National parks closest to Izard County, AR

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 Izard County. Straight line distance from Izard 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: What access to mental health care looks like in Izard County, Arkansas

Manamana // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 987 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 987 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 968 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Canva

4 / 25

#22. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 956 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 921 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Izard County, AR

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

6 / 25

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

- Distance: 886 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 856 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 854 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Canva

9 / 25

#17. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 837 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 808 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

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

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 804 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 800 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 797 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 773 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 767 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Izard County, AR since 1895

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 765 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 758 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 662 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Canva

19 / 25

#7. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 653 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

20 / 25

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

- Distance: 616 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

You may also like: Warmest Decembers in Izard County, Arkansas history

Canva

21 / 25

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

- Distance: 473 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 462 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 330 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 199 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 126 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 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: How personal income has changed in Izard County, Arkansas