Environment Planet Earth What's the Best Park in Every U.S. State? By Jacqueline Gulledge Writer Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Georgia Gulledge has more than 11 years of experience in national and local news, covering a wide range of issues for CNN, FOX 5 Atlanta, and Mother Nature Network. our editorial process Twitter Twitter Jacqueline Gulledge Updated June 11, 2018 Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado has over 300 miles of hiking trails. (Photo: bjul/Shutterstock) Share Twitter Pinterest Email Planet Earth Outdoors Weather Conservation Summer is that time of year when people are itching to go on vacation, and most will spend hours on the internet researching the best places to visit and reading reviews to help them make a decision. Yelp is a popular website where people can write reviews on various tourist attractions across the United States and around the world. The company recently created an algorithm to determine the most popular parks in each state based on positive reviews and business star ratings. Yelp partnered with MONEY, which factored in travel, lodging and food costs for a three-day vacation. From national parks to city walking trails and even conservatories, here are some of the best parks across the U.S. Alaska Tony Knowles Coastal Trail is a greenbelt tail in Anchorage and spans 11 miles. (Photo: akphotoc/Shutterstock) Arizona The Grand Canyon offers plenty of snapshot-worthy views. (Photo: Jason Patrick Ross/Shutterstock) California Point Lobos State Natural Preserve is home to unusual rock formations and endangered species and is a popular spot for scuba diving. (Photo: randy andy/Shutterstock) Delaware Glasgow Regional Park is perfect for families with walking trails, playgrounds, skate parks and dog parks. (Photo: lenory/Shutterstock) Florida The Wakodahatchee Wetlands park in Delray Beach is part of the Great Florida Birding Trail and home to several species of birds. (Photo: Dennis W Donohue/Shutterstock) Hawaii Waimea Canyon is also known as the 'Grand Canyon of the Pacific' and is 3,000 feet deep. (Photo: Shane Myers Photography/Shutterstock) Iowa Gray's Lake Park is located in Des Moines and includes a lighted bike trail along the lake. (Photo: Dave Reed/Shutterstock) Louisiana City Park is located in New Orleans and was originally the site of dueling in the 1800s. (Photo: AAlex81/Shutterstock) Maine Bass Harbor Lighthouse glows at sunset, in Acadia National Park, Maine. (Photo: Jon Bilous/Shutterstock) Massachusetts Arnold Arboretum is part of Harvard University and home to hundreds of trees, shrubs and vines. (Photo: Daderot/Wikimedia Commons) New York Central Park is the most visited urban park in the U.S. (Photo: TierneyMJ/Shutterstock) North Dakota Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a popular park for outdoor enthusiasts. (Photo: RRuntsch/Shutterstock) Ohio Washington Park in Cincinnati was the site of the Centennial Exposition of the Ohio Valley and Central States in 1888, which celebrated the settlement of the Northwest Territory. (Photo: Christian Hinkle/Shutterstock) Pennsylvania Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is located in Schenley Park in Pittsburgh. It's on the National Register of Historic Places. (Photo: Paul G. Wiegman) Rhode Island Cliff Walk is located in Newport and is New England's first national recreational trail. Historic mansions from the Gilded Age are located along the 3.5-mile trail. (Photo: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock) South Carolina Falls Park is located on the Reedy River in downtown Greenville. (Photo: Cvandyke/Shutterstock) Texas Butler Park in Austin has several running and biking trails that run alongside Lady Bird Lake. (Photo: Trong Nguyen/Shutterstock) Utah The Narrows in Zion National Park is one of countless spectacular sites preserved by our parks system. (Photo: Galyna Andrushko/Shutterstock) Virginia Maymont is a Victorian estate and public park that features several different garden styles, including this Japanese garden. (Photo: Rodney Martin/Flickr) Washington Point Defiance Park in Tacoma includes beaches, gardens, trails and a ferry dock to Vashon Island. (Photo: Gloria V Moeller/Shutterstock) Here are the best parks in the states not covered above: Alabama: Railroad Park in Birmingham Arkansas: Pinnacle Mountain State Park in Roland Connecticut: Elizabeth Park in West Hartford Georgia: Piedmont Park in Atlanta Idaho: Boise River Greenbelt in Boise Illinois: Garfield Park Conservatory in Chicago Indiana: Indianapolis Canal Walk Kansas: Shawnee Mission Park Kentucky: Cherokee Park in Louisville Maryland: Billy Goat Trail in Great Falls Park in Potomac Michigan: Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire Minnesota: Lake Harriet in Minneapolis Mississippi: Vicksburg National Military Park Missouri: Forest Park, St. Louis Montana: Glacier National Park Nebraska: Zorinsky Lake Park in Omaha Nevada: Valley of Fire State Park in Overton New Hampshire: Lost River Gorge in North Woodstock New Jersey: Cape May County Park & Zoo New Mexico: Carlsbad Caverns North Carolina: Blue Ridge Parkway Oklahoma: Guthrie Green in Tulsa Oregon: Multnomah Falls in Bridal Veil South Dakota: Custer State Park in Custer Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountains National Park Vermont: VINS (Vermont Institute of Natural Science) Nature Center in Quechee West Virginia: Harpers Ferry National Historic Park Wisconsin: Devil's Lake State Park in Baraboo Wyoming: Grand Teton National Park District of Columbia: Meridian Hill Park