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 Pocatello. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Pocatello, ID 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. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 115 miles
- Driving time: 3.3 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
2 / 63#2. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 168 miles
- Driving time: 3.9 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 271 miles
- Driving time: 7.0 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 319 miles
- Driving time: 6.7 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 319 miles
- Driving time: 6.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 340 miles
- Driving time: 11.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 354 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 373 miles
- Driving time: 7.5 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 382 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 396 miles
- Driving time: 9.3 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 428 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 438 miles
- Driving time: 8.9 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 458 miles
- Driving time: 11.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 464 miles
- Driving time: 10.5 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 484 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 487 miles
- Driving time: 12.2 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 496 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 499 miles
- Driving time: 10.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 506 miles
- Driving time: 11.5 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 514 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 516 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 534 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 537 miles
- Driving time: 10.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 541 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 547 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 588 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 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
27 / 63#27. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 595 miles
- Driving time: 15.0 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 627 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 640 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 644 miles
- Driving time: 13.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 704 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 729 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 768 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 851 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 855 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,032 miles
- Driving time: 19.6 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,062 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 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
38 / 63#38. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,194 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,205 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,221 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,307 miles
- Driving time: 21.9 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,450 miles
- Driving time: 25.4 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,516 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,592 miles
- Driving time: 26.6 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,623 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,682 miles
- Driving time: 29.0 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,758 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,810 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,823 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,958 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
51 / 63#51. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,076 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,098 miles
- Driving time: 42.7 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,104 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
54 / 63#54. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,112 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,156 miles
- Driving time: 39.5 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
56 / 63#56. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,180 miles
- Driving time: 38.5 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,204 miles
- Driving time: 41.0 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
58 / 63#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,287 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
59 / 63#59. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,424 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,936 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,950 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,252 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,374 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
