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 Springfield. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Springfield, 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: 185 miles
- Driving time: 3.4 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: 197 miles
- Driving time: 4.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 390 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 441 miles
- Driving time: 8.2 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 549 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 659 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 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
7 / 63#7. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 664 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 677 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 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
9 / 63#9. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 678 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 691 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 700 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 733 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 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
13 / 63#13. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 740 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 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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14 / 63#14. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 763 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 769 miles
- Driving time: 13.6 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 777 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 797 miles
- Driving time: 16.1 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 800 miles
- Driving time: 13.5 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 807 miles
- Driving time: 16.0 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 813 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 843 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 846 miles
- Driving time: 16.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 898 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 917 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 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: 940 miles
- Driving time: 14.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 985 miles
- Driving time: 18.1 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,024 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 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
28 / 63#28. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,031 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,043 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,044 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,055 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,068 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,092 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,099 miles
- Driving time: 21.8 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
35 / 63#35. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,115 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,153 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,300 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,309 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,310 miles
- Driving time: 22.6 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,388 miles
- Driving time: 26.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,398 miles
- Driving time: 29.1 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: 1,409 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 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: 1,440 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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: 1,489 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: 1,535 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,545 miles
- Driving time: 26.7 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,570 miles
- Driving time: 29.5 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
48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,596 miles
- Driving time: 29.1 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
49 / 63#49. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,607 miles
- Driving time: 31.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,664 miles
- Driving time: 32.9 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,695 miles
- Driving time: 32.2 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,164 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: 2,437 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: 2,653 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: 2,896 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: 2,956 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: 3,031 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,080 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
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,091 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,244 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: 3,903 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: 3,908 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: 6,146 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
