National parks closest to Larue County, KY

After the hottest summer on record, it's a wonderful time to hit the great outdoors.

The United States is home to 63 national parks, from Yellowstone National Park to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve in West Virginia. The former, located in Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana, became the world's first national park in 1872 and includes 10,000 hydrothermal features; the latter is the newest national park and hosts the longest steel arch span in the Western Hemisphere. So, the country's park system encompasses something for everyone.

It's not surprising then that these scenic getaways have drawn millions of travelers every year. The National Park Service reported just shy of 312 million recreational visits last year, the most since 2019. Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Tennessee was by far the most popular national park, with 12.9 million visits. Grand Canyon (Arizona), Zion (Utah), Rocky Mountain (Colorado), and Acadia (Maine) rounded out the top five.

For park enthusiasts, more good news looks to be on the way. Congress is expected to add Georgia's Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park as the nation's 64th crown jewel before the end of the year. It'd be the first national park co-managed by a tribal group that was forcibly removed from its land and the first national park in Georgia. But others—including perhaps the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, Alaska's Tongass National Forest, and Chiricahua National Monument in Arizona—are vying for the honor.

Wondering where to go next that's not too far from home? Stacker compiled a list of the national parks closest to Larue County. Straight line distance from Larue County to each national park was used to determine the ranking. County coordinates from the Census Bureau and national park coordinates from NPS were used in the calculation.

When planning your next adventure, know your limits before you go, and check whether the park has regulations or requires permits or reservations. Create backup and emergency plans, and be aware of your surroundings when you arrive. NPS asks visitors to stay within designated areas, watch wildlife responsibly, and keep safety in mind. Animals should not be approached, harassed, touched, or fed, and children and pets must be supervised closely.

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Larue County, KY

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,211 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,200 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,159 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,156 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,132 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest January in Larue County, Kentucky history

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,121 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,092 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,089 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 1,025 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,020 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Larue County, Kentucky with Alzheimer's

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 977 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Canva

12 / 25

#14. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 905 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 891 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 885 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 836 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Larue County, Kentucky history

Canva

16 / 25

#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 740 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 462 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 400 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Canva

19 / 25

#7. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 380 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 338 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Larue County, KY since 1895

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 292 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 258 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 256 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Canva

24 / 25

#2. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 181 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 34 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Mike Taylor, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 3,119 counties.

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Larue County, Kentucky compares