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 Peoria. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Peoria, 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.
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1 / 63#1. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 146 miles
- Driving time: 2.7 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 153 miles
- Driving time: 3.1 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
3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 311 miles
- Driving time: 6.4 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: 428 miles
- Driving time: 7.7 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 465 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 482 miles
- Driving time: 9.6 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
7 / 63#7. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 496 miles
- Driving time: 9.6 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 513 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 560 miles
- Driving time: 11.0 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 623 miles
- Driving time: 13.1 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
11 / 63#11. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 685 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 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: 689 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 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: 734 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 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: 810 miles
- Driving time: 15.1 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)
- Distance: 835 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 872 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 971 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 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
18 / 63#18. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,008 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,039 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,039 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,063 miles
- Driving time: 19.1 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
22 / 63#22. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,066 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,090 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,093 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,099 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,100 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,122 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,158 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 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
29 / 63#29. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,161 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,175 miles
- Driving time: 21.8 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
31 / 63#31. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,176 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 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
32 / 63#32. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,176 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,224 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 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: 1,256 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 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: 1,275 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,292 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 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
37 / 63#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,310 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- 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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38 / 63#38. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,312 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,496 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 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)
- Distance: 1,515 miles
- Driving time: 27.7 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,574 miles
- Driving time: 34.0 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,589 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 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: 1,603 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 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: 1,633 miles
- Driving time: 31.4 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)
- Distance: 1,646 miles
- Driving time: 29.9 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
46 / 63#46. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,664 miles
- Driving time: 28.9 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: 1,669 miles
- Driving time: 30.0 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: 1,691 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,718 miles
- Driving time: 31.3 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,733 miles
- Driving time: 32.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,782 miles
- Driving time: 33.4 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: 2,138 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: 2,385 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: 2,585 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: 2,840 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: 2,875 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: 2,968 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: 2,979 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: 3,035 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: 3,135 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
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,088 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: 4,092 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: 6,394 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
