Published August 28, 2025 08:12AM
The Most-Searched National Parks of All Time, According to Google
Google has released U.S.-based search data on the top queried national parks of all time, and the winner comes as no surprise. Here's why.
A wide angle summer morning view captured from the Calcite Springs View Area in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming. Far below is the winding Yellowstone River, with the steaming Calcite Springs on the left bank of the river. Tall, tree-lined cliffs rise steeply on either side of the river and into the misty morning. (Photo: Getty)
Google has released its search data on the top queried national parks of all time, and the winner comes as no surprise to us. Of the 433 that exist, Americans seem to be obsessed with Yellowstone, and pop culture might be to blame.
The 鈥Yellowstone effect鈥 is real, Lucy Guthrie Beighle, director of communications at Western Montana鈥檚 Glacier Country, recently told 国产吃瓜黑料. Yellowstone, the wildly popular neo-Western that premiered in 2018, has been luring in large numbers of tourists since. The fictional Yellowstone Dutton Ranch is set in and filmed in Darby, Montana. The state saw a massive boom in 2021 when 2.1 million outsiders poured in bringing the local economy $730 million in spending. 鈥淧eople saw Yellowstone, and wanted a little piece of it,鈥 Beighle said. There鈥檚 been a huge interest from travelers seeking a taste of the West and cowboy culture.
Montana isn鈥檛 the only state that Yellowstone National Park exists in. Most of the park (95%) is situated in Wyoming. Only a fraction is located in Idaho and Montana.
Google鈥檚 recently released data was pulled from a time span of January 1, 2004, to August 13, 2025. Here鈥檚 what was found.
Other Winners Are Location-Specific
Yellowstone is unique in that the interest is country-wide. It is the most-searched national park in 32 of 50 states, while the other winners are location specific. For example, Alaskans search Denali National Park the most, Washingtonians and Oregonites search Mount Rainier National Park most, queries around the Grand Canyon and Rocky Mountains hail from Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado, and Acadia National Park, is being sought out by those in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine.
Most Searched Does Not Equal Most Visited
Yellowstone may be the most-searched national park, but it isn鈥檛 the most visited. The most recent number coming from Yellowstone is 4.1 million visitors last year, 国产吃瓜黑料 previously reported, but Great Smoky Mountains National Park saw 12.1 million, The Grand Canyon attracted 4.9 million, and Yosemite National Parks drew in around the same as Yellowstone.
Yellowstone is home to the world鈥檚 tallest active geyser and America鈥檚 biggest supervolcano. As iconic as that is, the trend of cowboy core travel鈥 wide-open landscapes and small-town vibes, matched with the fantasy of living out your personal episode of Yellowstone, may also be driving the lure.