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 Fresno. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Fresno, CA 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. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 59 miles
- Driving time: 4.5 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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2 / 63#2. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 61 miles
- Driving time: 4.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 74 miles
- Driving time: 3.5 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 86 miles
- Driving time: 2.9 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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5 / 63#5. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 162 miles
- Driving time: 6.3 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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6 / 63#6. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 190 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 276 miles
- Driving time: 5.9 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 295 miles
- Driving time: 6.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 330 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 367 miles
- Driving time: 9.2 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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11 / 63#11. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 391 miles
- Driving time: 10.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 416 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 422 miles
- Driving time: 9.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 446 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 477 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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16 / 63#16. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 543 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 566 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 568 miles
- Driving time: 12.8 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 608 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 618 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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21 / 63#21. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 666 miles
- Driving time: 14.7 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 670 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 705 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 723 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 782 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 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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26 / 63#26. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 798 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 801 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 814 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 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
29 / 63#29. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 828 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 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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30 / 63#30. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 879 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 908 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 923 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 974 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,024 miles
- Driving time: 22.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,082 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,089 miles
- Driving time: 23.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,501 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,575 miles
- Driving time: 32.3 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,613 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,695 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,756 miles
- Driving time: 36.7 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,771 miles
- Driving time: 31.4 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,847 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,938 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 2,008 miles
- Driving time: 34.1 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,057 miles
- Driving time: 36.2 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,078 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,108 miles
- Driving time: 36.7 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,187 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 2,192 miles
- Driving time: 37.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,226 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,247 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,249 miles
- Driving time: 40.2 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,326 miles
- Driving time: 45.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,410 miles
- Driving time: 43.4 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
56 / 63#56. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,446 miles
- Driving time: 42.4 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,456 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,458 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,509 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)
- Distance: 2,625 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,712 miles
- Driving time: 50.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,549 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 4,832 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
