California national parks predicted to be No. 2 for visitors in 2026

California national parks are predicted to be the second most popular for visitors in 2026, according to a new report.

Wander, a luxury vacation rental company, predicted California’s parks will fall just behind Tennessee in foot traffic this year, the company said in a February news release.

“California has nine national parks, the most of any U.S. state, ranging from desert landscapes of Joshua Tree to coastal mountain terrain of Yosemite,” the company wrote. “As well as nine national parks, California has the most hiking trails among all U.S. states, with 16,352 to explore.”

Using national park visitor data from prior years, as well as the number of adventure activities, Wander said it predicted which states would see the most national park visitors.

After California, the company predicted Utah, Wyoming, and Arizona to be the next most popular for visitors.

What are California’s national parks?Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is nestled in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of Central California.