Michigan's Isle Royale deemed best US National Park by Wall Street Journal
A roadless Michigan destination spot has been deemed the Best U.S. National Park by the Wall Street Journal.
In a study of America's best public lands, the WSJ deemed Michigan's Isle Royale National Park No. 1 out of 63 national parks, calling it an "unexpected winner" when you consider competition from the likes of Yellowstone, Zion and Yosemite.
The Wall Street Journal says they grounded their rankings in 'cold, hard numbers.' Four main criteria were used to help determine the rankings:
Size of the crowds
Quality and quantity of hiking routes
Availability of campsites
Access to other recreational activities like horseback riding, mountain biking, fishing
Of Isle Royale National Park, the paper writes, in part:
"Accessible only by ferry, private boat or seaplane, this is true wilderness: a land of moose and wolves and the drama forever playing out between them. Backpackers can pitch a tent in one of the park’s 36 rustic campgrounds, but visitors will find plenty of day-hiking opportunities, too, and the circa-1956 Rock Harbor Lodge makes up for a lack of bells and whistles with an endless reserve of old-school charm."
The park's hiking trails also scored high marks, including the 40-mile Greenstone Ridge Trail, where hikers can enjoy moose sightings and stunning views of Lake Superior.
The Wall Street Journal says its recommendations are "designed to reward parks that draw less crowds yet still offer a wide range of traditional park activities."
And at Isle Royale National Park, the issue of overcrowding isn't what you'll find at the more well-known parks, with about 29,000 visitors last year, according to the National Parks Service. Utah’s Zion National Park, by comparison, attracted 4.6 million visitors last year.
After Isle Royale, Washington's North Cascades National Park and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks were runners up. Yellowstone National Park ranked 10th.
Wall Street Journal's list of America's Best National Parks
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan
North Cascades National Park, Washington
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, California
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Denali National Park & Preserve, Alaska
Lassen Volcanic National Park, California
Great Basin National Park, Nevada
Death Valley National Park, California/Nevada
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas
Yellowstone National Park, Idaho/Montana/Wyoming
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Isle Royale ranked No. 1 among America's National Parks
