National parks with mountain climbing
Bright dots offer mountain climbing. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for mountain climbing
- 1Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve14,923 visits
- 2Lake Clark National Park & Preserve19,778 visits
- 3Wrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve108,840 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for mountain climbing
- Alaska 6
- Washington 2
- Colorado 1
- Montana 1
- Wyoming 1
11 parks
Where to go for mountain climbing
Photo: NPS Photo / Nathan KostegianDenali National Park & Preserve
Alaska
543,300 visits in 2025Quietest: January$15 / person
Photo: NPS Photo / Sean TevebaughGates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve
Alaska
14,923 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
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 Photo/TobiasonGrand Teton National Park
Wyoming
3,800,648 visits in 2025Quietest: December$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS/Patrick MyersGreat Sand Dunes National Park & Preserve
Colorado
432,498 visits in 2025Quietest: January$25 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo, S. RainoneKenai Fjords National Park
Alaska
425,369 visits in 2025Quietest: NovemberFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / James KramerLake Clark National Park & Preserve
Alaska
19,778 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / E. BrouwerMount Rainier National Park
Washington
1,635,342 visits in 2025Quietest: February$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/Jon PrestonOlympic National Park
Washington
3,584,187 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
Photo: NPS Photo/ Neal HerbertWrangell–St. Elias National Park & Preserve
Alaska
108,840 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Ideas from the National Park Service
Mountain Climbing ideas, park by park
- Climbing Mount Rainier3-4 Days · Spring, Summer
Mount Rainier, the most heavily glaciated peak in the contiguous United States, offers an exciting challenge to the mountaineer. Climbers must be in excellent physical condition and well prepared. Learn more about the…
Fee
From the NPS Data API's things-to-do records, checked 2026-10-01.
FAQ
Mountain Climbing, quickly
- Which national parks offer mountain climbing?
- 11 of the 63 national parks list mountain climbing as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Denali, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Teton, Great Sand Dunes, Kenai Fjords, Lake Clark, Mount Rainier, Olympic, Wrangell–St. Elias.
- What's the least crowded national park for mountain climbing?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve (14,923 visits), then Lake Clark (19,778). The busiest park on this list is Grand Teton, with 3,800,648.
- Which state has the most national parks for mountain climbing?
- Alaska, with 6, followed by Washington (2).
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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