Need another excuse to plan a national park getaway during National Park Month? A new study has just revealed the happiest national parks in America, and one Southern California favorite earned a spot in the top 10.
Channel Islands National Park landed at No. 9 in the country with a near-perfect Happy National Park Score of 99.62 out of 100, making it California’s highest-ranked national park.
The study by social gaming platform ACE.com also found that less crowded, more remote parks tended to leave visitors feeling happier than some of the country’s busiest destinations.
Channel Islands is California’s happiest national park
Just off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara, Channel Islands National Park earned an average Smile Score of 99.3 and an impressive Happiness Score of 99.9.
The park is often called the “Galápagos of North America” thanks to its unique wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. Visitors come to hike coastal trails, kayak through sea caves, camp under the stars, spot whales and dolphins, and explore one of California’s most untouched landscapes.
Unlike many of the state’s busier parks, Channel Islands is only accessible by boat or plane. According to the study, parks with fewer crowds and more remote settings generally scored higher for visitor happiness.
California also landed near the bottom
While Channel Islands made the top 10, California also had three parks ranked among the five least happy in the country.
- Joshua Tree National Park ranked second-lowest overall with a Happy National Park Score of 88.28.
- Lassen Volcanic National Park placed third-lowest with a score of 91.17.
- Pinnacles National Park ranked fourth-lowest, earning 92.48.
Researchers noted that these parks still received high Smile Scores, but visitors showed lower overall happiness expressions compared with other national parks.
Happiest US parks
According to the 2026 Happy National Parks Index, these are the 10 happiest national parks in America:
- Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota
- Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
- Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota
- Canyonlands National Park, Utah
- Saguaro National Park, Arizona (tie)
- Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii (tie)
- Zion National Park, Utah
- Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas
- Channel Islands National Park, California
- Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
Interestingly, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the most visited national park in the U.S., ranked just 27th, suggesting that smaller, less crowded parks may leave visitors feeling happier.
How the study worked
ACE.com analyzed publicly available Instagram photos from all 63 U.S. national parks. Using AWS Rekognition AI, each image received a Smile Score and a Happiness Score based on visitors’ facial expressions. The two scores were then averaged to create each park’s final Happy National Park Score.
