Americas most Googled national parks as interest in US vast wilderness 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 wit...