Are you craving some fresh air and time well spent outdoors? You might be looking for a destination near you that provides scenic views at the end of a road trip.

Locals won’t have far to travel for the ultimate adventure surrounded by nature as the Yorkshire Dales National Park has been named among the best for a road trip, according to Harwoods Group.

The automotive specialists created an index ranking all 15 of the UK’s national parks, factoring in search data, social media interest, Tripadvisor and EV charge point data.

The new research comes as there are over 8,000 average monthly searches alone for ‘road trip’ in the UK.

The UK’s top 10 national parks for a road trip

Here are the top 10 national parks across the UK that are ideal for a road trip, according to Harwoods Group along with their total scores:

  1. Peak District (94)
  2. Eryi (Snowdonia) (90)
  3. Lake District (87)
  4. New Forest (83)
  5. Northumberland (74)
  6. Yorkshire Dales (71)
  7. Loch Lomond & The Trossachs (70)
  8. Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) (67)
  9. South Downs (56)
  10. Cairngorms (54)

The Yorkshire Dales National Park has around 19,000 monthly searches with over 797,000 hashtags on Instagram.

It also has around 8 million TikTok views and 164 attractions, according to the data.

You can see the full list and all data on the Harwoods Group website.


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The automotive experts said: “With the highest ranking in our Index, the Peak District is the best national park in the UK.

“The Peak District, located in central England, is renowned for its stunning landscapes, diverse terrain, and rich cultural heritage.

“It is one of the UK's most popular national parks, attracting visitors with its picturesque villages, sprawling moorlands, limestone valleys, and rugged peaks.”

They added: “According to TikTok views over the past 12 months, #PeakDistrict has received a whopping 73 million views!

“Along with this, according to Google data, the term ‘Peak District’ is searched for 76k times a month, and there are more than 2.2 million hashtags on Instagram devoted to the British national park, showing its popularity as a great destination to visit!”

If you want to explore the Peak District, there are numerous attractions and landmarks to see.

Harwoods Group added: “Our research uncovered Mam Tor as the most popular point of interest within the Peak District, followed by Chatsworth House, a stately home with beautiful gardens, and the historic market town of Bakewell are among the popular cultural destinations.

“The area is also renowned for its numerous caverns and caves, such as the Blue John Cavern and Speedwell Cavern, which offer visitors a glimpse into the region's geological history.”