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 Portland, Maine. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Portland-South Portland, ME 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. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 120 miles
- Driving time: 3.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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2 / 63#2. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 544 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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3 / 63#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 592 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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4 / 63#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 678 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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5 / 63#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
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6 / 63#6. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 880 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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7 / 63#7. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 888 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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8 / 63#8. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 924 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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9 / 63#9. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 938 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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10 / 63#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
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11 / 63#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,126 miles
- Driving time: 27.7 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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12 / 63#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,355 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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13 / 63#13. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,364 miles
- Driving time: 25.1 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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14 / 63#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,396 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 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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15 / 63#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,597 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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17 / 63#17. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,614 miles
- Driving time: 32.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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18 / 63#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,647 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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19 / 63#19. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,776 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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20 / 63#20. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,810 miles
- Driving time: 32.5 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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21 / 63#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,873 miles
- Driving time: 35.0 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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22 / 63#22. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,961 miles
- Driving time: 36.5 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. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,974 miles
- Driving time: 38.8 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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24 / 63#24. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 2,003 miles
- Driving time: 37.7 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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25 / 63#25. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 2,003 miles
- Driving time: 35.5 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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26 / 63#26. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 2,033 miles
- Driving time: 36.6 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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27 / 63#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 2,038 miles
- Driving time: 38.8 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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28 / 63#28. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,051 miles
- Driving time: 37.1 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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29 / 63#29. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 2,062 miles
- Driving time: 39.2 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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30 / 63#30. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
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31 / 63#31. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,082 miles
- Driving time: 44.2 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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32 / 63#32. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 2,090 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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33 / 63#33. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,144 miles
- Driving time: 38.6 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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34 / 63#34. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,167 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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35 / 63#35. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
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36 / 63#36. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,254 miles
- Driving time: 41.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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37 / 63#37. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 2,263 miles
- Driving time: 41.2 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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38 / 63#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 2,279 miles
- Driving time: 41.2 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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39 / 63#39. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 2,300 miles
- Driving time: 41.7 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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40 / 63#40. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
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41 / 63#41. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,469 miles
- Driving time: 48.0 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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42 / 63#42. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,483 miles
- Driving time: 44.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
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43 / 63#43. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,516 miles
- Driving time: 45.3 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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44 / 63#44. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,530 miles
- Driving time: 50.4 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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45 / 63#45. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
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46 / 63#46. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,563 miles
- Driving time: 48.4 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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47 / 63#47. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,569 miles
- Driving time: 50.1 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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48 / 63#48. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,570 miles
- Driving time: 51.6 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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49 / 63#49. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,595 miles
- Driving time: 47.1 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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50 / 63#50. Channel Islands National Park (California)
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51 / 63#51. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,692 miles
- Driving time: 49.4 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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52 / 63#52. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,695 miles
- Driving time: 51.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,936 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,076 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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55 / 63#55. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,306 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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57 / 63#57. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,348 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,446 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
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59 / 63#59. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,461 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
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60 / 63#60. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
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61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 5,044 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
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62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 5,056 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 7,402 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
