The national parks of the United States beat their historical record of visitors last year, reaching the figure of 292.8 million visits and thus exceeding the 187.2 million that were reached several decades ago, in 1987.
A total of 405 parks are part of the United States National Park Service, which recently published the list of parks that received the highest number of visitors during 2014.
The list is headed by the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was visited by 10.1 million people and which more than doubled the visits of the second park on the list, the Grand Canyon (4.7 million visitors).
National parks in the United States are great generators of economic activity in their respective areas. Those responsible for the National Park Service estimate that visitor spending amounted to 15,000 million dollars in 2014 and that a minimum of 250,000 jobs are directly related to the activity of the parks.
Below is the list of the ten most visited national parks in USA and a description of each of them, With Map and Photos:
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Located between the states of North Carolina and Tennessee, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park received the most visits last year. Almost 10.1 million people were able to appreciate first-hand the beauty of its ancient mountains and the quality of the cultural remains of the southern Appalachian Indians, in addition to its variety of plants and animals that make it an admirable environment.
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| Great Smoky Mountains National Park |
2. Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon of the Colorado is one of the most popular parks in the country and in the entire world. Its magnitude and beauty combined with the changing plays of light and shadow make this remote place one of the most beautiful. Located in northern Arizona, its extraordinary views were enjoyed by nearly 4.8 million people in 2014.
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| Grand Canyon National Park |
3. Yosemite National Park
One of the first natural parks in the United States is known mainly for its waterfalls, but you can also find deep valleys, meadows, redwoods or an extensive jungle in its 3,108 square kilometers. Yosemite is part of the state of California, 300 kilometers east of San Francisco. It had 3.9 million visitors last year.
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| Yosemite National Park |
4. Yellowstone National Park
Nestled between the states of Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho, Yellowstone National Park is known for its collection of spectacular geysers and hot springs. It is home to a wide variety of wild animals, such as bison, brown bears, wolves and elk. Yellowstone National Park was visited by 3.5 million people.
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| Yellowstone National Park |
5. Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is home to the largest mountain range in western North America. Located near Denver (Colorado), it covers approximately 107,000 hectares, where there are lush valleys and rugged peaks. 3.4 million visitors were in 2014 in the popularly known as Rockies.
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| Rocky Mountain National Park |
6. Olympic National Park
With nearly a million hectares located on the Olympic Peninsula (Whasington), this national park is distinguished by the diversity of ecosystems it enjoys: from Pacific beaches to glacier-crowned peaks, with a wide variety of plants and animals. Ideal to visit in spring. 3.2 million people did so in the entire previous year.
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| Olympic National Park |
7. Zion National Park
Located in Utah, between the Colorado Plateau, the Great Basin and the Mojave Desert, this geological gem has colorful canyons and unique cliffs, with special mention to the Zion Canyon, a cleft 24 kilometers long and 800 meters deep. In 2014, almost 3.2 million people visited this area.
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| Zion National Park |
8. Grand Teton National Park
Grand Teton National Park preserves a breathtaking landscape of majestic mountains, vast glacial lakes, and extraordinary wildlife. Located in the northwest of the state of Wyoming, it attracted 2.8 million visitors.
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| Grand Teton National Park |
9. Acadia National Park
East of the Mississippi River, off the Atlantic coast of Maine, is Acadia National Park. It is home to a wide variety of plants and animals, in addition to Cadillac Mountain, the highest on the American Atlantic coast. Hiking on the granite peaks or biking are the most common practices for visitors. Last year 2.6 million people were there.
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| Acadia National Park |
10. Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park closes the list with 2.3 million visits in 2014. In this national park located in Montana you can find 130 named lakes, more than a thousand species of plants and a wide variety of animals.
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| Glacier National Park |