National parks closest to Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County. Straight line distance from Santa Cruz 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.

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 855 miles
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 848 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Yhelfman // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 684 miles
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 673 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 660 miles
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres

Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 570 miles
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres

Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 554 miles
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 547 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 525 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

10 / 25

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

- Distance: 517 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 501 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

12 / 25

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

- Distance: 497 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 480 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 466 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 466 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 424 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 417 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 417 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 372 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 352 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 334 miles
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 317 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 278 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 246 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 47 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 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: Food insecurity rates in Santa Cruz County, AZ