National parks closest to Pinellas County, FL

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 Pinellas County. Straight line distance from Pinellas 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.

You may also like: Hottest months in Pinellas County, FL since 1895

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

1 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,613 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,577 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,561 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,543 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,518 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

You may also like: Pinellas County, FL monthly real estate update

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,485 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,442 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Canva

8 / 25

#18. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 1,424 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 1,394 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,351 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

You may also like: How Pinellas County, Florida's GDP has changed since 2018

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,334 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,322 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,244 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 977 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 923 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

You may also like: Pinellas County, FL monthly unemployment update

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 853 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 771 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 759 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 694 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 669 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Pinellas County, Florida compares

Canva

21 / 25

#5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 532 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Canva

22 / 25

#4. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 423 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Canva

23 / 25

#3. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 231 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Canva

24 / 25

#2. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 226 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 211 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 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.

You may also like: Here's how many people are behind on debt payments in Pinellas County, Florida