Once again, a pandemic has stoked Americans’ love for national parks

Americans aren’t leaving home much, but when they do, they’re flooding into open spaces amid the worst pandemic in generations. Using anonymized GPS data from mobile phones, Google estimates travel outside the home was 7% lower in September than at the beginning of the year, a gradual increase from the 23% drop seen in April. Every destination Google is tracking, from retail to office to restaurants, has seen a moderate to severe drop except one: parks, a category including everything from public beaches, dog parks, and marinas to national parks.