National parks with whitewater rafting
Bright dots offer whitewater rafting. Tap any park to tick it off your checklist.
Quietest picks for whitewater rafting
- 1Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve14,923 visits
- 2Glacier Bay National Park & Preserve740,044 visits
- 3Canyonlands National Park796,057 visits
By 2025 recreation visits (NPS).
Most parks for whitewater rafting
- Alaska 2
- Arizona 1
- California 1
- Montana 1
- Utah 1
- West Virginia 1
7 parks
Where to go for whitewater rafting
Photo: NPS/Rhodes SmarttCanyonlands National Park
Utah
796,057 visits in 2025Quietest: January$30 / vehicle
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/M. QuinnGrand Canyon National Park
Arizona
4,430,653 visits in 2025Quietest: January$35 / vehicle
Photo: NPS photo/Louise McLaughlinNew River Gorge National Park & Preserve
West Virginia
1,958,440 visits in 2025Quietest: JanuaryFree entry
Photo: NPS Photo / Steve OlsonRedwood National and State Parks
California
1,202,480 visits in 2025Quietest: DecemberFree entry
FAQ
Whitewater Rafting, quickly
- Which national parks offer whitewater rafting?
- 7 of the 63 national parks list whitewater rafting as an activity, according to the National Park Service: Canyonlands, Gates of the Arctic, Glacier Bay, Glacier, Grand Canyon, New River Gorge, Redwood.
- What's the least crowded national park for whitewater rafting?
- By 2025 recreation visits, Gates of the Arctic National Park & Preserve (14,923 visits), then Glacier Bay (740,044). The busiest park on this list is Grand Canyon, with 4,430,653.
- Which state has the most national parks for whitewater rafting?
- Alaska, with 2, followed by Arizona (1).
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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