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 Corpus Christi. National parks are ranked by closest straight line distance, measured from representative points in Corpus Christi, 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: 362 miles
- Driving time: 9.4 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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2 / 63#2. Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
- Distance: 512 miles
- Driving time: 8.7 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: 524 miles
- Driving time: 9.2 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: 530 miles
- Driving time: 9.7 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: 619 miles
- Driving time: 10.7 hours
- Date founded: December 20, 2019[111]
- 2025 visitors: 659,742 (#35 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 146,344.31 acres
Kris Wiktor // Shutterstock
6 / 63#6. Great Sand Dunes National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 825 miles
- Driving time: 15.1 hours
- Date founded: September 24, 2004
- 2025 visitors: 432,498 (#44 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 107,341.87 acres
kojihirano // Shutterstock
7 / 63#7. Saguaro National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 835 miles
- Driving time: 14.1 hours
- Date founded: October 14, 1994
- 2025 visitors: 847,749 (#28 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 92,867.42 acres
Paul Brady Photography // Shutterstock
8 / 63#8. Gateway Arch National Park (Missouri)
- Distance: 856 miles
- Driving time: 15.4 hours
- Date founded: February 22, 2018[47]
- 2025 visitors: 2,209,028 (#15 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 192.83 acres
Felix Lipov // Shutterstock
9 / 63#9. Petrified Forest National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 879 miles
- Driving time: 15.5 hours
- Date founded: December 9, 1962
- 2025 visitors: 315,951 (#48 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 221,390.21 acres
Sopotnicki // Shutterstock
10 / 63#10. Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 907 miles
- Driving time: 17.4 hours
- Date founded: June 29, 1906
- 2025 visitors: 463,130 (#43 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 52,485.17 acres
Wangkun Jia // Shutterstock
11 / 63#11. Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Distance: 925 miles
- Driving time: 16.6 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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12 / 63#12. Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 935 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: October 26, 1992
- 2025 visitors: 89,355 (#56 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 64,701.22 acres
SL-Photography // Shutterstock
13 / 63#13. Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 946 miles
- Driving time: 18.9 hours
- Date founded: October 21, 1999
- 2025 visitors: 250,086 (#50 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 30,779.83 acres
Anna Krivitskaya // Shutterstock
14 / 63#14. Rocky Mountain National Park (Colorado)
- Distance: 981 miles
- Driving time: 18.0 hours
- Date founded: January 26, 1915
- 2025 visitors: 4,171,431 (#6 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 265,807.25 acres
ZakZeinert // Shutterstock
15 / 63#15. Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina, Tennessee)
- Distance: 983 miles
- Driving time: 18.3 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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16 / 63#16. Canyonlands National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,013 miles
- Driving time: 24.0 hours
- Date founded: September 12, 1964
- 2025 visitors: 796,057 (#29 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 337,597.83 acres
Manamana // Shutterstock
17 / 63#17. Arches National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,021 miles
- Driving time: 19.3 hours
- Date founded: November 12, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,511,740 (#21 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 76,678.98 acres
Josemaria Toscano // Shutterstock
18 / 63#18. Grand Canyon National Park (Arizona)
- Distance: 1,028 miles
- Driving time: 18.6 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,430,653 (#4 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,201,647.03 acres
Simon Dannhauer // Shutterstock
19 / 63#19. Everglades National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,040 miles
- Driving time: 22.1 hours
- Date founded: May 30, 1934
- 2025 visitors: 778,198 (#31 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 1,508,938.57 acres
Layne V. Naylor // Shutterstock
20 / 63#20. Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,065 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 hours
- Date founded: December 18, 1971
- 2025 visitors: 1,388,476 (#22 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 241,904.50 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
21 / 63#21. Congaree National Park (South Carolina)
- Distance: 1,074 miles
- Driving time: 18.8 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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22 / 63#22. Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,084 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 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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23 / 63#23. Biscayne National Park (Florida)
- Distance: 1,087 miles
- Driving time: 21.1 hours
- Date founded: June 28, 1980
- 2025 visitors: 486,567 (#41 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 172,971.11 acres
Galyna Andrushko // Shutterstock
24 / 63#24. Zion National Park (Utah)
- Distance: 1,115 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 hours
- Date founded: November 19, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,984,525 (#2 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 147,242.66 acres
Delmas Lehman // Shutterstock
25 / 63#25. Indiana Dunes National Park (Indiana)
- Distance: 1,121 miles
- Driving time: 19.9 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
26 / 63#26. Badlands National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,132 miles
- Driving time: 21.4 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
27 / 63#27. Wind Cave National Park (South Dakota)
- Distance: 1,135 miles
- Driving time: 20.8 hours
- Date founded: January 9, 1903
- 2025 visitors: 606,258 (#37 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 33,970.84 acres
Dennis Silvas // Shutterstock
28 / 63#28. Joshua Tree National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,166 miles
- Driving time: 19.2 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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29 / 63#29. New River Gorge National Park (West Virginia)
- Distance: 1,184 miles
- Driving time: 21.3 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: 1,234 miles
- Driving time: 24.3 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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31 / 63#31. Death Valley National Park (California, Nevada)
- Distance: 1,269 miles
- Driving time: 22.7 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: 1,293 miles
- Driving time: 23.0 hours
- Date founded: October 11, 2000
- 2025 visitors: 3,025,325 (#11 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 32,571.88 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
33 / 63#33. Grand Teton National Park (Wyoming)
- Distance: 1,322 miles
- Driving time: 24.5 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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34 / 63#34. Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Distance: 1,328 miles
- Driving time: 23.6 hours
- Date founded: December 26, 1935
- 2025 visitors: 1,682,152 (#19 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 199,223.77 acres
Laurens Hoddenbagh // Shutterstock
35 / 63#35. Theodore Roosevelt National Park (North Dakota)
- Distance: 1,359 miles
- Driving time: 25.6 hours
- Date founded: November 10, 1978
- 2025 visitors: 729,893 (#33 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 70,446.89 acres
Lane V. Erickson // Shutterstock
36 / 63#36. Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho)
- Distance: 1,361 miles
- Driving time: 25.4 hours
- Date founded: March 1, 1872
- 2025 visitors: 4,762,988 (#3 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 2,219,790.71 acres
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37 / 63#37. Channel Islands National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,366 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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38 / 63#38. Sequoia National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,371 miles
- Driving time: 27.5 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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39 / 63#39. Kings Canyon National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,373 miles
- Driving time: 28.5 hours
- Date founded: March 4, 1940
- 2025 visitors: 779,791 (#30 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 461,901.20 acres
BlueBarronPhoto // Shutterstock
40 / 63#40. Voyageurs National Park (Minnesota)
- Distance: 1,447 miles
- Driving time: 24.2 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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41 / 63#41. Yosemite National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,448 miles
- Driving time: 27.5 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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42 / 63#42. Isle Royale National Park (Michigan)
- Distance: 1,478 miles
- Driving time: 27.0 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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43 / 63#43. Pinnacles National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,504 miles
- Driving time: 25.7 hours
- Date founded: January 10, 2013
- 2025 visitors: 343,208 (#47 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 26,685.73 acres
Zack Frank // Shutterstock
44 / 63#44. Lassen Volcanic National Park (California)
- Distance: 1,620 miles
- Driving time: 30.4 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: 1,693 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: 1,724 miles
- Driving time: 33.1 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: 1,762 miles
- Driving time: 34.4 hours
- Date founded: October 2, 1968
- 2025 visitors: 1,202,480 (#25 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 138,999.37 acres
Diane Fetzner // Shutterstock
48 / 63#48. Mount Rainier National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,856 miles
- Driving time: 34.3 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: 1,915 miles
- Driving time: 37.5 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. Olympic National Park (Washington)
- Distance: 1,968 miles
- Driving time: 38.0 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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51 / 63#51. Acadia National Park (Maine)
- Distance: 1,979 miles
- Driving time: 36.4 hours
- Date founded: February 26, 1919
- 2025 visitors: 4,079,318 (#7 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 49,076.63 acres
Sean Pavone // Shutterstock
52 / 63#52. Virgin Islands National Park (U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Distance: 2,179 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: 2,835 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: 3,072 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: 3,283 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: 3,389 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: 3,428 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: 3,440 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: 3,574 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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60 / 63#60. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (Hawaii)
- Distance: 3,673 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: 3,700 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: 3,718 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: 5,687 miles
- Date founded: October 31, 1988
- 2025 visitors: 43,258 (#58 highest among all national parks)
- Park area: 8,256.67 acres
