An effort is under way to greatly expand the North Cascades National Park, a mountainous region between Marblemount and the Methow Valley that’s nicknamed the American Alps. One of the reasons cited is that it is one of the least-visited national parks in the lower 48 states. A larger park might attract more visitors — and more dollars — to the region. Below is a look at how Washington’s three national parks compare to others around the country.
Olympic National Park
Established: June 29, 1938
Size: 922,000 acres (1,440 square miles)
Budget: $13 million (2012)
Visitors in 2011: 2,966,502
Interesting fact: President Theodore Roosevelt created the Mount Olympus National Monument in 1909, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation making the mountain and surrounding land a park.
Mount Rainier National Park
Established: March 2, 1899 (fifth-oldest national park)
Size: 235,625 acres (368 square miles)
Budget: $12.2 million (2012)
Visitors in 2011: 1,038,229
Interesting fact: In 2010, 10,643 people tried to climb Mount Rainier; 4,920 of them reached the summit.
North Cascades National Park
Established: Oct. 2, 1968
Size: 501,458 acres (783 square miles)
Budget: $7.4 million (2012)
Visitors in 2011: 19,208
Interesting fact: North Cascades has more than 300 glaciers, more than any other park in the Lower 48, including Glacier National Park in Montana.
U.S. national parks
Ranked by visitors in 2011.
1. Great Smoky Mountains (NC, TN) | 9,008,830 |
2. Grand Canyon (AZ) | 4,298,178 |
3. Yosemite (CA) | 3,951,393 |
4. Yellowstone (WY, ID, MT) | 3,394,326 |
5. Rocky Mountain (CO) | 3,176,941 |
6. Olympic (WA) | 2,966,502 |
7. Zion (UT) | 2,825,505 |
8. Grand Teton (WY) | 2,587,437 |
9. Acadia (ME) | 2,374,645 |
10. Cuyahoga Valley (OH) | 2,161,185 |
11. Glacier (MT) | 1,853,564 |
12. Hot Springs (AR) | 1,396,354 |
13. Joshua Tree (CA) | 1,396,237 |
14. Hawaii Volcanoes (HI) | 1,352,123 |
15. Bryce Canyon (UT) | 1,296,000 |
16. Shenandoah (VA) | 1,209,883 |
17. Arches (UT) | 1,040,758 |
18. Mount Rainier (WA) | 1,038,229 |
19. Sequoia (CA) | 1,006,583 |
20. Haleakala (HI) | 956,989 |
21. Death Valley (CA, NV) | 946,867 |
22. Everglades (FL) | 934,351 |
23. Badlands (SD) | 870,741 |
24. Capitol Reef (UT) | 668,834 |
25. Petrified Forest (AZ) | 614,054 |
26. Saguaro (AZ) | 610,045 |
27. Mesa Verde (CO) | 572,329 |
28. Kings Canyon (CA) | 566,810 |
29. Theodore Roosevelt (ND) | 563,407 |
30. Wind Cave (SD) | 538,394 |
31. Mammoth Cave (KY) | 483,319 |
32. Biscayne (FL) | 476,077 |
33. Canyonlands (UT) | 473,773 |
34. Virgin Islands (VI) | 442,414 |
35. Glacier Bay (AK) | 431,986 |
36. Crater Lake (OR) | 423,551 |
37. Denali (AK) | 406,582 |
38. Redwood (CA) | 380,167 |
39. Carlsbad Caverns (NM) | 365,000 |
40. Big Bend (TX) | 361,862 |
41. Lassen Volcanic (CA) | 351,269 |
42. Kenai Fjords (AK) | 346,852 |
43. Great Sand Dunes (CO) | 280,058 |
44. Channel Islands (CA) | 242,756 |
45. Voyageurs (MN) | 177,184 |
46. Black Canyon of the Gunnison (CO) | 168,336 |
47. Guadalupe Mountains (TX) | 152,546 |
48. Congaree (SC) | 120,166 |
49. Great Basin (NV) | 91,451 |
50. Dry Tortugas (FL) | 75,171 |
51. Wrangell-St. Elias (AK) | 65,225 |
52. Katmai (AK) | 48,939 |
53. North Cascades (WA) | 19,208 |
54. Isle Royale (MI) | 15,892 |
55. Gates of the Arctic (AK) | 11,623 |
56. Kobuk Valley (AK) | 11,485 |
57. National Park of American Samoa (AS) | 8,716 |
58. Lake Clark (AK) | 5,158 |
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