LAKE MEAD (KTNV) — Millions of Americans continue to travel to The Great Outdoors and enjoy National Park Service sites across the country.
According to new data, the National Park Service reported 325.5 million people visited their sites in 2023, which is up by 13 million visits, or about 4%, compared to 2022. Twenty parks also set records for annual visits, including Mojave National Preserve.
Over at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, the National Park Service reported nearly 5.8 people visited in 2023.
When looking at annual data, that number is up by about 220,000 people compared to 2022. But if you don't include 2022, it's the lowest visitor total since 1982.
Perhaps the biggest factor that has impacted tourism at Lake Mead is the changing water levels.
In January 2023, water levels sat at 1,046 feet, which is about 18 feet lower than January 2022 levels. Over the last year, we have made progress as a healthy snowpack helped add more water to the lake. According to Bureau of Reclamation data, at the end of January 2024, we're sitting at about 1,072 feet.
It's still too early to see how visitor numbers will affect the economy around Lake Mead. Between 2022 and 2023, the National Park Service showed that visitor spending at Lake Mead dropped by $94 million and visitor spending was at the lowest levels since 2013.
RELATED LINK: Lake Mead visitor spending drops by $94 million in one year, according to report
Despite lower visitor numbers compared to past years, Lake Mead still ended up in the top 10 when it comes to the most visited sites in the National Park Service system.
- 1. Blue Ridge Parkway (16.75 million)
- 2. Golden Gate National Recreation Area (14.95 million)
- 3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13.29 million)
- 4. Gateway National Recreation Area (8.70 million)
- 5. Gulf Islands National Seashore (8.27 million)
- 6. Lincoln Memorial (8.09 million)
- 7. George Washington Memorial Parkway (7.39 million)
- 8. Natchez Trace Parkway (6.78 million)
- 9. Lake Mead National Recreation Area (5.79 million)
- 10. Glen Canyon National Recreation Area (5.20 million)
When we don't factor in recreation areas and focus solely on national parks, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, and Joshua Tree National Park all cracked the top 10.
- 1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (13.29 million)
- 2. Grand Canyon National Park (4.73 million)
- 3. Zion National Park (4.62 million)
- 4. Yellowstone National Park (4.50 million)
- 5. Rocky Mountain National Park (4.11 million)
- 6. Yosemite National Park (3.89 million)
- 7. Acadia National Park (3.87 million)
- 8. Grand Teton National Park (3.41 million)
- 9. Joshua Tree National Park (3.27 million)
- 10. Olympic National Park (2.94 million)
