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 Baltimore. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 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. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 111 miles
- Driving time: 2.6 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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2 / 63#2. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 259 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 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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3 / 63#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 296 miles
- Driving time: 5.6 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. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 448 miles
- Driving time: 8.9 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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5 / 63#5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
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6 / 63#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 539 miles
- Driving time: 10.2 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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7 / 63#7. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 553 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 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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8 / 63#8. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 576 miles
- Driving time: 10.2 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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9 / 63#9. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 735 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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10 / 63#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
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11 / 63#11. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 963 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 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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12 / 63#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 970 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 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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13 / 63#13. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 997 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 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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14 / 63#14. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,030 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 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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15 / 63#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,374 miles
- Driving time: 23.6 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. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,423 miles
- Driving time: 24.9 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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18 / 63#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,450 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 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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19 / 63#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,539 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 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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20 / 63#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
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21 / 63#21. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,609 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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22 / 63#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,635 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 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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23 / 63#23. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,666 miles
- Driving time: 29.2 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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24 / 63#24. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,669 miles
- Driving time: 31.0 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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25 / 63#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
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26 / 63#26. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,710 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 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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27 / 63#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,735 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 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: 1,768 miles
- Driving time: 30.1 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. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,773 miles
- Driving time: 31.8 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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30 / 63#30. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
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31 / 63#31. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,794 miles
- Driving time: 37.1 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. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,846 miles
- Driving time: 30.5 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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33 / 63#33. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,860 miles
- Driving time: 31.6 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. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,924 miles
- Driving time: 33.6 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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35 / 63#35. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,951 miles
- Driving time: 33.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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36 / 63#36. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,954 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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37 / 63#37. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,956 miles
- Driving time: 34.3 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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38 / 63#38. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,975 miles
- Driving time: 34.2 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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39 / 63#39. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 2,013 miles
- Driving time: 34.2 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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40 / 63#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,197 miles
- Driving time: 37.4 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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41 / 63#41. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,204 miles
- Driving time: 37.6 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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42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,277 miles
- Driving time: 44.8 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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43 / 63#43. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,282 miles
- Driving time: 42.7 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
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44 / 63#44. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,291 miles
- Driving time: 43.6 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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45 / 63#45. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,306 miles
- Driving time: 44.1 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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46 / 63#46. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,312 miles
- Driving time: 41.2 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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47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,361 miles
- Driving time: 41.7 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
48 / 63#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,364 miles
- Driving time: 40.3 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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49 / 63#49. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,387 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,389 miles
- Driving time: 43.4 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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51 / 63#51. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,421 miles
- Driving time: 42.6 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: 2,479 miles
- Driving time: 45.2 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: 2,930 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: 3,101 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. Denali National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,369 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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57 / 63#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,407 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,482 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: 3,566 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: 4,791 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: 4,794 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: 7,054 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
