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 Kankakee. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Kankakee, IL 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.
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Kankakee by diners
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 55 miles
- Driving time: 1.4 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 213 miles
- Driving time: 3.8 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 289 miles
- Driving time: 6.0 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 329 miles
- Driving time: 6.0 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 419 miles
- Driving time: 9.2 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Kankakee
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 444 miles
- Driving time: 9.2 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 482 miles
- Driving time: 9.1 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 537 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 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
9 / 63#9. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 538 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 565 miles
- Driving time: 10.8 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
You may also like: Kankakee 7-day weather forecast
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 639 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 769 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 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
13 / 63#13. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 816 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 872 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 971 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,021 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,068 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,106 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,138 miles
- Driving time: 21.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,157 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,161 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,162 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Arches National Park (Utah)
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,170 miles
- Driving time: 21.8 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,174 miles
- Driving time: 23.5 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
28 / 63#28. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,182 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,191 miles
- Driving time: 27.3 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,255 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,262 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,321 miles
- Driving time: 23.8 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,355 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,372 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
You may also like: The highest-value homes in Kankakee
Pung // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,377 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,393 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,404 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,594 miles
- Driving time: 27.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,671 miles
- Driving time: 35.3 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
42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,686 miles
- Driving time: 34.1 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
43 / 63#43. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,697 miles
- Driving time: 33.1 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,701 miles
- Driving time: 32.7 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,754 miles
- Driving time: 30.3 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
47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,754 miles
- Driving time: 31.3 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,790 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,804 miles
- Driving time: 33.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Pinnacles National Park (California)
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,869 miles
- Driving time: 34.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,084 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,429 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: 2,623 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: 2,882 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
You may also like: Are homes selling in Kankakee in 2026?
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,908 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,001 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,007 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
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,079 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)
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,183 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
62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,187 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,495 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
