How We Produced This Guide
We used HomeToGo’s own search data to identify the top 100 most popular state parks across the nation for 2018. Next, we created a shortlist of 18 of the highest-rated state parks. In order to rank these 18 parks, we researched 5 categories: The average visitor rating, the affordability of visiting the park, the number of activities on offer, the diversity of bird species, and the availability of nearby accommodation. After obtaining the raw data, we assigned each data point 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 50 out of 50. We used the following equation in order to calculate this for every factor:
Score(i) = 5 . ( ( (x(i) - x(min) ) / ( (x(max) - x(min) ) ) + 5
Visitor Score: We used Google Maps to find out the average visitor rating of each of the state parks in our ranking, as of August 2018. The park with the highest average rating was awarded a maximum score of 10, and every other park was awarded a score based on the equation above.
Affordability Score: Using prices provided by the state parks themselves, we calculated the cost of entry and parking for each of the 18 parks. The park with the lowest prices awarded a maximum score of 10, and every other park was awarded a score based on the equation above.
Activities Score: We used the official websites of the respective state parks in our ranking to find out whether the parks offer visitors the chance to partake in the following activities: Hiking, boat tours, rock climbing, mountain biking, fishing, swimming, canoeing and kayaking, scuba diving, bouldering, golfing, surfing, cycling, horse riding, hunting, fishing, snorkeling, and tubing. The park that offers the most activities was awarded a maximum score of 10, and every other park was awarded a score based on the equation above.
Bird Species Score: We used the official websites of the state parks, coupled with other online resources, to calculate the number of bird species in each of the state parks. The park that boasts the highest number of bird species was awarded a maximum score of 10, and every other park was awarded a score based on the equation above.
Accommodation Score: Average price, per person per night to stay in a 4-person accommodation on Saturday September 14th, 2018. Prices were sourced from HomeToGo's own booking data. The park with the highest number of nearby accommodation offers was awarded a maximum score of 10, and every other park was awarded a score based on the equation above.
All prices in USD. All prices were calculated in August 2018. For additional information and interview requests, please contact [email protected].