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 Madera. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Madera, 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. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 45 miles
- Driving time: 2.9 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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2 / 63#2. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 72 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 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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3 / 63#3. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 80 miles
- Driving time: 5.1 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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4 / 63#4. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 93 miles
- Driving time: 3.1 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: 176 miles
- Driving time: 6.8 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: 221 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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7 / 63#7. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 245 miles
- Driving time: 6.5 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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8 / 63#8. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 320 miles
- Driving time: 7.1 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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9 / 63#9. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 321 miles
- Driving time: 11.5 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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10 / 63#10. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 363 miles
- Driving time: 11.1 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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11 / 63#11. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 369 miles
- Driving time: 9.8 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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12 / 63#12. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 414 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 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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13 / 63#13. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 417 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 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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14 / 63#14. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 430 miles
- Driving time: 10.1 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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15 / 63#15. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 475 miles
- Driving time: 12.5 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: 542 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 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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17 / 63#17. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 565 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 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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18 / 63#18. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 576 miles
- Driving time: 11.0 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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19 / 63#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 621 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 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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20 / 63#20. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 627 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 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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21 / 63#21. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 651 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 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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22 / 63#22. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 664 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 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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23 / 63#23. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 673 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 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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24 / 63#24. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 702 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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25 / 63#25. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 767 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 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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26 / 63#26. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 783 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 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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27 / 63#27. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 795 miles
- Driving time: 19.1 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 797 miles
- Driving time: 17.7 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 828 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 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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30 / 63#30. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 851 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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31 / 63#31. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 922 miles
- Driving time: 17.7 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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32 / 63#32. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 937 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 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: 962 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 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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34 / 63#34. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,012 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,071 miles
- Driving time: 23.8 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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36 / 63#36. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,099 miles
- Driving time: 22.0 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,505 miles
- Driving time: 26.7 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: 1,559 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 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: 1,611 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 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: 1,664 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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41 / 63#41. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,742 miles
- Driving time: 37.3 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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42 / 63#42. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,765 miles
- Driving time: 32.0 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: 1,846 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 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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44 / 63#44. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,908 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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45 / 63#45. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 2,008 miles
- Driving time: 34.7 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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46 / 63#46. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,049 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,052 miles
- Driving time: 36.7 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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48 / 63#48. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,106 miles
- Driving time: 37.3 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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49 / 63#49. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,158 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: 2,194 miles
- Driving time: 37.6 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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51 / 63#51. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,196 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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52 / 63#52. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,217 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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53 / 63#53. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,246 miles
- Driving time: 40.8 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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54 / 63#54. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,337 miles
- Driving time: 46.0 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: 2,419 miles
- Driving time: 44.0 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: 2,455 miles
- Driving time: 43.0 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: 2,460 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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58 / 63#58. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,464 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: 2,478 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: 2,594 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. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,702 miles
- Driving time: 50.9 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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62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,557 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: 4,846 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
