PARKS MADNESS: Round One Winners!

First-round voting brought a few upsets and lots of drama! See full results below. Round Two begins now and will run through midnight ET on April 2, so even if you missed the first round, there's still time to pick your favorites. All entries eligible for a raffle of prizes. Follow @theparkschannel for stories and reels, and use #parksmadness to share photos and let us know what you think!

The 2024 Parks Madness Round One featured hard-fought battles from coast to coast and some tight contests, but there were no Cinderella shockers for the top seeds, who dominated their competitors. Yosemite, Zion and Acadia all defeated their first-round opponents by at least 90% of the votes. With Yellowstone getting a first-round bye, our competition still has all four of the iconic parks whose names are on the brackets, along with perennial powerhouses the Great Smokies and the Grand Canyon.

The No. 2 seeds also breezed through, although Mount Rainier faced a scrappier-than-expected Petrified Forest, whose effort proved anything but fossilized. No. 3 seed the Grand Canyon also had a tough first-round matchup. Despite an annual visitation advantage of 5 million to under 400,000, the “Mountain Lying Down” had to fight to the end to defeat upstart Kenai Fjords.

Utah’s “Mighty Five” had a dominant Round One and all look formidable going into the next round.

Narrow Upsets

Round One saw a handful of upsets. The famed Fat Bears of No. 7 seeded Katmai National Park scuttled into early hibernation, unable to overcome the powerful geologic forces of No. 10 seed Hawai’i Volcanoes. The sun-kissed beaches of another No. 10 seed, Virgin Islands National Park, proved too alluring for No. 7 seed Guadelupe Mountains. No. 9 seed Gates of the Arctic, despite “no roads, no trails and no established camping sites” (per NPS) managed to upset No. 8 seed Lake Clark, which can at least boast 7 miles of trails and great bear-watching.

Close Calls

Among the narrow escapes, No. 6 seed Shenandoah faced an august challenge from Michigan’s No. 11 Isle Royale, and No. 4 Everglades had to swim for its life against No. 13 Dry Tortugas.

Like vs. Like

In matchups of sibling biospheres the top seeds prevailed, with No. 3 seed Glacier easily putting No. 14 seed Glacier Bay on ice and No. 6 seed Death Valley offing No. 11 Kobuk Valley. Eighth-seeded Carlsbad Caverns buried No. 9 Mammoth Caves and No. 6 Great Sand Dunes made No. 11 White Sands bite the dust.

Under the Radar

Some hugely popular parks that don’t get as much attention as the bigs moved into Round Two without breaking a sweat, including the No. 5-ranked Grand Tetons, No. 3 Canyonlands and No. 4s Sequoia and Crater Lake. And don’t sleep on some of the less high-profile names that drew picks for overall champion, including No. 2 Rocky Mountains, No. 8 Bryce Canyon and the No. 5 Badlands.

Headline Matchups for Next Round

As Round Two of Parks Madness opens today, there are several marquis matchups to look out for:

• Yellowstone bracket – No. 6 Olympic, which won the ring from fan favorite No. 11 Joshua Tree, now faces the chilling challenge of No. 3 Glacier.

• Yosemite bracket – we have a white-hot matchup of dormant and active volcanoes, with Mount Rainier up against Hawai’i Volcanoes.

• Acadia bracket – the dry fury of No. 5 Badlands enters the swamp to meet No. 4 Everglades.

• Zion bracket – Mighty No. 1 Zion, beloved but often overcrowded in the lane and slowed by permits, must take on Utah sibling No. 8 Bryce Canyon, which has been among the top picks for overall winner in the early voting.

Even if you missed Round One, be sure to send in your ballot for Round Two and you’ll be eligible for a raffle of prizes, now including a gift card from the amazing Parks Project!