HomeToGo price data was used to compile a shortlist of the 150 state parks in the United States with the lowest median nightly cost per person for vacation accommodation for stays with a check-in date during 2026. In order to rank these state parks, nine data points were researched: the median nightly cost per person for vacation accommodation, the average visitor rating, scenic appeal, the search volume for vacation rental stays in the area, the size of each state park, the number of trails in each location, the number of wildlife species in each destination, the average distance traveled to reach each park, and each park's year-over-year search trend. After obtaining the raw data, each data point was assigned a representative numerical value between 5 and 10, with 5 representing the lowest data point and 10 representing the highest data point. The hypothetical "perfect score" would be 90 out of 90. The following equation was used in order to calculate this for every factor:
Score(i) = 5 · (x(i) - xmin ) / (xmax - xmin ) + 5
Affordability Score: Exclusive internal HomeToGo cost data was used to find the median nightly price per person for vacation accommodation in the vicinity of each park with a check-in date during 2026. The area with the lowest median nightly price per person was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Visitor Satisfaction Score: Data from review sources such as Google and Tripadvisor was used to determine the average visitor rating out of five for each destination. The location with the highest visitor rating was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Scenic Score: Flickr was used to find the number of photographs featuring each state park as the subject. The most frequently photographed destination was given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Hidden Gem Score: Exclusive internal HomeToGo demand data was used to find the search volume for vacation rental stays in the vicinity of each park with a check-in date during summer 2026. The area with the lowest search volume was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Size Score: The size of each state park was identified using official sources such as park websites. The largest park was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Trails Score: Data from AllTrails was used to calculate the total number of recorded walking trails in each state park. The area with the highest number of trails was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Wildlife Score: Information from iNaturalist was used to pinpoint the number of observed species in each park. The area with the most species was given a score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Travel Draw Score: Exclusive internal HomeToGo search data was used to find the average distance traveled by domestic U.S. vacationers to reach each state park. The destination with the greatest average distance traveled was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining areas were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Rising Star Score: Exclusive internal HomeToGo demand data was used to find the search volume for vacation home stays during summer 2026 in comparison to the same period in 2025 for each destination. The destination with the largest year-on-year percentage increase in search volume was awarded a maximum score of 10, and the remaining locations were awarded a score of 5 or higher.
Data was collected in June and July 2026, and is subject to change.
