NSW National Parks conduct a population-wide survey every two years to understand how Australians use national parks, including visitation patterns, activities, experiences, and satisfaction, to inform park management and visitor facility planning.

NSW National Parks just released results on park visitations for 2025/26 showing that Kosciuszko National Park (KNP) is considered to be in the top five NSW national parks most visited.

Visitation to NSW national parks has grown strongly, reaching more than 65 million domestic visits in 2024/25, up 23 per cent since 2022 and nearly nine per cent above the previous peak in 2018.

Internationally, 72 per cent of overseas visitors to NSW visited at least one national park in 2024/25, representing 2.8 million unique visitors and more than four million visits annually. A National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) spokesperson said visitors continue to be drawn to KNP for its iconic alpine landscapes and unique biodiversity, including its distinctive flora and fauna.

“The park supports a wide range of popular recreational activities, with snow sports, bushwalking, scenic touring and sightseeing among the most common,” the spokesperson said.

“Camping and accommodation experiences, along with water-based recreation, also remain key drawcards for visitors year-round.”

According to survey results from previous years, park visitation declined in 2020 and 2022 due to the combined impacts of bushfires, the COVID-19 pandemic and prolonged wet weather.

“Encouragingly, visitation to KNP has since rebounded to pre-disruption levels with KNP scoring in the top five NPWS most visited parks,” the spokesperson said.

“KNP visitors will notice the park has recently been through a period of restoration, with a noticeable increase in vegetation cover and restored stream banks of waterways.”

NSW park visitation peaks in winter, largely driven by KNP, receiving 2.36 million visits and ranks fifth statewide.

Southern Ranges sees longer walks, with a higher proportion of walks up to one day and a higher proportion of multi-day walks KNP is well-known and loved for its newest multi-day hiking trails along the Snowies Alpine Walk, a 56km, four to five day trail connecting Guthega, Charlotte Pass, Perisher Valley and Bullocks Flat. Since its opening in 2024, thousands of hiking enthusiasts have travelled the trails with its popularity driven by its status as a “new, world-class” walking experience that makes the remote Main Range more accessible, yet it remains challenging enough for avid hikers.

The Southern Ranges branch recorded an estimated 2.28 million visits in FY24–25, accounting for 3.5 per cent of total NSW park visits.

Most Southern Ranges visits are intrastate (81.3 per cent), with interstate visitors mainly from the ACT, regional South Australia and the Northern Territory and regional Victoria.

NSW has more than 225 dedicated national parks, and the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service manages a broader system of more than 890 protected areas including nature reserves, state conservation areas, and marine parks covering over 7.6 million hectares, these areas represent more than 9.5 per cent of the total land in NSW.Overall visitor satisfaction in the Southern Ranges is moderate at 79.3 per cent.

For more information on the walking trails throughout KNP visit www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au When hiking the trails in KNP be prepared for unpredictable weather and take a personal locator beacon for safety.