Approximately 323 million people visited American national parks in 2025, a 2.7% year-over-year decrease and the first annual decline since 2020.
President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 signed the act creating the National Park Service to leave natural and historic phenomenons "unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations." Since then, our national parks have welcomed visitors from around the world to experience some of the best the country has to offer and showcase the country's natural beauty and cultural heritage. Today, the country's 63 national parks contain at least 247 species of endangered or threatened plants and animals, more than 75,000 archaeological sites, and 18,000 miles of trails.
Stacker compiled a list of the closest national parks to Worcester. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Worcester, MA-CT Metro Area and each national park. Estimated driving times are from Here and are only available within the lower 48 states. All featured distances and driving times are estimated using representative locations from the center of each metro and national park—for some places within the metro area, the actual distance may be slightly shorter or longer to reach the closest entryway to a park.
You may also like: Highest-rated campgrounds in the Worcester area by visitors
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 238 miles
- Driving time: 5.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 424 miles
- Driving time: 8.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 502 miles
- Driving time: 9.5 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 562 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 756 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
You may also like: Are homes selling in Worcester in 2026?
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 770 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 779 miles
- Driving time: 14.2 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 830 miles
- Driving time: 15.9 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 906 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 992 miles
- Driving time: 17.5 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Worcester
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,104 miles
- Driving time: 24.9 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,233 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,260 miles
- Driving time: 22.6 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,273 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,544 miles
- Driving time: 27.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,578 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,595 miles
- Driving time: 29.0 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,699 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,797 miles
- Driving time: 32.2 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,891 miles
- Driving time: 33.8 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,909 miles
- Driving time: 33.0 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,930 miles
- Driving time: 35.7 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,955 miles
- Driving time: 35.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,959 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,964 miles
- Driving time: 36.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,975 miles
- Driving time: 33.8 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,983 miles
- Driving time: 34.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
You may also like: The 30 most popular homes for sale in Worcester
Manamana // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,013 miles
- Driving time: 41.5 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 2,065 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,076 miles
- Driving time: 36.0 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,088 miles
- Driving time: 35.4 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,181 miles
- Driving time: 38.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,194 miles
- Driving time: 38.5 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,214 miles
- Driving time: 39.2 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 2,217 miles
- Driving time: 38.6 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,393 miles
- Driving time: 47.1 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
You may also like: Are home prices going up in Worcester in 2026?
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,415 miles
- Driving time: 41.7 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,440 miles
- Driving time: 45.2 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,441 miles
- Driving time: 42.6 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,488 miles
- Driving time: 49.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,505 miles
- Driving time: 48.7 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
You may also like: Worcester 7-day weather forecast
f11photo // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,506 miles
- Driving time: 47.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,509 miles
- Driving time: 48.4 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,521 miles
- Driving time: 45.8 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,544 miles
- Driving time: 44.5 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Channel Islands National Park (California)
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,630 miles
- Driving time: 46.8 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,649 miles
- Driving time: 49.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,952 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,101 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Denali National Park (Alaska)
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,352 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,372 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,475 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,509 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,990 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 5,000 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 7,319 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
