How many people visit Denali National Park & Preserve each year?

543,300 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #39 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 522,290 a year.

What was Denali's busiest year?

2017, with 642,809 recreation visits — +18.3% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 1990 (222,077 visits).

Is Denali getting more crowded?

2025 visits were −3.1% compared with 2015 and +34.6% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2020 (54,850).

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 Denali?

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

543,300 recreation visits in 2025, #39 of 63 national parks. The record is 2017 (642,809). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

a white colored sheep standing on a mountainside overlooking a green valley — Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan Kostegian

2025 visits: 543,300; +16.5% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #39; of 63 national parks
Record year: 2017; 642,809 visits
vs 2015: −3.1%; ten-year change
vs 1979: +116.4%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Jul 1990; 222,077 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	543,300	+16.5%	#39
2024	466,227	−6.5%	#42
2023	498,722	+16.6%	#42
2022	427,562	+86.3%	#44
2021	229,521	+318.5%	#51
2020	54,850	−90.9%	#53
2019	601,152	+1.1%	#38
2018	594,660	−7.5%	#37
2017	642,809	+9.4%	#33
2016	587,412	+4.8%	#35
2015	560,757	+5.5%	#35
2014	531,315	+0.1%	#34
2013	530,922	+36.7%	#32
2012	388,433	−4.5%	#42
2011	406,582	+7.3%	#41
2010	378,855	+5.8%	#44
2009	358,041	−17.2%	#45
2008	432,309	−5.7%	#39
2007	458,308	+10.2%	#37
2006	415,935	+3.1%	#38
2005	403,520	−0.2%	#40
2004	404,236	+12.2%	#41
2003	360,189	+15.7%	#45
2002	311,335	−13.6%	#46
2001	360,191	−1.0%	#45
2000	363,983	−5.9%	#45
1999	386,867	+3.9%	#43
1998	372,519	+5.1%	#44
1997	354,278	+3.8%	#44
1996	341,385	−37.2%	#43
1995	543,309	+10.8%	#38
1994	490,311	−3.0%	#38
1993	505,565	+0.4%	#37
1992	503,674	−9.9%	#37
1991	558,870	+2.2%	#37
1990	546,693	+0.6%	#37
1989	543,640	−8.2%	#37
1988	592,431	+3.0%	#34
1987	575,013	+8.5%	#35
1986	529,749	+21.4%	#36
1985	436,545	+10.5%	#38
1984	395,099	+14.2%	#38
1983	346,082	+7.5%	#40
1982	321,868	+25.4%	#41
1981	256,593	+18.6%	#44
1980	216,361	−13.8%	#44
1979	251,105	—	#42

By decade

The long view

1970s: 251,105; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 421,338; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 460,347; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 386,805; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 522,290; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 370,030; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 80% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 78% — about the same shape as before.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

JFMAMJJASOND

Quietest: JanuaryBusiest: August

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

Denali visitor questions

How many people visit Denali National Park & Preserve each year?: 543,300 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #39 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 522,290 a year.
What was Denali's busiest year?: 2017, with 642,809 recreation visits — +18.3% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 1990 (222,077 visits).
Is Denali getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were −3.1% compared with 2015 and +34.6% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2020 (54,850).
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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