f11photo // Shutterstock
1 / 25#25. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 913 miles
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres

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 Fallon County. Straight line distance from Fallon 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: How personal income has changed in Fallon County, Montana
f11photo // Shutterstock
1 / 25- Distance: 913 miles
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
2 / 25- Distance: 903 miles
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
3 / 25- Distance: 898 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
4 / 25- Distance: 831 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
5 / 25- Distance: 823 miles
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
You may also like: Fallon County, MT monthly real estate update
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
6 / 25- Distance: 817 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Canva
7 / 25- Distance: 802 miles
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
8 / 25- Distance: 764 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Canva
9 / 25- Distance: 742 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
10 / 25- Distance: 723 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Fallon County, Montana in the last week
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
11 / 25- Distance: 714 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
12 / 25- Distance: 660 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
13 / 25- Distance: 656 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
14 / 25- Distance: 623 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
15 / 25- Distance: 592 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Fallon County, Montana history
Manamana // Shutterstock
16 / 25- Distance: 587 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
17 / 25- Distance: 562 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
18 / 25- Distance: 560 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
19 / 25- Distance: 469 miles
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
20 / 25- Distance: 417 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
You may also like: Fallon County, MT monthly unemployment update
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
21 / 25- Distance: 353 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
22 / 25- Distance: 321 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
23 / 25- Distance: 205 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
24 / 25- Distance: 195 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
25 / 25- Distance: 75 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 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: Warmest Decembers in Fallon County, Montana history

