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 Omaha. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Omaha-Council Bluffs, NE-IA 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: 359 miles
- Driving time: 6.9 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 373 miles
- Driving time: 6.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 413 miles
- Driving time: 8.2 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 465 miles
- Driving time: 7.7 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
5 / 63#5. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 495 miles
- Driving time: 9.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 505 miles
- Driving time: 8.3 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 521 miles
- Driving time: 10.1 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 539 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 564 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 596 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 602 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 650 miles
- Driving time: 12.7 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 727 miles
- Driving time: 14.9 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 742 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 752 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
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 769 miles
- Driving time: 14.8 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 771 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 773 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 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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19 / 63#19. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 778 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 783 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 812 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 812 miles
- Driving time: 16.5 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 825 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 834 miles
- Driving time: 14.5 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 863 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 901 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 925 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 942 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 953 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 955 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 980 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 981 miles
- Driving time: 19.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,015 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 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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34 / 63#34. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,019 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,174 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,205 miles
- Driving time: 22.9 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,248 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,264 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,273 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,329 miles
- Driving time: 26.0 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
41 / 63#41. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,331 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 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
42 / 63#42. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,332 miles
- Driving time: 23.2 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,341 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,374 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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45 / 63#45. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,375 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,391 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,400 miles
- Driving time: 26.6 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
48 / 63#48. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,412 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,421 miles
- Driving time: 26.7 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,423 miles
- Driving time: 26.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,451 miles
- Driving time: 27.9 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,133 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,346 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,432 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,592 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,648 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: 2,725 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: 2,778 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: 2,780 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)
- Distance: 2,934 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,759 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
62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,764 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: 6,095 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
