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 Visalia. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Visalia, 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. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 15 miles
- Driving time: 4.2 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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2 / 63#2. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 41 miles
- Driving time: 5.6 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. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 110 miles
- Driving time: 6.1 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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4 / 63#4. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 117 miles
- Driving time: 4.9 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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5 / 63#5. Pinnacles National Park (California)
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6 / 63#6. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 157 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. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 234 miles
- Driving time: 6.2 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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8 / 63#8. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 310 miles
- Driving time: 11.1 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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9 / 63#9. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 326 miles
- Driving time: 9.1 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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10 / 63#10. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
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11 / 63#11. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 371 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 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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12 / 63#12. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 377 miles
- Driving time: 11.0 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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13 / 63#13. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 441 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 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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14 / 63#14. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 449 miles
- Driving time: 11.9 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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15 / 63#15. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
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16 / 63#16. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 507 miles
- Driving time: 17.5 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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17 / 63#17. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 513 miles
- Driving time: 10.1 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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18 / 63#18. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 534 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 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. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 547 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 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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20 / 63#20. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 575 miles
- Driving time: 13.9 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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21 / 63#21. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 629 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 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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22 / 63#22. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 668 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 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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23 / 63#23. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 723 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 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. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 741 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 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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25 / 63#25. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
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26 / 63#26. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 757 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 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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27 / 63#27. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 772 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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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28 / 63#28. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 845 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 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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29 / 63#29. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 850 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 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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30 / 63#30. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
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31 / 63#31. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 870 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 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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32 / 63#32. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 901 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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33 / 63#33. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 956 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 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: 1,005 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 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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35 / 63#35. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
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36 / 63#36. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,083 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 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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37 / 63#37. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,454 miles
- Driving time: 26.0 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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38 / 63#38. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,561 miles
- Driving time: 33.6 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. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,575 miles
- Driving time: 27.9 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,739 miles
- Driving time: 31.3 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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41 / 63#41. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,739 miles
- Driving time: 36.6 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. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,747 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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43 / 63#43. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,807 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 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. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,965 miles
- Driving time: 34.0 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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45 / 63#45. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,991 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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46 / 63#46. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,025 miles
- Driving time: 36.0 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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47 / 63#47. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,071 miles
- Driving time: 36.5 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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48 / 63#48. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,135 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
49 / 63#49. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 2,148 miles
- Driving time: 36.8 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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50 / 63#50. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,213 miles
- Driving time: 40.0 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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51 / 63#51. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,245 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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52 / 63#52. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,272 miles
- Driving time: 45.1 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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53 / 63#53. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,282 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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54 / 63#54. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,301 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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55 / 63#55. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,356 miles
- Driving time: 43.1 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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56 / 63#56. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,393 miles
- Driving time: 42.1 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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57 / 63#57. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,493 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: 2,493 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: 2,561 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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60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,678 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: 2,686 miles
- Driving time: 50.5 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: 3,497 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: 4,850 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
