How many people visit North Cascades National Park each year?

46,925 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #57 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 26,423 a year.

What was North Cascades's busiest year?

1983, with 858,041 recreation visits — +1728.5% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was August 1986 (231,076 visits).

Is North Cascades getting more crowded?

2025 visits were +126.9% compared with 2015 and +151.1% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2024 (16,485).

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 North Cascades?

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

46,925 recreation visits in 2025, #57 of 63 national parks. The record is 1983 (858,041). Every year since 1979, straight from the National Park Service’s own counts.

boats on the water with mountains and trees surrounding — Photo: NPS Photo/D.Dixon

2025 visits: 46,925; +184.7% vs 2024
Rank, 2025: #57; of 63 national parks
Record year: 1983; 858,041 visits
vs 2015: +126.9%; ten-year change
vs 1979: −93.7%; since the first full year
Busiest month ever: Aug 1986; 231,076 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	46,925	+184.7%	#57
2024	16,485	−59.1%	#62
2023	40,351	+33.8%	#57
2022	30,154	+68.9%	#58
2021	17,855	−42.2%	#60
2020	30,885	−19.2%	#56
2019	38,208	+27.0%	#59
2018	30,085	−0.8%	#58
2017	30,326	+5.9%	#59
2016	28,646	+38.5%	#59
2015	20,677	−13.4%	#58
2014	23,865	+10.4%	#58
2013	21,623	−19.7%	#58
2012	26,935	+40.2%	#59
2011	19,208	−22.1%	#58
2010	24,659	−8.6%	#58
2009	26,972	+44.0%	#58
2008	18,725	−4.1%	#57
2007	19,534	+1.9%	#58
2006	19,167	+2.6%	#58
2005	18,686	+10.5%	#57
2004	16,912	−18.4%	#59
2003	20,724	+0.2%	#58
2002	20,691	−25.4%	#58
2001	27,739	+7.9%	#58
2000	25,704	+19.6%	#58
1999	21,488	−34.4%	#59
1998	32,753	+20.4%	#57
1997	27,203	−2.5%	#57
1996	27,910	−57.7%	#57
1995	65,984	+241.5%	#55
1994	19,323	−9.6%	#58
1993	21,378	+5.3%	#58
1992	20,295	−11.0%	#59
1991	22,796	−95.0%	#57
1990	456,444	+16.6%	#40
1989	391,433	−35.4%	#43
1988	605,967	−7.0%	#33
1987	651,606	−4.6%	#32
1986	683,056	+8.6%	#28
1985	629,234	−1.3%	#30
1984	637,836	−25.7%	#28
1983	858,041	+0.1%	#21
1982	857,016	+3.4%	#20
1981	829,026	+4.1%	#20
1980	796,079	+7.1%	#21
1979	742,997	—	#21

By decade

The long view

1970s: 742,997; avg · 1 yr
1980s: 693,929; avg · 10 yrs
1990s: 71,557; avg · 10 yrs
2000s: 21,485; avg · 10 yrs
2010s: 26,423; avg · 10 yrs
2020s: 30,443; avg · 6 yrs

Seasonality: in 1979–1983 the three busiest months carried 61% of the year’s visits; in 2021–2025 they carried 79% — visits have become more concentrated in the peak season.

Average visits by month

2021–2025 · NPS IRMA

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Quietest: DecemberBusiest: 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

North Cascades visitor questions

How many people visit North Cascades National Park each year?: 46,925 recreation visits in 2025, ranking #57 of the 63 national parks. The 2010s averaged 26,423 a year.
What was North Cascades's busiest year?: 1983, with 858,041 recreation visits — +1728.5% more than 2025. The single busiest month on record was August 1986 (231,076 visits).
Is North Cascades getting more crowded?: 2025 visits were +126.9% compared with 2015 and +151.1% compared with 2005. The low point of recent years was 2024 (16,485).
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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