National parks closest to Franklin Parish, LA

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 Franklin Parish. Straight line distance from Franklin Parish 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: Here's how many people are behind on debt payments in Franklin Parish, Louisiana

Manamana // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,105 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Canva

2 / 25

#24. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 1,105 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,062 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,017 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,016 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Franklin Parish, Louisiana with Alzheimer's

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

6 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,007 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 990 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 965 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 880 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 864 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

You may also like: What access to mental health care looks like in Franklin Parish, Louisiana

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 857 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 842 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 832 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 803 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 775 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

You may also like: Franklin Parish, LA monthly unemployment update

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 755 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 744 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

18 / 25

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

- Distance: 722 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 715 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 702 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

You may also like: 1 in 67 people in Franklin Parish, Louisiana are grandparents caring for grandchildren

Canva

21 / 25

#5. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 644 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Canva

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 526 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 470 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 455 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 183 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 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: Warmest Decembers in Franklin Parish, Louisiana history