Pinnacles 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 | 153,717 | |
| 1980 | 163,626 | +6.4% |
| 1981 | 155,205 | -5.1% |
| 1982 | 171,026 | +10.2% |
| 1983 | 170,631 | -0.2% |
| 1984 | 166,258 | -2.6% |
| 1985 | 191,578 | +15.2% |
| 1986 | 198,236 | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 204,705 | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 212,094 | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 218,601 | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 214,268 | -2.0% |
| 1991 | 192,610 | -10.1% |
| 1992 | 191,683 | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 194,757 | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 172,642 | -11.4% |
| 1995 | 177,527 | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 164,465 | -7.4% |
| 1997 | 171,971 | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 94,639 | -45.0% |
| 1999 | 164,854 | +74.2% |
| 2000 | 162,110 | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 178,243 | +10.0% |
| 2002 | 162,266 | -9.0% |
| 2003 | 162,791 | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 157,397 | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 170,994 | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 158,824 | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 161,019 | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 166,988 | +3.7% |
| 2009 | 171,112 | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 246,575 | +44.1% |
| 2011 | 393,219 | +59.5% |
| 2012 | 224,476 | -42.9% |
| 2013 | 237,677 | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 196,635 | -17.3% |
| 2015 | 206,533 | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 215,555 | +4.4% |
| 2017 | 233,334 | +8.2% |
| 2018 | 222,152 | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 177,224 | -20.2% |
| 2020 | 165,740 | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 348,857 | +110.5% |
| 2022 | 275,023 | -21.2% |
| 2023 | 341,220 | +24.1% |
| 2024 | 354,076 | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 343,208 | -3.1% |
What the trend says
The latest year is below the previous one. 2025 recorded 343,208 recreation visits, down 3.1% from 2024's 354,076. One annual change does not show whether every month or entrance followed the same pattern.
The displayed record remains 2011. Its 393,219 visits exceed the latest total by 50,011. The latest year is 12.7% below that recorded maximum. The annual totals alone do not explain why the record occurred.
The longer comparison differs from the one-year change. The latest total is 66.2% above 2015's 206,533. This measures recorded recreation visits, not growth in unique visitors or local spending.
Common questions
How many visits did Pinnacles record in 2025?
343,208 recreation visits, down 3.1% from 354,076 in 2024. Recreation visits are not a count of unique people.
What was Pinnacles National Park's busiest recorded year?
2011 has the highest total in this 1979–2025 series, with 393,219 recreation visits. The table preserves the historical reporting-unit totals; it does not explain the reason for that maximum.
Can annual visitation tell me which month has fewer crowds?
No. An annual total combines all twelve months and cannot show weekday, hourly or trail-specific crowding. Use the linked crowd calendar for monthly visit comparisons, then check parking and route information separately.
How the annual totals are calculated
Each year sums twelve monthly TRV (recreation visit) values for reporting unit PINN in the NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025. The series covers 1979–2025; original source totals are preserved.
Visits are not unique people, individual trail use or visitor spending. Year-over-year percentages compare each annual total with the previous year's total. The series does not by itself establish causes for changes or predict parking availability. For monthly comparisons, use the Pinnacles crowd calendar. 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.