National parks closest to Wyoming County, PA

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 Wyoming County. Straight line distance from Wyoming 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.

You may also like: The share of seniors in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania with Alzheimer's

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,742 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)

- Distance: 1,730 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,724 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,699 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

5 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,684 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

You may also like: How Wyoming County, Pennsylvania's GDP has changed since 2018

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,590 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,548 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,405 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,401 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,352 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: Wyoming County, PA monthly real estate update

Canva

11 / 25

#15. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,230 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,148 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 1,131 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 1,046 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 951 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania compares

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 777 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Canva

17 / 25

#9. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 772 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 618 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Canva

19 / 25

#7. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 593 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Canva

20 / 25

#6. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)

- Distance: 576 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

You may also like: Wyoming County, PA monthly unemployment update

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 574 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 441 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)

- Distance: 366 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 290 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 247 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 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.

You may also like: What access to mental health care looks like in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania