America’s Most Beautiful National Park: Our Community’s Top Picks
When Unofficial Networks asked our followers, “What is the most beautiful national park?” the responses flooded in. The National Park System has expanded to 433 sites, and each has its beauty, but we wanted to hear from you what you thought was the grandest of all.
You Can Cast Your Vote HERE – “What is the most beautiful national park?”
Not surprisingly, Yosemite and Yellowstone were right at the top of the list. There is a reason these parks are so popular, and it was not surprising to see the large number of votes these parks got. However, other parks got their share of love as well. Below is a chart showing the results of our question.
Top Picks: A Snapshot of Favorites
Below is a chart showcasing the top-mentioned national parks based on our community’s responses:
Yosemite led with 40 mentions, with Karen Matthews Grabill calling it “my soul’s happy place” for its “sheer majesty.” Amanda Pipolo shared nostalgic memories of “waking up to raccoons eating chips” during childhood summers there. Yellowstone, with 28 mentions, was praised by Tracy Hill for features “you will never see in another National Park.” Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Zion also drew strong support, with Chris Peterson lauding Glacier’s “scenic beauty and ecosystem variety.”
Preferences by Park Type
To dive deeper, we categorized responses by park type—mountainous, desert, coastal, or forest-based:
A Shared Love for Nature’s Diversity
Mountainous parks like Yosemite and Grand Teton dominated, reflecting our audience’s love for the alpine. Desert parks like Zion and Bryce Canyon, with their stark beauty, also received a lot of love. In contrast, coastal parks like Acadia drew passionate votes from users like Warren Handy, who called it “my favorite place on Earth.” Forest parks, such as Redwood, were called out by voters like Bryan Barnard for their “majestic living organisms.”
Many, like K Elizabeth Puracan, refused to pick one, declaring, “They are ALL unique and beautiful… no one single park can be described as the ‘most beautiful’ [https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/national-park-system.htm].” This sentiment, echoed by 20 respondents including Marty Wilder, highlights the challenge of ranking such diverse ecosystems. Lesser-known parks, such as Lassen Volcanic, described by Bill Treat as a “hidden gem,” and Kenai Fjords, praised by Kelly McQuaide for its boat-viewed splendor, added variety to the discussion.
A Call to Protect Our Parks
A recurring theme was the urgent need to protect these spaces. Puracan emphasized the importance of preserving parks “against politicians who want to plunder their natural resources,” a concern echoed by Carole Loveland, who worried about policy changes that could impact park rangers. Others, like Roger Yokley, noted Yellowstone’s wildlife behavior, sparking curiosity about ecological shifts.
Cover image by Larry Syverson licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. Used with modification
