National parks closest to Jones County, SD

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 Jones County. Straight line distance from Jones 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.

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

1 / 25

#25. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 841 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 829 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 817 miles
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Zion National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 793 miles
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres

Felix Lipov // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)

- Distance: 786 miles
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres

Arlene Waller // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)

- Distance: 783 miles
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 767 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 745 miles
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 708 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Pung // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Glacier National Park (Montana)

- Distance: 706 miles
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres

Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 675 miles
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 658 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 635 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

14 / 25

#12. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 620 miles
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres

Sopotnicki // Shutterstock

15 / 25

#11. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 617 miles
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres

Manamana // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Arches National Park (Utah)

- Distance: 586 miles
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

17 / 25

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

- Distance: 521 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)

- Distance: 500 miles
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 496 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock

20 / 25

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

- Distance: 491 miles
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 489 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

22 / 25

#4. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 357 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

23 / 25

#3. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 259 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 140 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

25 / 25

#1. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 92 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 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.