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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