How many people visit Crater Lake National Park each year?

632,242 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #36 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 588,563 a year.

What was Crater Lake's busiest year?

2016, with 756,344 recreation visits — +19.6% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was August 2020 (222,368 visits).

Is Crater Lake getting more crowded?

2025 visits were +2.9% compared with 2015 and +41.4% 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 Crater Lake?

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

632,242 recreation visits in 2025, #36 of 63 national parks. The record is 2016 (756,344). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

A view of Crater Lake and Wizard Island — Photo: NPS Photo

2025 visits: 632,242; +25.2% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #36; of 63 national parks
Record year: 2016; 756,344 visits
vs 2015: +2.9%; ten-year change
vs 1979: +53.9%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Aug 2020; 222,368 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	632,242	+25.2%	#36
2024	504,942	−9.8%	#39
2023	559,976	+6.2%	#37
2022	527,259	−18.6%	#37
2021	647,751	−3.4%	#34
2020	670,500	−4.8%	#26
2019	704,512	−2.2%	#31
2018	720,659	+1.3%	#30
2017	711,749	−5.9%	#30
2016	756,344	+23.0%	#30
2015	614,712	+14.8%	#31
2014	535,508	+2.4%	#33
2013	523,027	+16.9%	#33
2012	447,251	+5.6%	#40
2011	423,551	−5.5%	#40
2010	448,319	+0.4%	#38
2009	446,516	+7.4%	#36
2008	415,686	−11.4%	#41
2007	468,958	+20.6%	#36
2006	388,972	−13.0%	#42
2005	447,240	+7.2%	#38
2004	417,066	−13.0%	#40
2003	479,183	+4.9%	#38
2002	456,620	−0.2%	#39
2001	457,373	+7.1%	#38
2000	426,883	+2.1%	#39
1999	417,992	−11.4%	#42
1998	471,865	+4.5%	#38
1997	451,548	−5.3%	#38
1996	476,957	−3.8%	#37
1995	496,041	+9.2%	#41
1994	454,215	+19.0%	#40
1993	381,747	−17.3%	#42
1992	461,668	+1.0%	#40
1991	456,931	+18.7%	#41
1990	384,941	−10.6%	#41
1989	430,734	−2.9%	#41
1988	443,430	−3.7%	#41
1987	460,550	+14.3%	#40
1986	402,789	+3.1%	#40
1985	390,604	−7.0%	#39
1984	419,829	+10.8%	#37
1983	379,008	−13.0%	#38
1982	435,589	−13.5%	#37
1981	503,404	+10.6%	#35
1980	455,143	+10.8%	#37
1979	410,749	—	#37

By decade

The long view

1970s: 410,749; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 432,108; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 445,391; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 440,450; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 588,563; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 590,445; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 64% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 65% — about the same shape as before.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

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Quietest: JanuaryBusiest: July

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

Crater Lake visitor questions

How many people visit Crater Lake National Park each year?: 632,242 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #36 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 588,563 a year.
What was Crater Lake's busiest year?: 2016, with 756,344 recreation visits — +19.6% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was August 2020 (222,368 visits).
Is Crater Lake getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were +2.9% compared with 2015 and +41.4% 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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