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 Brownsville. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX 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. Big Bend National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 415 miles
- Driving time: 11.3 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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2 / 63#2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 593 miles
- Driving time: 11.7 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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3 / 63#3. Guadalupe Mountains National Park (Texas)
- Distance: 600 miles
- Driving time: 12.2 hours
- Date founded: October 15, 1966
- 2025 visitors: 206,423 (#52 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 86,367.10 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
4 / 63#4. Hot Springs National Park (Arkansas)
- Distance: 637 miles
- Driving time: 14.0 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1921
- 2025 visitors: 2,494,611 (#14 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 5,554.15 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
5 / 63#5. White Sands National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 697 miles
- Driving time: 13.8 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 893 miles
- Driving time: 17.1 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
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7 / 63#7. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 919 miles
- Driving time: 29.0 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 929 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 957 miles
- Driving time: 18.7 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 962 miles
- Driving time: 19.6 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,000 miles
- Driving time: 20.5 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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12 / 63#12. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 1,014 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 hours
- Date founded: July 1, 1941
- 2025 visitors: 660,734 (#34 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 54,011.91 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,033 miles
- Driving time: 27.3 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,046 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 1,057 miles
- Driving time: 23.1 hours
- Date founded: June 15, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 11,527,939 (#1 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 522,426.88 acres
Claudia G Cooper // Shutterstock
16 / 63#16. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,083 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 1,090 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,105 miles
- Driving time: 21.8 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
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19 / 63#19. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,106 miles
- Driving time: 27.1 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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20 / 63#20. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,116 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 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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21 / 63#21. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,131 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 2003
- 2025 visitors: 287,833 (#49 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,476.47 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
22 / 63#22. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,154 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 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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23 / 63#23. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,169 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 hours
- Date founded: February 25, 1928
- 2025 visitors: 1,967,367 (#16 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 35,835.08 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,196 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,223 miles
- Driving time: 22.4 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 2,932,644 (#12 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 795,155.85 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
26 / 63#26. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,226 miles
- Driving time: 23.9 hours
- Date founded: February 15, 2019
- 2025 visitors: 2,629,497 (#13 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,349.08 acres
Matt Ragen // Shutterstock
27 / 63#27. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,249 miles
- Driving time: 25.3 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 1,139,361 (#26 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 242,755.94 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,251 miles
- Driving time: 24.7 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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29 / 63#29. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,263 miles
- Driving time: 26.2 hours
- Date founded: December 27, 2020
- 2025 visitors: 1,958,440 (#17 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,021 acres
Arlene Waller // Shutterstock
30 / 63#30. Great Basin National Park (Nevada)
- Distance: 1,319 miles
- Driving time: 27.4 hours
- Date founded: October 27, 1986
- 2025 visitors: 161,210 (#54 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 77,180.00 acres
Bryan Brazil // Shutterstock
31 / 63#31. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,338 miles
- Driving time: 25.8 hours
- Date founded: October 31, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 1,320,134 (#24 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 3,408,406.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
32 / 63#32. Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
- Distance: 1,385 miles
- Driving time: 27.2 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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33 / 63#33. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,404 miles
- Driving time: 28.4 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
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34 / 63#34. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,419 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
35 / 63#35. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,427 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 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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36 / 63#36. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,438 miles
- Driving time: 30.7 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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37 / 63#37. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,441 miles
- Driving time: 31.3 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
38 / 63#38. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,468 miles
- Driving time: 29.0 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
39 / 63#39. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,476 miles
- Driving time: 29.5 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Stephen Moehle // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,519 miles
- Driving time: 30.3 hours
- Date founded: October 1, 1890
- 2025 visitors: 4,278,413 (#5 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 761,747.50 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
41 / 63#41. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,565 miles
- Driving time: 28.2 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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42 / 63#42. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,567 miles
- Driving time: 28.6 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. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,592 miles
- Driving time: 30.9 hours
- Date founded: April 3, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 29,091 (#60 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 571,790.30 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,699 miles
- Driving time: 33.1 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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45 / 63#45. Glacier National Park (Montana)
- Distance: 1,801 miles
- Date founded: May 11, 1910
- 2025 visitors: 3,136,557 (#10 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,013,125.99 acres
Hank Shiffman // Shutterstock
46 / 63#46. Crater Lake National Park (Oregon)
- Distance: 1,810 miles
- Driving time: 35.5 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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47 / 63#47. Redwood National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,840 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
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48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,952 miles
- Driving time: 37.2 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: 2,015 miles
- Driving time: 39.6 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. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 2,060 miles
- Driving time: 41.3 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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51 / 63#51. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 2,064 miles
- Driving time: 40.3 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1938
- 2025 visitors: 3,584,187 (#9 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 922,649.41 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,159 miles
- Date founded: August 2, 1956
- 2025 visitors: 471,074 (#42 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 15,052.53 acres
Laurie Gronewold // Shutterstock
53 / 63#53. Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 2,939 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: 3,177 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: 3,385 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: 3,495 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: 3,530 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
58 / 63#58. Katmai National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,539 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
59 / 63#59. Gates of the Arctic National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,684 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 14,923 (#62 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 7,523,897.45 acres
jo Crebbin // Shutterstock
60 / 63#60. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,684 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
61 / 63#61. Haleakalā National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,716 miles
- Date founded: July 1, 1961
- 2025 visitors: 853,711 (#27 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,264.62 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
62 / 63#62. Kobuk Valley National Park (Alaska)
- Distance: 3,828 miles
- Date founded: December 2, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 7,786 (#63 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,750,716.16 acres
Lloyd Wallin Photography // Shutterstock
63 / 63#63. National Park of American Samoa (American Samoa)
- Distance: 5,648 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
