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 Kahului. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Kahului-Wailuku-Lahaina, HI Metro Area and each national park. All featured distances 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. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 29 miles
- Driving time: 2.3 hours
- 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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2 / 63#2. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 136 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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3 / 63#3. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,368 miles
- 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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4 / 63#4. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,388 miles
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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5 / 63#5. Channel Islands National Park (California)
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6 / 63#6. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,464 miles
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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7 / 63#7. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,503 miles
- 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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8 / 63#8. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,506 miles
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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9 / 63#9. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,520 miles
- 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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10 / 63#10. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
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11 / 63#11. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 2,596 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
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12 / 63#12. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,598 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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13 / 63#13. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,618 miles
- 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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14 / 63#14. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,622 miles
- 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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15 / 63#15. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,637 miles
- 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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16 / 63#16. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,650 miles
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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17 / 63#17. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,717 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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18 / 63#18. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,738 miles
- 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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19 / 63#19. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,773 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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20 / 63#20. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
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21 / 63#21. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 2,796 miles
- 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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22 / 63#22. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,837 miles
- 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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23 / 63#23. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,860 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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24 / 63#24. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,872 miles
- 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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25 / 63#25. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
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26 / 63#26. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,937 miles
- 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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27 / 63#27. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,946 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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28 / 63#28. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,950 miles
- 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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29 / 63#29. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,995 miles
- 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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30 / 63#30. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 3,016 miles
- 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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31 / 63#31. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 3,032 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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32 / 63#32. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 3,041 miles
- 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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33 / 63#33. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 3,057 miles
- 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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34 / 63#34. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 3,084 miles
- 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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35 / 63#35. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
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36 / 63#36. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 3,139 miles
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 3,191 miles
- 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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38 / 63#38. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,226 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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39 / 63#39. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,243 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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40 / 63#40. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 3,251 miles
- 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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41 / 63#41. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 3,266 miles
- 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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42 / 63#42. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 3,271 miles
- 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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43 / 63#43. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 3,291 miles
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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44 / 63#44. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 3,367 miles
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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45 / 63#45. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
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46 / 63#46. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 3,458 miles
- 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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47 / 63#47. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 3,462 miles
- 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
48 / 63#48. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 3,944 miles
- 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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49 / 63#49. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 3,961 miles
- 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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50 / 63#50. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
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51 / 63#51. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 4,159 miles
- 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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52 / 63#52. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 4,240 miles
- 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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53 / 63#53. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 4,316 miles
- 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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54 / 63#54. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 4,472 miles
- 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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55 / 63#55. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
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56 / 63#56. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 4,582 miles
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 4,648 miles
- 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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58 / 63#58. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 4,656 miles
- 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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59 / 63#59. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 4,723 miles
- 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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60 / 63#60. Everglades National Park (Florida)
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61 / 63#61. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 4,809 miles
- 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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62 / 63#62. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 5,154 miles
- 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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63 / 63#63. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 5,898 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
