This Iconic 2,197-mile Trail Just Made the Top 10 Most Visited National Park Sites for the First Time

""For the first time, we can truly see how popular and meaningful the Appalachian Trail and its landscape are to millions of people," says Cinda Waldbuesser, president and CEO of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, in an official March 2026 statement."

""We are very proud of our work in partnership with the National Park Service on a methodology that enables us to accurately understand how people use the footpath, what sections see the most visitation, and how to better support local communities so the Trail remains an iconic destination for generations to come," said Waldbuesser in the statement."

The Appalachian Trail has made its debut in the National Park Service's annual ranking of the most visited national park units, achieving ninth place with 6.2 million visits in 2025. This marks a significant change as previous rankings often excluded less-traditional sites like hiking trails. A new data collection method, utilizing cellphone location data and trail counters, was developed through collaboration between the National Park Service and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, allowing for accurate tracking of trail usage and visitation patterns.

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