How many people visit Mesa Verde National Park each year?

463,130 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #43 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 544,696 a year.

What was Mesa Verde's busiest year?

1988, with 772,183 recreation visits — +66.7% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 1991 (173,774 visits).

Is Mesa Verde getting more crowded?

2025 visits were −15.4% compared with 2015 and −7.1% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2020 (287,477).

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 Mesa Verde?

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

463,130 recreation visits in 2025, #43 of 63 national parks. The record is 1988 (772,183). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

Large cliff dwelling in cliff alcove — Photo: NPS Photo

2025 visits: 463,130; −3.5% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #43; of 63 national parks
Record year: 1988; 772,183 visits
vs 2015: −15.4%; ten-year change
vs 1979: −2.2%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Jul 1991; 173,774 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	463,130	−3.5%	#43
2024	480,065	−5.0%	#41
2023	505,194	+1.1%	#41
2022	499,790	−8.9%	#40
2021	548,477	+90.8%	#39
2020	287,477	−48.3%	#42
2019	556,203	−1.3%	#39
2018	563,420	−8.2%	#38
2017	613,788	+5.2%	#36
2016	583,527	+6.6%	#37
2015	547,325	+9.1%	#37
2014	501,563	+9.0%	#39
2013	460,237	−5.9%	#40
2012	488,860	−14.6%	#35
2011	572,329	+2.3%	#30
2010	559,712	+1.7%	#33
2009	550,377	−0.2%	#33
2008	551,446	+1.9%	#32
2007	541,102	−2.9%	#33
2006	557,248	+11.8%	#33
2005	498,333	+11.5%	#35
2004	446,811	+1.9%	#38
2003	438,590	+7.9%	#40
2002	406,385	−20.8%	#41
2001	513,409	+13.5%	#36
2000	452,287	−28.9%	#37
1999	635,736	+5.2%	#32
1998	604,556	−3.7%	#32
1997	627,720	+1.7%	#32
1996	617,360	−7.0%	#32
1995	663,794	−3.1%	#32
1994	685,031	+2.8%	#32
1993	666,054	−10.2%	#32
1992	742,080	+9.4%	#31
1991	678,075	+10.9%	#33
1990	611,375	+1.9%	#32
1989	600,045	−22.3%	#32
1988	772,183	+6.0%	#29
1987	728,566	+10.6%	#28
1986	658,888	+0.4%	#30
1985	656,271	+27.0%	#27
1984	516,865	−14.4%	#33
1983	604,115	+0.2%	#30
1982	602,968	+2.4%	#30
1981	588,608	+9.2%	#29
1980	539,257	+13.8%	#33
1979	473,715	—	#34

By decade

The long view

1970s: 473,715; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 626,777; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 653,178; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 495,599; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 544,696; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 464,022; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 67% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 51% — visits have spread out across the year.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

JFMAMJJASOND

Quietest: JanuaryBusiest: 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

Mesa Verde visitor questions

How many people visit Mesa Verde National Park each year?: 463,130 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #43 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 544,696 a year.
What was Mesa Verde's busiest year?: 1988, with 772,183 recreation visits — +66.7% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was July 1991 (173,774 visits).
Is Mesa Verde getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were −15.4% compared with 2015 and −7.1% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2020 (287,477).
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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