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 Goldsboro. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Goldsboro, NC 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. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 192 miles
- Driving time: 4.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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2 / 63#2. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 220 miles
- Driving time: 4.6 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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3 / 63#3. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 253 miles
- Driving time: 5.4 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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4 / 63#4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 312 miles
- Driving time: 6.8 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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5 / 63#5. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
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6 / 63#6. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 469 miles
- Driving time: 10.3 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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7 / 63#7. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 654 miles
- Driving time: 13.6 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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8 / 63#8. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 680 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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9 / 63#9. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 710 miles
- Driving time: 13.4 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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10 / 63#10. Everglades National Park (Florida)
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11 / 63#11. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 794 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 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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12 / 63#12. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 809 miles
- Driving time: 16.5 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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13 / 63#13. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 855 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 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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14 / 63#14. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,033 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 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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15 / 63#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,183 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,423 miles
- Driving time: 26.6 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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17 / 63#17. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,427 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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18 / 63#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,468 miles
- Driving time: 27.8 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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19 / 63#19. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,531 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 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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20 / 63#20. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
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21 / 63#21. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,533 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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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22 / 63#22. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,540 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 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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23 / 63#23. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,540 miles
- Driving time: 26.8 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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24 / 63#24. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,562 miles
- Driving time: 27.0 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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25 / 63#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,620 miles
- Driving time: 28.1 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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26 / 63#26. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,652 miles
- Driving time: 30.2 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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27 / 63#27. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,699 miles
- Driving time: 31.3 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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28 / 63#28. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,752 miles
- Driving time: 30.9 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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29 / 63#29. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,773 miles
- Driving time: 37.9 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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30 / 63#30. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
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31 / 63#31. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,824 miles
- Driving time: 33.7 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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32 / 63#32. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,830 miles
- Driving time: 32.7 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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33 / 63#33. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,840 miles
- Driving time: 32.4 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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34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,873 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 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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35 / 63#35. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,899 miles
- Driving time: 34.4 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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36 / 63#36. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,910 miles
- Driving time: 33.1 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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37 / 63#37. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,948 miles
- Driving time: 34.9 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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38 / 63#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 2,005 miles
- Driving time: 34.9 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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39 / 63#39. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 2,045 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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40 / 63#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,150 miles
- Driving time: 36.8 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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41 / 63#41. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 2,166 miles
- Driving time: 37.3 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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42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,254 miles
- Driving time: 43.9 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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43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,266 miles
- Driving time: 42.9 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
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44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,294 miles
- Driving time: 43.0 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
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45 / 63#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
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46 / 63#46. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,367 miles
- Driving time: 45.8 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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47 / 63#47. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,379 miles
- Driving time: 42.5 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,382 miles
- Driving time: 44.1 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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49 / 63#49. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,397 miles
- Driving time: 43.5 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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50 / 63#50. Pinnacles National Park (California)
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51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,468 miles
- Driving time: 47.2 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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52 / 63#52. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,503 miles
- Driving time: 47.3 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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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,083 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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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,268 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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55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,542 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. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,609 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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58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,651 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
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59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,732 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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60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,757 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,763 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,931 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
