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 Mankato. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Mankato, MN 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. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 306 miles
- Driving time: 6.0 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 383 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 399 miles
- Driving time: 7.9 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 417 miles
- Driving time: 6.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 433 miles
- Driving time: 8.6 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 468 miles
- Driving time: 7.8 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 491 miles
- Driving time: 9.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 640 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 640 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 668 miles
- Driving time: 13.1 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 671 miles
- Driving time: 12.5 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 740 miles
- Driving time: 15.4 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 799 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 803 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 809 miles
- Driving time: 14.7 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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16 / 63#16. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 811 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 830 miles
- Driving time: 15.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 884 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 892 miles
- Driving time: 19.1 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 907 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 918 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 976 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 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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23 / 63#23. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 997 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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24 / 63#24. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 997 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,013 miles
- Driving time: 20.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,018 miles
- Driving time: 19.6 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,025 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,040 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,045 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,096 miles
- Driving time: 21.2 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,100 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,101 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,144 miles
- Driving time: 22.2 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,207 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,282 miles
- Driving time: 26.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,312 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,322 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,346 miles
- Driving time: 24.1 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,366 miles
- Driving time: 26.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,376 miles
- Driving time: 32.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,389 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 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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42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,395 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,399 miles
- Driving time: 27.7 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
44 / 63#44. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,417 miles
- Driving time: 26.5 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,427 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 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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46 / 63#46. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,489 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,496 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,500 miles
- Driving time: 27.5 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,513 miles
- Driving time: 28.8 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,520 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,523 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,056 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,257 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,464 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,511 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,548 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,639 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,658 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,706 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,814 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,864 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,876 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,251 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
