National Parks Week Report: Lesser-Known Parks Outrank Popular Ones in Surprising Data

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Apr 16, 2024, 08:48 ET

In celebration of National Parks Week, Travel Lemming analyzed data to rank all 63 US national parks. Hidden gem parks topped the list, overshadowing iconic parks like Yellowstone and Yosemite.

DENVER, April 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For National Parks Week, Travel Lemming released its annual data-backed ranking of all 63 US national parks. The report finds lesser-visited parks outshining iconic favorites, with Yosemite National Park falling to position #22.

Providing a unique numerical insight into America's natural landmarks, Travel Lemming's USA national parks ranking assesses each park across seven factors: affordability, accessibility, biodiversity, crowds, reviews, jobs, and weather.

Travel Lemming Editor Chelsea Booker at Mount Rainier National Park in Washington

Travel Lemming Editor Abigail Bliss at Glacier National Park, Montana

Here are the main takeaways from the report:

● Shenandoah National Park ranks #1 overall for the second year in a row, with exceptional scores in accessibility and biodiversity.
● Several lesser-known national parks ranked in the Top 20, largely due to a lack of crowds, cheaper prices, and ease of access.
● Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley is the most affordable park, Hawaii's Haleakalā National Park has the best weather, Tennessee's Great Smoky Mountains is the most biodiverse and has the most jobs associated with it, Alaska's Gates of the Arctic is the least crowded, and Missouri's Gateway Arch is the most accessible.
● The most famous national parks tend to fare worse in the data; often due to crowds and affordability issues.

The top 10 national parks in the USA according to the data are:

Ranking	Park	State
1	Shenandoah National Park	VA
2	Joshua Tree National Park	CA
3	Olympic National Park	WA
4	Great Smoky Mountains National Park	TN, NC
5	North Cascades National Park	WA
6	Grand Canyon National Park	AZ
7	Channel Islands National Park	CA
8	New River Gorge National Park	WV
9	Everglades National Park	FL
10	Redwood National and State Parks	CA

The full ranking can be found at: https://travellemming.com/best-national-parks-in-usa/

Travel Lemming Writer Meg O'Connor commented: "As a data scientist and a huge fan of the outdoors, I love how much variety the United States has in its terrain, flora, and fauna. These data-driven rankings provide a numerical glimpse into how diverse our National Parks really are, and I feel like I could live several lifetimes and never get bored of visiting them."

"Since we truly have some stunning hidden gems in our park system, I think these rankings will help draw attention to some of the lesser-known but absolutely awe-inspiring parks in this country."

Methodology

Travel Lemming's team assessed all 63 parks by seven categories:

● Crowds - 2023 recreation visits per acre of park land
● Reviews - average visitor ratings
● Weather - a human comfort-based rating accounting for various weather factors
● Affordability - total visitor spending
● Jobs - total number of jobs associated with each park
● Accessibility - driving distance to the closest airports
● Biodiversity - number of species

The report's methodology section contains details and sources. Complete ranking data can be accessed here.

About Travel Lemming

Travel Lemming publishes practical travel guides by locals and is read by more than 10 million people annually.

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SOURCE Travel Lemming