National parks closest to Polk County, TN

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 Polk County. Straight line distance from Polk 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: Here's how many people are behind on debt payments in Polk County, Tennessee

SL-Photography // Shutterstock

1 / 25

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

- Distance: 1,303 miles
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres

Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock

2 / 25

#24. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)

- Distance: 1,284 miles
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres

Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock

3 / 25

#23. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,260 miles
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres

Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock

4 / 25

#22. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,211 miles
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres

ShuPhoto // Shutterstock

5 / 25

#21. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,193 miles
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres

You may also like: Polk County, TN monthly unemployment update

Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock

6 / 25

#20. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)

- Distance: 1,185 miles
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres

Doug Meek // Shutterstock

7 / 25

#19. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)

- Distance: 1,170 miles
- Park area: 46,766.45 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

8 / 25

#18. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,165 miles
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres

Eric Foltz // Shutterstock

9 / 25

#17. Big Bend National Park (Texas)

- Distance: 1,164 miles
- Park area: 801,163.21 acres

Matt Ragen // Shutterstock

10 / 25

#16. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)

- Distance: 1,124 miles
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres

You may also like: The share of seniors in Polk County, Tennessee with Alzheimer's

Romiana Lee // Shutterstock

11 / 25

#15. Acadia National Park (Maine)

- Distance: 1,076 miles
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres

BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock

12 / 25

#14. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)

- Distance: 1,016 miles
- Park area: 218,222.35 acres

Canva

13 / 25

#13. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)

- Distance: 917 miles
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres

Canva

14 / 25

#12. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 729 miles
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres

Canva

15 / 25

#11. Biscayne National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 711 miles
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres

You may also like: Food insecurity rates in Polk County, TN

Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock

16 / 25

#10. Everglades National Park (Florida)

- Distance: 705 miles
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

17 / 25

#9. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)

- Distance: 486 miles
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres

Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock

18 / 25

#8. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)

- Distance: 471 miles
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres

Zack Frank // Shutterstock

19 / 25

#7. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)

- Distance: 454 miles
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres

Jon Bilous // Shutterstock

20 / 25

#6. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)

- Distance: 409 miles
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres

You may also like: What access to mental health care looks like in Polk County, Tennessee

Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock

21 / 25

#5. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)

- Distance: 396 miles
- Park area: 192.83 acres

Steve Heap // Shutterstock

22 / 25

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

- Distance: 274 miles
- Park area: 7,021 acres

Canva

23 / 25

#3. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)

- Distance: 235 miles
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres

Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock

24 / 25

#2. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)

- Distance: 169 miles
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres

Canva

25 / 25

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

- Distance: 67 miles
- Park area: 522,426.88 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: Here's how unemployment in Polk County, Tennessee compares