National parks closest to Polk 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 Polk County. Straight line distance from Polk 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: Polk County, AR monthly real estate update

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 968 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

kojihirano // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 968 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

Canva

3 / 25

#23. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 963 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 919 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 909 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

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

Manamana // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 901 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 885 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 833 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 820 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

10 / 25

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

- Distance: 801 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Polk County, Arkansas history

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 798 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

12 / 25

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

- Distance: 775 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 774 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 773 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 748 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Polk County, Arkansas with Alzheimer's

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 707 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 674 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 642 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 638 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 627 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Polk County, Arkansas in the last week

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 618 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Canva

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 612 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 491 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 363 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 67 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: National parks closest to Polk County, AR