This state park gets more five-star reviews than anywhere in America
A Minnesota state park is the highest-rated in America, with a five-star rating of 93.12%.
A new study by Florida Rentals, a vacation rental marketplace, analyzed Google reviews for each state park to determine the percentage of five-star ratings and rank the parks accordingly.
The analysis considered the total number of Google reviews, the number of five-star reviews, and the overall Google rating to calculate the percentage of five-star reviews for each park.
Top 10 Highest-Rated State Parks by Percentage of Five-Star Reviews
- Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park, Minnesota – 93.12%
- Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park, Arizona – 92.01%
- Hatcher Pass East Special Management Area, Alaska – 91.84%
- Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia – 91.73%
- Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California – 91.38%
- Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, California – 91.07%
- Smith Rock State Park, Oregon – 90.70%
- Half Moon Pond State Park, Vermont – 90.60%
- Cook Forest State Park, Pennsylvania – 90.59%
- Waimea Canyon State Park, Hawaii – 90.52%
Lake Vermilion Soudan Underground Mine State Park in Soudan, Minnesota, ranked highest with 93.12% of its 247 reviewers giving perfect five-star ratings. The main selling point of visiting this park is that attendees have the chance to journey more than half a mile underground into Minnesota’s oldest iron ore mine.
Granite Mountain Hotshots Memorial State Park in Yarnell, Arizona, took second place, scoring 92.01% from 901 reviewers. The park stands as a tribute to 19 firefighters who died fighting a devastating wildfire in 2013.
Alaska's Hatcher Pass East grabbed third spot with 91.84% perfect ratings. With 270 glowing reviews, visitors are drawn to its alpine scenery, winding mountain roads, and panoramic hiking trails.
Grayson Highlands State Park in Grayson County, Virginia, secured fourth place with 91.73% of its 2,019 reviewers awarding perfect 5-star ratings.
California parks showed impressive strength throughout the rankings. The state claimed three spots in the top 15, all featuring its world-famous redwood forests that draw tourists from around the world.
Ranking fifth through tenth are: California’s Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park and Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, at 91.38% and 91.07%, Oregon’s Smith Rock State Park at 90.70%, Half Moon Pond State Park, Vermont – 90.60%, Cook Forest State Park, Pennsylvania – 90.59%, and Hawaii’s Waimea Canyon State Park – 90.52%.
Speaking on the findings, a spokesperson from Florida Rentals said, “It seems that in a world of Instagram pictures and status updates, people are looking for more than a simple picnic spot these days. They want to find and share meaningful experiences, they want to connect with history, and they want to experience nature, all without breaking the bank. And state parks tick all of these boxes and more. They offer history you can walk through, landscapes you can breathe in, and moments you can actually feel.
“If you look around the world, you’ll find rich cultures in every country, with many having old artifacts, or ancient manuscripts. And while we do have some of those things, the real thing that sets the U.S. apart is our rich social history. If we look at just our state parks, these places offer Americans an authentic glimpse into their heritage.”