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 Waterloo. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA 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: What's happening with house prices in Waterloo in 2026?
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 285 miles
- Driving time: 5.3 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: 295 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 412 miles
- Driving time: 7.8 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 429 miles
- Driving time: 10.5 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 501 miles
- Driving time: 9.9 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Waterloo by diners
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 513 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 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
7 / 63#7. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 555 miles
- Driving time: 11.6 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 561 miles
- Driving time: 10.2 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 570 miles
- Driving time: 9.9 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 620 miles
- Driving time: 11.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
You may also like: The highest-value homes in Waterloo
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 674 miles
- Driving time: 13.2 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
12 / 63#12. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 675 miles
- Driving time: 13.2 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 695 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 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
14 / 63#14. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 765 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 846 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 876 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 914 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 927 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
Manamana // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 936 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 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
22 / 63#22. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 967 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 970 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 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
25 / 63#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,006 miles
- Driving time: 18.7 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
You may also like: Coat drives near Waterloo
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,029 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 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
27 / 63#27. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,064 miles
- Driving time: 19.8 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,096 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,097 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Glacier National Park (Montana)
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,142 miles
- Driving time: 22.5 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
32 / 63#32. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,148 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 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
33 / 63#33. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,168 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,215 miles
- Driving time: 23.4 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,222 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
You may also like: Waterloo's 2025 housing market year in review
Varina C // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,351 miles
- Driving time: 27.0 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,356 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 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
38 / 63#38. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,360 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,368 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 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: 1,439 miles
- Driving time: 32.2 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,446 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,456 miles
- Driving time: 31.0 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
44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,460 miles
- Driving time: 29.9 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,463 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
You may also like: Waterloo 7-day weather forecast
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,500 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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
47 / 63#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,505 miles
- Driving time: 27.0 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,548 miles
- Driving time: 28.7 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
49 / 63#49. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,570 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Pinnacles National Park (California)
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,618 miles
- Driving time: 31.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,195 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,329 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,396 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)
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,688 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: 2,779 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: 2,797 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: 2,844 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: 2,954 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
You may also like: Are homes selling in Waterloo in 2026?
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,944 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: 3,952 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: 6,295 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
