National parks closest to Kern County, CA

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 Kern County. Straight line distance from Kern 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.

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#25. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 791 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

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#24. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 771 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

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#23. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 749 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

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#22. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 732 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

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#21. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 724 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

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

- Distance: 648 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

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#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 587 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

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#18. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 556 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

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#17. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 555 miles
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres

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#16. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 530 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

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#15. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 507 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

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#14. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 507 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

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#13. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 505 miles
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres

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#12. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 461 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

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#11. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 396 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

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#10. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 384 miles
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres

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#9. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 374 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

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#8. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 350 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

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#7. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 345 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

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#6. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 192 miles
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres

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#5. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 179 miles
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres

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#4. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 159 miles
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres

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#3. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 119 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

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#2. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 115 miles
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres

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#1. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 95 miles
- Park area: 461,901.20 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.