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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — In a poll conducted on which local natural landmarks people would most like to visit, Belleview’s Elephant rocks ranked third place.

Aqua Expeditions, a recognized global leader in luxury small-ship expeditions, polled 2,100 Americans and revealed that the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was the top landmark most people would like to see. According to the study, the Smoky Mountains is the most visited national park in the U.S. with more than 14.1 million visitors in 2021. The landmark is home to wildflowers, rivers, waterfalls, and forests.

New York’s Niagara Falls was voted the second most popular natural landmark. At the Observation Tower at Prospect Point in the Niagara Falls State Park, visitors can behold a natural spectacle: a view of all three waterfalls.

Missouri’s Elephant Rocks State Park emerged in third place. The row of large granite boulders resembling a train of elephants is where the name came from.

Here are the top 10 natural landmarks Americans would most like to visit:

  1. Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains National Park
  2. New York’s Niagara Falls
  3. Missouri’s Elephant Rocks
  4. Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park
  5. California’s Redwood National and State Parks
  6. Hawaii’s Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park
  7. Hawaii’s Hanauma Bay
  8. Iowa’s Pikes Peak State Park
  9. Arizona’s The Grand Canyon
  10. Hawaii’s Waikīkī Beach

Here’s a list of top 10 states with the most popular landmarks:

  1. Hawaii 38%
  2. Tennessee 34%
  3. California 30%
  4. New York 28%
  5. Missouri 27%
  6. Wyoming 26%
  7. Maryland 24%
  8. Florida 24%
  9. Kentucky 24%
  10. Nevada 23%

Although Hawaii, Tennessee, and California take the most percentage of popular landmarks, Missouri is surprisingly ranked fifth with the Elephant Rocks at 3rd, Rocky Falls at 30th and Grand Falls at 31st.