National parks closest to Renville County, ND

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 Renville County. Straight line distance from Renville 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.

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,035 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 1,026 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

f11photo // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Olympic National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 1,014 miles
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 974 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 939 miles
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 933 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 920 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 901 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Canva

9 / 25

#17. North Cascades National Park (Washington)

- Distance: 891 miles
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 865 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

You may also like: Hottest months in Renville County, ND since 1895

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 863 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 861 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 831 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 795 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 779 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

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

- Distance: 762 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 610 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Canva

18 / 25

#8. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 592 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Pung // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 555 miles
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 549 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

21 / 25

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

- Distance: 509 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 404 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 365 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 349 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 134 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 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.