A report about the most popular national park sites in the USA has been released. The winner? Blue Ridge Parkway.

I wonder how many of the reported 16 million visitors walked farther than a tenth of a mile away from their car during their visit. On the one hand that's pathetic. On the other, it means fewer crowds on the trail. Always look for a silver lining.

Golden Gate National Recreation Area came in second with 15 million. It's a bit of an outlier since it contains many parcels spread out over a large and and part of it is encased within a populous urban area. Perennial contender Great Smoky Mountains came in third with 11.3 million.

Note the term "national park sites", which includes plenty of properties other than National Parks. When relegated to National Parks alone, Great Smoky Mountains National Park wins again.