National parks closest to Chattooga County, GA

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 Chattooga County. Straight line distance from Chattooga 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: How personal income has changed in Chattooga County, Georgia

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,285 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

2 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,274 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,214 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,187 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,155 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Chattooga County, GA since 1895

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,153 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,144 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 1,139 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,121 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,116 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Chattooga County, Georgia in the last week

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,108 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,041 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 951 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Canva

14 / 25

#12. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 694 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Canva

15 / 25

#11. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 691 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Chattooga County, GA

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 681 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 511 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 503 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 472 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 440 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

You may also like: Chattooga County, GA monthly unemployment update

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 393 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 337 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Canva

23 / 25

#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 268 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 193 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Canva

25 / 25

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

- Distance: 130 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 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: National parks closest to Chattooga County, GA