How many people visit Hot Springs National Park each year?

2,494,611 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #14 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 1,425,899 a year.

What was Hot Springs's busiest year?

2022, with 2,646,133 recreation visits — +6.1% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 2021 (382,406 visits).

Is Hot Springs getting more crowded?

2025 visits were +75.9% compared with 2015 and +86.1% 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 Hot Springs?

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

2,494,611 recreation visits in 2025, #14 of 63 national parks. The record is 2022 (2,646,133). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

Stone entrance pillars in front of a row of four bathouses — Photo: NPS photo

2025 visits: 2,494,611; +1.3% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #14; of 63 national parks
Record year: 2022; 2,646,133 visits
vs 2015: +75.9%; ten-year change
vs 1979: +123.0%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Jul 2021; 382,406 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	2,494,611	+1.3%	#14
2024	2,461,812	−1.6%	#16
2023	2,502,967	−5.4%	#14
2022	2,646,133	+22.3%	#13
2021	2,162,884	+60.4%	#14
2020	1,348,215	−8.1%	#16
2019	1,467,153	−2.6%	#19
2018	1,506,887	−3.5%	#19
2017	1,561,616	+1.1%	#16
2016	1,544,300	+8.9%	#17
2015	1,418,162	−0.4%	#17
2014	1,424,484	+7.4%	#17
2013	1,325,719	+1.8%	#16
2012	1,302,505	−6.7%	#17
2011	1,396,354	+6.4%	#14
2010	1,311,807	+2.1%	#15
2009	1,284,707	+3.8%	#15
2008	1,238,147	−4.8%	#16
2007	1,300,152	+2.1%	#16
2006	1,273,456	−5.0%	#16
2005	1,340,160	−5.5%	#18
2004	1,418,735	−9.1%	#16
2003	1,561,311	+8.4%	#15
2002	1,440,227	+11.1%	#16
2001	1,296,786	−3.1%	#19
2000	1,338,156	−3.3%	#19
1999	1,384,469	−7.5%	#17
1998	1,495,993	−0.9%	#15
1997	1,509,596	−1.9%	#17
1996	1,538,105	−4.9%	#16
1995	1,617,077	−0.1%	#16
1994	1,618,847	+9.6%	#16
1993	1,477,299	−1.8%	#16
1992	1,504,013	+24.9%	#16
1991	1,203,929	+7.2%	#21
1990	1,123,175	−11.8%	#19
1989	1,272,771	+7.3%	#17
1988	1,185,772	+7.7%	#18
1987	1,101,242	−6.3%	#20
1986	1,175,170	+5.6%	#17
1985	1,112,764	+3.8%	#17
1984	1,071,853	−7.6%	#18
1983	1,160,008	+14.2%	#16
1982	1,015,580	−13.8%	#18
1981	1,177,911	+1.5%	#16
1980	1,160,588	+3.7%	#16
1979	1,118,800	—	#16

By decade

The long view

1970s: 1.12 million; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 1.14 million; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 1.45 million; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 1.35 million; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 1.43 million; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 2.27 million; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 38% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 39% — about the same shape as before.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

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Quietest: SeptemberBusiest: June

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

Hot Springs visitor questions

How many people visit Hot Springs National Park each year?: 2,494,611 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #14 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 1,425,899 a year.
What was Hot Springs's busiest year?: 2022, with 2,646,133 recreation visits — +6.1% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 2021 (382,406 visits).
Is Hot Springs getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were +75.9% compared with 2015 and +86.1% 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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