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 Santa Rosa. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, 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. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 155 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 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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2 / 63#2. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 171 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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3 / 63#3. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 193 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 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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4 / 63#4. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 200 miles
- Driving time: 5.1 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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5 / 63#5. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 268 miles
- Driving time: 8.7 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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6 / 63#6. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 274 miles
- Driving time: 8.6 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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7 / 63#7. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 308 miles
- Driving time: 8.1 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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8 / 63#8. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 368 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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9 / 63#9. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 371 miles
- Driving time: 10.3 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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10 / 63#10. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 467 miles
- Driving time: 10.8 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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11 / 63#11. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 511 miles
- Driving time: 10.1 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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12 / 63#12. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 546 miles
- Driving time: 13.2 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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13 / 63#13. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 578 miles
- Driving time: 14.5 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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14 / 63#14. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 589 miles
- Driving time: 14.8 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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15 / 63#15. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 618 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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16 / 63#16. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 638 miles
- Driving time: 15.1 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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17 / 63#17. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 653 miles
- Driving time: 16.1 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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18 / 63#18. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 706 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 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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19 / 63#19. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 708 miles
- Driving time: 16.5 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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20 / 63#20. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 722 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 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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21 / 63#21. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 726 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 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. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 766 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 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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23 / 63#23. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 767 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 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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24 / 63#24. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 794 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 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)
- Distance: 823 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 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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26 / 63#26. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 823 miles
- Driving time: 15.9 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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27 / 63#27. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 837 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 935 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 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: 949 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,021 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 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
31 / 63#31. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,071 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,116 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 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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33 / 63#33. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,121 miles
- Driving time: 21.9 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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34 / 63#34. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,130 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 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: 1,145 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 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: 1,295 miles
- Driving time: 25.0 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,517 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,645 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,678 miles
- Driving time: 30.2 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. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,757 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,763 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 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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42 / 63#42. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,836 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
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43 / 63#43. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,884 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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44 / 63#44. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,899 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 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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45 / 63#45. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,984 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 2,003 miles
- Driving time: 35.3 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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47 / 63#47. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,030 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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48 / 63#48. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,061 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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49 / 63#49. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 2,168 miles
- Driving time: 38.6 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
50 / 63#50. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,186 miles
- Driving time: 36.5 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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51 / 63#51. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,255 miles
- Driving time: 39.0 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. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,327 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,332 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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54 / 63#54. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,338 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 2,359 miles
- Driving time: 42.6 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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56 / 63#56. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,391 miles
- Driving time: 42.5 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,442 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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58 / 63#58. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,525 miles
- Driving time: 49.4 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
59 / 63#59. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,604 miles
- Driving time: 47.7 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
60 / 63#60. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,638 miles
- Driving time: 46.6 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: 2,817 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: 3,738 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: 4,766 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
