National parks closest to Clay County, AL

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 Clay County. Straight line distance from Clay 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.

You may also like: Warmest and coldest January in Clay County, Alabama history

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,304 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

2 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,276 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 1,218 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,200 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,187 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Clay County, AL since 1895

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,185 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,152 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,149 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,112 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,110 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

You may also like: Here's how many people are behind on debt payments in Clay County, Alabama

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,090 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,062 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 1,029 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Canva

14 / 25

#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 635 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Canva

15 / 25

#11. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 622 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

You may also like: Clay County, AL monthly real estate update

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 621 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 599 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 581 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 549 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 442 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

You may also like: Places with the fastest growing home prices in Clay County, AL

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 423 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 419 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Canva

23 / 25

#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 297 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 271 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Canva

25 / 25

#1. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 210 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 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.

You may also like: Clay County, AL monthly unemployment update