California's national parks draw record crowds in 2025

State of play: Last year, the state's nine national parks attracted about 800,000 more visitors than in 2024 and 300,000 more than in 2019, when the previous record was set.

• The increase was driven by Yosemite, Lassen, Sequoia, Redwood and Kings Canyon national parks.
• Visits declined at the others, including Joshua Tree National Park.

Fun fact: Nearly twice as many visitors saw the redwoods last year compared to 2024.

By the numbers: Recreational visits by national park in 2025:

• Yosemite National Park (4.3 million)
• Joshua Tree National Park (2.9 million)
• Sequoia National Park (1.38 million)
• Death Valley National Park (1.32 million)
• Redwood National Park (1.2 million)
• Kings Canyon National Park (779,791)
• Lassen Volcanic National Park (504,777)
• Pinnacles National Park (343,208)
• Channel Islands National Park (227,186)

The big picture: The National Park Service reported a 2.7% decrease in recreation visits overall, after a record year in 2024.

• Yosemite ranked fifth for visitors among national parks nationwide last year, knocking Rocky Mountain National Park out of the top five.

What we're watching: The crowds could get even bigger this year as Yosemite ditched reservations.