National parks with boating
Bright dots offer boating. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for boating
- 1Kobuk Valley National Park7,786 visits
- 2Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
- 3Isle Royale National Park29,091 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for boating
- Alaska 6
- California 3
- Florida 3
- Montana 2
- Washington 2
- Wyoming 2
- Arizona 1
- Idaho 1
27 parks
Where to go for boating
Photo: NPS Photo by Kent MillerAcadia National Park
Maine
4,079,318 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photoBiscayne National Park
Florida
486,567 visits in 2025Quietest: OctoberFree entry
Photo: NPS/Rhodes SmarttCanyonlands National Park
Utah
796,057 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Brett SeymourChannel Islands National Park
California
227,186 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoCrater Lake National Park
Oregon
632,242 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Brett SeymourDry Tortugas National Park
Florida
89,355 visits in 2025Quietest: October$15 / person
Photo: NPS Photo by Miguel SalasEverglades National Park
Florida
778,198 visits in 2025Quietest: October$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS / T. VandenBergGlacier Bay National Park & Preserve
Alaska
740,044 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoGlacier National Park
Montana
3,136,557 visits in 2025Quietest: February$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/M. QuinnGrand Canyon National Park
Arizona
4,430,653 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoIndiana Dunes National Park
Indiana
2,629,497 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / Paul BrownIsle Royale National Park
Michigan
29,091 visits in 2025Quietest: January$7 / person
Photo: NPS/David JacobKatmai National Park & Preserve
Alaska
34,479 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo, S. RainoneKenai Fjords National Park
Alaska
425,369 visits in 2025Quietest: NovemberFree entry
Photo: NPS PhotoKobuk Valley National Park
Alaska
7,786 visits in 2025Quietest: FebruaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Scott ArnazLassen Volcanic National Park
California
504,777 visits in 2025Quietest: December$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo / J. CooperMammoth Cave National Park
Kentucky
660,734 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlinNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve
West Virginia
1,958,440 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/D.DixonNorth Cascades National Park
Washington
46,925 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/Jon PrestonOlympic National Park
Washington
3,584,187 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoVirgin Islands National Park
US Virgin Islands
471,074 visits in 2025Quietest: SeptemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Daniel DendlerVoyageurs National Park
Minnesota
206,326 visits in 2025Quietest: AprilFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal HerbertWrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
108,840 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS / Jacob W. FrankYellowstone National Park
Idaho, Montana, Wyoming
4,762,988 visits in 2025Quietest: November$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS PhotoYosemite National Park
California
4,278,413 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Ideas from the National Park Service
Boating ideas, park by park
- Boating in Canyonlands1-12 Days · All year
The Colorado and Green rivers have played a significant role in shaping the landscape of Canyonlands. Boating is a great way to see the park from the bottom up, and affords boaters a unique perspective.
Reservation/permitFee
- Float the Savonoski Loop4-10 Days
The Savonoski Loop is an 80 mile paddle through the scenic backcountry of Katmai National Park. Paddlers need intermediate canoeing or kayaking skills, and experience traveling in wilderness and in bear country.
Reservation/permit Katmai contains hundreds of miles of rivers and streams, many large lakes, and countless small ponds. These waterways were used by Native Alaskans long before contact with Russian and European explorers. Today, they…
Reservation/permitFeePets OK
- Whitewater BoatingSpring, Summer, Fall
Whitewater rafting and kayaking is one of the more popular activities at New River Gorge. Boaters can go with an outfitter or on your own if you have the proper experience. The New River is characterised by big,…
- Motorboating in the North CascadesSpring, Summer, Fall
Motorboating is a popular activity on Gorge, Diablo, and Ross lakes, and Lake Chelan.
Pets OK - Paddling in the North CascadesAll year
Kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding are popular on the lakes of the North Cascades.
Pets OK The Skagit and Stehekin rivers attract many whitewater enthusiasts for rafting and kayaking, especially during the summer months.
Pets OK
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Boating, quickly
- Which national parks offer boating?
- 27 of the 63 national parks list boating as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Acadia, Biscayne, Canyonlands, Channel Islands, Crater Lake, Dry Tortugas, Everglades, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton, Indiana Dunes, Isle Royale, Katmai, Kenai Fjords, Kobuk Valley, Lake Clark, Lassen Volcanic, Mammoth Cave, New River Gorge, North Cascades, Olympic, Virgin Islands, Voyageurs, Wrangell–St. Elias, Yellowstone, Yosemite.
- What's the least crowded national park for boating?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Kobuk Valley National Park (7,786 visits), then Lake Clark (19,778). The busiest park on this list is Yellowstone, with 4,762,988.
- Which state has the most national parks for boating?
- Alaska, with 6, followed by California (3).
Sources · 2
- 1.NPS Data API — /parks (all park units) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior)
- 2.NPS Visitor Use Statistics — monthly recreation visits, 2021–2025 (IRMA stats REST service) · National Park Service (U.S. Department of the Interior) — Visitor Use Statistics Program
Activities are the ones each park lists in the NPS Data API. Check the park's own nps.gov page for current trail, water and permit conditions.
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