Is This the Most Beautiful State Park in the US?

It sure looks like it

By
Laura Ratliff
Laura Ratliff
Laura Ratliff
Senior Editorial Director
Laura Ratliff is TripSavvy’s senior editorial director. She joined the TripSavvy team in April 2019 after spending two years as a freelance travel writer and editor, where she spent more than 200,000 miles on a plane each year. 
TripSavvy's editorial guidelines
Updated on 11/29/22
Fact checked by
Jillian Dara
Jillian Dara
Fact checked by Jillian Dara
Emerson College
Jillian Dara is a freelance journalist and fact-checker. Her work has appeared in Travel + Leisure, USA Today, Michelin Guides, Hemispheres, DuJour, and Forbes.
TripSavvy's fact-checking
Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park

Matt Anderson Photography / Getty Images

Like most Americans, you've probably spent a summer (or winter) vacation at one of the United States' best national parks, but have you experienced the incredible depth and breadth of the country's top state parks?

From the magnificent redwoods of California's Big Basin State Park to the breathtaking views of Michigan's Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, there's a state park adventure for every outdoor enthusiast. Many state parks offer access to nearby lakes, rivers, and mountain ranges, making them a great starting point for a more extended vacation.

Now, a new list from Travel Lens has crunched data from Yelp and Tripadvisor to rank the most beautiful state parks in the country, along with the U.S.'s most popular and the most Instagrammed, natch.

Of the 6,000 parks analyzed, the top spot for beauty went to Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in Michigan. Located in the heart of the Upper Peninsula, the Porcupine Mountains are known for their incredible views, majestic rivers, and picturesque waterfalls. Not surprisingly, Travel Lens also found it to be the park most increasing in popularity, with searches up more than 112 percent year-over-year.

As for the most Instagrammed state park, that title goes to New York's Niagara Falls State Park.

Here's the full list of the most beautiful state parks, according to Travel Lens:

  1. Porcupine Mountains Wilderness, Michigan
  2. Smugglers' Notch, Vermont
  3. Grayson Highlands, Virginia
  4. Hocking Hills, Ohio
  5. Deception Pass, Washington
  6. Brown County, Indiana
  7. Franconia Notch, New Hampshire
  8. Waiʻānapanapa, Hawaii
  9. Eldorado Canyon, Colorado
  10. Baxter, Maine

No matter which park you choose, visiting one of our country's premier state parks will offer a picture-perfect backdrop for your next great American adventure.

Article Sources
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  1. Travel Lens. "America's Most Beautiful State Parks." November 28, 2022.