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 St. Joseph. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in St. Joseph, MO-KS 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: 260 miles
- Driving time: 4.7 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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2 / 63#2. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 379 miles
- Driving time: 7.7 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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3 / 63#3. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 425 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
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4 / 63#4. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 481 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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5 / 63#5. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
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6 / 63#6. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 518 miles
- Driving time: 9.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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7 / 63#7. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 573 miles
- Driving time: 9.7 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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8 / 63#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 597 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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9 / 63#9. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 606 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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10 / 63#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
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11 / 63#11. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 657 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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12 / 63#12. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 679 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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13 / 63#13. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 699 miles
- Driving time: 13.9 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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14 / 63#14. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 703 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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15 / 63#15. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
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16 / 63#16. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 755 miles
- Driving time: 13.9 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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17 / 63#17. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 764 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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18 / 63#18. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 785 miles
- Driving time: 15.0 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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19 / 63#19. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 796 miles
- Driving time: 14.3 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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20 / 63#20. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 799 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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21 / 63#21. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 822 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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22 / 63#22. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 868 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
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23 / 63#23. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 869 miles
- Driving time: 16.0 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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24 / 63#24. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 874 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 880 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 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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26 / 63#26. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 886 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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27 / 63#27. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 886 miles
- Driving time: 15.4 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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28 / 63#28. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 888 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 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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29 / 63#29. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 952 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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30 / 63#30. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
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31 / 63#31. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,003 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 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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32 / 63#32. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,021 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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33 / 63#33. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,044 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
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34 / 63#34. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,131 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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35 / 63#35. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
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36 / 63#36. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,239 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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37 / 63#37. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,256 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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38 / 63#38. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,283 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 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
39 / 63#39. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,296 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 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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40 / 63#40. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
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41 / 63#41. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,319 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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42 / 63#42. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,336 miles
- Driving time: 27.4 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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43 / 63#43. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,395 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
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,410 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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45 / 63#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,417 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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46 / 63#46. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,429 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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47 / 63#47. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,434 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 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: 1,437 miles
- Driving time: 28.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
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49 / 63#49. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,450 miles
- Driving time: 26.8 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
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51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,533 miles
- Driving time: 29.0 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,251 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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53 / 63#53. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,325 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,465 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)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,767 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: 2,843 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: 2,895 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: 2,899 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)
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61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,820 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
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62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,821 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: 6,120 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
