We simply can't get enough of national parks—and we sincerely hope that a national park near you is on the summer travel list. What could be better than communing with nature, grabbing some exhilarating travel photos, and saving money on top of everything else? Of course, the two most well-known national parks, Yosemite and Yellowstone, see a lot of visitors, but you may also be curious to see which other parks have seen an uptick in visitor interest this year. According to Explore, which analyzed two years of Google search data, these 10 parks are trending in 2024. Is one of them on your list?
It's great to see that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park is this year's top trending park. It's known for its beautiful, ancient mountain range (hence the name!) plus a diversity of wildlife and plant life, and a neat Southern Appalachian culture. It's also the National Park Service's most visited national park. The park sits on the forested border between Tennessee and North Carolina.
In second place, we have Mount Rainier National Park in Washington. Here, you'll find an active volcano and a glaciated peak with five major rivers. With forests and wildflower meadows, this park's beauty will cause you to take big deep breaths of appreciation.
And in third place, there's a park you might not have heard of, Voyageurs National Park in Minnesota. Tranquil lakes and streams greet visitors, along with hardwood forests, wetlands, and dramatic Dark Skies viewing. Northern Lights, anyone? They can appear here any time of year, but winter provides the most likelihood of seeing them.
Whatever your park of choice, you can be guaranteed spectacular views and the quietude of nature. Enjoy!
Here are the top 10 trending national parks this year:
1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee and North Carolina
2. Mount Rainier National Park, Washington
3. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
4. North Cascades National Park, Washington
5. Mesa Verde National Park, Colorado
6. Redwood National Park, California
7. Channel Islands National Park, California
8. Saguaro National Park, Arizona
9. Sequoia National Park, California
10. White Sands National Park, New Mexico