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 Columbia, Missouri. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Columbia, MO 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. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 132 miles
- Driving time: 2.2 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
2 / 63#2. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 310 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 345 miles
- Driving time: 6.8 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 375 miles
- Driving time: 7.1 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 548 miles
- Driving time: 10.2 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
6 / 63#6. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 604 miles
- Driving time: 10.1 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 611 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 626 miles
- Driving time: 10.8 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 649 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 657 miles
- Driving time: 12.2 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 661 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 699 miles
- Driving time: 11.5 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 707 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 749 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 769 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 778 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 815 miles
- Driving time: 15.0 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 817 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 846 miles
- Driving time: 16.1 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 873 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 875 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 906 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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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23 / 63#23. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 915 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 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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24 / 63#24. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 939 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 987 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Driving time: 17.5 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,006 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,068 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,091 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,108 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,118 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 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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33 / 63#33. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,141 miles
- Driving time: 23.5 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
34 / 63#34. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,161 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,166 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,172 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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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37 / 63#37. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,259 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,309 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 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
39 / 63#39. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,339 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,344 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 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
41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,422 miles
- Driving time: 31.0 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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42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,436 miles
- Driving time: 29.8 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,458 miles
- Driving time: 29.8 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,527 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,537 miles
- Driving time: 27.6 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,559 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,565 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,567 miles
- Driving time: 30.9 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,568 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,659 miles
- Driving time: 31.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,662 miles
- Driving time: 31.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,194 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,372 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
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,583 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,830 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: 2,882 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: 2,963 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: 3,007 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: 3,018 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: 3,162 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,937 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,937 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,212 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
