With 14,580 different species of wildlife, 2176 square miles of beautiful landscape and 2723 km of permissible footpaths, it’s no wonder Snowdonia is such a popular tourist hotspot. 

And now this wonderful national park has beaten the Yorkshire Dales, the Lake District, the Peak District and the Cairngorms to take the top spot in a survey of the top 10 national parks in the country. 

In celebration of National Parks Week at the end of April, Brecon Beacons Holiday Cottages poured over a range of data to uncover which of the UK's 15 national parks comes out on top for biodiversity, popularity, stargazing and permissible footpaths. And it was Snowdonia that was crowned the UK's number-one national park to visit in 2022. 

Another Welsh gem, the Brecon Beacons came fourth, with its mountainous landscape, stunning waterfalls and underground caverns, making it a perfect spot for an outdoor adventure. It’s also a top spot for history buffs with nine different castles within the park, while a lack of light pollution means it has held dark-sky status since 2013.

The full top ten is:

1 Snowdonia

2 Yorkshire Dales

3 Lake District

4 Brecon Beacons

5 Peak District

6 Cairngorms

7 South Downs

8 Loch Lomond and the Trossachs

9 Northumberland

10 North York Moors

The whiff of Wyddfa: Black Sheep digests the recent scandal on Snowdon. Click here