National parks closest to Todd County, MN

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 Todd County. Straight line distance from Todd 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: Todd County, MN monthly real estate update

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,090 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 1,063 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 994 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 988 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 937 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

You may also like: How personal income has changed in Todd County, Minnesota

Canva

6 / 25

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

- Distance: 935 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 927 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

8 / 25

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

- Distance: 910 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 904 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Pung // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 903 miles
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

You may also like: How Todd County, Minnesota's GDP has changed since 2018

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

11 / 25

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

- Distance: 834 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 802 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 792 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 789 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 768 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

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

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 761 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 745 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 672 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 567 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 495 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest January in Todd County, Minnesota history

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 453 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 413 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 407 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Canva

24 / 25

#2. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 317 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 193 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 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: Here's how unemployment in Todd County, Minnesota compares