A California national park site gets more visitors than any in the US. No, not Yosemite

There are hundreds of national recreation areas across the country, but more people visited one site in California than any other.

The Golden Gate National Recreation Area is the most-visited site in the National Park System, according to a National Park Service news release.

In 2019, more than 23.5 million people visited one of the Bay Area sites, including the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Muir Woods National Monument, Fort Point National Historic Site, Point Reyes National Seashore and San Francisco Maritime National Historic Park.

More than 15 million people visited the Golden Gate National Recreation Area alone. Meanwhile, Yosemite National Park ranked 17th most visited with 4.4 million visitors in 2019, according to National Park Service data.

“Your Bay Area parks, including our sister parks at Point Reyes National Seashore and San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, provide recreation, relaxation, and inspiration for Bay Area residents and international visitors alike,” Charles Strickfaden, communications director for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, said in the news release. “We thank our communities for their support in 2019.”

In 2018, national park visitor spending supported 12,658 jobs locally and brought in $1.6 billion to the local economy, according to the news release. The 2019 economic benefits are not yet available.

“We are thrilled to provide an exceptional national park experience to our communities and visitors from all around the world,” Strickfaden said in the news release. “Our talented National Park Service staff, concessionaires, nonprofit partners and community businesses are committed to providing a wide range of services for visitors from all over the world.”