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 Terre Haute. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Terre Haute, IN 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. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 151 miles
- Driving time: 3.4 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: 166 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
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 172 miles
- Driving time: 4.3 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: 327 miles
- Driving time: 5.7 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
5 / 63#5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 334 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 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
6 / 63#6. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 350 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 467 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 487 miles
- Driving time: 10.9 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. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 535 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 598 miles
- Driving time: 11.9 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 681 miles
- Driving time: 12.8 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 839 miles
- Driving time: 15.1 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: 883 miles
- Driving time: 16.5 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: 962 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 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: 971 miles
- Driving time: 16.0 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: 991 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 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: 1,038 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
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,041 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 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
19 / 63#19. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,044 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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20 / 63#20. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,055 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- 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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21 / 63#21. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,083 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
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22 / 63#22. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,098 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
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23 / 63#23. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,114 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
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,149 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
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25 / 63#25. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,149 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,159 miles
- Driving time: 21.3 hours
- 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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27 / 63#27. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,195 miles
- Driving time: 20.2 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
28 / 63#28. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,220 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
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,239 miles
- Driving time: 23.0 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,247 miles
- Driving time: 22.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,271 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,286 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,350 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 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: 1,375 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,389 miles
- Driving time: 24.1 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
36 / 63#36. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,401 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,443 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 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: 1,464 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: 1,622 miles
- Driving time: 27.6 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: 1,629 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
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41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,703 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
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42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,717 miles
- Driving time: 34.2 hours
- 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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43 / 63#43. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,735 miles
- Driving time: 34.1 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: 1,785 miles
- Driving time: 34.3 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: 1,797 miles
- Driving time: 32.9 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: 1,805 miles
- Driving time: 32.0 hours
- 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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47 / 63#47. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,811 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,816 miles
- Driving time: 32.6 hours
- 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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49 / 63#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,848 miles
- Driving time: 32.7 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: 1,884 miles
- Driving time: 35.0 hours
- 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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51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,925 miles
- Driving time: 36.1 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: 1,987 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: 2,533 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: 2,731 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: 2,987 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: 3,018 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: 3,114 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: 3,115 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: 3,183 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: 3,272 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: 4,219 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: 4,219 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: 6,493 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
