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 Hot Springs. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Hot Springs, AR 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated ice cream shops in Hot Springs by diners
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 7 miles
- Driving time: 0.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 324 miles
- Driving time: 6.9 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 434 miles
- Driving time: 8.0 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 550 miles
- Driving time: 10.3 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 590 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to Hot Springs
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 673 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 698 miles
- Driving time: 15.0 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 703 miles
- Driving time: 13.1 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 710 miles
- Driving time: 12.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 724 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 760 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 782 miles
- Driving time: 14.3 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 791 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 831 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 855 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 866 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 878 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 945 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 954 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 961 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 963 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 967 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
You may also like: Car insurance rates in Hot Springs October 2025
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 970 miles
- Driving time: 20.2 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 994 miles
- Driving time: 19.1 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,010 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,014 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,033 miles
- Driving time: 21.2 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
You may also like: Hot Springs' 2025 housing market year in review
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,076 miles
- Driving time: 19.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,083 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,129 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,135 miles
- Driving time: 22.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,209 miles
- Driving time: 23.8 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
37 / 63#37. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,302 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,338 miles
- Driving time: 23.6 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,433 miles
- Driving time: 30.1 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Sequoia National Park (California)
Pung // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,449 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,485 miles
- Driving time: 29.2 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,486 miles
- Driving time: 28.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,499 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,579 miles
- Driving time: 27.8 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Hot Springs
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,602 miles
- Driving time: 31.0 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
47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,657 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,710 miles
- Driving time: 32.6 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
49 / 63#49. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,733 miles
- Driving time: 35.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Redwood National Park (California)
f11photo // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,813 miles
- Driving time: 35.7 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,074 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,590 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,811 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)
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,118 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: 3,186 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,228 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
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,262 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,907 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: 3,918 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: 6,086 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
