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 Rapid City. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Rapid City, SD 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. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 42 miles
- Driving time: 1.1 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
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2 / 63#2. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 62 miles
- Driving time: 2.0 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
3 / 63#3. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 186 miles
- Driving time: 5.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 306 miles
- Driving time: 6.9 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 382 miles
- Driving time: 8.6 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
6 / 63#6. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 401 miles
- Driving time: 9.1 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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7 / 63#7. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 472 miles
- Driving time: 11.6 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 476 miles
- Driving time: 10.3 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 524 miles
- Driving time: 12.1 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 554 miles
- Driving time: 12.9 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
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11 / 63#11. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 562 miles
- Driving time: 17.8 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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12 / 63#12. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 576 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 607 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
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14 / 63#14. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 617 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 676 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
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16 / 63#16. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 700 miles
- Driving time: 14.6 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 723 miles
- Driving time: 15.3 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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18 / 63#18. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 730 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 738 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 754 miles
- Driving time: 17.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 761 miles
- Driving time: 13.7 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 816 miles
- Driving time: 15.7 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 817 miles
- Driving time: 14.2 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
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24 / 63#24. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 842 miles
- Driving time: 16.2 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 852 miles
- Driving time: 16.9 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 862 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 925 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 926 miles
- Driving time: 19.7 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 931 miles
- Driving time: 19.6 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 934 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 971 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 976 miles
- Driving time: 26.4 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 978 miles
- Driving time: 23.7 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 991 miles
- Driving time: 20.6 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
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35 / 63#35. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 997 miles
- Driving time: 25.2 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,002 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,010 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,023 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,039 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
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40 / 63#40. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,095 miles
- Driving time: 25.4 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
41 / 63#41. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,097 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
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42 / 63#42. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,106 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
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43 / 63#43. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,138 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
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44 / 63#44. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,178 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
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45 / 63#45. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,206 miles
- Driving time: 22.5 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
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46 / 63#46. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,325 miles
- Driving time: 26.0 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
47 / 63#47. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,382 miles
- Driving time: 25.9 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
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48 / 63#48. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,701 miles
- Driving time: 33.1 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
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49 / 63#49. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,745 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
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50 / 63#50. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,760 miles
- Driving time: 35.3 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
51 / 63#51. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,794 miles
- Driving time: 33.4 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
52 / 63#52. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,809 miles
- Driving time: 32.3 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
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53 / 63#53. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 1,966 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
54 / 63#54. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,204 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
Marc Cappelletti // Shutterstock
55 / 63#55. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,273 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
Malachi Jacobs // Shutterstock
56 / 63#56. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,341 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
57 / 63#57. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,386 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
58 / 63#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,427 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,577 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,834 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,440 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
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62 / 63#62. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,454 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: 5,859 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
