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 Fargo. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Fargo, ND-MN 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.
You may also like: How long does it take to buy a house in Fargo in 2026?
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 219 miles
- Driving time: 5.5 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
2 / 63#2. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 307 miles
- Driving time: 4.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 347 miles
- Driving time: 7.7 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
4 / 63#4. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 393 miles
- Driving time: 9.0 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 402 miles
- Driving time: 9.8 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to Fargo
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 610 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 623 miles
- Driving time: 13.6 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 667 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 673 miles
- Driving time: 12.0 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 708 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
You may also like: The most expensive homes sold in Fargo this year
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 769 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 793 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 801 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 855 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 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: 859 miles
- Driving time: 15.4 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
You may also like: Fargo 7-day weather forecast
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 872 miles
- Driving time: 15.9 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 880 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 892 miles
- Driving time: 24.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 894 miles
- Driving time: 20.7 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 940 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
You may also like: Are home prices going up in Fargo in 2026?
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,009 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,012 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,032 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,041 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,057 miles
- Driving time: 21.2 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,083 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 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
28 / 63#28. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,089 miles
- Driving time: 22.3 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,092 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,106 miles
- Driving time: 22.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
You may also like: Car insurance rates in Fargo October 2025
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,116 miles
- Driving time: 23.8 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,130 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 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
33 / 63#33. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,169 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,239 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,240 miles
- Driving time: 23.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
You may also like: Most expensive homes for sale in Fargo
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,240 miles
- Driving time: 23.4 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,258 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,260 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,265 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,306 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,308 miles
- Driving time: 32.6 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
43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,330 miles
- Driving time: 31.1 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,342 miles
- Driving time: 26.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Redwood National Park (California)
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,396 miles
- Driving time: 29.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,435 miles
- Driving time: 28.7 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,472 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,722 miles
- Driving time: 33.6 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Everglades National Park (Florida)
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,735 miles
- Driving time: 30.7 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,827 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: 2,024 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
Tomasz Wozniak // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,281 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
55 / 63#55. Denali National Park (Alaska)
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,407 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
57 / 63#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,424 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,477 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. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,580 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,687 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
You may also like: Cheapest gas stations in Fargo
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,746 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: 3,765 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: 6,189 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
