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Millions of people travel to America’s national parks, and one of the most popular ones is in Ohio.
That’s according to Stacker, a data journalism hub that ranked the Top 50 most popular national parks in America, sharing its findings on August 3.
The list comes even though the National Park Service reported a 28% year-over-year decrease in visitors — at 237 million — in 2020 because of pandemic-related closures. At maximum, 66 of the 423 parks in the National Parks System fully closed for at least two months, according to a previous National Parks Service press release.
Out of hundreds of national parks, how did Stacker determine the most popular ones?
“To determine the most popular national parks in the United States, Stacker compiled data from the National Park Service on the number of recreational visits each site had in 2020. Keep reading to discover the 50 most popular national parks in the United States, in reverse order from #50 to #1. And be sure to check with individuals parks before you visit to find out about ongoing, pandemic-related safety precautions at www.nps.gov/coronavirus.”
Cuyahoga Valley National Park is the lone park representing the Buckeye State, and it makes the Top 10 at No. 7.
The park tallied 2,755,628 recreational visits in 2020, making up just over 4% of total national park visits.
Here’s what Stacker had to say about it:
"Near Cleveland and Akron, Ohio's Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves the beauty of the Cuyahoga River and showcases the historic route of the Ohio and Erie Canal. Popular attractions at the park include the 65-foot Brandywine Falls waterfall, Beaver Marsh, and the National Park Scenic train. The park is home to an astounding 900 plant species, 194 bird species, and almost two dozen reptile species.”
Check out the rest of the list — including the No. 1 national park — here.