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A state park in Ohio has been named one of the most beautiful in the United States, according to a recent study.
Travel Lens analyzed Yelp reviews for words synonymous with beautiful (like stunning and breathtaking) to determine which state park is the most beautiful in the country. Ohio's Hocking Hills ranked fourth with 62.26% of its 195 Yelp reviews describing its beauty. In addition, the study found Hocking Hills is growing in popularity. Google searches have increased by 70.79% in the last year.
Hocking Hills features over 25 miles of hiking trails, rock formations, waterfalls and recess caves. The most popular site in the park is Old Man's Cave, located on State Route 664. "Old Man's Cave derives its name from the hermit Richard Rowe who lived in the large recess cave of the gorge," according to Hocking Hill's website. "His family moved to the Ohio River Valley around 1796 from the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee to establish a trading post... Rowe lived out his life in the area and is buried beneath the ledge of the main recess cave."
Here's the top 10 most beautiful state parks in the United States, according to Travel Lens:
- Porcupine Mountains Wilderness in Michigan
- Smugglers’ Notch in Vermont
- Grayson Highlands in Virginia
- Hocking Hills in Ohio
- Deception Pass in Washington
- Brown County in Indiana
- Franconia Notch in New Hampshire
- Waiʻānapanapa in Hawaii
- Eldorado Canyon in Colorado
- Baxter in Maine