• Oregon’s Crater Lake receives 203,475 monthly Google searches, making it the most sought-after hidden destination in the U.S.
• New York locations secure three positions in the top 10 most searched secret attractions, making it a hidden gem hotspot. 
• South Rim Road in Colorado attracts just 200 monthly Google searches, despite spectacular scenery. 

A new study has revealed that the most sought-after hidden tourist spot in America is Crater Lake, according to Google searches. 

The study by social casino Hello Millions analyzed national Google searches to determine which hidden gems received the most interest from American travelers between 2023 and 2024.

Crater Lake in Oregon attracted the highest average monthly Google searches in the U.S., with 203,475 searches made over the year. 

Roosevelt Island in New York placed second with 166,083 Google searches recorded over the time period. With 135,892 recorded searches, the third most popular hidden gem was Mount Shasta in California.

In Washington, Discovery Park Seattle resulted in 129,942 recorded Google searches, placing it fourth. California’s Descanso Gardens in fifth attracted 126,542 searches each month. 

Following sixth is Arizona-based Havasu Falls with 124,761 recorded Google searches between 2023 and 2024.

In seventh was the most popular urban destination, Eastern Market Detroit, with 122,925 Google searches. Flushing Meadows Corona Park saw the next most recorded searches with 102,050 made each month.

Ninth was New York’s Untermyer Gardens, attracting 100,385 recorded Google searches. Rounding out the top 10 hidden attractions that saw the highest online search interest was Cuyahoga Valley National Park, with 92,562 such searches.

The ten most Googled hidden gem attractions in the U.S. 

Rank	Attraction	State	Average Monthly Google Searches
1	Crater Lake	Oregon	203,475
2	Roosevelt Island	New York	166,083
3	Mount Shasta	California	135,892
4	Discovery Park Seattle	Washington	129,942
5	Descanso Gardens	California	126,542
6	Havasu Falls	Arizona	124,761
7	Eastern Market Detroit	Michigan	122,925
8	Flushing Meadows Corona Park	New York	102,050
9	Untermyer Gardens	New York	100,385
10	Cuyahoga Valley National Park	Ohio	92,562

The study also analyzed which hidden gems received the fewest average Google searches, identifying the least popular attractions. 

Laie Point State Wayside Park in Hawaii got just 198 searches per month, despite offering spectacular coastal views.

Museums were disproportionately overlooked in searches, with Franklin Gem and Mineral Museum receiving only 198 searches monthly. Adventure tours had over three times less than the average searches in the study, with Alaska’s Denali Horseback Tours getting just 197 monthly queries. 

Discussing the data, Joerg Nottebaum, spokesperson at Hello Millions, said:

“Tourists will always be drawn to picturesque spots in America, but it’s worth remembering that the vast majority of sight-seeking visitors are visiting the more famous attractions. Travelers who are adventure-aware, curious and focused on discovering hidden gems can visit the less-Googled locations to avoid these crowds.

“Modern travel sites are designed to make vacation planning easier, but the danger is that travelers can become complacent and distracted. Oftentimes, visitors will only visit the major attractions or famous landmarks rather than hidden gems. 

“Anyone who can recognize and seek out these high-value hidden gems will arguably have a more rewarding travel experience. Those who stick to typical tourist spots or don’t research beyond the obvious attractions will miss out on some of America’s most spectacular natural scenery.”