Ahead of the upcoming Spring Bank Holiday, a new study reveals the best national parks to visit in the UK, based on the parks’ popularity on Instagram.
The Lake District is the most popular UK national park on Instagram by far, featuring in over 5,723,618 posts.
The research, by Digital PR, analysed Instagram hashtag data for all 15 UK national parks. The combined number of posts was calculated for each national park using several different hashtag variations such as #lakedistrict, #lakedistrictnationalpark, and #visitlakedistrict. These results were then used to create a ranking of the national parks from most to least Instagrammable.
The findings showed the Lake District National Park was the most Instagrammable UK national park, with an astounding total of 5,723,618 featured posts on Instagram. The Lake District is the UK’s largest national park, covering a total of 2,362 square kilometres. It is home to Scafell Pike, the highest peak in England, which is well known for being part of the UK’s “Three Peaks Challenge”. The Lake District is also the location of Wastwater, England’s deepest lake.
The “Three Peaks Challenge” consists of a three-mountain climb up and down Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Snowdon within 24 hours. This averages out to about 13 hours of hillwalking and 11 hours of driving in total. According to Three Peaks Challenge UK, a total of 23 miles is covered on foot, and 462 miles in driving distance.
The Peak District National Park places in second with 3,257,231 million posts. Established in 1951, it is the UK’s first national park and is well known for its extensive cave system and scenic walks. In third place is Northumberland National Park, with 2,188,869 Instagram posts. Despite having one of the smallest resident populations among UK national parks with just 2,200 people, it attracts plenty of visitors, most notably to Hadrian’s Wall, a key UNESCO Heritage site that is rich in Roman history.
Eryri (Snowdonia)National Park ranked fourth with 1,913,829 million posts, making it Wales’ most Instagrammable national park. The park, which features Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), the highest peak in Wales, has consistently attracted tourists and hikers looking to capture its dramatic mountain scenery.
The New Forest National Park rounded out the top five with 1,261,342 million posts. The New Forest National Park boasts over 40 miles worth of coastline from 5 different beaches, including a clear view of the beautiful Isle of Wight. Dartmoor National Park narrowly places sixth with 1,232,523 tagged posts.
Yorkshire Dales National Park secured seventh place with 1,021,222 million posts, while Scotland’s Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park came eighth with 809,070 posts. In ninth place is Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park with 719,217 posts and finally, the tenth most Instagrammable is South Downs National Park with 597,989 tagged posts in total.
The study found that the parks with the lowest Instagram presence were The Broads National Park with 253,271 posts, Pembrokeshire Coast National Park with 292,750 posts, and North York Moors National Park with 336,177 posts.
In addition, the study also found regional variations in Instagram popularity. England’s national parks generally received more posts than those in Wales and Scotland, except for Snowdonia, which outperformed several English parks.
Rob Phelps, Director of Digital PR, commented: “These numbers clearly show how the Lake District’s stunning landscapes continue to captivate visitors. The combination of England’s highest mountain, Scafell Pike, and largest natural lake, Windermere, creates endless opportunities for Instagram-worthy moments. The research highlights how social media has changed the way people interact with natural spaces. The parks with the most dramatic landscapes and recognizable features tend to perform best on visual platforms like Instagram.
“This social media ranking creates an interesting contrast with actual visitor numbers. According to research from the National Parks UK, the Lake District attracts approximately 16.4 million visitors annually, generating £1.146 billion in visitor spending. However, some parks that rank lower on Instagram still attract significant visitor numbers. The Broads, for example, welcomes around eight million visitors yearly despite having the fewest Instagram posts.
“This disparity between social media presence and actual visitor numbers suggests that some parks may be missing opportunities to boost their digital profile. Parks like The Broads, which offer unique landscapes and experiences but rank lower on Instagram, could benefit from targeted social media strategies.”