Death Valley by the year.
Each point is the park's total recreation visits for that calendar year, drawn from the official NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025 (Statistic = TRV, summed from monthly to annual). The full 1979-2025 history is shown: 47 years. The line traces the long-run shape; the orange dot marks the peak year and the teal dot marks the lowest. The table below carries every year's exact count and its year-over-year change.
| Year | Recreation visits | YoY |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 631,152 | |
| 1980 | 618,140 | -2.1% |
| 1981 | 630,402 | +2.0% |
| 1982 | 679,992 | +7.9% |
| 1983 | 635,582 | -6.5% |
| 1984 | 621,197 | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 576,679 | -7.2% |
| 1986 | 586,668 | +1.7% |
| 1987 | 665,345 | +13.4% |
| 1988 | 692,267 | +4.0% |
| 1989 | 664,449 | -4.0% |
| 1990 | 690,965 | +4.0% |
| 1991 | 743,608 | +7.6% |
| 1992 | 869,183 | +16.9% |
| 1993 | 998,474 | +14.9% |
| 1994 | 971,487 | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 1,109,421 | +14.2% |
| 1996 | 1,189,215 | +7.2% |
| 1997 | 1,188,212 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 1,177,746 | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 1,227,583 | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 1,179,094 | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 1,014,636 | -13.9% |
| 2002 | 897,596 | -11.5% |
| 2003 | 890,375 | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 764,820 | -14.1% |
| 2005 | 800,113 | +4.6% |
| 2006 | 744,440 | -7.0% |
| 2007 | 704,122 | -5.4% |
| 2008 | 871,938 | +23.8% |
| 2009 | 828,574 | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 984,775 | +18.9% |
| 2011 | 946,867 | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 984,568 | +4.0% |
| 2013 | 951,972 | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 1,101,312 | +15.7% |
| 2015 | 1,154,843 | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 1,296,283 | +12.2% |
| 2017 | 1,294,827 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 1,678,660 | +29.6% |
| 2019 | 1,740,945 | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 820,023 | -52.9% |
| 2021 | 1,146,551 | +39.8% |
| 2022 | 1,128,862 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 1,099,632 | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 1,440,484 | +31.0% |
| 2025 | 1,320,134 | -8.4% |
What the trend says
The latest total is below the dataset high. 2025 recorded 1,320,134 recreation visits, 24.2% below 2019's 1,740,945. It is also down 8.4% from 2024.
The recent path is uneven. The count was 1,128,862 in 2022 and 1,099,632 in 2023, then 1,440,484 in 2024. A single annual increase or decrease is not a forecast for the next year.
Read the full series as reported counts. The record begins with 631,152 visits in 1979. The lowest value shown is 576,679 in 1985. Annual totals alone do not explain changes in counting, park access or visitor demand.
Common questions
How many visits did Death Valley record in 2025?
1,320,134 recreation visits, down 8.4% from 2024. The figure counts visits, not distinct visitors.
What was Death Valley National Park visitation in 2023?
1,099,632 recreation visits, compared with 1,128,862 in 2022. The table shows each year separately.
What was Death Valley's highest visitation year?
2019 has the highest recorded count in this 1979–2025 dataset: 1,740,945 recreation visits. This is a dataset maximum, not a claim about every year before the series begins.
Does this show how crowded Death Valley will be?
No. Annual totals cannot predict a specific date or location. Use the monthly crowd calendar for the seasonal pattern, and the best-time guide for weather and access tradeoffs.
What the data measures
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025. Annual totals sum the twelve monthly TRV (recreation visit) values for DEVA. These are visits, not a count of distinct people or an estimate of visitor spending.
The record spans 1979–2025. Historical reporting methods and park boundaries may differ; the chart does not establish that every year was measured identically. It also cannot isolate the cause of an increase or decline. We are independent of the National Park Service.
Independent site. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service. Data comes from the official NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025; editorial analysis is ours. The NPS Arrowhead and other NPS marks are not used.