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 Pueblo. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Pueblo, CO 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. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 63 miles
- Driving time: 2.5 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 165 miles
- Driving time: 3.8 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 178 miles
- Driving time: 4.8 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 230 miles
- Driving time: 6.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 278 miles
- Driving time: 7.7 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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6 / 63#6. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 296 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 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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7 / 63#7. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 363 miles
- Driving time: 7.9 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 364 miles
- Driving time: 9.2 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 377 miles
- Driving time: 7.3 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 383 miles
- Driving time: 7.6 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 399 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 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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12 / 63#12. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 413 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 423 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 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. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 431 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 447 miles
- Driving time: 10.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 473 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 506 miles
- Driving time: 10.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 531 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 534 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 543 miles
- Driving time: 11.1 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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21 / 63#21. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 610 miles
- Driving time: 11.9 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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22 / 63#22. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 618 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 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
23 / 63#23. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 685 miles
- Driving time: 14.3 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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24 / 63#24. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 693 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 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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25 / 63#25. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 707 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 776 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 778 miles
- Driving time: 22.5 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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28 / 63#28. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 790 miles
- Driving time: 21.3 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 819 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 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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30 / 63#30. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 875 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 882 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 920 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 924 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 925 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 955 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 982 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,008 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,054 miles
- Driving time: 22.2 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,059 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,063 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,108 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 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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42 / 63#42. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,170 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 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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43 / 63#43. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,171 miles
- Driving time: 24.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,237 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 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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45 / 63#45. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,272 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,358 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 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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47 / 63#47. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,415 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 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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48 / 63#48. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,575 miles
- Driving time: 33.7 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
49 / 63#49. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,638 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 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
50 / 63#50. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,666 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 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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51 / 63#51. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,920 miles
- Driving time: 35.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,018 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,254 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,468 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,570 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,612 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,631 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,753 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,758 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: 2,902 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,290 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,292 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,594 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
