The National Park Service is made up of 401 sites, including 59 specially designated national parks, plus national seashores, recreation areas, historical sites and other designations. Here are the top 10 most-visited spots in 2013 across all of the park service sites, followed by a list of the top 10 most popular National Parks. California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, shown here, is the most popular Park Service site.
1. Golden Gate National Recreation Area —
The National Park Service is made up of 401 sites, including 59 specially designated national parks, plus national seashores, recreation areas, historical sites and other designations. Here are the top 10 most-visited spots in 2013 across all of the park service sites, followed by a list of the top 10 most popular National Parks. California's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, shown here, is the most popular Park Service site.
ROBERT GALBRAITH/REUTERS/LANDOV
This spectacular overlook near Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway, No. 2 on the park service's list of most-visited sites, is in North Carolina. The parkway also crosses into Virginia.
2. Blue Ridge Parkway —
This spectacular overlook near Mount Mitchell on the Blue Ridge Parkway, No. 2 on the park service's list of most-visited sites, is in North Carolina. The parkway also crosses into Virginia.
Tim Hass/VisitNC.com
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, No. 3 on the list of most-visited park sites, is in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is also the No. 1 most-visited national park.
3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park —
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, No. 3 on the list of most-visited park sites, is in North Carolina and Tennessee. It is also the No. 1 most-visited national park.
National Park Service
George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington, Virginia and Maryland came in fourth place on this list of most-visited park sites in 2013.
4. George Washington Memorial Parkway —
George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington, Virginia and Maryland came in fourth place on this list of most-visited park sites in 2013.
Visions of America/UIG via Getty Images
A single security guard patrols the closed Lincoln Memorial in Washington on October 3 during the government shutdown. The memorial came in fifth place for visitation.
5. Lincoln Memorial —
A single security guard patrols the closed Lincoln Memorial in Washington on October 3 during the government shutdown. The memorial came in fifth place for visitation.
JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in both Arizona (shown here) and Nevada, came in sixth place on the National Park Service list of most-visited park sites.
6. Lake Mead National Recreation Area —
The Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in both Arizona (shown here) and Nevada, came in sixth place on the National Park Service list of most-visited park sites.
Ethan Miller/Getty Images/FILE
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey is part of Gateway National Recreation Area, which is also in New York. It came in seventh place on the list.
7. Gateway National Recreation Area —
The Sandy Hook Lighthouse in New Jersey is part of Gateway National Recreation Area, which is also in New York. It came in seventh place on the list.
John Greim/LightRocket via Getty Images
The Natchez Trace Parkway, shown here near Tupelo, Mississippi, also crosses into Alabama and Tennessee. It came in eighth place on the most-visited sites list.
8. Natchez Trace Parkway —
The Natchez Trace Parkway, shown here near Tupelo, Mississippi, also crosses into Alabama and Tennessee. It came in eighth place on the most-visited sites list.
Universal Images Group via Getty Images
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which landed in ninth place on the park sites list, is in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia.
9. Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park —
The Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, which landed in ninth place on the park sites list, is in the District of Columbia and the states of Maryland and West Virginia.
MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/Getty Images
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, rounds out the National Park Service's top 10 list of the most-visited sites. Keep clicking through the gallery to see the most popular of the 59 national parks.
10. Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area —
The Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, rounds out the National Park Service's top 10 list of the most-visited sites. Keep clicking through the gallery to see the most popular of the 59 national parks.
SHUTTERSTOCK
Many of the most famous parks in the world are among the U.S. National Park Service's 59 headliner national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was the third most-popular park site in 2013, was also the most popular national park. Shown here is the view from Purchase Knob.
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park —
Many of the most famous parks in the world are among the U.S. National Park Service's 59 headliner national parks. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was the third most-popular park site in 2013, was also the most popular national park. Shown here is the view from Purchase Knob.
national park service
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona was the second most popular national park last year. Shown here is <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2013%2F12%2F03%2Ftravel%2Fgrand-canyon-inversion%2Findex.html%3Firef%3Dallsearch">an inversion:</a> cold fog trapped in the canyon by a "lid" of warm air. What makes it rare are the sunny skies accentuating the layers of air.
2. Grand Canyon National Park —
Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona was the second most popular national park last year. Shown here is an inversion: cold fog trapped in the canyon by a "lid" of warm air. What makes it rare are the sunny skies accentuating the layers of air.
from erin whittaker/national park service
Yosemite National Park, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Land Grant this year, was the third most-popular national park last year. In 1864, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill granting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the state of California.
3. Yosemite National Park —
Yosemite National Park, which celebrates the 150th anniversary of the Yosemite Land Grant this year, was the third most-popular national park last year. In 1864, during the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill granting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to the state of California.
David McNew /Newsmakers/Getty Images/File
Yellowstone National Park, which is mostly in Wyoming but also in Idaho and Montana, was the fourth most-popular national park last year.
4. Yellowstone National Park —
Yellowstone National Park, which is mostly in Wyoming but also in Idaho and Montana, was the fourth most-popular national park last year.
DEA/ C.DANI /I.JESKE/De Agostini/Getty Images
Olympic National Park in Washington state jumped from the seventh place in 2012 to fifth place last year.
5. Olympic National Park —
Olympic National Park in Washington state jumped from the seventh place in 2012 to fifth place last year.
Couresty National Park Service
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, which came in sixth place last year, turns 100 next year. The celebrations start this September.
6. Rocky Mountain National Park —
Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, which came in sixth place last year, turns 100 next year. The celebrations start this September.
Kevin Moloney/Getty Images
Zion National Park in Utah came in seventh place on the park service's list of most popular national parks. Here, a hiker wades up the Virgin River in the Zion Narrows.
7. Zion National Park —
Zion National Park in Utah came in seventh place on the park service's list of most popular national parks. Here, a hiker wades up the Virgin River in the Zion Narrows.
MARK RALSTON/AFP/Getty Images
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, which came in eighth, is home to grizzly bears (shown here), black bears and other wild animals.
8. Grand Teton National Park —
Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, which came in eighth, is home to grizzly bears (shown here), black bears and other wild animals.
Danielle Lehle/National Park Service
Maine's beloved Acadia National Park is the ninth most-popular national park in the country.
9. Acadia National Park —
Maine's beloved Acadia National Park is the ninth most-popular national park in the country.
National Park Service
Glacier National Park in Montana edged out Cuyahoga Valley National Park to make it into 10th place last year.
10. Glacier National Park, Montana —
Glacier National Park in Montana edged out Cuyahoga Valley National Park to make it into 10th place last year.
National Park Service
Most-visited national park sites 2013

Story highlights

The U.S. National Park Service says drones are not welcome

Yosemite National, in California, said they're being used to shoot video

Drones make noise and can disrupt delicate wildlife, parks say

YouTube shows a host of drone videos from Yosemite

CNN  — 

If you’re planning to enjoy this spring or summer at a national park, you’d better leave your drone at home.

On Friday, Yosemite National Park in California turned heads when it announced that drones, the unmanned aircraft increasingly making their way into private hands, aren’t welcome in the park, famous for its picturesque valley of towering granite cliffs, waterfalls and Giant Sequoia groves.

Apparently using drones to capture experiences at the park, on the western edge of the Sierra Nevada mountains, is becoming a trend.

“The park has experienced an increase in visitors using drones within park boundaries over the last few years,” park management said in a news release. “Drones have been witnessed filming climbers ascending climbing routes, filming views above tree-tops, and filming aerial footage of the park.”

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And it’s not just Yosemite. The buzzing aerial machines, which have become handy for everything from scaring off unwanted birds to delivering medicine and pizzas, aren’t welcome at any of the 58 national parks.

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“The … regulations cited at Yosemite apply at all units of the National Park System,” spokesman John Quincy said in an e-mail to CNN.

The Code of Federal Regulations states that “delivering or retrieving a person or object by parachute, helicopter, or other airborne means, except in emergencies involving public safety or serious property loss, or pursuant to the terms and conditions of a permit” is illegal.

The parks system says that applies to drones, though privately owned, unmanned aircraft probably weren’t on anyone’s mind when it was written.

Yosemite’s news release cited a list of ways the aircraft can be harmful.

Among them: Ruining the experience for visitors with their noise, interfering with rescue operations and endangering wildlife in the area – particularly the peregrine falcons that nest in the park’s cliff walls.

A quick search on YouTube finds a host of of videos shot using drones at Yosemite and other national parks.

Some merely show shaky video from beginners sending their craft into the sky for the first time, while others are more professional productions that provide breathtaking views of the park’s mountains, trees and cyclists and hikers.

In a bit of irony, firefighters used a drone to battle the Yosemite Rim blaze that raged in and around the park last August.