National parks closest to Nantucket County, MA

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 Nantucket County. Straight line distance from Nantucket 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: Warmest Decembers in Nantucket County, Massachusetts history

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 2,031 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 2,023 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,999 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

4 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,991 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,898 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Nantucket County, Massachusetts in the last week

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,854 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,700 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,690 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,652 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,612 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

You may also like: How Nantucket County, Massachusetts' GDP has changed since 2018

Canva

11 / 25

#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,364 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 1,334 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,260 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Canva

14 / 25

#12. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,234 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,216 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Nantucket County, MA since 1895

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 1,080 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 1,029 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 903 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 881 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Canva

20 / 25

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

- Distance: 825 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Nantucket County, MA

Canva

21 / 25

#5. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 780 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 627 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 597 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 485 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 235 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 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 and coldest January in Nantucket County, Massachusetts history