). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

a broad, red arch with rock pinnacles in the background — Photo: NPS Photo

2025 visits: 1,511,740; +3.1% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #21; of 63 national parks
Record year: 2021; 1,806,865 visits
vs 2015: +8.0%; ten-year change
vs 1979: +460.2%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Jun 2021; 238,499 visits

1979–2025

Every year since the counts began

Recreation visits per calendar year, as reported to the NPS Visitor Use Statistics office. The 2025 bar is highlighted; a missing bar means the park did not report all twelve months that year.

Show the full table (47 years) ↓

Year	Recreation visits	Change	Rank
2025	1,511,740	+3.1%	#21
2024	1,466,528	−1.0%	#20
2023	1,482,045	+1.5%	#21
2022	1,460,652	−19.2%	#20
2021	1,806,865	+45.9%	#16
2020	1,238,083	−25.4%	#17
2019	1,659,702	−0.2%	#17
2018	1,663,557	+8.1%	#17
2017	1,539,028	−2.9%	#17
2016	1,585,718	+13.3%	#16
2015	1,399,247	+8.9%	#18
2014	1,284,767	+18.6%	#18
2013	1,082,866	+1.1%	#20
2012	1,070,577	+2.9%	#23
2011	1,040,758	+2.6%	#20
2010	1,014,405	+1.8%	#22
2009	996,312	+7.3%	#22
2008	928,795	+8.0%	#23
2007	860,181	+3.3%	#25
2006	833,049	+6.6%	#25
2005	781,670	+6.6%	#28
2004	733,131	−3.3%	#28
2003	757,781	−1.5%	#29
2002	769,672	+2.1%	#28
2001	754,026	−4.1%	#27
2000	786,429	−9.6%	#27
1999	869,980	+3.9%	#27
1998	837,161	−2.5%	#28
1997	858,525	+0.3%	#27
1996	856,016	−0.4%	#26
1995	859,374	+10.6%	#26
1994	777,178	+0.5%	#29
1993	773,678	−3.3%	#30
1992	799,831	+13.3%	#29
1991	705,882	+13.7%	#30
1990	620,719	+11.7%	#31
1989	555,809	+6.8%	#36
1988	520,455	+11.0%	#38
1987	468,916	+11.8%	#39
1986	419,444	+15.4%	#39
1985	363,464	+5.3%	#41
1984	345,180	+19.9%	#40
1983	287,875	−15.2%	#43
1982	339,415	+4.0%	#40
1981	326,508	+12.4%	#40
1980	290,519	+7.7%	#41
1979	269,840	—	#41

By decade

The long view

1970s: 269,840; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 391,759; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 795,834; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 820,105; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 1.33 million; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 1.49 million; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 47% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 36% — visits have spread out across the year.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

JFMAMJJASOND

Quietest: JanuaryBusiest: May

The weather page puts these crowd levels beside each month’s temperatures.

About these numbers

Figures are the National Park Service’s monthly recreation-visit counts, retrieved from its public statistics service and summed by calendar year. A year is shown only when all twelve months were reported. The NPS revises recent months occasionally, so small differences from a later nps.gov table are normal. Rankings compare the 63 national parks for the same year. See every park ranked for 2025.

Sources · 2

1.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits by park, 1979–2025 · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics Definitions · National Park Service

FAQ

Arches visitor questions

How many people visit Arches National Park each year?: 1,511,740 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #21 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 1,334,063 a year.
What was Arches's busiest year?: 2021, with 1,806,865 recreation visits — +19.5% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was June 2021 (238,499 visits).
Is Arches getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were +8.0% compared with 2015 and +93.4% compared with 2005.
What counts as a recreation visit?: The NPS counts a recreation visit as one person entering the park for recreation; someone who leaves and re-enters is counted again, and commuters, through-traffic and staff are excluded. Counts come from gate and traffic counters with park-specific multipliers, so they are estimates.

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