The National Parks dataset is frequently updated by the National Park Service (NPS) and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD). This dataset depicts National Park Service boundary data that was created by the Land Resources Division. NPS Director's Order #25 states: "Land status maps will be prepared to identify the ownership of the lands within the authorized boundaries of the park unit. These maps, showing ownership and acreage, are the 'official record' of the acreage of Federal and non-federal lands within the park boundaries. While these maps are the official record of the lands and acreage within the unit's authorized boundaries, they are not of survey quality and not intended to be used for survey purposes." As such this data is intended for use as a tool for GIS analysis. It is in no way intended for engineering or legal purposes. For the full data description, please go to https://irma.nps.gov/DataStore/Reference/Profile/2224545?lnv=True. A data dictionary, or other source of attribute information, is accessible at https://doi.org/10.21949/1529046

In 2024, the number of visitors to national parks and sites in the United States varied by type. There were approximately 94.3 million visitors to National Parks in the U.S. in 2024.

The United States National Parks

Discover America's Natural Wonders

About this dataset

The United States is home to 63 national parks, each with its own unique story and natural wonders to explore. This dataset provides information on all of the national parks in the country, including the state in which each park is located, the date when it was established, its total area, the number of recreation visitors it receives each year, and a description of its key features. Whether you're looking to discover America's hidden gems or simply want to find a new place to explore, this dataset is a great resource for planning your next adventure

How to use the dataset

This dataset has been designed to provide information on the 63 national parks in the United States. It includes data on the park name, location, date established, area, recreation visitors, and description. This dataset can be used by researchers interested in studying the national parks of the United States, as well as by individuals planning a visit to one or more of these parks

Research Ideas

• Creating a map of all 63 national parks in the US
• Determining which states have the most national parks
• Planning a road trip to visit all 63 national parks

License

License: CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) - Public Domain Dedication No Copyright - You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. See Other Information.

Columns

File: df_1.csv | Column name | Description | |:--------------|:--------------| | 0 | |

File: df_4.csv

File: df_3.csv | Column name | Description | |:--------------------|:--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | State | The state in which the national park is located. (String) | | Total parks | The total number of national parks in the state. (Integer) | | Exclusive parks | The number of national parks that are exclusive to the state. (Integer) | | Shared parks | The number of national parks that are shared with other states. (Integer) |

File: df_2.csv | Column name | Description | |:----------------|:---------------------------------------------| | Name | The name of the national park. (String) | | Image | An image of the national park. (URL) | | Location | The location of the national park. (String) | | Description | A description of the national park. (String) |

File: df_5.csv | Column name | Description | |:------------------------------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | vteFederal protected areas in the United States | A list of all federal protected areas in the United States. (List) | | vteFederal protected areas in the United States.1 | A list of all federal protected areas in the United States, including the state in which each park is located, the total number of parks in that state, the number of exclusive parks in that state, and the number of shared parks in that state. (List) |

In 2023, the market size of national parks and other nature institutions in the United States reached 1.4 billion U.S. dollars. This showed a growth of 6.2 percent over the previous year's market size.

Context

The National Park Service publishes a database of animal and plant species identified in individual national parks and verified by evidence — observations, vouchers, or reports that document the presence of a species in a park. All park species records are available to the public on the National Park Species portal; exceptions are made for sensitive, threatened, or endangered species when widespread distribution of information could pose a risk to the species in the park.

Content

Geography: USA

Time period: Present

Unit of analysis: National Park Species Dataset

National Park species lists provide information on the presence and status of species in our national parks. These species lists are works in progress and the absence of a species from a list does not necessarily mean the species is absent from a park. The time and effort spent on species inventories varies from park to park, which may result in data gaps. Species taxonomy changes over time and reflects regional variations or preferences; therefore, records may be listed under a different species name.

Each park species record includes a species ID, park name, taxonomic information, scientific name, one or more common names, record status, occurrence (verification of species presence in park), nativeness (species native or foreign to park), abundance (presence and visibility of species in park), seasonality (season and nature of presence in park), and conservation status (species classification according to US Fish & Wildlife Service). Taxonomic classes have been translated from Latin to English for species categorization; order, family, and scientific name (genus, species, subspecies) are in Latin.

The dataset we're exploring, the species at the most visited National Parks in the USA! NPSpecies contains species listed by National Parks maintained by National Parks Service (NPS). Given the size of the dataset, we're focusing on the 15 most visited parks. The data comes from NPS

Variables

With approximately **** million recreational visits in 2024, the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, located in California, was the most visited National Park Service site in the United States. Meanwhile, the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina and Virginia, was the second most visited site in the country.

The administrative boundaries of national park authorities in England as provided by the ONS for the purposes of producing statistics.

Annual visitor records were downloaded for each NPS unit within the study area (Visitor Use Statistics, NPS 2015). NPS [National Park Service]. 2015. NPS Stats: National Park Service visitor use statistics. National Park Service, Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C., USA.

Mid-year (30 June) estimates of the usual resident population for the 13 National Parks in England and Wales. These are official statistics in development.

In 2024, the number of recreational visits to U.S. National Park Service sites reached ***** million. This represented an increase over the previous year's figure of ***** million.

In 2024, Yosemite National Park welcomed a total of 4.1 million visitors. This was an increase from the previous year, when the park had 3.9 million visitors. Yosemite National Park Yosemite National Park is a large national forest located in central California. It was founded in 1864 and boasts over 1,200 square miles of vast wilderness, glaciers and winter sports. The park is known for the famous El Capitan rock formation that is popular among climbers around the world. Yosemite is among the most visited national parks in the U.S. with other big names such as Great Smoky Mountains National Park and Zion National Park. Looking at attendance at park attractions and similar sites in the United States, national parks attracted the largest number of visitors in 2023. Climbing and Hiking in the U.S. Rock climbing and hiking is a popular pastime at parks like Yosemite. Hiking and climbing have been increasing in popularity across the United States. In 2024, the number of people participating in hiking in the U.S. reached an all-time high of 63.4 million individuals. Moreover, hiking was also the most popular outdoor activity in the U.S. followed by fishing in 2023.

National parks are key for conserving biodiversity and supporting people´s well-being. However, anthropogenic pressures challenge the existence of national parks and their conservation effectiveness. Therefore, it is crucial to assess how people perceive national parks in order to enhance socio-political support for conservation. User-generated data shared by visitors on social media provide opportunities to understand how people perceive (e.g. preferences, feelings, opinions) national parks during nature-based recreational experiences. In this study, we applied methods from automated natural language processing to assess visitors' sentiment when describing experiences in Instagram posts geolocated inside four national parks in South Africa. We found that visitors' sentiment was positive, and mostly included emotions such as joy, anticipation, trust and surprise, with only a small occurrence of posts with negative feelings. Appreciation of nature, in association with a diverse set of other aspects, such as activities, geographical features and tourist attractions, was used to describe experiences related to nature, wilderness, traveling, holidays and adventures. The type of nature-based experience described by visitors was park specific, revealing different profiles of parks providing wildlife or scenery experiences. Findings support and highlight the societal role of national parks in providing visitors with opportunities to develop positive connections with nature. Social media data may be used to understand visitors' perceptions, and how the image of national parks is constructed by users in the virtual social environment. This may help inform management for promoting a high quality tourism experience, as well as conservation marketing aimed at fostering socio-political support for national parks and their long-term conservation effectiveness.

This release provides key 2011 Census estimates that describe the usual resident population (as at March 2011) of national parks in England and Wales. The 35 Key Statistics tables included provide census estimates for the populations within the exact boundaries of the 13 national parks in England and Wales.

Comprehensive dataset containing 96 verified National park businesses in United States with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

National Park Service unit boundaries.

Financial overview and grant giving statistics of National Park Foundation

National Parks are run by National Park Authorities for the purpose of conserving and enhancing the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage and to provide opportunities for the understanding and enjoyment of the Park by the public. Alterations: Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Park (Designation) boundaries modified 1st August 2016. South Downs National Park (Designation) modified on 2nd June 2010.Full metadata can be viewed on data.gov.uk.

Comprehensive dataset containing 20 verified National park businesses in RS with complete contact information, ratings, reviews, and location data.

Taiwan Number of Tourist: NP: Shei-pa National Park data was reported at 82,522.000 Person in May 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 93,769.000 Person for Apr 2018. Taiwan Number of Tourist: NP: Shei-pa National Park data is updated monthly, averaging 73,780.000 Person from Jan 2007 (Median) to May 2018, with 137 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 219,275.000 Person in Feb 2012 and a record low of 23,714.000 Person in Sep 2008. Taiwan Number of Tourist: NP: Shei-pa National Park data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Taiwan – Table TW.Q007: Number of Tourists By Tourist Attractions.

The National Parks and National Park Reserves of Canada Legislative Boundaries web service includes the following lands: 1) National Parks of Canada as defined in Schedule 1 of the Canada National Parks Act, 2) National Park Reserves of Canada as defined in Schedule 2 of the Canada National Parks Act, 3) Rouge National Urban Park as defined in the Rouge National Urban Park Act and 4) Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park as defined in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park Act. The Data available for download is the former National Framework Canada Lands Administrative Boundaries Level 1 product. There are some attribute differences between the data available for download and the web service; however both contain the same underlying data. Please refer to the Supporting Documents for additional information on the National Framework Canada Lands Administrative Boundaries Level 1 dataset. Work is under way to align these two data products. As well, the Comprehensive Claims Settlement Areas have been removed from this dataset, but can be obtained from the Post-1975 Treaties (Modern Treaties) dataset produced by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada.