National parks closest to Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County. Straight line distance from Santa Cruz 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. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 809 miles
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres

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

- Distance: 796 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

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

- Distance: 788 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

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#22. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 758 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

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#21. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 750 miles
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres

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#20. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 747 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

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#19. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 721 miles
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres

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#18. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 698 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

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#17. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 689 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

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#16. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 680 miles
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres

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#15. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 670 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

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#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 596 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

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#13. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 554 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

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#12. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 542 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

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#11. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 496 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

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#10. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 443 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

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#9. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 409 miles
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres

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#8. Joshua Tree National Park (California)

- Distance: 408 miles
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres

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#7. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 320 miles
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres

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

- Distance: 273 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

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#5. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 242 miles
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres

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#4. Channel Islands National Park (California)

- Distance: 240 miles
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres

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#3. Kings Canyon National Park (California)

- Distance: 191 miles
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres

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#2. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 147 miles
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres

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#1. Pinnacles National Park (California)

- Distance: 58 miles
- Park area: 26,685.73 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.