{"id":256721,"date":"2026-04-08T01:18:08","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/256721\/"},"modified":"2026-04-08T01:18:08","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T01:18:08","slug":"californias-desert-giant-ranked-top-destination-in-the-us-another-state-park-cracks-top-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/256721\/","title":{"rendered":"California\u2019s desert giant ranked top destination in the US \u2014 another state park cracks top 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pack your sunscreen \u2014 California\u2019s hottest (literally) destination is officially the coolest place to be in 2026.<\/p>\n

Death Valley National Park<\/a> has been crowned the No. 1 national park destination in the United States, according to a new ranking by vacation rental platform HomeToGo.<\/p>\n

The massive 3.4 million acre desert expanse beat out iconic heavyweights like Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon to take the top spot. Spanning along the California-Nevada border, Death Valley is famous for being the lowest, hottest, and driest place in North America, its newfound status as a traveler\u2019s paradise isn\u2019t just about the heat \u2014 it\u2019s about the value.<\/p>\n

A sign at the entrance of Death Valley National Park. Getty Images<\/p>\n

People visit Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. AP<\/p>\n

Researchers analyzed national parks across the contiguous U.S. based on three major \u201cpain points\u201d for modern travelers: the median price of nearby accommodations, the likelihood of suffocating crowds, and ease of travel.<\/p>\n

Death Valley hit the trifecta<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Despite its otherworldly beauty, visiting the park remains surprisingly affordable, with nearby stays averaging a wallet-friendly $40.86 per person a night. <\/p>\n

What was once considered a brutal, inhospitable destination is now a major draw for travelers craving wide-open space and cinematic scenery. Visitors flock for the surreal salt flats Badwater Basin, golden sand dunes at Mesquite Flat, rainbow-hued hills at Artist\u2019s Palette, and some of the darkest night skies in the country. <\/p>\n

Lake Manly, an ephemeral lake at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. AP<\/p>\n

A person stands in a field of wildflowers during a superbloom in Death Valley National Park. AP<\/p>\n

The park\u2019s Hollywood credentials don\u2019t hurt either\u2013parts of Star Wars were filmed there, adding to its otherworldly appeal. If you\u2019re looking to visit Tatooine, look no further. <\/p>\n

California scored another win with Sequoia National Park landing at number six, proving the Golden State is still a major player when it comes to iconic outdoor destinations. For those going taking a trip here, the median nightly price at neighboring dwelling comes out to $109.81.<\/p>\n

A view of the erosional landscape at Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park. Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n

People wade in Lake Manly, an ephemeral lake in Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. AP<\/p>\n

Known for its towering ancient giants and the world-famous General Sherman tree, Sequoia\u2019s inclusion reinforces California\u2019s dominance as a premier destination for nature lovers seeking space and serenity.<\/p>\n

The rankings may reflect a shift in how American\u2019s want to be traveling in 2026, with fewer crowds, more space and better value trumping a sexier destination. <\/p>\n

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And for those willing to brave the desert (preferably not in peak summer heat), the payoff is clear: California\u2019s most unforgiving landscape is suddenly its most desirable escape.<\/p>\n

Death Valley didn\u2019t just sneak into the ranking \u2014 it led a diverse top 10 that included parks across the country. Arizona\u2019s Petrified Forest National Park took second place, followed by Virginia\u2019s Shenandoah National Park and Florida\u2019s Everglades National Park.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Pack your sunscreen \u2014 California\u2019s hottest (literally) destination is officially the coolest place to be in 2026. Death…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":256722,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[7,9,8,44571,4182,25880,3482,3586],"class_list":["post-256721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-california","tag-california","tag-california-headlines","tag-california-news","tag-death-valley","tag-metro","tag-national-parks","tag-nevada","tag-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=256721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/256721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/256722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=256721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=256721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=256721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}