This California State Park Is the Highest-rated in the U.S.

There are thousands of state parks across the U.S., each serving an important purpose. They provide people with a place to recreate — be it camping, hiking, picnicking, or hanging out on the beach — and preserve the land’s natural beauty, recreation potential, or historic interest.

But certain state parks offer much more. And, according to tour guide company Niagara Falls Tours & Tickets, one state park stands out for its continuously high visitor rating.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park, which stretches along California’s Route 101 north of San Francisco, was recognized for its extremely high visitor ranking on Tripadvisor, which hovers around 4.884 (out of a possible 5 stars). The study found that over 90 percent of Tripadvisor reviews the park gets are 5 stars. Not an easy feat.

“While most state parks across the U.S. have high ratings, these very top ones are so frequently rated as five stars that they can certainly be considered special,” Magdalena Petrusic, a travel expert from Niagara Falls Tours & Tickets, said in a release shared with Travel + Leisure.

Humboldt Redwoods State Park charms with its old-growth redwood forest, which covers about one-third of the park. You can even experience the wonder of these towering trees without ever getting out of your car. You’ll pass below some of the park’s most impressive trees on the famed Avenue of the Giants, a scenic highway running parallel to Route 101.

But, if you have the time to get out of your car and explore, it is highly recommended, as all those 5-star reviews can attest. Humboldt Redwoods is home to The Giant Tree, which is set in the Rockefeller Forest and measures over 354 feet tall and 16.9 feet wide. The park also has one of the last remaining drive-thru redwood trees, as the Shrine Drive Thru Tree just off the Avenue of the Giants can literally be driven through.

According to the data, certain activities in or near the park are stand-out experiences like “the Redwoods Railbike tour and a half-day whitewater rafting trip.”

Following Humboldt Redwoods State Park on the ranking was Alaska’s Kachemak Bay State Park in Homer, which is loved for its wildlife and stunning scenery. The park garnered an average rating of 4.882 out of 5 stars.  

The full list of America’s highest-rated state parks is listed below:

1. Humboldt Redwoods State Park, California 

2. Kachemak Bay State Park, Alaska 

3. Shore Acres State Park, Oregon  

4. Smith Rock State Park, Oregon  

5. Grayson Highlands State Park, Virginia 

6. Waimea Canyon State Park, Hawaii 

7. Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, California  

8. Moro Bay State Park, Arkansas 

9. (tie) Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Oregon  

9. (tie) Ludington State Park, Michigan  

10. Beartown State Park, West Virginia