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 Las Cruces. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Las Cruces, NM 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. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 49 miles
- Driving time: 1.0 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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2 / 63#2. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 119 miles
- Driving time: 3.1 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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3 / 63#3. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 141 miles
- Driving time: 3.3 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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4 / 63#4. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 215 miles
- Driving time: 4.4 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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5 / 63#5. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
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6 / 63#6. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 302 miles
- Driving time: 7.2 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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7 / 63#7. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 346 miles
- Driving time: 7.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
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8 / 63#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 378 miles
- Driving time: 7.2 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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9 / 63#9. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 397 miles
- Driving time: 9.1 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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10 / 63#10. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
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11 / 63#11. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 440 miles
- Driving time: 14.4 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
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12 / 63#12. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 463 miles
- Driving time: 9.7 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
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13 / 63#13. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 470 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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14 / 63#14. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 472 miles
- Driving time: 11.8 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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15 / 63#15. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 491 miles
- Driving time: 13.2 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
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16 / 63#16. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 535 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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17 / 63#17. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 559 miles
- Driving time: 11.0 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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18 / 63#18. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 620 miles
- Driving time: 14.7 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
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19 / 63#19. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 631 miles
- Driving time: 13.0 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
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20 / 63#20. Sequoia National Park (California)
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21 / 63#21. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 734 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
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22 / 63#22. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 738 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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23 / 63#23. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 795 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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24 / 63#24. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 810 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
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25 / 63#25. Yosemite National Park (California)
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26 / 63#26. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 814 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 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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27 / 63#27. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 821 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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28 / 63#28. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 865 miles
- Driving time: 16.1 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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29 / 63#29. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 868 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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30 / 63#30. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
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31 / 63#31. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,024 miles
- Driving time: 19.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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32 / 63#32. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,031 miles
- Driving time: 17.5 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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33 / 63#33. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,108 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
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34 / 63#34. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,131 miles
- Driving time: 24.9 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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35 / 63#35. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,195 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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36 / 63#36. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,223 miles
- Driving time: 21.8 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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37 / 63#37. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,264 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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38 / 63#38. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,274 miles
- Driving time: 24.6 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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39 / 63#39. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,331 miles
- Driving time: 25.5 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,353 miles
- Driving time: 27.1 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
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41 / 63#41. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,354 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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42 / 63#42. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,386 miles
- Driving time: 27.7 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
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43 / 63#43. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,447 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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44 / 63#44. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,504 miles
- Driving time: 26.1 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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45 / 63#45. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
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46 / 63#46. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,523 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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47 / 63#47. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,548 miles
- Driving time: 32.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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48 / 63#48. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,639 miles
- Driving time: 30.7 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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49 / 63#49. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,655 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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50 / 63#50. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
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51 / 63#51. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,230 miles
- Driving time: 40.2 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,288 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,531 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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54 / 63#54. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,720 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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55 / 63#55. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,850 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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57 / 63#57. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,861 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,867 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,066 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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60 / 63#60. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
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61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,130 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,202 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,298 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
