News Release

Big South Fork NRRA Experienced Continued High Visitation in 2023

A group of hikers enjoying the park

NPS

News Release Date: February 27, 2024

Contact: Christopher Derman, 423-569-9778

Today, the National Park Service announced that 400 national parks reported a total of 325.5 million visits in 2023, an increase of 13 million or 4 percent over 2022. Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area experienced continued high visitation in 2023. Last year, 766,000 visitors decided to experience the park.

“Big South Fork offers solace, inspiration, and endless recreation opportunities for everyone in this incredible place,” said Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas. “Whatever outdoor recreational experience you’re looking for, Big South Fork is a park for everyone.”

Visitation figures and trends guide how the National Park Service manages parks to ensure the best experience possible for park visitors. The Visitation Statistics Dashboard provides recreational visit statistics for every park in the US for 2023 and also for previous years, dating back to 1979 for some parks. There are 429 parks in the National Park System, and 400 parks counted visitors in 2023. For the first time, there are now parks reporting their visitation numbers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and four US territories. Five national parks began reporting in 2023, and this is the first year a park from Delaware is included.