13. Hot Springs National Park

Arkansas

Located in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the area now known as Hot Springs National Park was set aside by the federal government as a recreation area before it began creating national parks. Located in the Zig-Zag Mountains, a section of the Ouachita Mountains, the park — as its name implies — is known for its hot spring water that many people believe holds medicinal properties. In addition to the thermal springs, the park is known for 26 miles of hiking trails through the forest.

A new attendance record was set at Hot Springs in 2022 when more than 2.6 million people visited the national park. Amazingly, that new record tops the previous attendance record of almost 2.2 million visitors, which was set in 2021.

12. Grand Teton National Park

Wyoming

Grand Teton features 310,000 acres of valley floors, mountain meadows, alpine lakes, and peaks of the Teton Range. It’s no surprise then that the park, which is north of Jackson, Wyoming, and south of Yellowstone, is well known for its hiking, backcountry exploring, climbing, and mountaineering opportunities. Visitors also often see large animals, including elk, moose, bison, mule deer, and pronghorn.

Grand Teton had slightly more than 2.8 million visitors in 2022. While that number is down substantially from 2021, it must be noted that the nearly 3.9 million visitors in 2021 set a new attendance record for Grand Teton.

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