National parks closest to Lewis and Clark County, MT

Written by:
November 14, 2023
Canva

National parks closest to Lewis and Clark County, MT

After the hottest summer on record, it's a wonderful time to hit the great outdoors.

The United States is home to 63 national parks, from Yellowstone National Park to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The former, located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, became the world's first national park in 1872 and includes 10,000 hydrothermal features; the latter is the newest national park and hosts the longest steel arch span in the Western Hemisphere. So, the country's park system encompasses something for everyone.

It's not surprising then that these scenic getaways have drawn millions of travelers every year. The National Park Service reported just shy of 312 million recreational visits last year, the most since 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was by far the most popular national park, with 12.9 million visits. Grand Canyon (Arizona), Zion (Utah), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), and Acadia (Maine) rounded out the top five.

For park enthusiasts, more good news looks to be on the way. Congress is expected to add Georgia's Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the nation's 64th crown jewel before the end of the year. It'd be the first national park co-managed by a tribal group that was forcibly removed from its land and the first national park in Georgia. But others—including perhaps the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona—are vying for the honor.

Wondering where to go next that's not too far from home? Stacker compiled a list of the national parks closest to Lewis and Clark County. Straight line distance from Lewis and Clark County to each national park was used to determine the ranking. County coordinates from the Census Bureau and national park coordinates from NPS were used in the calculation.

When planning your next adventure, know your limits before you go, and check whether the park has regulations or requires permits or reservations. Create backup and emergency plans, and be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. NPS asks visitors to stay within designated areas, watch wildlife responsibly, and keep safety in mind. Animals should not be approached, harassed, touched, or fed, and children and pets must be supervised closely.

1 / 25
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

#25. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 774 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

2 / 25
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

#24. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 768 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

3 / 25
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

#23. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 738 miles
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres

4 / 25
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

#22. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 731 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

5 / 25
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 711 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

6 / 25
Bob Pool // Shutterstock

#20. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 701 miles
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres

7 / 25
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

#19. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 680 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

8 / 25
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

#18. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 659 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

9 / 25
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#17. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 643 miles
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres

10 / 25
SL-Photography // Shutterstock

#16. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 636 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

11 / 25
Manamana // Shutterstock

#15. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 626 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

12 / 25
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 614 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

13 / 25
Manamana // Shutterstock

#13. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 597 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

14 / 25
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

#12. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 574 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

15 / 25
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

#11. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 573 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

16 / 25
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock

#10. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 558 miles
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres

17 / 25
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

#9. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 536 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

18 / 25
f11photo // Shutterstock

#8. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 531 miles
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres

19 / 25
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#7. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 499 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

20 / 25
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

#6. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 441 miles
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres

21 / 25
Canva

#5. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 424 miles
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres

22 / 25
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

#4. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 421 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

23 / 25
Zack Frank // Shutterstock

#3. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 243 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

24 / 25
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

#2. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 196 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

25 / 25
Pung // Shutterstock

#1. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 126 miles
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,119 counties.

Trending Now