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 Little Rock. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, 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.
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1 / 63#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 41 miles
- Driving time: 0.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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2 / 63#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 294 miles
- Driving time: 5.6 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 391 miles
- Driving time: 6.7 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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4 / 63#4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 506 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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5 / 63#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
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6 / 63#6. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 668 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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7 / 63#7. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 670 miles
- Driving time: 12.2 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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8 / 63#8. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 717 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
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9 / 63#9. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 741 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
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10 / 63#10. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
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11 / 63#11. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 747 miles
- Driving time: 13.2 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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12 / 63#12. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 760 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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13 / 63#13. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 804 miles
- Driving time: 14.3 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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14 / 63#14. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 820 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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15 / 63#15. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 822 miles
- Driving time: 15.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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17 / 63#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 849 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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18 / 63#18. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 889 miles
- Driving time: 17.7 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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19 / 63#19. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 902 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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20 / 63#20. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
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21 / 63#21. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 942 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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22 / 63#22. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 945 miles
- Driving time: 19.0 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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23 / 63#23. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 949 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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24 / 63#24. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 966 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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25 / 63#25. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
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26 / 63#26. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 989 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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27 / 63#27. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,003 miles
- Driving time: 23.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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28 / 63#28. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,020 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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29 / 63#29. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,058 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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30 / 63#30. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
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31 / 63#31. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,116 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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32 / 63#32. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,121 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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33 / 63#33. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,161 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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34 / 63#34. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,167 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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35 / 63#35. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
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36 / 63#36. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,244 miles
- Driving time: 23.2 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
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37 / 63#37. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,343 miles
- Driving time: 22.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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38 / 63#38. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,377 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
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39 / 63#39. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,444 miles
- Driving time: 27.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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40 / 63#40. Glacier National Park (Montana)
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41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,471 miles
- Driving time: 29.6 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,480 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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43 / 63#43. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,522 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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44 / 63#44. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,540 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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45 / 63#45. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,617 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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46 / 63#46. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,637 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,688 miles
- Driving time: 32.0 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,736 miles
- Driving time: 32.3 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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49 / 63#49. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,756 miles
- Driving time: 34.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
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50 / 63#50. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,771 miles
- Driving time: 35.4 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,838 miles
- Driving time: 35.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
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52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,041 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,606 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,825 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,131 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,201 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
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58 / 63#58. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,245 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
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59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,270 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,423 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,950 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,960 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
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63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,131 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
