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 Lima. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Lima, OH 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: Lima 7-day weather forecast
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 137 miles
- Driving time: 2.4 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 165 miles
- Driving time: 3.3 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 247 miles
- Driving time: 5.8 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 270 miles
- Driving time: 5.1 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 353 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
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 356 miles
- Driving time: 6.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 516 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 551 miles
- Driving time: 11.4 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 686 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 846 miles
- Driving time: 17.0 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 963 miles
- Driving time: 16.5 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
14 / 63#14. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,011 miles
- Driving time: 17.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,053 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
You may also like: Car insurance rates in Lima October 2025
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,068 miles
- Driving time: 19.4 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,080 miles
- Driving time: 20.4 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,115 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,127 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,264 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,274 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,304 miles
- Driving time: 23.2 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,332 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,340 miles
- Driving time: 25.4 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,359 miles
- Driving time: 23.5 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,364 miles
- Driving time: 24.8 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,378 miles
- Driving time: 24.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,387 miles
- Driving time: 30.6 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
You may also like: Highest-rated cheap eats in Lima by diners
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,451 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,452 miles
- Driving time: 25.1 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,517 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,549 miles
- Driving time: 27.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Glacier National Park (Montana)
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,568 miles
- Driving time: 27.7 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,575 miles
- Driving time: 28.0 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,602 miles
- Driving time: 27.7 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,790 miles
- Driving time: 30.9 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
40 / 63#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,806 miles
- Driving time: 31.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
You may also like: Biggest sources of immigrants to Lima
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,867 miles
- Driving time: 38.7 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
42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,883 miles
- Driving time: 37.5 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,885 miles
- Driving time: 35.6 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,895 miles
- Driving time: 36.5 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,927 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,949 miles
- Driving time: 34.7 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,951 miles
- Driving time: 33.6 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,984 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,990 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 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: The most expensive homes sold in Lima this year
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,012 miles
- Driving time: 36.0 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,066 miles
- Driving time: 38.3 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
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,583 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
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,769 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
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,046 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
57 / 63#57. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,121 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,152 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
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,232 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
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,381 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: 4,385 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: 6,679 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
