National parks closest to Coconino County, AZ

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 Coconino County. Straight line distance from Coconino 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: Food insecurity rates in Coconino County, AZ

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 615 miles
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

2 / 25

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

- Distance: 608 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 554 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Yhelfman // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 528 miles
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 486 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 479 miles
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 479 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 455 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 453 miles
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres

Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 385 miles
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 375 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 368 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

13 / 25

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

- Distance: 303 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

14 / 25

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

- Distance: 293 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 266 miles
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres

You may also like: Coconino County, AZ monthly real estate update

kojihirano // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 256 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 255 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 233 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 208 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 197 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

You may also like: Warmest Decembers in Coconino County, Arizona history

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 172 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 126 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 123 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 123 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 23 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 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: National parks closest to Coconino County, AZ