National parks closest to Wheatland County, MT

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 Wheatland County. Straight line distance from Wheatland 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: Wheatland County, MT monthly unemployment update

Bob Pool // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Redwood National Park (California)

- Distance: 789 miles
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres

Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)

- Distance: 786 miles
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres

Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Yosemite National Park (California)

- Distance: 776 miles
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 734 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)

- Distance: 712 miles
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Wheatland County, Montana in the last week

f11photo // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 656 miles
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 655 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)

- Distance: 651 miles
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 643 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 639 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

You may also like: Here's how many people are behind on debt payments in Wheatland County, Montana

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 627 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 571 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 570 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 567 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 563 miles
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres

You may also like: Warmest and coldest Februaries in Wheatland County, Montana history

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 557 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 551 miles
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 537 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 473 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 409 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Wheatland County, Montana compares

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 373 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 308 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Pung // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 238 miles
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 190 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)

- Distance: 135 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 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: Hottest months in Wheatland County, MT since 1895