National parks closest to Marion County, SC

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 Marion County. Straight line distance from Marion 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: Marion County, SC monthly real estate update

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,557 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,545 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,509 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,488 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,486 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

You may also like: Marion County, SC monthly unemployment update

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,464 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,448 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,441 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Sean Pavone // Shutterstock

9 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,410 miles
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,405 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: Places with the fastest growing home prices in Marion County, SC

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,213 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Canva

12 / 25

#14. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 1,079 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

13 / 25

#13. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 927 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 784 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Canva

15 / 25

#11. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 685 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

You may also like: Here's how unemployment in Marion County, South Carolina compares

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 680 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 671 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 607 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Canva

19 / 25

#7. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 594 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 510 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

You may also like: How gas prices have changed in Marion County, South Carolina in the last week

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 437 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 308 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

23 / 25

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

- Distance: 277 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Canva

24 / 25

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

- Distance: 258 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres

Canva

25 / 25

#1. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 83 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 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: The share of seniors in Marion County, South Carolina with Alzheimer's