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 Great Falls. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Great Falls, MT 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. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 160 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 192 miles
- Driving time: 5.8 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 249 miles
- Driving time: 7.2 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 373 miles
- Driving time: 7.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 462 miles
- Driving time: 9.0 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 466 miles
- Driving time: 12.6 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 491 miles
- Driving time: 11.2 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 495 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 557 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
f11photo // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 568 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 594 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 603 miles
- Driving time: 11.9 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 605 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 629 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 631 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 633 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 674 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 691 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 697 miles
- Driving time: 12.8 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 715 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 725 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 751 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 775 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 778 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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25 / 63#25. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 814 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 814 miles
- Driving time: 16.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 840 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 849 miles
- Driving time: 16.8 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 860 miles
- Driving time: 16.3 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 901 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 963 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,010 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,039 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,040 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,061 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,107 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,116 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,223 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,257 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,297 miles
- Driving time: 24.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,309 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,320 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,462 miles
- Driving time: 27.0 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,526 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,539 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,639 miles
- Driving time: 30.0 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,655 miles
- Driving time: 29.9 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,765 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,765 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,843 miles
- Driving time: 33.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,854 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
52 / 63#52. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,906 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
53 / 63#53. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,939 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
54 / 63#54. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,037 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,066 miles
- Driving time: 40.7 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,180 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,211 miles
- Driving time: 43.4 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
58 / 63#58. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,250 miles
- Driving time: 41.2 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
59 / 63#59. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,267 miles
- Driving time: 40.2 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,095 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,121 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,296 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,596 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
