Yellowstone tops list of America’s most Googled national parks — as interest in wild US surges
Yellowstone National Park is number one in American hearts.
The legendary nature preserve has been crowned the most searched national park in the US, generating more than 7.5 million Google searches over the past 12 months — part of a broader surge in online interest in America’s wilderness.
The study, compiled by airport transportation company hoppa — in honor of National Park Week, which runs from Aug. 22 through Aug. 30 — showed searches for natural vacation spots are up a whopping 27%.
“There is nothing so American as our national parks … The fundamental idea behind the parks … is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us,” Franklin D. Roosevelt said in 1934.
And it is easy to see why Yellowstone topped the list.
Stretching across Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the world’s first national park is famous for its otherworldly geothermal landscape, including the Old Faithful geyser and brilliantly colored hot springs.
There’s plenty of wildlife to spot, too, with bison, elk, wolves and grizzly bears among the animals that call the sprawling wilderness home.
Admission to Yellowstone, and most other parks, costs $35 per vehicle, but on Aug. 25, entrance fees will be waived in all national parks to celebrate the the 110th birthday of the National Park Service.
Not far behind was Grand Canyon National Park, which took the No. 2 spot with 6,123,000 Google searches.
The Arizona landmark has long been one of the country’s most recognizable natural attractions with its breathtaking overlooks, hiking trails and massive, multicolored canyon — and its online popularity reflects that, generating more than 6 million searches.
Utah’s Zion National Park — known for its soaring red and pink cliffs, Emerald Pools and famous hikes –rounded out the top three, clocking an impressive 5,818,000 searches.
Glacier National Park in Montana landed in fourth place with 5,367,000 searches, putting it within striking distance of Zion.
California icon Yosemite National Park completed the top five with 3,864,000 searches.
The reserve, famous for its towering granite formations, waterfalls and giant sequoias, remains one of the West Coast’s best-known wilderness destinations.
In Washington State, Mount Rainier National Park took sixth place with 3,519,000 searches, while Olympic National Park came in seventh with 2,261,000.
Utah scored its second entry in the top 10 thanks to Bryce Canyon National Park, which attracted 1,888,000 searches and landed in eighth place.
The park is famed for its bizarre and beautiful hoodoos — towering rock formations that give the landscape an almost otherworldly appearance.
In ninth was Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, with 1,272,500 searches, bringing a dramatically different kind of scenery to the list with its volcanic landscapes. Visitors can watch one of the two active volcanoes erupting from a safe distance.
And rounding out America’s 10 most popular national parks was an under-the-radar Southern contender.
Arkansas’ Hot Springs National Park — nicknamed “America’s Spa” for its 40 hot springs — pulled in 1,266,500 Google searches.