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 Medford. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Medford, OR 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. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 47 miles
- Driving time: 2.2 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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2 / 63#2. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 103 miles
- Driving time: 3.7 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 146 miles
- Driving time: 4.7 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 310 miles
- Driving time: 8.2 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 358 miles
- Driving time: 9.1 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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6 / 63#6. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 386 miles
- Driving time: 9.7 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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7 / 63#7. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 417 miles
- Driving time: 8.1 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 440 miles
- Driving time: 10.0 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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9 / 63#9. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 445 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 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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10 / 63#10. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 465 miles
- Driving time: 12.3 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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11 / 63#11. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 499 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 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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12 / 63#12. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 529 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 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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13 / 63#13. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 606 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 607 miles
- Driving time: 14.8 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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15 / 63#15. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 609 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 621 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 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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17 / 63#17. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 630 miles
- Driving time: 15.2 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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18 / 63#18. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 649 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 673 miles
- Driving time: 15.6 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 699 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 714 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 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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22 / 63#22. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 732 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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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23 / 63#23. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 735 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 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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24 / 63#24. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 830 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 835 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 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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26 / 63#26. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 860 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 897 miles
- Driving time: 19.5 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
28 / 63#28. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 963 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 968 miles
- Driving time: 19.8 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 974 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 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
31 / 63#31. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 995 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 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
32 / 63#32. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,023 miles
- Driving time: 22.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,120 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,216 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,224 miles
- Driving time: 24.9 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,273 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,413 miles
- Driving time: 28.8 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,497 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,517 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
40 / 63#40. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,662 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 1,686 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 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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42 / 63#42. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,695 miles
- Driving time: 35.1 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 1,720 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,780 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 34,479 (#59 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,674,529.33 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,810 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,820 miles
- Driving time: 32.0 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,827 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,964 miles
- Driving time: 35.3 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,087 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 2,104 miles
- Driving time: 36.5 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 2,136 miles
- Driving time: 38.7 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 2,197 miles
- Driving time: 39.1 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,203 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 2,324 miles
- Driving time: 42.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 2,335 miles
- Driving time: 42.7 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,451 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
57 / 63#57. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 2,474 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,572 miles
- Driving time: 52.8 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
59 / 63#59. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,639 miles
- Driving time: 50.0 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 2,668 miles
- Driving time: 48.9 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,695 miles
- Driving time: 50.9 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 3,753 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 4,949 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
