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 Auburn. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Auburn-Opelika, AL 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.
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1 / 63#1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 236 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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2 / 63#2. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 277 miles
- Driving time: 5.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 318 miles
- Driving time: 6.3 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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4 / 63#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 447 miles
- Driving time: 8.7 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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5 / 63#5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 463 miles
- Driving time: 8.4 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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6 / 63#6. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 497 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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7 / 63#7. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 568 miles
- Driving time: 10.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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8 / 63#8. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 569 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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9 / 63#9. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 569 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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10 / 63#10. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 575 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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11 / 63#11. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 631 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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12 / 63#12. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 631 miles
- Driving time: 11.9 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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13 / 63#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,082 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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14 / 63#14. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,086 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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15 / 63#15. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
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16 / 63#16. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,142 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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17 / 63#17. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,165 miles
- Driving time: 21.5 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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18 / 63#18. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,192 miles
- Driving time: 21.3 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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19 / 63#19. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,205 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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20 / 63#20. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,211 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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21 / 63#21. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,228 miles
- Driving time: 24.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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22 / 63#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,240 miles
- Driving time: 23.8 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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23 / 63#23. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,244 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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24 / 63#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,321 miles
- Driving time: 25.0 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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25 / 63#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,348 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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26 / 63#26. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,375 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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27 / 63#27. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,412 miles
- Driving time: 23.0 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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28 / 63#28. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,421 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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29 / 63#29. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,435 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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30 / 63#30. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,466 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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31 / 63#31. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,502 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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32 / 63#32. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,545 miles
- Driving time: 26.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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33 / 63#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,552 miles
- Driving time: 30.0 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,575 miles
- Driving time: 28.7 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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35 / 63#35. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
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36 / 63#36. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,599 miles
- Driving time: 29.8 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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37 / 63#37. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,615 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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38 / 63#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,676 miles
- Driving time: 30.6 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,765 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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40 / 63#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
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41 / 63#41. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,856 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,902 miles
- Driving time: 37.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,910 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,954 miles
- Driving time: 36.0 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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45 / 63#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
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46 / 63#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,048 miles
- Driving time: 34.9 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,068 miles
- Driving time: 37.8 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,114 miles
- Driving time: 39.4 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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49 / 63#49. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,148 miles
- Driving time: 39.4 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
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51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,201 miles
- Driving time: 42.9 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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52 / 63#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,246 miles
- Driving time: 42.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,969 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,177 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,473 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,558 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
58 / 63#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,585 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,616 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,366 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,380 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,479 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
