National parks closest to Frontier County, NE

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 Frontier County. Straight line distance from Frontier 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: Warmest and coldest January in Frontier County, Nebraska history

Canva

1 / 25

#25. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 771 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 745 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 715 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 709 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 698 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

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

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 665 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 664 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 644 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 640 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 627 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

You may also like: Frontier County, NE monthly real estate update

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 623 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 600 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

13 / 25

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

- Distance: 588 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 578 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 575 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Frontier County, NE

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 561 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 531 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 505 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 490 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 483 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Frontier County, Nebraska with Alzheimer's

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

21 / 25

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

- Distance: 413 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 336 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 279 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 262 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 242 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 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 Frontier County, Nebraska history