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 Albany, Georgia. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Albany, GA 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.
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 243 miles
- Driving time: 5.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 280 miles
- Driving time: 6.3 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 398 miles
- Driving time: 7.9 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 475 miles
- Driving time: 9.8 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 477 miles
- Driving time: 9.3 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
6 / 63#6. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 480 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 489 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 555 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 576 miles
- Driving time: 11.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 592 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 677 miles
- Driving time: 13.2 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 709 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,153 miles
- Driving time: 22.5 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,159 miles
- Driving time: 22.0 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,194 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,220 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,229 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,250 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,285 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 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
20 / 63#20. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,292 miles
- Driving time: 22.6 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
21 / 63#21. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,303 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,338 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,341 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 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
24 / 63#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,415 miles
- Driving time: 26.9 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,439 miles
- Driving time: 26.4 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,473 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,499 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,515 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,518 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,528 miles
- Driving time: 33.0 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,547 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,595 miles
- Driving time: 29.9 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,634 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,644 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,673 miles
- Driving time: 30.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,681 miles
- Driving time: 31.5 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,690 miles
- Driving time: 31.7 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,770 miles
- Driving time: 32.4 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,850 miles
- Driving time: 31.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,896 miles
- Driving time: 32.6 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,954 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,993 miles
- Driving time: 39.1 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,000 miles
- Driving time: 38.2 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
44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,046 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,051 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,138 miles
- Driving time: 36.8 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
47 / 63#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,163 miles
- Driving time: 40.0 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,211 miles
- Driving time: 41.3 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,246 miles
- Driving time: 41.3 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
50 / 63#50. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,256 miles
- Driving time: 43.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,297 miles
- Driving time: 44.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,345 miles
- Driving time: 44.9 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,065 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
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,273 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
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,523 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
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,568 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
57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,654 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,677 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,713 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,833 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: 4,446 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: 4,462 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: 6,534 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
