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 Sacramento. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, 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: 105 miles
- Driving time: 4.4 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. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 120 miles
- Driving time: 3.9 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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3 / 63#3. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 160 miles
- Driving time: 3.8 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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4 / 63#4. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 192 miles
- Driving time: 8.0 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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5 / 63#5. Sequoia National Park (California)
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6 / 63#6. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 235 miles
- Driving time: 8.5 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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7 / 63#7. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 289 miles
- Driving time: 8.5 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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8 / 63#8. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 292 miles
- Driving time: 6.9 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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9 / 63#9. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 341 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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10 / 63#10. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
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11 / 63#11. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 446 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 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. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 447 miles
- Driving time: 9.8 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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13 / 63#13. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 488 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 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: 522 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 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: 534 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 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. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 558 miles
- Driving time: 13.1 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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17 / 63#17. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 601 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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18 / 63#18. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 617 miles
- Driving time: 13.1 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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19 / 63#19. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 631 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 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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20 / 63#20. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 646 miles
- Driving time: 14.8 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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21 / 63#21. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 672 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 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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22 / 63#22. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 674 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 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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23 / 63#23. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 684 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 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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24 / 63#24. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 692 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 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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25 / 63#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
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26 / 63#26. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 743 miles
- Driving time: 15.4 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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27 / 63#27. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 774 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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28 / 63#28. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 830 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 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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29 / 63#29. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 845 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 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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30 / 63#30. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 929 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 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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31 / 63#31. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 969 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 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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32 / 63#32. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,020 miles
- Driving time: 19.6 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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33 / 63#33. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,025 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 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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34 / 63#34. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,038 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 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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35 / 63#35. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,051 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 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: 1,209 miles
- Driving time: 24.6 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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37 / 63#37. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,537 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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38 / 63#38. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,549 miles
- Driving time: 29.8 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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39 / 63#39. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,575 miles
- Driving time: 29.5 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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40 / 63#40. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,658 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 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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41 / 63#41. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,739 miles
- Driving time: 34.3 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. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,781 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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43 / 63#43. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,795 miles
- Driving time: 29.6 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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44 / 63#44. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,897 miles
- Driving time: 32.9 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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45 / 63#45. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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46 / 63#46. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,030 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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47 / 63#47. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 2,063 miles
- Driving time: 36.1 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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48 / 63#48. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,068 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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49 / 63#49. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,082 miles
- Driving time: 34.2 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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50 / 63#50. Denali National Park (Alaska)
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51 / 63#51. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,149 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
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52 / 63#52. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 2,254 miles
- Driving time: 40.0 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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53 / 63#53. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,286 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
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54 / 63#54. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,352 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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55 / 63#55. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,427 miles
- Driving time: 48.8 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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56 / 63#56. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,430 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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57 / 63#57. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,440 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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58 / 63#58. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,467 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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59 / 63#59. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,504 miles
- Driving time: 46.9 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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60 / 63#60. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,538 miles
- Driving time: 45.9 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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61 / 63#61. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,715 miles
- Driving time: 48.7 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: 3,636 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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63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 4,858 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
