Tokopah Falls trail in Kings Canyon National Park, near Sequoia National Park. Photo by Edward Smith.

2024 was a good year for Sequoia National Park visitation, the highest ever according to official visitor statistics.

Sequoia saw an increase of over 300,000 visitors compared to 2023, totaling over 1.3 million visitors in 2024, a significant rise from the pandemic that shut down travel across the U.S. That year, Sequoia saw just 796,000 tourists. 

National Park visitor spending has a significant economic impact on the local economies, generating billions of dollars in revenue and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, increasing local GDP, particularly in gateway towns like Visalia and Three Rivers near the park entrances. 

The fear has been that California tourism will be down this year, with the state agency, Visit California, releasing its annual travel forecast in May that projected the first year-over-year decline in visitation since the pandemic.  The prediction is based on concerns over tariffs and a drop in international visitors, particularly from Canada. Additionally, LAX, the state’s busiest airport, has seen visitor traffic down by 3.4%  through July.

Sequoia 

But surprise! Fast forward to mid-2025 with Sequoia National Park having even a better year through July. Total recreational visits are up almost 8% this year versus last. That includes an increase in visitors using RVs – up 24% this year versus last. Overnight stays at the park’s only lodge, Wuksachi, are up 18.4%. As for camping out under the stars in Sequoia, there are 7.2% more tent campers and backcountry visits are up 28% this year so far.

A driving force behind this year’s increased park visitation is financial uncertainty over the economy, causing visitors to decide they will travel closer to home and choose less expensive trips for their families.

Local tourism agency ‘Visit Visalia‘ says tourism spending in Tulare County was $626 million in 2024, up 6% from 2023.

Visalia’s hotel stay bed tax continues to climb each year from $4.5 million in 2022 to an expected $4.9 million by 2027, providing revenue for the city’s general fund.

Kings Canyon

Right next door at Kings Canyon National Park, the visitor count is up as well. Total recreational visitors are up 10.5% in Kings Canyon this year as the ‘Big Trees’ draw crowds like they do in Sequoia.  Visitors staying at Grant Grove village lodging are up 12% and so far, Cedar Grove is up 126% compared to the year before. RV stays are up 80% as are tent stays, with families looking to spend an affordable vacation when budgets are tight.

Yosemite

Lastly, Yosemite visitation is up this year, with the most visitors since 2019. Visitation to Yosemite by month this year is up in six of the seven months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Yosemite has seen a 7% increase, with 2.4 million visitors so far. July and August are the biggest months for tourism in California parks.

Overall, California national parks saw a significant increase in visitors in 2024, continuing a national trend of record-high attendance across the entire National Park System.

For the year, California’s national parks received over 12 million visitors, a 7% increase from 2023. 

Death Valley National Park received its highest visitation in history in 2024 with 1.31 million visitors.