For reporters & researchers

Press releases.

Novel findings from the official NPS visitation dataset, packaged for reporters with methodology, downloadable CSVs, and charts cleared for editorial use.

Last updated

Each release gives you a headline finding, a per-unit data table, the full methodology, and downloadable CSVs and PNGs cleared for editorial use. Everything is computed from the official NPS Visitor Use Statistics package, so the numbers survive fact-checking against the primary source.

If you cover national parks, public lands, or U.S. travel, you're welcome to use these analyses with attribution. Each release includes a suggested citation line and a contact form link for data questions or custom pulls.

June 19, 2026 · Data release
1.51M

Utah's national parks, visitation through 2025 and the Arches timed-entry question

Official NPS recreation-visit counts for all five Utah national parks, plus the Arches timed-entry timeline, cleared for editorial use with attribution.

Read the analysis →
June 12, 2026 · Data release
38% / 42%

New Mexico national parks, least-busy months in print-ready charts

Two high-resolution charts for Carlsbad Caverns and White Sands, built from official NPS monthly recreation-visit data and cleared for editorial use with attribution.

Read the analysis →
May 28, 2026 · Data release
−8.1 pp

The shoulder season is the new peak season at America's national parks

Two-thirds of the units we could measure are seeing it. Of the 354 National Park Service units with complete monthly data from 2012 to 2024, 233 gained shoulder-season share. At Yellowstone, summer's share of the year fell 8 points in a decade.

Read the analysis →
Independence

Independent site. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. The underlying data comes from official NPS Visitor Use Statistics; editorial analysis and methodology are ours. The NPS Arrowhead and other NPS marks are not used.

Last updated · 2026-06-19