Park fans show love for lesser-known places as New River Gorge and Mesa Verde continue Cinderella runs.
Check out Sweet 16 results below, or head directly to the Elite 8 ballot. Also check out a gallery of your photos.
Of the 330 million visitors to national parks in 2024, fewer than 1% – around 2.4 million – made it to New River Gorge in West Virginia and Mesa Verde in Arizona. But both hidden gems are now in the Elite 8 of Parks Madness 2025, selected by fans across the country. They’re joined by much more popular giants like Glacier, the Rocky Mountains, Yosemite and Acadia.
In the biggest upset of the round, No. 5 seed Grand Teton National Park upset No. 1 seed Zion, the runner up in the tournament last year, by a solid 54-46% margin. While often in the shadow of Yellowstone, its neighbor and the 2024 Parks Madness champion, the Tetons are getting their due. “Grand Teton’s jagged peaks are one of the most spectacular views you can see, and that’s 50 miles from even making it to the park,” said voter William Stonick. “They look like a masterpiece painting from afar, and once you arrive, you add to the splendor with the lake and wildlife. Imaginary worlds in fantasy novels fall short of the breathtaking beauty of those mountains.”
To reach the Elite 8, No. 14 seed New River had to burble past the last historical site in the competition, No. 4 seed Gettysburg – and it did so easily, 61-39%. Despite its name, the New River is actually one of the oldest in the world, around 360 million years old, and the park also boasts the longest single-arch bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Since it became a national park in 2020, New River has seen steady growth in visitation, reaching a record 1.8 million in 2024.
By far the tightest race in the Sweet 16 was No. 10 seed Mesa Verde vs. No. 6 seed Joshua Tree, which came down to an oh-so-slender 50.2-49.8% difference. Home to over 600 stunning cliff dwellings built by the Ancestral Puebloans, Mesa Verde is also renowned for star-gazing as an International Dark Sky Park.
Sweet 16 results:
Remaining schedule
Elite Eight: May 12-15. Winners announced on Friday, May 16.
Final Four: May 16-19. Winners announced on Tuesday, May 20.
Championship: May 20-22. Winner announced on Friday, May 23.
Have comments on the plan? Send ‘em our way below…
National Park badges in cover photo by Anderson Design Group.
