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 Cleveland, Tennessee. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Cleveland, TN 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. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 74 miles
- Driving time: 2.4 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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2 / 63#2. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 162 miles
- Driving time: 4.3 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
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3 / 63#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 240 miles
- Driving time: 5.8 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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4 / 63#4. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 283 miles
- Driving time: 5.7 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 390 miles
- Driving time: 7.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
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6 / 63#6. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 420 miles
- Driving time: 7.9 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
7 / 63#7. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 453 miles
- Driving time: 8.7 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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8 / 63#8. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 468 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 479 miles
- Driving time: 8.7 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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10 / 63#10. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 708 miles
- Driving time: 12.4 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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11 / 63#11. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 712 miles
- Driving time: 13.3 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
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12 / 63#12. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 732 miles
- Driving time: 15.4 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
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13 / 63#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 917 miles
- Driving time: 18.2 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
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14 / 63#14. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,014 miles
- Driving time: 19.8 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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15 / 63#15. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,079 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 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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16 / 63#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,121 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 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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17 / 63#17. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,157 miles
- Driving time: 20.0 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
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18 / 63#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,160 miles
- Driving time: 21.9 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
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19 / 63#19. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,160 miles
- Driving time: 22.8 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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20 / 63#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,173 miles
- Driving time: 21.6 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
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21 / 63#21. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 1,186 miles
- Driving time: 21.2 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
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22 / 63#22. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,198 miles
- Driving time: 21.0 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
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23 / 63#23. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,244 miles
- Driving time: 21.7 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
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24 / 63#24. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,271 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
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25 / 63#25. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,296 miles
- Driving time: 24.8 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
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26 / 63#26. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,337 miles
- Driving time: 24.8 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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27 / 63#27. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,397 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 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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28 / 63#28. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,415 miles
- Driving time: 31.4 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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29 / 63#29. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,420 miles
- Driving time: 23.0 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
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30 / 63#30. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,483 miles
- Driving time: 26.8 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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31 / 63#31. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,498 miles
- Driving time: 26.1 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
32 / 63#32. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,511 miles
- Driving time: 26.9 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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33 / 63#33. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,512 miles
- Driving time: 27.8 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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34 / 63#34. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,539 miles
- Driving time: 28.9 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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35 / 63#35. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,544 miles
- Driving time: 26.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,587 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 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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37 / 63#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,652 miles
- Driving time: 29.4 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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38 / 63#38. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,683 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
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39 / 63#39. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,765 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
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40 / 63#40. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,779 miles
- Driving time: 30.3 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
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41 / 63#41. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,802 miles
- Driving time: 30.8 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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42 / 63#42. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,893 miles
- Driving time: 37.3 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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43 / 63#43. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,904 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 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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44 / 63#44. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,938 miles
- Driving time: 36.3 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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45 / 63#45. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,974 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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46 / 63#46. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,035 miles
- Driving time: 36.2 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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47 / 63#47. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,040 miles
- Driving time: 34.9 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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48 / 63#48. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 2,067 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 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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49 / 63#49. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,077 miles
- Driving time: 40.2 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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50 / 63#50. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,077 miles
- Driving time: 37.5 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
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51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 2,164 miles
- Driving time: 41.1 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
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52 / 63#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,171 miles
- Driving time: 40.9 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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53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,856 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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54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,057 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 108,840 (#55 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,323,146.48 acres
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55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,312 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 425,369 (#45 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 669,650.05 acres
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56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,348 miles
- Date founded: February 26, 1917
- 2025 visitors: 543,300 (#39 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 4,740,911.16 acres
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57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,440 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 19,778 (#61 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,619,816.49 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
58 / 63#58. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,448 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
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59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,505 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
60 / 63#60. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,605 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
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61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,386 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
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62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,395 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 6,560 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
