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 Jackson, Tennessee. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Jackson, 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.
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
1 / 63#1. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 184 miles
- Driving time: 3.5 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
2 / 63#2. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 211 miles
- Driving time: 4.1 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
3 / 63#3. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 251 miles
- Driving time: 4.2 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 301 miles
- Driving time: 5.7 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 419 miles
- Driving time: 7.8 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Steve Heap // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 460 miles
- Driving time: 8.8 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 480 miles
- Driving time: 9.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 548 miles
- Driving time: 9.6 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Jon Bilous // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 612 miles
- Driving time: 11.1 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Varina C // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 846 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
SveKo // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 852 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
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
12 / 63#12. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 860 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 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
13 / 63#13. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 870 miles
- Driving time: 15.8 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 903 miles
- Driving time: 16.7 hours
- Date founded: April 8, 1975
- 2025 visitors: 206,326 (#53 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 909 miles
- Driving time: 17.2 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Doug Meek // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 926 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 hours
- Date founded: May 14, 1930
- 2025 visitors: 410,778 (#46 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 931 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 945 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Eric Foltz // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 950 miles
- Driving time: 18.4 hours
- Date founded: June 12, 1944
- 2025 visitors: 568,104 (#38 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres
ShuPhoto // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 955 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 963 miles
- Driving time: 17.3 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 1,009 miles
- Driving time: 17.7 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
23 / 63#23. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,056 miles
- Driving time: 20.9 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,080 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,094 miles
- Driving time: 20.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,156 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,174 miles
- Driving time: 26.9 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,178 miles
- Driving time: 18.5 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Romiana Lee // Shutterstock
29 / 63#29. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,241 miles
- Driving time: 24.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,241 miles
- Driving time: 23.0 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,261 miles
- Driving time: 21.5 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: 1,285 miles
- Driving time: 23.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1929
- 2025 visitors: 3,800,648 (#8 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 310,044.36 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,291 miles
- Driving time: 24.4 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
ronnybas frimages // Shutterstock
34 / 63#34. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,297 miles
- Driving time: 25.1 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,302 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 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: 1,345 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
37 / 63#37. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,412 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,538 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Pung // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,559 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,560 miles
- Driving time: 26.3 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Patrick Poendl // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,651 miles
- Driving time: 32.8 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Virrage Images // Shutterstock
42 / 63#42. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,661 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 hours
- Date founded: September 25, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 1,378,337 (#23 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 404,062.63 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
43 / 63#43. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,696 miles
- Driving time: 31.9 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
Ethan Daniels // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,732 miles
- Date founded: March 5, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 227,186 (#51 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 249,561.00 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
45 / 63#45. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,797 miles
- Driving time: 33.3 hours
- Date founded: August 9, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 504,777 (#40 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 106,589.02 acres
Yhelfman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,798 miles
- Driving time: 30.5 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
47 / 63#47. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,834 miles
- Driving time: 34.4 hours
- Date founded: May 22, 1902
- 2025 visitors: 632,242 (#36 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 183,224.05 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,856 miles
- Driving time: 33.9 hours
- Date founded: March 2, 1899
- 2025 visitors: 1,635,342 (#20 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 236,381.64 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
49 / 63#49. North Cascades National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,864 miles
- Driving time: 36.4 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 46,925 (#57 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 504,780.94 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
50 / 63#50. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 1,902 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Bob Pool // Shutterstock
51 / 63#51. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,927 miles
- Driving time: 37.5 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
f11photo // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,953 miles
- Driving time: 37.0 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,673 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 740,044 (#32 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,223,383.43 acres
Martin Capek // Shutterstock
54 / 63#54. Wrangell–St. Elias National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,883 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
55 / 63#55. Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,132 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
56 / 63#56. Denali National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,181 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
57 / 63#57. Lake Clark National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,264 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: 3,300 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
Robert Harding Video // Shutterstock
59 / 63#59. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,320 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: 3,455 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
61 / 63#61. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,145 miles
- Date founded: August 1, 1916
- 2025 visitors: 1,877,854 (#18 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 325,605.28 acres
MH Anderson Photography // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 4,153 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: 6,341 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
